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Friday's Mini-Report, 10.9.15

Today’s edition of quick hits.
Today’s edition of quick hits:
 
* A change in Syria: "The Pentagon on Friday announced it was ending its failed $500 million program to 'train and equip' Syrian rebels and replacing it with a far less ambitious plan, defense officials said. The 'training' part of the program -- which managed to field only 'four or five' Syrian rebels into the battle against ISIS at a $50 million price tag -- has been halted, according to senior defense officials."
 
* Capital punishment: "An Arkansas judge has placed a temporary hold on the upcoming executions of eight death row inmates as they challenge the state’s lethal injection protocols."
 
* Related news: "With two dozen scheduled executions in limbo, Ohio sent a forceful letter to Washington on Friday asserting that the state believes it can obtain a lethal-injection drug from overseas without violating any laws."
 
* Oregon: "President Barack Obama on Friday met with families and survivors of last week's shooting at a community college in Oregon."
 
* Nobel: "A coalition of labor union leaders, businesspeople, lawyers and human rights activists won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday 'for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.'”
 
* South Carolina: "The city of North Charleston, South Carolina, agreed Thursday to pay $6.5 million to the family of Walter Scott, the unarmed African-American man who was shot in the back by a white police officer in April, settling a potential lawsuit after six months of negotiations."
 
* One congressman in particular is going to have an interesting weekend: "House Republicans, struggling to regroup and reunify their conference in the face of a leadership crisis, achieved no new clarity on Friday about who might step forward to claim the speaker’s gavel as attention remained focused on Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, who has said repeatedly he does not want the job."
 
* And a little good news for Team Paul: "A federal judge on Friday threw out four of five counts stemming from a campaign fraud case against Jesse Benton, a top political adviser to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul."
 
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.