Monday's Mini-Report, 3.6.17

Today's edition of quick hits:* Possible hate crime: "Police in a Seattle suburb are investigating a possible hate crime after a masked gunman shot a Sikh man after telling him to get out of the country, Kent's police chief said."* Supreme Court:  "In a blow to advocates of transgender rights, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday said it would not hear the case of a transgender high school student fighting to use the bathroom of his choice. The court also wiped off the books a lower court ruling in favor of the student, Gavin Grimm, who said federal law allowed him to use school restrooms matching his gender identity."* North Korea "fired four banned ballistic missiles into Japanese waters on Monday, an act that officials in Seoul and Tokyo said represented a grave threat to their countries' security."* On a related note: "The barrage of medium-range missiles that North Korea fired into the ocean late Sunday night and early Monday morning actually included five missiles, not four, but one of the missiles failed at launch, according to two senior defense officials."* The future of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: "The Trump administration is seeking to slash the budget of one of the government's premier climate science agencies by 17 percent, delivering steep cuts to research funding and satellite programs, according to a four-page budget memo obtained by The Washington Post."* The consequences of the Trump era: "An idea, once unthinkable, is gaining attention in European policy circles: a European Union nuclear weapons program."* The possible return of an amazing case: "President Trump's post-election agreement to pay $25 million appeared to settle the fraud claims arising from his defunct for-profit education venture, Trump University. But a former student is now asking to opt out of the settlement, a move that, if permitted, could put the deal in jeopardy."* This should've happened sooner: "Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is apologizing for a crude joke he made last week about White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway. 'After a discussion with people I know and trust I understand the way my remarks have been received by many," Richmond said in a statement, according to reports.... 'I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive.'"Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.