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Today's edition of quick hits:
* The latest milestone: "The global death toll from COVID-19 has crossed 100,000, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 100,376 people had died as of Friday afternoon ET."
* Nursing homes: "Nearly 2,300 long-term care facilities in 35 states are battling coronavirus cases, according to data gathered by NBC News from state agencies, an explosive increase of 475 percent compared to a federal tally just 10 days ago."
* IRS: "People who don't normally file tax returns but want to receive a coronavirus stimulus payment finally have a clear way to get their information to the federal government. The IRS released a new 'simple tax return' tool Friday that can be filled out online, geared toward low-income people and others who aren't required to file tax returns."
* An update on a story from yesterday: "The Department of Health and Human Services is stepping back from a plan to end support on Friday for community-based coronavirus testing sites around the country."
* The Kansas Supreme Court will hear arguments on this tomorrow: "Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is suing to stop Republican lawmakers from overturning her executive order limiting church gatherings -- triggering a high-stakes legal showdown amid a deadly pandemic."
* Yemen: "Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced a unilateral cease-fire to allow for talks and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Almost simultaneously, the Houthi rebels who control the Yemeni capital unveiled their own eight-page peace plan. The United Nations, which has been struggling for years to quell Yemen's violence, hopes to convene talks between them as early as next week."
* This really was bizarre: "Vice President Mike Pence has walked back its decision to restrict top health experts from appearing on CNN in an effort to pressure the network into airing the daily White House coronavirus task force briefings in full."
* Hmm: "A federal judge in Manhattan rejected an effort by U.S. President Donald Trump and his adult children to send a lawsuit accusing them of exploiting their family name to promote a marketing scam into arbitration."
* One of the notable questions of the week: "Everything is awful. so why is the stock market booming? Investors are betting that powerful interventions from Washington will protect the long-term profitability of major companies."
* Noted without comment: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to internet and radio personality Alex Jones on Thursday, urging him to stop promoting false claims about coronavirus preventatives and cures on his InfoWars website."
Have a safe weekend.