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Friday's Mini-Report, 9.30.16

Today's edition of quick hits.
Today's edition of quick hits:* Syria: "Two senior U.S. officials tell NBC News that thousands of ground troops are massing around Aleppo. The officials said they are awaiting a major ground operation into the city. The ground troops are a mix of Syrian regime, Iranian Quds Force, Hezbollah, paid fighters from Iraq (Badr Brigade) and from Afghanistan."* That's quite a storm: "Matthew strengthened to a Category 3 major hurricane in the Caribbean on Friday and remains a dangerous threat to Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas over the next few days. The storm could still impact the U.S. East Coast by next week after its rampage through the Caribbean."* He's having quite a day: "New video of Donald Trump testifying under oath has been made public after a court ruling Friday unsealed footage of the GOP nominee's deposition in a case involving his new Washington D.C. hotel."* Israel: "On a cloudless blue morning, an honor guard brought the flag-draped coffin of Shimon Peres to the Mount Herzl national cemetery Friday as 100 world leaders and dignitaries from 70 countries bid farewell to the former Israeli leader and Nobel laureate whose dream of a lasting peace with the Palestinians remains elusive."* If you missed President Obama's remarks at the Peres memorial service, they're well worth your time.* Filipino voters appear to have made a terrible mistake: "Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday compared his campaign to kill criminals to the Holocaust, saying he would like to 'slaughter' millions of addicts just like Adolf Hitler 'massacred' millions of Jewish people."* Howard Dean, "the former Vermont governor and onetime Democratic National Committee chairman, offered a qualified apology Friday morning for his repeated insinuations this week that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump might be a cocaine user."* Native Americans: "At a time when many Americans roll their eyes at campaign promises, it's heartening to see a president deliver on his. 'I hope I've done right by you,' Mr. Obama told the tribal leaders, and they responded that he had."* I've watched the video of President Obama trying to get Bill Clinton to get on board Air Force One several times today, and I find myself laughing every single time.Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.