Today's edition of quick hits:
* Vice President Biden spoke to the National Council of La Raza today, and made a pointed jab at Mitt Romney: "He wants you to show your papers, but he won’t show us his." Ouch.
* Will Assad reach a tipping point in Syria?
* Hmm: "Russia, which seems intent on positioning itself as an increasingly decisive broker in the Syrian crisis, announced on Tuesday that a flotilla of navy vessels had sailed to the Mediterranean Sea and some would dock in the Syrian port of Tartus."
* Global warming deniers may like to think record heat in the U.S. is just a random event, but the odds are against it -- in fact, the odds are 1 in 1.6 million.
* Something to look forward to in 2040: "Amtrak announced a $151 billion improvement plan on Monday that includes 37-minute trips from New York to Philadelphia at speeds approaching 220 miles per hour."
* Fox News' Brian Kilmeade believes it's a "major problem" that most Americans believe the rich aren't paying enough in taxes. Of course he does.
* The House Ethics Committee cleared Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) on one pending charge, but the far more serious allegations remain unresolved.
* I was all set to do a lengthy item explaining how bizarre Michael Gerson's new column is, but I don't think I can improve upon Jon Chait's response.
* AAA: "Fitch Ratings on Tuesday affirmed its AAA credit rating on the United States and maintained a negative outlook, citing a diversified and wealthy economy that is undermined by the government's inability to agree on deficit reduction measures."
* I knew Pat Caddell was a rather shameless Fox News Democrat, but I didn't think he's resort to writing nonsense for Breitbart.com. It's a genuine shame to see what's become of him.
* And Gretchen Carlson told Fox News viewers yesterday that President Obama is great at "simplistic messaging" for voters who don't "pay close attention." I don't think she was kidding.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.