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Today's edition of quick hits:
* Vaccinations are good: "Research published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that unvaccinated people are significantly more likely to not only become infected with Covid-19, but also die from the virus."
* The White House plan would help the public: "President Biden's new coronavirus vaccine mandates will have sweeping ramifications for businesses, schools and the political discourse in the United States. But for many scientists, the question is a simpler one: Will these measures turn back a surging pandemic? The answer: Yes, in the longer term."
* The Igor Fruman saga: "A Florida businessman who made headlines for helping Rudy Giuliani seek damaging information on Joe Biden in Ukraine pleaded guilty Friday to a charge alleging he helped facilitate illegal foreign campaign contributions in an effort to build a marijuana business in the U.S."
* New Orleans finds its footing: "With the vast majority of lights now on in New Orleans, city officials on Thursday were prepared for the next phase in navigating the aftermath of Hurricane Ida: recovery."
* The latest development in DeSantis' weird campaign against mask protections for kids: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration was granted approval Friday to keep in place an order banning mask mandates in schools while the measure moves through an appeals court."
* He's right, but his public rhetoric about an ongoing case is unusual: "Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said the court's recent ruling upholding Texas' abortion law was 'very, very, very wrong' in an interview with National Public Radio released Thursday."
* Extraordinary courage: "Day after day this month, Afghan women have taken to the streets in groups large and small to protest against Taliban rule, the regime's new curbs on their rights and Pakistan's influence in Afghanistan."
* The Air Force has work to do: "Blacks and other minorities in the Air Force and Space Force are treated differently from their white peers, according to two disparity reviews released Thursday. In a wide-ranging look at topics ranging from who gets promoted in the ranks to who gets punished in the military justice system, the reviews found minorities are usually on the short end."
* A bold move in Cambridge: "Harvard University said this week that it will end all of its investments in fossil fuels, a landmark victory for climate activists who have lobbied major colleges and universities to stop funding activities that help drive global warming."
* In the tech world, this caused a real stir: "Apple's lucrative App Store business received a major blow Friday thanks to a federal judge's decision in the company's legal battle with Epic Games."
Have a safe weekend.