Tuesday's Mini-Report

Today's edition of quick hits:

* If Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was eager to solidify his reputation as a self-absorbed show horse, indifferent to policymaking but obsessed with parading for the cameras, today was his lucky day.

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Until he is 'no longer able to stand,' Cruz speaks against Obamacare

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* For what it's worth, as a technical matter, Cruz's little stunt is not a filibuster. (It's also not really about the Affordable Care Act -- the right-wing Texan is basically just whining incessantly about legislative procedure surrounding the health care law.)

* Cruz's tantrum, which is apparently being done with Fox News specifically in mind, has already featured the senator likening his doubters to Nazi appeasers. Classy.

* No handshake: "The handshake turned out to be too touchy. President Barack Obama had encouraging words for his Iranian counterpart Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly, but a much buzzed-about meeting between the two leaders apparently won't happen."

* Kenya: "On Tuesday, four days after al-Qaeda-linked militants claimed credit for attacking the Westgate Shopping Center in Nairobi, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta declared victory against the assailants. 'We have ashamed and defeated our attackers,' Kenyatta said, 'our task has been completed.' Kenyatta also declared three days of national mourning for Kenya, starting Wednesday."

* Another historic first: "The Senate made history on Tuesday by voting to confirm Todd Hughes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Hughes, who was confirmed 98 to 0, is the nation's first openly gay circuit judge. He has been a deputy director in the civil division of the Justice Department since 2007."

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

* Economy: "Single-family home prices rose at a slightly slower pace in July, but the year-on-year gain was the strongest in more than seven years, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday."

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

* Down, but not down to zero: "The prison at Guantánamo said Monday it believed a long-running hunger strike has bottomed out with 19 protesting prisoners -- down from a high of 106 protesters locked inside solitary cells this summer."

* I was skeptical when I first heard about it, but Bono's imitation of Bill Clinton really isn't bad.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.