Today's edition of quick hits:
* Ukraine: "With Ukraine the primary focus of the NATO summit meeting here Thursday, the Ukrainian president, Petro O. Poroshenko, said he would seek to establish 'a bilateral cease-fire' on Friday between Ukraine's armed forces and pro-Russian separatists that would lay the foundation for a 'stage-by-stage peace plan' for his country."
* Overdue: "The European Central Bank surprised many analysts on Thursday by cutting interest rates from their already record-low levels and said it would soon begin buying packages of bank loans, in its continuing efforts to stimulate lending in the faltering eurozone economy."
* I'll have more on this in the morning: "Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) denied Democrat Chad Taylor's request to be removed from the Senate ballot on Thursday."
* Ferguson: "Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced plans Thursday afternoon to conduct a federal investigation into the Ferguson, Mo., Police Department to determine whether its officers have routinely engaged in racial profiling or a pattern of using excessive force."
* NATO: "President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain have called on NATO to reject 'isolationist' impulses and confront the rising terrorist threat posed by Sunni militants in the Middle East, saying the United States and Britain 'will not be cowed by barbaric killers.'"
* BP: "A federal judge in New Orleans on Thursday ruled that BP's 'gross negligence' and 'willful misconduct' had caused the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and that the company's 'reckless' behavior made it subject to fines of as much as $4,300 a barrel under the Clean Water Act."
* The fight for terrorist primacy: "Al Qaeda has released a video announcing the establishment of a new branch on the Indian subcontinent, saying it is meant to revive jihadist activity in a region that was once 'part of the land of Muslims, until the infidel enemy occupied it and fragmented it and split it.'"
* On a related note, the New York Times ran a stunning report on Ali Hussein Kadhim, an Iraqi soldier, who shared amazing details about his experience surviving an ISIS massacre. Note, the report is brutal, and includes graphic images, but is nevertheless important.
* Noted without comment: "'So, here is the Factor tip of the day: When you hear something on a partisan-driven program, do not believe it,' [Bill O'Reilly] told his audience."
* Erick Erickson, guest hosting for Rush Limbaugh, argued today that Americans who work for the minimum wage are "mostly people who failed at life."
* And if you missed Rachel talking about it on the show, we've been updating an online whip count, listing the members of Congress who support a congressional debate and vote on authorizing force against ISIS targets. Have your representatives weighed in? If so, and their names aren't on our list, email us at Rachel@msnbc.com.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.