Today's edition of quick hits:
* Crisis is Ukraine: "Police removed pro-Russian demonstrators occupying a building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Tuesday, but protesters vowed not to relinquish their hold on the regional administrative center here in Donetsk."
* Related news: "As the government in Kiev moved to reassert control over pro-Russian protesters across eastern Ukraine, the United States and NATO issued stern warnings to Moscow about further intervention in the country's affairs, amid deepening fears of an eventual Russian incursion."
* What derailed Middle East peace talks last week? This did: "Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Israel's announcement of 700 new apartments for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem precipitated the bitter impasse in peace negotiations last week between Israel and the Palestinians."
* Afghanistan: "The Afghan presidential election on Saturday appeared to be substantially cleaner than the widely discredited 2009 election, according to complaint figures released Tuesday by the authorities here."
* Executive orders, as promised: "'A woman has got to work about three more months in order to get what a man got because she's paid less. That's not fair. That's like adding an extra six miles to a marathon,' the president said, speaking at an event with Lily Ledbetter, who became a champion of pay equity after suing Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for gender discrimination."
* Minimum-wage delay: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Tuesday that a vote to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour will not take place for another three weeks. Reid initially scheduled floor action on the hike for March 6.... Now it will wait until after Congress concludes a two-week recess. Lawmakers will return the week of April 28."
* Are House GOP leaders concerned about ethical issues surrounding Vance McAlister? Apparently not: "House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Tuesday that Rep. Vance McAllister's constituents 'deserve an apology' after the Republican freshman was caught on video kissing a staffer outside his district office." Cantor did not go any further.
* GM: "An automobile safety group is pushing federal regulators to launch an additional investigation into General Motors. The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Auto Safety said in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the performance of airbags in GM's Chevrolet Impala vehicles should be investigated."
* Rush Limbaugh's predictable coda on Equal Pay Day: "This equal pay for women thing" is "old hat and not even applicable anymore."
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.