Here’s why HR 1 is unconstitutional, reckless, and anti-democratic in my first Op-ed in the @DailySignal: https://t.co/PyYfMMAJAU

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) March 3, 2021

“March is Women’s History Month and on Tuesday, one Idaho state representative voted against accepting federal grants to help kids get ready for kindergarten because it ‘makes it easier or more convenient for mothers to come out of the home.’ Rep. Charlie Shepherd (R-Pollock) testified against House Bill 226, which would allow the State Board of Education to use nearly $6 million in federal grants to increase early childhood education in the Gem State by making it more available and accessible” KTVB reports.

“But for the first-term Republican, he made it clear where he stands on bills such as this. ‘I don’t think anybody does a better job than mothers in the home, and any bill that makes it easier or more convenient for mothers to come out of the home and let others raise their child, I don’t think that’s a good direction for us to be going,’ he said. The bill failed on a 29-41 vote, but it is expected to be reconsidered. Rep. Shepherd thinks this chance to help kids get ready for kindergarten, not necessarily raising them, would do damage to the family unit by making it easier for mothers to get out of the home and live their lives.”

New York Times: “Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has placed the far-right Alternative for Germany under observation as a potential threat to the country’s democracy, officials said on Wednesday, setting the stage for a battle between the state and a party that is the main opposition in Parliament. It is the first time in Germany’s postwar history that a party represented in the federal Parliament has elicited such intense scrutiny, and it highlights an uneasy question facing the country’s institutions: What to do with a party that is considered a danger to democracy – but is popular in parts of the country and has become entrenched at all levels of politics?”

“That question has particular resonance in an election year that will see Angela Merkel step down after 16 years as chancellor, a tenure in which she became a symbol of a Germany that has learned from its history and welcomes refugees. The leaders of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, as the party is known, routinely accuse Muslim immigrants of being criminals, attack the press and question the universalist principles of liberal democracy.”

“Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late on Tuesday that new sanctions imposed by the United States were evidence of a ‘hostile anti-Russian lunge’ and said it would retaliate to what it described as another blow to U.S.-Russia ties. In President Joe Biden’s most direct challenge yet to the Kremlin, the United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions to punish Russia for what it described as Moscow’s attempt to poison opposition politician Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent last year.”

“Navalny, 44, fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin has denied any role in his illness and said it has seen no proof he was poisoned. Washington on Tuesday imposed sanctions against seven senior Russian officials and on 14 entities. ‘All this is just an excuse to continue overt interference in our internal affairs,’ Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, said in a statement. ‘We do not intend to put up with this. We will respond based on the principle of reciprocity, but not necessarily symmetrically'” – Reuters.

CNN: “The Department of Defense inspector general has issued a scathing review of Rep. Ronny Jackson during his time serving as the top White House physician, concluding that he made ‘sexual and denigrating’ comments about a female subordinate, violated the policy for drinking alcohol while on a presidential trip and took prescription-strength sleeping medication that prompted concerns from his colleagues about his ability to provide proper care.”

“The findings outlined in the report, which was obtained by CNN prior to its expected release on Wednesday, stem from a years-long IG investigation into Jackson – who currently represents Texas in the House of Representatives and sits on the House Armed Services subcommittee overseeing military personnel – that was launched in 2018 and examines allegations that date back to his time serving during the Obama and Trump administrations. Members of Congress were briefed on the IG report findings on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Jackson claimed the report was politically motivated in a statement to CNN on Tuesday, saying the inspector general ‘resurrected’ old allegations against him because he refused to ‘turn my back on President (Donald) Trump,’ who was a vocal supporter of his 2020 congressional bid. He also told CNN he rejects ‘any allegation that I consumed alcohol while on duty.'”

Country music legend Dolly Parton got her first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine, which she helped fund through a $1 million donation, all while she never stops entertaining.

Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealth pic.twitter.com/38kJrDzLqC

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 2, 2021

California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom rebuked his Texas counterpart, Republican governor Greg Abbott, for lifting coronavirus restrictions across the state, saying it was “absolutely reckless,” Politico reports.

Abbott rolled back all restrictions in Texas Tuesday, saying that all businesses and schools were permitted to open and no masks would be required in gatherings.  Abbott cited the availability of vaccines as a reason for rescinding the rules, even though Texas is in the bottom ten percent of states regarding the percentages of citizens inoculated.

After a disastrous two weeks when millions in his state lost power during a prolonged cold snap, resulting in dozens of people dying, Abbott may be looking for a PR win by lifting the regulations.

The Department of Defense Inspector General issued a damning report on the conduct of former presidential physician Ronny Jackson, elected to represent Texas as a Republican Congressman in November, saying he used alcohol, abused prescription drugs and sexually harassed coworkers during his time at the White House, CNN reports.

The DoD IG interviewed more than six dozen witnesses for this report, which was briefed to members of Congress on Tuesday.  The report comments that the investigation was limited in scope and reporting because during the probe, IG investigators were not allowed to interview members of the White House medical staff without a representative of Donald Trump’s White House Counsel’s office present, which had a “potential chilling effect” on the accounts related.   Interviews were conducted between October 11, 2018, and August 22, 2019.

As the head of the White House medical unit, Jackson was the physician responsible for answer the call when any medical emergency affected the President or other senior members of the Administration.  However, the IG found Jackson was frequently incapacitated by the use of alcohol or prescription drugs like Ambien.  An “overwhelming majority of witnesses (56) … who worked with [Rear Admiral] Jackson from 2012 through 2018 told us they personally experienced, saw, or heard about him yelling, screaming, cursing, or belittling subordinates,” the report says.

Two transportation projects, on opposite sides of the country, will be removed from the COVID relief bill passed by the House this past weekend before it is taken up by the Senate based on decisions by the Senate Parliamentarian, CNN reports.

Part of the $30 billion designated for transportation infrastructure in the $1.9 trillion American Recovery Act bill, $1.4 billion allotted for a California rail project and $1.5 million for the Seaway International Bridge in upstate New York were pulled, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced.

While conservative media characterized the California rail project as a bit of pork for Pelosi, calling it “Pelosi’s subway,” the rail project is located 50 miles south of Pelosi’s district and would have extended the existing Bay Area Rapid Transit line from San Jose to Santa Clara.  The Parliamentarian said the rail funding should be excluded because it was a new project and not the continuation of a current project.

The Biden Administration announced it will withdraw the nomination of Neera Tanden to be the head of the Office of Management and Budget, dealing the administration its first significant defeat, the Washington Post reports.

“I have accepted Neera Tanden’s request to withdraw her name from nomination for Director of the Office of Management and Budget,” President Biden said in a statement. “I have the utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel, and I look forward to having her serve in a role in my administration. She will bring valuable perspective and insight to our work.”

Tanden’s nomination derailed after Senators objected to her use of social media to attack and insult Republicans.  Many noted that there seemed to be a double standard for females and Democratic nominees due to the habit of Republicans like Donald Trump and Richard Grennell to use social media to personal insult and attack their political enemies.

“Peanut butter purists called and Reese’s answered. Reese’s latest iteration of its wildly popular peanut butter cup will be all peanut butter, no chocolate, Hershey announced on Monday. The Reese’s Ultimate Peanut Butter Lovers Cup is made entirely of peanut butter, both inside and in the peanut butter candy-flavored outer shell. This is the first time in the company’s 90-year-history that its peanut butter cups have taken chocolate completely out of the equation. Versions of the Peanut Butter Lovers Cup came out in 2019 and 2020, but those still contained some chocolate” – CNN.

Mr. Potato Head is gender neutral, Dr. Seuss is cancelled, and Amazon is banning books.

This is what a Democrat majority looks like.

— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) March 2, 2021

Washington Post: “U.S. House candidate Kim Klacik walked onto Mike Huckabee’s cable talk show last August as the latest conservative celebrity, riding high on a viral campaign ad that had attracted 10 million views and was shared on social media by President Trump and his eldest son. ‘We raised close to $2 million,’ the GOP congressional hopeful said of the three-minute spot, which showed her marching in a red dress and high heels past abandoned buildings in Baltimore, asserting that Democrats do not care about Black lives. But later that night, Klacik’s staff told her it would be best to stop disclosing how much money the ad had raised for her campaign against Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D) – because she wouldn’t be keeping much of it, Klacik recounted in an interview.”

“The company that produced the video, Arsenal Media Group, would take a cut. And a firm hired to promote the video, Olympic Media, would keep up to 70 percent of the money it generated, some of which was not disclosed in Klacik’s initial campaign finance filings. Klacik, a self-described college dropout who launched a nonprofit organization to help disadvantaged women before running for office, said she did not personally approve or know about the contract with Olympic Media until that conversation. ‘When I saw it, I almost passed out,’ she said. Her campaign is an example of how some consulting firms are profiting handsomely from Republican candidates who have robust appeal in today’s politically charged environment – even when they are running in deep-blue districts where it is virtually impossible for them to win. The more viral the candidate goes, the more money the companies make – a model possible only through the online outrage machine of hyperpartisan politics.”

“‘It sounds like part of the swamp that needs to be drained,’ said Bruce Dale, a Klacik donor from Michigan, who was aghast to learn that a chunk of his $800 donated may not have made it to her. ‘They can say it’s legal, but there are a lot of things that are legal that are wrong. This is wrong.'”

“Prosecutors in Washington are opposing the pretrial release of an Arizona man who stormed the U.S. Capitol nearly two months ago while sporting face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns. Prosecutors told a judge in a filing Monday that Jacob Chansley should remain jailed until trial because he is a danger to the community, explaining he held a weapon as he confronted officers inside the Capitol, wrote a threatening note to then-Vice President Mike Pence, and spoke about ridding the government of traitors.”

“‘He cannot be trusted now to suddenly change course,’ prosecutors said. A judge in Washington is scheduled to hear arguments Friday over whether Chansley should be released. While prosecutors say the spear attached to a flagpole carried by Chansley into the Capitol was a weapon, his attorney has characterized the spear as an ornament. The defense lawyer also argued the message that Chansley penned to Pence wasn’t intended to be threatening and said his client is suffering from digestive tract difficulties, even though he has been given him organic food, as he had requested. Authorities say Chansley was among the first people to force their way into the Capitol building, disobeyed orders to leave, refused an officer’s request to use Chansley’s bullhorn to tell rioters to leave the Senate chamber, called Pence a traitor and wrote a note to the then-vice president saying, ‘It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming'” – AP.

Daily Beast: “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he planned to end the state’s mask mandate and allow all businesses to fully reopen, even as the state lags in vaccinations amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. ‘It is now time to open Texas 100 percent,’ Abbott said at a press conference at a Lubbock restaurant. ‘Every business that wants to be open, should be open.'”

“Texas reported 7,778 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University, and 212 deaths; a steep decline from the virus’ peak in early January, when the seven-day case average regularly broke 20,000, according to The New York Times. However, the state’s high positive test rate – trending upwards – could indicate that not enough people are being tested, according to Johns Hopkins University. Among the 50 states, only Georgia and Utah rank behind Texas in terms of the percentage of residents who’ve received at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine, according to Times data.”

Now 6 Dr. Seuss books are cancelled too?

When history looks back at this time it will be held up as an example of a depraved sociopolitical purge driven by hysteria and lunacy

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 2, 2021

“Fox News officially announced on Tuesday that it has hired former Trump spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany as a contributor. The addition of a known and frequent liar to the Fox News roster set off some alarms within a newsroom that has been ‘purged’ in recent months in favor of right-wing opinion programming and content geared towards keeping a diehard MAGA audience satisfied. ‘It’s truly disgusting they fired hard-working journalists who did care about facts and news reporting only to turn around and hire a mini-Goebbels whose incessant lies from the White House helped incite an insurrection on our democracy that got five people killed, including a police officer,’ a Fox News insider raged to The Daily Beast. ‘Post-Trump Fox is quickly becoming a very scary place and quite dangerous for our democracy. It’s not even conservative news anymore. They’ve plunged into an alternate reality where extremist propaganda is the only course on the menu.'”

“‘It’s upsetting,’ a current Fox News staffer lamented to The Daily Beast. ‘So many good people are out of a job now and I’m sure she’ll get a huge contract.’ But the hiring makes sense, this employee said, because ‘Sarah Sanders just left to run for governor of Arkansas and our audience loves Kayleigh.’ Another newsroom staffer said of McEnany’s hiring: ‘It bothers me in that it is basically a slap in the face to the hardworking journalists that value real news and facts. But it also doesn’t surprise me because they have shown that they don’t give a damn about facts and real news.’ A third Fox News employee further railed against the hiring, saying, ‘There is no objectivity in this business anymore. It’s a self-serving profiteering enterprise.’ McEnany clearly appeals to Fox, this staffer said, because of ‘name recognition, notoriety, an obvious willingness to say anything her employer desires. The viewers are morons'” – Daily Beast.

NBC News: “Supreme Court justices asked skeptical questions Tuesday about Arizona election laws in a case that has emerged as an important test of the Voting Rights Act. The case is about whether two state laws violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act: One blocks the counting of ballots cast in the wrong precinct, and another prohibits anyone other than a family member or caregiver from collecting and delivering a voter’s absentee ballot. On one side is the state of Arizona and Republicans, who want to keep the strict laws on the books and argue they prevent fraud. And on the other side are Democrats, who want the laws stricken and argue the rules prevent voters, particularly minorities, from accessing the ballot.”

“The voting restrictions are being fought in a state where Republicans have dominated local and national races for generations but, recently, Democrats are gaining traction and won a presidential contest and both U.S. Senate seats. The outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for voting laws in other states, too. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, two Republican appointees and potentially pivotal votes in the case, appeared to be wrestling with the arguments as they asked tough questions of lawyers on both sides.”

“A significant moment during virtual arguments came when Arizona GOP lawyer Michael Carvin connected the validity of the Republican-backed laws to the party’s interest in winning elections. When asked by Barrett what the state Republican Party’s interest in the case was, he replied: ‘Because it puts us at a competitive disadvantage relative to Democrats. Politics is a zero sum game. And every extra vote they get through unlawful interpretations of Section 2 hurts us. It’s the difference between winning an election 50-49 and losing an election.'”

https://youtu.be/gZoxCFcSiXA
Read more at the Southern Poverty Law Center.