“The leader of the Wisconsin Assembly said Tuesday there is little the state can do about mass shootings other than arrest the perpetrators after they commit their crimes. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester made his comment after a string of shootings around the country, including ones that killed two in Oconomowoc, eight in Atlanta and 10 in Boulder. Democrats disputed his contention, saying legislation to expand background checks would help stem gun violence. They called for action after the killings. But Vos said he did not see a reason to require background checks for all gun purchases because checks are already required for most of them.”

“‘I have not seen exactly how in the circumstances that they described that the guns were obtained, but if they were done lawfully, it seems like we already have a process and if someone chooses to break the law, there is very little that we can do besides arrest them after they’ve committed the act,’ he said. Asked if he thought more background checks would make people safer, Vos said, ‘I have no idea,’ but added that he had not seen any data suggesting it would. ‘We already have the system in place where the vast majority of weapons already go through that background check process and that’s I think the one that we should focus on as opposed to potentially some of those that we don’t necessarily know,'” – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

“What the hell is with this too little-too late BS from these swing-states who sat silent as the extremely obvious theft of election occurred”

– The current top comment on the Gateway Pundit article “Republican-Controlled Wisconsin Assembly Authorizes Investigation of 2020 Presidential Election“, posted Tuesday night.

New York Times: “New videos obtained by The New York Times show publicly for the first time how the U.S. Capitol Police officer who died after facing off with rioters on Jan. 6 was attacked with chemical spray. The officer, Brian D. Sicknick, who had been guarding the west side of the Capitol, collapsed later that day and died the next night. Little had been known about what happened to Officer Sicknick during the assault, and the previously unpublished videos provide new details about when, where and how he was attacked, as well as about the events leading up to the encounter. Two rioters, Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios, were arrested on March 14 and charged with assaulting Officer Sicknick and two other officers with chemical spray. The investigation is continuing, and federal prosecutors haven’t ruled out pursuing murder charges.”

“President Biden recently held an undisclosed East Room session with historians that included discussion of how big is too big – and how fast is too fast – to jam through once-in-a-lifetime historic changes to America. The historians’ views were very much in sync with his own: It is time to go even bigger and faster than anyone expected. If that means chucking the filibuster and bipartisanship, so be it” Axios reports.

“Four things are pushing Biden to jam through what could amount to a $5 trillion-plus overhaul of America, and vast changes to voting, immigration and inequality. He has full party control of Congress, and a short window to go big. He has party activists egging him on. He has strong gathering economic winds at his back. And he’s popular in polls. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss told Axios FDR and LBJ may turn out to be the past century’s closest analogues for the Biden era, ‘in terms of transforming the country in important ways in a short time.’ He loves the growing narrative that he’s bolder and bigger-thinking than President Obama. This temptation to go even bigger, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell insists, will create such a fissure between the parties that he compared it this week to ‘nuclear winter’. But we’re told Biden won’t hesitate. Just as he passed the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue package with zero Republican votes and zero regrets, his team sees little chance he’s going to be able to rewire the government in his image if he plays by the rules of bringing in at least 10 Republicans.”

AP: “Utah is a step closer to requiring all cellphones and tablets sold in the conservative state to automatically block pornography after the Republican governor signed legislation Tuesday that critics call a significant intrusion of free speech. Gov. Spencer Cox has said the measure would send an ‘important message’ about preventing children from accessing explicit online content. The proposal is the latest move in Utah’s legislative campaign to curb the availability of porn. The measure won’t go into effect unless five other states enact similar laws, a provision that was added to address concerns that it would be difficult to implement.”

“The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah said the constitutionality of the bill was not adequately considered and that it will likely be argued in court. ‘This is another example of the Legislature dodging the constitutional impacts of the legislation they pass,’ ACLU attorney Jason Groth said. Critics of the measure, including adult film star Cherie DeVille, had called on the governor to veto the measure because it could violate residents’ First Amendment rights. Cox has said he isn’t as worried about constitutional concerns because the proposal won’t be immediately enacted. Rep. Susan Pulsipher, the bill’s sponsor, said she was “grateful” the governor signed the legislation, which she hopes will help parents keep their children from unintended exposure to pornography. She asserts that the measure passes constitutional muster because adults can deactivate the filters, but experts said it still raises several legal concerns. Combating porn is a perennial issue for Utah lawmakers, who are predominantly members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lawmakers have previously mandated warning labels on print and online pornography and declared porn a ‘public health crisis.’ Church leaders also have drawn attention to what they consider the harms of pornography.”

“West Virginia election officials are lobbying Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to oppose his party’s voting-rights legislation, again underscoring his pivotal role as the Senate’s most prominent centrist. Manchin is the only Democratic senator who isn’t listed as a co-sponsor of the legislation. Last week he told reporters he was still reviewing it. All 49 other Senate Democrats back the bill, which would loosen state voter-identification requirements, expand mail-in voting and mandate online and same-day voter registration as well as early voting, among other steps.”

“The top West Virginia election official, Republican Mac Warner, is headed to Washington to testify before the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday about the legislation, and at least one member of Mr. Manchin’s staff was on a call with state and county officials Monday. Mr. Manchin’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment. The voting-rights fight in the 50-50 Senate again puts the spotlight on Mr. Manchin, whose objections forced changes to unemployment payments in the recent coronavirus aid law. He also has opposed the $15 an hour minimum wage backed by many Democrats, saying a lower number would be better. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), the chairwoman of the committee holding the hearing Wednesday, said the bill is crucial. ‘At a time when the right to vote is under attack and special interests and dark money are drowning out the voices of the American people, we need to take bold action,’ she said in a statement last week. The House version of the bill passed 220-210 earlier this month. No Republicans voted for it. The legislation now faces an uphill battle in the evenly divided Senate, where it will need at least 60 votes to advance, thanks to the chamber’s longstanding filibuster rule” – Wall Street Journal.

Daily Beast: “Local prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, are actively researching whether they can apply ‘false statement’ charges against Rudy Giuliani and other members of Donald Trump’s team for their mendacity-packed attempts to meddle with the state’s 2020 election results, according to a person familiar with the matter. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer and a former New York City mayor, twice presented Georgia state legislators with fake evidence and wild allegations of a conspiracy theory to commit widespread election fraud. Separately, on two recorded phone calls to state election officials, then-President Trump made specific false claims that votes for him were discarded and suitcases full of votes for Joe Biden were trucked in.”

“In a Feb. 10 letter to state officials that was first made public by The New York Times, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis did note that her investigation includes – among other crimes – potential violations of Georgia laws prohibiting ‘the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies.’ But, until now, there has been no focus on the legal team’s efforts to explore that specific criminal charge. Instead, news stories have touched on the district attorney’s potential use of election fraud or racketeering charges against Trump’s inner circle. The latter would require that prosecutors prove a pattern of corruption – similar to the way law enforcement finds that mafia bosses direct underlings. The idea here would be to prove that Trump and his lieutenants conspired in a ‘criminal enterprise’ to undermine a legitimate election.”

https://youtu.be/ECvb_ceTkmo

Laura Ingraham whined, after a week where Republicans said they would “blow up the Senate” and many Trump-supporting domestic terrorists had appearances in court, that Democrats “basically intend to treat the GOP going forward as a terrorist organization.”

And that would be wrong because……?

The city council of Evanston, Illinois became the first government agency in the United States to approve payment of cash reparations to African-American families whose ancestors were discriminated against by city policy, Reuters reports.

By an 8 to 1 vote, the council voted to set aside $400,000 for the initial payment into a planned $10 million program, which would give $25,000 grants to families to be used for down payments, mortgage payments or repairing homes in a city that had historically redlined Black families.

“I’m proud of our community for taking this bold and courageous action to begin the process of remedying racial disparities that have harmed our Black community for decades,” Alderwoman Ann Rainey said in a statement.

https://youtu.be/wdz0n76SMfU

Screeching on Sean Hannity’s show, South Carolina Republican Senator and person figuring out whose teat he now must suckle Lindsey Graham said that he would “shut down the Senate” if anyone at the border denies him access to something he wants to see during a Friday photo op.

[UPDATE 12:08 a.m.:  “Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Mazie Hirono on Tuesday backed off their threat to vote against any of President Joe Biden’s nominees who aren’t minorities, after going public with their anger that the Cabinet lacks Asian Americans, and Duckworth earlier saying she felt insulted by the White House’s attempts to brush off her concerns.” —CNN]

Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii have vowed to vote against any Biden Administration appointee who aren’t minorities until the administration vows to name more Asian-Americans to positions, CNN reports.

Duckworth said it was “incredibly insulting” that an administration official cited Vice President Kamala Harris, who has Asian heritage, as an example of the diversity within the administration.

“To be told that you have Kamala Harris, we are very proud of her, you don’t need anybody else, is insulting,” Duckworth told CNN.  “That’s not something you would say to the Black caucus — that ‘You have Kamala; we’re not going to be putting any African Americans in the Cabinet’ — why would you say that to AAPIs?”

A correctional officer and a nurse who worked in the prison infirmary were killed by an inmate at an Iowa prison Tuesday afternoon after the inmate attacked staff and other inmates, NBC News reports.

The inmate was in the prison infirmary when he started attack prisoners and staff.  Numerous correctional officers were needed to get the prisoner under control before medical aid could be administered to those injured.  The attack occurred at Anamosa State Penitentiary, a high security prison that houses about 950 inmates and has a staff of 321.

“Today, our state grieves the loss of two public servants who were attacked while on duty at the Anamosa State Penitentiary,” Iowa’s Republican Governor Kim Reynolds said in a statement. “My prayers and deepest condolences are with their families, friends, and colleagues as they begin to cope with this senseless tragedy.”

Politico: “A U.S. Army reservist charged with storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 who was subsequently identified by numerous military colleagues as an overt white supremacist has been ordered detained pending trial. Federal district court Judge Trevor McFadden said he wrestled with whether Timothy Hale-Cusanelli’s ‘odious’ beliefs were enough to justify pretrial detention, given that he isn’t charged with committing violence at the Capitol. ‘There is substantial evidence here that for a number of years the defendant has apparently had kind of a near-Nazi racist ideology that has led him to use racist language, sexist language, has been generally engaged in hateful conduct, if not necessarily violent conduct toward a number of people with whom he’s had contact,’ McFadden said. ‘Having said all that, we don’t typically penalize people for what they say or think.'”

“But McFadden said that the ‘close case’ ultimately requires detention, in part because Hale-Cusanelli’s behavior and rhetoric had been escalating toward potential violence and that he presents a threat to a confidential source who helped identify him. Hale-Cusanelli is the latest of the 300-plus people charged with breaching the Capitol to face pretrial detention, a step typically intended for those viewed as an ‘imminent threat’ to the safety of their community. He’s also the most prominent of several figures arrested for their Jan. 6 actions who have been linked to white supremacist ideology.”

Reports of North Korea firing two short-range missiles over the weekend was predictable, the Biden Administration said, noting that the North Korean government traditionally makes a provocative action when new leaders of rivals take office, the Washington Post reports.

“We are also aware of military activity last weekend by the DPRK that is not sanctioned under U.N. Security Council resolutions restricting the ballistic missile program,” one official said, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Downplaying the activities of North Korea and its dictator Kim Jong-un reverses the wooing of Kim by President Joe Biden’s predecessor, who sought to elevate and flatter Kim on the world stage.

“North Korea has a familiar menu of provocations when it wants to send a message to a U.S. administration,” the official said, adding that the tests were “on the low end of that spectrum.”

https://youtu.be/rG_9l03___8

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said on Fox News that the police officers in his town have confiscated more than 100 guns from people traveling to his city for Spring Break as the city deals with an influx of tourists who are breaking regulations for dealing with the coronavirus.

“An ultra-large container ship is aground and blocking ship traffic in the Suez Canal. AIS data shows the MV Ever Given broadside within the canal, preventing ships from passing in either direction. Several tugs have been on scene for several hours working to dislodge the ship. Shipping agent GAC reports that the grounding occurred at 7:40 a.m. local time on Tuesday (March 23) at kilometer 151 after the vessel suffered a black out while transiting” GCaptain.com reports.

“It seems the Evergreen just begun its transit of the waterway as part of a northbound convoy when the incident occurred. An AIS screengrab from MarineTraffic.com shows the Ever Given’s position within the Suez Canal. ‘The 199,489 GT ship was fifth in the northbound convoy. None of the vessels before it were affected, but the 15 behind it were detained at anchorages waiting for the Canal to be cleared. The southbound convoy was also blocked,’ GAC reported. At 400 meters in length and over 20,000 TEU capacity, the MV Ever Given is among the largest of so-called ‘mega ships’, aka ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs), currently in operation.”

The Atlantic: “A few months after losing the white house, Republicans across the country have had a revelation: The Electoral College could use some improvements. The problem is that they have contradictory proposals for how to fix it – and contradictory arguments for why those proposals would help Americans pick their president. In Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Hampshire, GOP lawmakers want to award Electoral College votes by congressional district, just like Nebraska and Maine currently do. But in Nebraska, Republicans want to do the opposite, and return to the same winner-takes-all method used by, well, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, and almost every other state. ‘I think people would just feel better knowing that their vote went to the candidate that they chose in their area,’ Gary Tauchen, a GOP state legislator in Wisconsin, told me recently. Tauchen is 67 and retiring next year, and the measure he’s introduced, which would split Wisconsin’s electoral votes by congressional district, could be a capstone to a 16-year career in the legislature. Tauchen said he would have introduced his bill even if Trump had won Wisconsin last year. Why, then, didn’t he push it after 2016, when Trump narrowly carried the state? ‘The timing wasn’t right, I don’t think,’ he said. ‘This just seemed more appropriate for right now.'”

“Taken together, the changes these legislators are seeking would likely ensure that the next Republican presidential nominee wins at least a few more electoral votes in the race to 270. But the proposals could also backfire. All of the states trying to imitate Nebraska are battlegrounds; Trump won Wisconsin and Michigan in 2016, and he came within 3,000 votes of carrying New Hampshire that year. All of them could be competitive in 2024. ‘At the end of the day, I think that they might live to regret those things,’ warns Ryan Hamilton, the executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party. The desired result of the proposals, however, is clear: These bills are aimed at making it harder for Democrats to win.”

At least twice, a Democratic state delegate in Maryland used Zoom to attend virtual state committee hearings while she was in an operating room performing surgery on patients, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Delegate Terri Hill, a plastic surgeon in Howard County, Maryland, participated in a March 12th hearing of the House of Delegates Health and Government Operations Committee for about an hour.  The video of her showed operating theater lights and multiple people wearing surgical garb.  It never showed the patient or identified what procedure the patient was undergoing.

In February, Hill phoned in to a House Environment and Transportation Committee using Zoom, having stepped away from a patient in surgery to participate briefly.   Like all state committee meetings, both meetings were streamed live on YouTube and the committees’ webpages. 

“According to the Channel 11 exit poll: Likud is projected to win 31 seats. Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc is projected to win 61 seats. The center-left bloc is projected to win 59 seats with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party projected to win 18 seats” reports Axios contributor Barak Ravid.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the man who shot and killed ten people at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado yesterday, purchased an assault-style rifle, an AR 556 semi-automatic, high-velocity long gun, just six days ago, law enforcement officials said according to the Associated Press.

Investigators have found no evidence that the attack was tied to international terrorism or a hate crime, with family members telling police that Alissa was mentally disturbed and suffered from extreme paranoia, telling family people were following him.

Colorado has lax laws for purchasing a long gun, with purchasers typically able to walk out of the store with a weapon on the same trip they ask for one.  It also allows people to openly carry all types of legal firearms.  Boulder had recently passed a ban on carrying assault weapons, but that ban was overturned by a state court just 10 days ago, a decision cheered by the National Rifle Association.