QUICK HITS

1 Legislature reorganized:

China has sharply reduced the number of directly elected seats in Hong Kong’s legislature in a setback for the territory’s already beleaguered democracy movement. The move is part of a two-phase effort to rein in political protest and opposition in Hong Kong, which is part of China but has had a moreliberal political system as a former British colony.

2 Early voting: New Jersey became the latest state Tuesday to enact a law allowing early in-person voting, with Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signing the legislation alongside Georgia voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams. New Jersey already had early absentee voting, and most states offer some form of early voting, either in person or by mail or both.

Barber fined: A Michigan barber 3 who defied Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and reopened his shop last spring during the coronavirus pandemic was fined $9,000 for violating licensing rules, including joining a protest where hairstylists cut hair on the Capitol lawn. Karl Manke will appeal the penalties in court, his lawyer said.

Aid for Syria: The European 4 Union and the United States pledged a combined $1.2 billion in aid Tuesday to help tackle war-ravaged Syria’s deepening humanitarian and economic crises. The promise of aid comes amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic and as the war enters its 11th year without a political solution in sight.

Shooting charges: A Florida man 5 who opened fire with an AK-47 rifle on officers inside Everglades National Park is facing federal charges, prosecutors announced. Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez said Drew Curtis Sikes, 37, of Palmetto Bay is charged with attempting to kill a U.S. officer and with a weapons crime. Officers responded initially to a call about an altercation between Sikes and his wife.