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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* When the Saudis partner with Russia, the results are discouraging: “The OPEC+ alliance announced Wednesday that it will cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, a move that’s likely to send gas prices higher again after a year of tumult at the pump. ... It represents the largest cut in production since the start of the pandemic.”
* The latest from Ukraine: “Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to ‘stabilize’ the situation in the four regions of Ukraine whose annexation he formalized on Wednesday, as Ukrainian advances exposed the Kremlin’s struggle to match its political theater with the reality on the battlefield.”
* The latest from Iran: “They were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police and have been led by women burning headscarves and furiously demanding reform in the Islamic Republic of Iran. But the protests that have engulfed the nation for weeks are also attracting support from across society as they evolve into a sustained anti-government movement.”
* The latest Jan. 6 arrest: “An Ohio pastor who wore his company jacket as he pushed against a police line on Jan. 6 was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday and charged with felony and misdemeanor charges, the Justice Department said.”
* All is not well in the Sooner State: “Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Tuesday that will withhold Covid relief funds from one of the state’s largest hospital systems unless it stops providing gender-affirming medical care to minors.”
* Maybe migrants, desperate to work and earn a reasonable wage, aren’t so bad after all? “Migrants are reportedly being transported from New York City to Florida for work supporting cleanup efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian — weeks after the governor put migrants on a flight to Martha’s Vineyard.”
* A story we’ve followed closely: “A Michigan judge threw out felony charges Tuesday against seven people in the Flint water scandal, including two former state health officials blamed for deaths from Legionnaires’ disease.”
See you tomorrow.