Today's edition of quick hits:
* Death toll climbs in the Middle East: "After another night of intense bombardment by Israeli forces, Palestinians and Israelis on Friday surveyed a landscape marred by violence that has spread from the West Bank to Israel to Gaza and back to the West Bank, leaving scores dead, mostly Palestinians."
* Andre Hill case: "The City of Columbus, Ohio, reached a $10 million settlement with the family of Andre Hill, a Black man who was fatally shot by a now-former police officer as he walked out of the garage of a home, officials announced Friday."
* Adapting to the new guidelines: "The abrupt decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to free fully vaccinated people from its mask guidance in most indoor and outdoor settings set off a scramble on Friday across the country to update local rules and redefine social norms."
* The deal isn't complete just yet: "Democrats and Republicans in Congress reached an agreement Friday on creating an independent bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — but the House GOP leader said he didn't sign off on the deal moments after it was announced."
* Yep: "It could well be true that parts of the Biden fiscal agenda will have some inflationary effects; based on the limited data available, we don't know yet, and I don't want to suggest there is no risk of that outcome. But it's also too early to freak out."
* Good move: "The Biden administration on Thursday moved to repeal a Trump-era regulation that it said weakened the government's ability to curb air pollution that threatens public health and is driving climate change."
* A CNN survey found 100% of congressional Democrats have been vaccinated. Among House Republicans, it's about 45%.
* We've been keeping a close eye on this story: "Senate Democrats, in a letter Friday to Attorney General Merrick Garland, weighed in on a judge's recent opinion accusing the Trump-era Justice Department of misleading her about the purpose of an internal memo related to the Mueller probe."
* The research is clear: "No, unemployment benefits don't stop people from returning to work. Study after study has debunked the myth that emergency benefits keep people out of the labor force."
* On a related note: "The Republican governors of Ohio and Georgia announced on Thursday their respective states will opt out of receiving federal enhanced unemployment benefits, joining a growing list of GOP-led states dropping the pandemic-related benefit."
* Another story that prove to be important: "New York prosecutors have subpoenaed a Manhattan private school as they seek the cooperation of the Trump Organization's chief financial officer in their investigation of former President Donald Trump and his company, according to people familiar with the matter."
Have a safe weekend.