Wednesday's Mini-Report, 3.8.17

Today's edition of quick hits:* Kabul: "Gunmen dressed as doctors stormed a military hospital near the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan's capital on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people and wounding more than 50."* International Women's Day: "What would happen in a world where women didn't exist? That's what people around the globe on Wednesday will attempt to demonstrate by taking part in one of the largest-ever International Women's Day protests."* Obama: "Former President Barack Obama 'rolled his eyes' at President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims that he wiretapped Trump Tower at the end of the 2016 election, a source close to the former president tells NBC News.... The source told NBC News the former president 'is much more concerned by President Trump kicking people off their health insurance, not staffing the government, not being prepared for a crisis, rolling back regulations so that corporations can pollute the air and water and letting mentally unstable people buy guns with no problems whatsoever.'"* Muslim ban: "President Trump's revised executive order barring citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries from traveling to the United States confronted its first legal challenge late Tuesday, the day after it was signed, when the State of Hawaii asked a federal judge to block it temporarily."* Makes sense to me: "Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Monday urged President Donald Trump to release logs of visitors to the White House and Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida under a policy that made public the names of nearly six million visitors to the White House during the administration of Barack Obama."* Another step backwards: "The White House is seeking to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the budget of an Energy Department division that has funded technological research in projects ranging from the LED light bulb to plug-in electric trucks, according to people familiar with the plans."* Trump nominated former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) to serve as Agriculture Secretary, despite Perdue's various ethics controversies. Now his nomination has stalled, and no one seems to know what's going on.* General Services Administration: "A top government official overseeing federal buildings -- including the historic tower that is home to President Trump's D.C. hotel -- is leaving the agency as it endures increasing criticism from congressional Democrats for not addressing a potential lease violation and other concerns stemming from the president's ownership of the project."* The most recent EPA chief reflects on the current EPA chief: "Gina McCarthy, who headed the E.P.A. under former President Barack Obama, said she too saw [Scott Pruitt] as unique. 'It's fine to have differing opinions on how to meet the mission of the agency. Many Republican administrators have had that,' she said. 'But here, for the first time, I see someone who has no commitment to the mission of the agency.'"* NATO: "President Donald Trump will nominate Richard Grenell to be his ambassador to NATO, according to a White House official." Given Grenell's reputation as a quarrelsome Internet troll, a variety of media professionals are weighing whether to unblock him on Twitter in the event Grenell is confirmed. [Disclosure: I blocked him years ago.]Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.