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Today's edition of quick hits:
* Vaccine news: "A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Thursday to recommend Moderna booster shots for emergency use authorization, bringing millions of Americans one step closer to being eligible for an additional dose."
* On a related note, vaccine requirements continue to work: "Vaccination rates against COVID-19 in the United States have risen by more than 20 percentage points after multiple institutions adopted vaccine requirements, while case numbers and deaths from the virus are down, Biden administration officials said on Wednesday."
* Sending doses abroad: "President Biden on Thursday announced that the United States is sending 17 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to the African Union, where vaccination rates remain perilously low. Biden made the announcement in an Oval Office meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta."
* New Hampshire takes a step backwards for no good reason: "New Hampshire has become the first state to reject federal COVID money. The state was set to get $27 million to boost vaccination rates but the New Hampshire Executive Council on Wednesday voted against the grants."
* John Deere strike: "More than 10,000 workers at 14 different John Deere locations went on strike at the stroke of midnight after the United Auto Workers union said it was unable to reach a new contract with the tractor company."
* Violent unrest in Beirut: "Armed clashes between sectarian militias briefly turned Beirut neighborhoods into a war zone on Thursday, killing six people and raising fears that new violence could fill the void left by the near-collapse of the Lebanese state."
* Gas prices: "The White House has been consulting with the oil industry to seek a remedy for rising gasoline prices as surging inflation threatens to tarnish the economic recovery, according to three people familiar with the discussions."
* Nuclear talks: "The United States and Israel said Wednesday they are exploring a "Plan B" for dealing with Iran if the Islamic Republic does not return in good faith to negotiations to salvage the languishing landmark 2015 nuclear deal."
See you tomorrow.