Today’s edition of quick hits:
* News out of the White House: “President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, warning that President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine amounted to ‘the beginning of a Russian invasion.’”
* In related news: “At the direction of President Joe Biden, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the movement of U.S. troops currently stationed in Europe to continue support for NATO Allies and the defense of the eastern flank, according to a senior defense official.”
* A day later, Putin’s radical rhetoric lingers: “Even seasoned Kremlinologists were alarmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s belligerent tone as he offered a monologue on why Ukraine has no right to exist.”
* A verdict in Georgia: “The three white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man, were found guilty of hate crimes and other charges by a federal jury in Georgia on Tuesday.”
* Another important SCOTUS case to keep an eye on: “The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will decide whether certain businesses with religious objections can refuse to offer their services for same-sex weddings, a question it has consistently ducked since its landmark gay marriage ruling in 2015.”
* A controversy we’ve been following for a while: “U.S. women soccer stars, including Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, have reached a $24 million settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation following a lawsuit over unequal pay with men’s team players.”
* The BA.1 strain: “Health officials are keeping a sharp eye on the COVID-19 omicron subvariant BA.2, which appears to be more contagious than the current BA.1 strain — but its health impacts are still unclear.”
See you tomorrow.