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Friday's Mini-Report, 3.19.21

Today's edition of quick hits.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The names of the victims in Atlanta: "The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office on Friday released the names of four women killed in shootings at two Atlanta spas. They were identified as Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong Yue, 63."

* News from the CDC: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday relaxed physical distancing requirements for children in school, from 6 feet to 3 feet — a change aimed at allowing more students to be inside classrooms. The recommendations come with a few caveats. Teachers and other adult school staff must still adhere to the 6 feet guidelines, and face coverings remain mandatory."

* Diplomacy is hard: "Top diplomats from the U.S. and China had a public blowup in front of reporters Thursday as the two global powers met in Alaska to discuss policy and attempt to restore ties that have become increasingly strained in recent years."

* Jennifer Weisselberg: "The ex-wife of a Trump Organization executive has spoken 'multiple times' with investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, she told NBC News, as the probe into Donald Trump's financial dealings intensifies."

* Jan. 6 charges: "Four men described as leaders of the far-right Proud Boys have been charged in the U.S. Capitol riots, as an indictment ordered unsealed on Friday presents fresh evidence of how federal officials believe group members planned and carried out a coordinated attack to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory."

* Chauvin trial: "After eight days of intense questioning about political biases, racism and policing, 12 jurors have been seated for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with two counts of murder for the death of George Floyd."

* An important initiative: "The U.S. military is focusing on identifying extremist organizations in the United States that are trying to recruit members from within the armed forces. A top official compared the recruitment effort to that undertaken by international terrorist groups trying to lure the support of servicemembers."

* Bijan Rafiekian is the one who didn't get a pardon: "A federal appeals court has reinstated a jury's guilty verdicts on the business partner of former Trump administration National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over the pair's lobbying for Turkish interests in the midst of the 2016 presidential campaign."

* The only nominee who was confirmed unanimously: "Katherine Tai was sworn in as the U.S. trade representative Thursday, becoming the first woman of color to serve as the country's top trade negotiator and the second Asian American member of President Biden's Cabinet."

* An interesting angle to the climate crisis: "Over the past few months, the Federal Reserve has joined an international group of central banks focused on climate risk, pointed to climate change as a threat to financial stability and established its own Supervision Climate Committee. The Fed's increasing focus on how climate change can threaten the financial system is garnering praise from Democrats and scorn from Republicans."

Have a safe weekend.