Today's edition of quick hits:
* Afghan President Hamid Karzai thinks the U.S. and the Taliban are "negotiating daily," working in concert to ensure that coalition combat forces would remain in Afghanistan beyond the scheduled pullout in 2014. This really isn't a constructive development.
* Also in Afghanistan: "An Afghan police officer opened fire Monday on a gathering of Americans and Afghans in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least two members of the U.S. Special Operations forces and five Afghan troops and police officers, officials said."
* North Korea: "North Korea declared the 1953 Korean War armistice nullified on Monday, following through on a longstanding threat that it renewed last week amid rising tensions with South Korea. The move comes as the United States and South Korea are in the midst of two months of joint military drills, which started on March 1, and on Monday they began another planned joint military exercise that involved bringing 2,500 troops from the United States."
* NYC: "A judge on Monday invalidated New York City's plan to ban large sugary drinks from restaurants, movie theaters and other establishments, one day before the new law was to take effect. State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling in Manhattan ruled the new regulation was 'arbitrary and capricious' and declared it invalid, after the American Beverage Association and other business groups had sued the city challenging the ban."
* Back to jail: "Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted Monday of a raft of federal corruption charges, a verdict that all but ensures a return to prison for a man once considered a rising political star."
* Hardly a surprise: "Joe Lieberman, who left the Senate in January after a career that saw him go from Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000 to shedding his party label in 2006 after losing a bitter primary, will join the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the conservative think tank announced Monday."
* Jeff Sachs' gets Paul Krugman's attention, but not in a good way.
* And a Republican Iowa state representative, who happens to be the grandson of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R), has introduced a bill that eliminates "the high school social studies requirement to teach voting procedures." I haven't the foggiest idea why, but I'm eager to learn more.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
