“The Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to dismiss a case concerning a controversial Trump-era rule that makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use public benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. The new filing is the latest example of the Biden administration’s Department of Justice switching positions from the Trump era. Under former President Donald Trump, immigration enforcement was a cornerstone of his agenda. Last month, the justices agreed to take up a challenge to the so called ‘public charge’ rule brought by The Legal Aid Society, various groups and state and local officials. But in a brief letter to the court on Tuesday, Acting Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the justices that both sides had agreed that the challenge should be dismissed. Susan Welber, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society said in an interview that the filing means that the Trump rule will ‘now be blocked while the Biden administration continues its review process and decides what the new will be.'”

“President Joe Biden has called for the immediate review of the rule in an executive order which, he said, ‘should consider and evaluate’ the effects of the rule and recommend steps agencies should take ‘to clearly communicate current public charge policies and proposed changes, if any, to reduce fear and confusion among impacted communities.’ The Legal Aid Society and the other groups praised Biden’s actions and said in a statement that ‘the Trump rule erected an invisible wall in the form of a wealth test that discriminated against people on the basis of race as a condition for regularizing their immigration status.’ ‘And because of the public charge rule, immigrant families have been living in fear of using essential benefits like healthcare, despite serving as frontline workers who have been among those hardest hit by COVID-19,’ the statement read. The Trump rule was issued in 2019 and had been in effect in most states nationwide” – CNN.

Piers Morgan quit ITV’s Good Morning Britain due to unrelenting criticism for storming off the set Tuesday when he defended the royal family from criticism and accusations of racism Meghan Markle made during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Daily Beast reports.

The UK’s Office of Communications received more than 41,000 complaints in the hours since Morgan called the interview with Meghan and Harry a “trash-a-thon” of the British monarchy after Markle said people within Buckingham Palace questioned what color the skin of the couple’s baby would be, per NBC News.  Morgan also mocked Markle’s claim that she had suicidal thoughts.

“I don’t believe a word she says, Meghan Markle,” Morgan said. “I wouldn’t believe it if she read me a weather report and that fact that she fired up this onslaught against our royal family, I think is contemptible.”

President Joe Biden visited a family-owned hardware store in Washington, DC Tuesday morning to highlight the continued need for aid to small businesses created by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Washington Post reports.

During his visit to W.S. Jenks & Sons in Northeast section of DC, Biden pushed the fact that the provisions of the American Recovery Plan bill just passed by Congress put added safeguards in place to make sure small business were the ones receiving aid.

“A lot of money [from the Paycheck Protection Program went to people who shouldn’t have gotten help,” Biden said to the store’s owner, Mike Siegel, in a jab at the Trump administration’s lack of oversight in aid distribution.

Three professors at the University of South Alabama have been suspended after a photo surfaced of the trio at a 2014 costume party celebrating the Confederacy and displaying items symbolizing racial violence, CNN reports.

One of the professors wore a Confederate uniform while the two others held a whip and a noose.  The three professors, who all have tenure and were faculty at the University’s Mitchell College of Business, were identified as Bob Wood, Alex Sharland and Teresa Weldy.

“The fact that these professors are still currently employed by the University shows a deep failure to commit to a safe, welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds,” an online with more than 3,000 signatures notes. “Racism cannot simply be given a slap on the wrist. It must be addressed as the serious issue it is. We cannot have professors who partake in this kind of behavior.”

Korean automaker Kia has issued a warning to owners of some of the vehicles it manufactured to park the cars outside away from other structures because of a risk that the car will catch fire, the Associated Press reports.

Kia is recalling certain 2017 through 2021 Sportage SUVs and 2017 through 2019 Cadenza sedans to fix the problem, which stems from a short circuit in the hydraulic electronic brake control unit can cause excessive current, increasing the risk of a fire.

The recalled vehicles are not equipped with Kia’s Smart Cruise Control system.  Tire pressure, anti-lock brake or other warning lights on their dashboard could alert before the problem happens. They also might smell a burning or melting odor.

Owners will be notified of the recall April 30th, but if an owner sees the warning signs, they should contact their dealer immediately… after getting the car out of the garage.

“This is not the way Republicans wanted to begin the year. Missouri’s Roy Blunt on Monday became the fifth Republican senator to announce he will not seek reelection, a retirement wave that portends an ugly campaign season next year and gives Democrats fresh hope in preserving their razor-thin Senate majority. History suggests Republicans are still well-positioned to reclaim at least one chamber of Congress next year. But officials in both parties agree that the surge of GOP departures will make the Republicans’ challenge more difficult in the Senate.”

“‘Any time you lose an incumbent, it’s bad news,’ said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, who briefly worked for failed Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin nearly a decade ago. ‘Missouri’s not necessarily a safe state for Republicans. Democrats have won there.’ The 71-year-old Blunt’s exit is a reminder of how the nation’s politics have shifted since the rise of Donald Trump. Blunt and his retiring GOP colleagues from Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Alabama represent an old guard who fought for conservative policies but sometimes resisted the deeply personal attacks and uneven governance that dominated the Trump era. Their departures will leave a void likely to be filled by a new generation of Republicans more willing to embrace Trumpism – or by Dems” – AP.

Washington Post: “U.S. prosecutors alleged Monday that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was in direct contact before, during and immediately after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach with members since charged with plotting to prevent Congress from confirming the results of the 2020 presidential election. In a late-night court filing, prosecutors alleged Rhodes directed Oath Keepers to rally during the riot to the southeast steps of the Capitol, after which several members forcibly entered the east side of the building. Prosecutors said they had recovered a chat called ‘DC OP: Jan 6 21’ on the encrypted Signal messaging app that ‘shows that individuals, including those alleged to have conspired with [others], were actively planning to use force and violence.'”

“Prosecutors said chat participants included Rhodes – identified only as ‘Person One’ in the filing but whom prosecutors named in earlier court papers – and two charged Oath Keepers members, Jessica Watkins, 38, an Ohio leader; and Kelly Meggs, 52, of Florida. U.S. authorities have charged Watkins, Meggs and seven other individuals who appear to be members or associates of the right-wing anti-government group, alleging a wider conspiracy to obstruct Congress amid rioting that led to five deaths and assaults on about 140 police officers. Charges have been brought against more than 300 defendants, but to date prosecutors led by the U.S. attorney’s office for Washington have not publicly charged anyone other than alleged rioters themselves. Prosecutors said they found ‘no discussion of forcibly entering the Capitol until January 6.’ But they said the chat messages, combined with Rhodes’s previous statements, ‘all show that the co-conspirators joined together to stop Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote, and they were prepared to use violence, if necessary, to effect this purpose. … They were plotting to use violence to support the unlawful obstruction of a Congressional proceeding.'”

“Hungary’s Klubradio station broadcast its news program on Feb. 14 as it had for more than two decades. The next day it was pulled off the air. Some 3.5 million people in the capital of Budapest, more than a third of the country’s population, tuned in for the show, according to the station’s head of news, Mihaly Hardy. Now devoted listeners stream it online only. ‘We have lost 60 to 70% of our usual audience,’ Hardy says. Klubradio is one of Hungary’s last remaining independent stations that airs criticism of the government. It was forced off the airwaves after a court upheld an order by the nation’s media authority not to renew its broadcasting license” NPR reports.

“That was the latest blow to press freedom in a country where the right-wing populist leadership and its allies have increased control and influence over the media. The European Union’s executive condemned the action, but critics say the EU hasn’t done enough to punish its member state for repeatedly violating the bloc’s democratic principles. Klubradio listeners have grown accustomed to its precarious political situation, Hardy says. Eleven years ago, it lost 90% of its revenue shortly after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban came to power and ordered all state-backed companies to stop advertising on independent media outlets. Its fans stepped up with a pledge drive that, to this day, makes up for the loss in revenue, says Hardy.”

Fox News: “Arizona and Montana are suing to block the Biden administration’s new immigration rules that would dramatically narrow the number of illegal immigrants targeted for arrest and deportation – arguing the policies would have devastating consequences for their states. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced he has amended a lawsuit that had initially challenged the administration’s attempt to impose a 100-day moratorium on deportations. That pause was blocked by a judge in response to a lawsuit by Texas after the state argued the policy was in breach of an agreement made in the final days of the Trump administration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that border states would be consulted before significant changes to border policy. With that deportation pause blocked, the lawsuit has been amended to focus on interim guidance that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued last month.”

“That guidance, issued in February, tells Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to focus on three narrow categories for arrest and deportation: those who pose a threat to national security; those who have crossed the border since Nov. 1, and those who committed ‘aggravated felonies.’ ‘If asked about the poorest policy choice I’ve ever seen in government, this would be a strong contender,’ Brnovich said in a statement. ‘Blindly releasing thousands of people, including convicted criminals and those who may be spreading COVID-19 into our state, is both unconscionable and a violation of federal law. This must be stopped now to avoid a dangerous humanitarian crisis for the immigrants and the people of Arizona.’ Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has also joined the Arizona lawsuit, and both states have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block the policy from going into effect as the case is heard.”

“Russian authorities are suing five social media platforms for allegedly failing to delete posts urging children to take part in illegal protests, the Interfax news agency cited a Moscow court as saying on Tuesday. Twitter, Google, Facebook each have three cases against them, with each violation punishable by a fine of up to 4 million roubles (around $54,000), and cases have also been filed against Tiktok and Telegram, the report said.”

“The cases were opened after protests nationwide over last month’s jailing of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny and his supporters say his 30-month sentence, for alleged parole violations related to an embezzlement case, was trumped up for political reasons, something the authorities deny. Google declined to comment on the Interfax report. Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment” – Reuters.

Daily Beast: “Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants election crackdowns to emerge as one of the defining legacies of his post-presidency, having failed to cling to power during Republicans’ anti-democratic blitz during and following the 2020 race. And various GOP lawmakers and some of the ex-president’s most prominent allies are lining up to assist him, as Democrats watch in horror and strategize their counter-offensives. These national and state policy battles have rapidly developed into one of the most critical partisan fights of Joe Biden’s young presidency, with both parties viewing the outcomes as increasingly vital to their survival and future dominance at the ballot box. In recent days, Trump has been calling up Senate allies, quizzing them about H.R. 1 – congressional Democrats’ signature elections and voting rights bill – according to two people familiar with the matter. The so-called For the People Act, which passed the House on March 3, includes a national mandate for same-day voter registration, requirements that states establish automatic voter registration, and making Election Day a national holiday. It’s also chock-full of other measures, including campaign finance and redistricting reforms and a requirement that presidents release their income tax returns – all things that would be anathema to the ex-president.”

“‘Do you think it has a chance?’ the former president has privately inquired, asking for updates on how united Republicans are in efforts to ‘kill’ the bill. He has been repeatedly assured by GOP senators and other associates that the legislation currently has very low odds of reaching President Biden’s desk. Democrats agree, but momentum is growing within the party to change the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for legislation to a simple majority, explicitly in the name of passing H.R. 1. That may be a while off still, but that hasn’t stopped some top Trump allies from preemptively mapping out their plans to strike back if the bill ever becomes law.”

Twitter filed a lawsuit Monday against Texas Attorney General Republican Ken Paxton, claiming that Paxton launched an investigation into the company as retaliation for Twitter banning Donald Trump, Politico reports.

“Twitter seeks to stop AG Paxton from unlawfully abusing his authority as the highest law-enforcement officer of the State of Texas to intimidate, harass, and target Twitter in retaliation for Twitter’s exercise of its First Amendment rights,” the company wrote in announcing the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for Northern California.

Paxton has long criticized social media companies for, he claims, silencing conservatives who make false or incendiary statements on their platforms.  Paxton, however, only announced an investigation of Twitter, the favored outlet for Donald Trump.

https://youtu.be/ye5u-OL5S44

Conservative wannabe-comedian Steven Crowder tried to outrage people by going to a Planet Fitness gym dressed as a woman to… I dunno… show that people don’t like crossdressers or something, but all he did was literally demonstrate that he’s a “lunk.”  Planet Fitness has a “Lunk Alarm” which managers sound when a lunk drops weights or loudly grunts while lifting weights, common traits of over-zealous fitness freaks trying to draw attention to themselves.  Planet Fitness prides itself on being a judgement-free zone to encourage people to exercise, so it flags lunks and kicks them out.  Sounding the Lunk Alarm was the only way Crowder drew attention to himself, as literally no one he recorded even looked at him sideways as he was dressed as a woman.

Both of the Bidens’ German shepherds returned to Delaware after Major, the younger of the two dogs, reported bit a member of the White House security detail and had another incident where he charged White House staff, CNN reports.

Major, who is three years old and was adopted by a Delaware animal shelter by the Bidens in 2018, has had a number of episodes of improper behavior with White House staff, including jumping and barking at people.  This is the first episode in which Major bit someone.  It was unclear the situation that led to the bite.

The Bidens’ older dog, Champ, who’s 12-years-old, is an old pro in Washington, having lived with the Bidens while Joe Biden was Vice President during the Obama Administration.

Donald Trump continues his attempts to grift off donations to his personal leadership PAC, calling members of the GOP “Republicans in name only” and urging people to stop giving money to the Party and directly to him.

This comes after the GOP has denied Trump’s request to stop using his name and likeness in fundraising emails.  His spokesperson put out the following statement:

No more money for RINOS. They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base—they will never lead us to Greatness. Send your donation to Save America PAC at [redacted web address].  We will bring it all back stronger than ever before.

A second member of the Texas public utility commission has submitted her resignation in the aftermath of the widespread power outages in the state that left millions without power during a severe cold wave and continues to cause tens of thousands to live under a “boil water” advisory

According to the Associated Press, Shelly Botkin resigned effective immediately.  Last week, DeAnn Walker resigned as the PUC’s chair.

Last week, PUC Chairman Arthur D’Andrea, chosen to replace Walker, and Botkin voiced opposition to repricing some of the more outrageous bills issued to some consumers, who were charged five-figure sums for a month’s worth of power.  The two commissioners said that doing so would be unfair to power producers and have unforeseen consequences. 

“A pastor in Missouri has taken a leave of absence and is ‘seeking professional counseling’ after a video surfaced of a sermon in which he emphasized that women need to look attractive for their husbands because ‘God made men to be drawn to beautiful women.’ The video was posted on Facebook on Feb. 28 and runs more than 22 minutes. In it, the pastor, Stewart-Allen Clark of the 1st General Baptist Church, in Malden, Mo., can be seen standing on a brightly lit stage, wearing an oversize, untucked shirt and bluejeans, and holding a book open in his left hand. ‘Why is it so many times that women after they get married let themselves go?’ he asks.”

“‘I’m not saying every woman can be the epic, the epic trophy wife of all time, like Melania Trump,’ Mr. Clark says, adding, ‘Maybe you’re a participation trophy.’ He went on to discourage women from wearing sweatpants, flip-flops and pajamas, saying: ‘That ain’t going to work. Ain’t nothing attractive about that.’ The 1st General Baptist Church in Malden, about 130 miles north of Memphis, posted a brief statement on its website: ‘As of March 2, 2021, Pastor Stewart-Allen Clark has taken a leave of absence and is seeking professional counseling.’ General Baptist Ministries, which the church is affiliated with, said in a statement last week that Mr. Clark’s sermon ‘included comments that are not consistent with the positions and values of General Baptists'” – New York Times.

Retired Army Lt. Gen Russel Honoré released a draft report on the failure of security at the US Capitol on January 6th which led to domestic terrorists invading the building, interrupting the certification of Electoral College votes, citing a lack of manpower and a complicated command structure to obtain reinforcements as two key improvements for Capitol security.

As the Washington Post reports, Honoré recommends bring on nearly 1,100 new personnel–854 new officers and staff, and 233 to fill open positions–along with a dedicating more than 400 of those new staff to specialized operations, such as intelligence gathering, operational planning and protection of dignitaries.  Another 350 will be hired to ease the overtime stresses on the Capitol Police.

Honoré noted two areas in which the operations of the Capitol Police can improve:  to train their officers better and to provide authority for the head of the agency to call in reinforcements directly instead of having to get approval from a board.  This includes the ability to be able to request help from the National Guard directly.

American Independent: “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) included the U.S. territory of Guam when listing foreign nations that she says are receiving American tax dollars. Greene made the comments on Feb. 27, the second day of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, in Orlando, Florida, in one of the event’s side sessions.”

“‘We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America. Not for, what? China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam, whatever, wherever,’ said Greene. Guam has been a part of the United States since 1899, ceded to the United States by Spain in accordance with the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War in 1898. People born in Guam are U.S. citizens. More than 160,000 Americans live in Guam, and 7,000 members of the American military are stationed at U.S. Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base on the island.”