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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Kherson: “Ukrainian forces swept into the key southern city of Kherson on Friday after Russia said its military had completed a rapid retreat from the area — a humiliating setback for President Vladimir Putin and a major development in the war. As jubilant civilians flocked to the city’s central square to greet advancing soldiers, Kyiv said its forces were taking control and warned any remaining occupying troops to surrender.”
* Russia’s self-imposed problems: “As Russia’s military troubles mount in Ukraine, it’s also becoming more isolated internationally as organizations affiliated with the United Nations purge Moscow’s representatives from leadership positions.”
* It was a Trump-appointed judge, whose ruling will be appealed: “The Biden administration has stopped accepting applications for federal student loan forgiveness after a court struck down its plan on Thursday evening.”
* Leading on climate: “The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to significantly tighten regulations against methane emissions from domestic oil and gas drilling. The new measures were unveiled at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and are part of the administration’s broader commitments to the global community to tackle the climate crisis.”
* DHS dilemma: “Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus, who has clashed with immigration officials over how to handle an influx of migrants at the southern border, has lost the confidence of his bosses and has been asked to resign or be fired, according to three current and one former Department of Homeland Security officials.”
* Sounds like progress: “More than 5.6 million Covid vaccine and booster shots were administered in the past week, the highest seven-day total in the U.S. since January, a Biden administration official said. The new numbers, first shared with NBC News, outpace the previous weekly sums by about 1 million.”
* The confirmation hearings will be unpleasant: “President Joe Biden on Thursday announced he plans to name Danny Werfel, who has held top economic posts in both Democratic and Republican administrations, to head the IRS during a potentially transformative period for the agency.”
* When was the last time a prominent business was this incompetent? “Twitter has suspended sign-ups for its Blue subscription service after the initial rollout was marred by users who received a paid verification badge and then impersonated celebrities, politicians and brands.”
Have a safe weekend.