The WonkLine: October 20, 2010

“Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) has courted Michelle Rhee to become the state’s next education commissioner, but the job’s distance from her family may prove an insurmountable stumbling block,” the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

According to an American Council on Education report, “today’s 25- to 34-year-olds are no better educated than their baby-boomer predecessors. About 37.5% of them held at least a two-year college degree in 2008, almost identical to the 37% of 45- to 64-year olds.”

“The Obama administration has renewed its commitment to key priorities in the education of Hispanic students, including reduction of the dropout rate, improved connections between pre-K-12 and postsecondary education, and passage of the ‘DREAM Act,’” Education Week reports.

Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, left a passive-aggressive voicemail for Professor Anita Hill—the woman whose sexual harassment allegations became a centerpiece of the justice’s confirmation hearings in 1991—asking Hill to “consider an apology.” Hill has “no intention of apologizing.”

A Texas judge who ordered her court closed to prevent a death row inmate from appealing his death sentence was absolved of wrongdoing by a special Texas court convened to determine whether she committed misconduct.

A nationwide coalition of nativist lawmakers has convened to examine how to repeal the Constitution’s guarantee of citizenship to persons born within the US.

South Korea is open to calls for resuming international talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear arms program if Pyongyang pledges to honor a 2005 deal, a senior official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.”

“Peace and security in Afghanistan is a priority for Tehran, Iran’s special envoy at the international meeting of ‘Stability in Afghanistan’ said.”

“Three militants who shook Chechnya by attacking its parliament on Tuesday arrived by taxi, Russian media report. It took security forces in the capital Grozny at least 15 minutes to overcome the attackers.”

Republican lawmakers in 15 states formed a coalition called State Legislators for Legal Immigration to coordinating and effort to deny the U.S. born children of undocumented immigrants citizenship.

Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. has sent a letter to senatorial candidate Sharron Angle (R-NV) correcting her assertion that 9/11 terrorists entered the U.S. from America’s northern border.

Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan asserted that Mexico must help more with border enforcement by boosting economic growth and job creation and assuring that Mexicans come to the U.S. through legal ports of entry.

Record-breaking rain and hail pounds Los Angeles, and “an onslaught of tornadoes and high winds across Ohio on Sept.16 caused at least $17.2 million in damage.”

Yesterday, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) told the Chamber of Commerce they need to stop fighting climate legislation, or “we will continue to have conferences where we laud the achievements of companies in Israel and other countries who are doing things we should also be doing here at home,” and Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) said in a debate, “This has got to be our time to believe that we can still out-compete the world.”

“Some of the world’s most populous areas — southern Europe, northern Africa, the western U.S. and much of Latin America — could face severe, even unprecedented drought by 2100,” researchers said Tuesday.

“A Pentagon spokesman said Monday that no disciplinary problems or mass-resignations have been reported since last week’s judicial injunction” against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

“A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said there are ‘no guarantees‘ the votes will materialize to repeal the [Don't Ask, Don't Tell] in a post-election session of Congress or next year, when Republicans are expected to have more seats in both chambers.”

‘”Children are particularly vulnerable to the hurt caused by discrimination and prejudice,’ the secretary of State says, joining the national chorus against antigay bullying with a new YouTube video.”

“In the latest experiment aimed at curbing health-care costs, UnitedHealth Group Inc. is altering the way cancer specialists are paid.”

“Insurance stocks fell at a faster clip than the broader market Tuesday after UnitedHealth Group’s CEO said the insurer expects earnings to drop next year when a key health reform provision begins.”

“The procedural motions that Republicans filed during the healthcare reform debate offer the best insights into which provisions of the law the party wants to repeal first, a top staffer for a senior House Republican told The Hill.”

The New York Federal Reserve “has joined a group of investors demanding that Bank of America buy back billions of dollars worth of mortgage securities that are plagued with shoddy documentation.” Bank of America has rebuffed the calls.

“The government has earned $25.2 billion on its investment of $309 billion in banks and insurance companies, an 8.2 percent return over two years,” according to data compiled by Bloomberg News.

“A four-month-long Obama administration probe into five of the country’s largest mortgage servicers has discovered ‘a significant variation’ among their operations, with some servicers ‘significantly worse than others,’” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan

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