Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A case worth watching: “The Trump administration sued California election officials Thursday, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots for next month’s midterm elections from people the federal government has identified as ‘likely’ noncitizens until their status can be confirmed.”

* First, Donald Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine. Then, Russia ignored the deal, and now, Ukraine is retaliating in kind: “Ukraine attacked a Russian oil refinery Thursday, abandoning a brief truce involving energy-related targets that it said Moscow did not heed, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he felt betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump.”

* On Wednesday night, in reference to the war with Iran that the American president launched, he told reporters, “As soon as I want it to end, it’ll end.” But if that’s the case, shouldn’t Trump explain why he doesn’t want it to end?

* Remember when Trump picked this guy to serve as the U.S. attorney general, and JD Vance invested time and effort, shepherding the Florida Republican around Capitol Hill?: “Former Rep. Matt Gaetz is facing allegations of sex trafficking by two women who filed a civil lawsuit against him and two other men in federal court Thursday.”

* I’ll be keeping an eye on this one: “Federal authorities are investigating letters containing ‘suspicious substances’ that were mailed to multiple congressional and election offices nationwide, law enforcement officials said Thursday.”

* This report is emblematic of the Republican senator’s entire career: “Two North Carolina lawyers recently tapped by President Donald Trump for lifetime posts on the federal bench managed to get sign-off from GOP Sen. Thom Tillis — despite their involvement in the high-profile prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey.”

* So many no-bid contracts: “It was early June, and the White House had an ‘urgent and compelling’ job: Four chandeliers needed to be installed in the West Wing. Why the rush? ‘In this particular case, the environment of the 250th anniversary, the birthday, and other events [redacted],’ reads a previously unreported contracting document dated June 5. … President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday fell the following Sunday — June 14 — the same night as the UFC fight on the White House lawn.”

* It’s proving to be quite a month for Kimberly Guilfoyle: “Eric Deters, the Republican donor who accused Kimberly Guilfoyle of asking him to wire her $100,000 to pay her American Express bill in exchange for her help with the Trump administration ahead of her Senate confirmation hearing, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Guilfoyle and her legal team.”

See you tomorrow.

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