Today's edition of quick hits:
* Russia/Ukraine crisis: "Americans should consider leaving Ukraine 'now,' nonemergency diplomatic employees were authorized to depart, and eligible family members were ordered to evacuate Sunday amid Russia's continued military presence along the country's border, the U.S. State Department said."
* In related news: "The United States is discussing the deployment of American military forces to Eastern Europe with its NATO allies, a senior administration official said Monday, as President Joe Biden weighs options for responding to Russian threats against Ukraine."
* I have a hunch we know how this will turn out: "The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear challenges to the admissions process at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, presenting the most serious threat in decades to the use of affirmative action by the nation's public and private colleges and universities."
* What a strange story: "Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has fired lawyers from two public universities in the state, including one who serves as a top counsel on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot."
* We're bound to see more stories like these: "A Florida school district canceled a professor's civil rights history seminar for teachers, citing in part concerns over 'critical race theory' — even though his lecture had nothing to do with the topic."
* A controversy I've been keeping an eye on: "A federal judge handed a crucial free-speech victory to six University of Florida professors Friday, ordering the university to stop enforcing a policy that had barred them from giving expert testimony in lawsuits against the state."
* Research for "pro-family" conservatives to consider: "A study that provided poor mothers with cash stipends for the first year of their children's lives appears to have changed the babies' brain activity in ways associated with stronger cognitive development, a finding with potential implications for safety net policy."
* A notable delay in an important case: "Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee and former Alaska governor, has tested positive for Covid-19, a judge announced Monday as her defamation trial against The New York Times was set to begin. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan, who is presiding over the case, announced that 'Ms. Palin had tested positive for coronavirus.' ... 'She is, of course, unvaccinated,' he added."
See you tomorrow.
