Today's edition of quick hits:
* A nuclear threat: "North Korea said on Tuesday its main nuclear complex was operating and it was working to improve the 'quality and quantity' of its weapons which it could use against the United States at 'any time.'"
* Syria: "The Pentagon acknowledged Monday that Russia has been building up a military base in Syria. Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that the U.S. has seen a 'continued steady flow' of equipment and people for the past week and a half."
* Refugee crisis: "The Hungarian police announced Tuesday that the country has closed its borders to the influx of migrants and refugees attempting to cross into the European Union.... Those who arrived on Tuesday are now trapped in Serbia with a large razor-wire fence between them and the European Union."
* Deadly flash flooding: "Authorities confirmed a ninth death on Tuesday from a flash flood described as a 'wall of water' that swept away a van and an SUV near the Utah-Arizona state line. Emergency officials in Washington County, Utah, confirmed that another body had been found. At least four people were still missing."
* A stopgap measure is the only credible solution, for now: "The White House on Wednesday indicated it is open to accepting a short-term funding bill that keeps in place spending caps in order to avert a government shutdown."
* Ex-Im consequences? "General Electric Co. will move about 500 U.S. jobs overseas to avoid losing business to foreign rivals, a decision the company said was prompted by the lapse of the U.S. Export-Import Bank’s charter earlier this summer."
* This story, out of Connecticut, is worth keeping an eye on: "The State Elections Enforcement Commission will investigate a claim by gun control advocates and family members of Sandy Hook school shooting victims that the NRA violated Connecticut campaign finance rules" (thanks to my colleague Will Femia for the heads-up).
* If Kim Davis and her backers hoped to persuade the American mainstream that her cause is just, they failed miserably.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.