Today's edition of quick hits:
* A step in the right direction: "Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday that he plans to double the number of staff within the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division dedicated to protecting voting rights."
* Another disappointing ruling: "A federal judge in Wisconsin has ordered a temporary halt to a $4 billion federal loan relief program aimed at addressing longstanding inequities for farmers of color after a legal challenge by white farmers who argue the policy discriminates against them."
* I have a hunch there are better uses for these state funds: "Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott said Thursday that his state would build a wall along the border with Mexico.... The Republican governor announced the plan to build the barrier at a border security summit he hosted in Del Rio, a city along Texas' southwestern border, and said he would release more details next week."
* The obvious decision: "Lawmakers in Oregon on Thursday night expelled a Republican legislator who let violent, far-right protesters into the Statehouse. Rep. Mike Nearman was the first member of the House to be expelled in its 160-year history. The House voted 59-1 to remove him from the Legislature for disorderly behavior."
* The latest mass shooting: "A shooting at a Publix supermarket in Florida left three people dead, including the suspected shooter, authorities said Thursday.... Authorities identified the victims as a woman and her grandson, who would have turned 2 at the end of the month, and said their names would not be released at the family's request."
* A story worth watching: "Russia is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that will give Tehran an unprecedented ability to track potential military targets across the Middle East and beyond, according to current and former U.S. and Middle Eastern officials briefed on details of the arrangement."
* Quite an op-ed from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland: "My grandparents were stolen from their families as children. We must learn about this history."
* Good choice: "The Pulitzer Prize Board awarded a special citation Friday to the teen who filmed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, touching off a summer of protests against systemic racism and police brutality."
Have a safe weekend.