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Democrats Rein In Their Gun Control Ambitions

March 20, 2021 at 11:35 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Democrats have told BuzzFeed News “they are considering curtailing their ambitions on gun reform and pushing a narrower piece of legislation that can actually pass, rather than sweeping reforms that would likely be doomed.”

“The party winning both chambers of Congress plus the White House may have raised hopes for long-sought gun control measures, such as a ban on assault rifles. But Democrats are instead starting to look at smaller measures that can win bipartisan support and break the National Rifle Association’s strong influence over Congress.”

Covid’s Partisan Errors

March 20, 2021 at 11:32 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

David Leonhardt: “Republicans’ underestimation of Covid risks helps explain their resistance to wearing a mask — even though doing so could save their own life or that of a family member. And Democrats’ overestimation of risks explains why so many have accepted school closures — despite the damage being done to children, in lost learning, lost social connections and, in the case of poorer children, missed meals.”

“The states with the highest share of closed schools are all blue states: California, Oregon, Maryland, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada, Massachusetts and New Jersey.”

Outer Fence Around Capitol to Be Removed

March 20, 2021 at 11:20 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Roll Call: “The outer fence surrounding the Capitol complex will be removed this weekend.”

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Migrants May Be Moved to Northern Border

March 20, 2021 at 11:17 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “A new spike in the number of families and children crossing the Rio Grande into South Texas over the past several hours is forcing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to request airplanes that will allow the Biden administration to transport migrants to states near the Canadian border for processing.”

“Border officials requested the air support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement because 1,000 members of families and unaccompanied minors crossed the Rio Grande on Friday morning, and border agents have another 1,000 migrants they have been unable to process since last night, the communications show.”

Quote of the Day

March 20, 2021 at 7:43 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Why they would want to alienate the Republican most likely to work with them to find common ground is truly a mystery to me. And it’s obviously a very poor strategy.”

— Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), criticizing Democrats in a Wall Street Journal interview.

Bannon Still Battling Prosecutors After Pardon

March 20, 2021 at 7:33 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Stephen Bannon, the firebrand political strategist and ex-confidant to former president Donald Trump, is fighting to get his federal fraud case formally dismissed over the strong objection of prosecutors, who have argued that his full pardon does not mean his indictment must be wiped from the record,” the Washington Post reports.

“It is not clear why the U.S. attorney is challenging what was expected to be a straightforward dismissal of Bannon’s case, or whether prosecutors believe the case against the remaining three would suffer strategically at trial should Bannon be officially excluded.”

Louisiana Special Election Looks Headed to Runoff

March 20, 2021 at 7:29 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The first competitive special congressional election of the Biden era is most likely heading to a runoff next month, but the battle lines are already drawn ahead of the initial balloting on Saturday in the race to succeed former Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana,” the New York Times reports.

“At the center of the debate: which of two New Orleans Democrats positioned to face off in April can better leverage their connections to lift a South Louisiana district hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.”

Spectators From Overseas Barred From Tokyo Olympics

March 20, 2021 at 7:27 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Spectators from overseas will not be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics in Japan, organizers said on Saturday, making a major concession to the realities of Covid-19 even as they forged ahead with plans to hold the world’s largest sporting event,” the New York Times reports.

“The Tokyo Games, which begin in July, were originally scheduled for 2020 but were delayed by a year because of the pandemic.”

Cruz Says Democrats Want More Child Molesters to Vote

March 19, 2021 at 8:42 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told an invitation-only call — which was secretly recorded — that Democrats are trying to expand voting rights to “illegal aliens” and “child molesters” and Republicans must do all they can to stop them, the AP reports.

He added that if “they push through far-reaching election legislation now before the Senate, the GOP won’t win elections again for generations.”

Pro-Biden Group Won’t Disclose Donors

March 19, 2021 at 7:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A Pro-Biden group, operating with the White House’s blessing, plans to raise unlimited funds — and grant donors anonymity — as it prepares to promote and protect the president’s agenda from the outside,” Axios reports.

“By not capping anonymous contributions, the group, called Building Back Together, will have an easier time raising money, ahead of its anticipated launch next month to defend Biden’s policies.”

If There’s No Filibuster When the GOP Wins Again

March 19, 2021 at 7:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Ruth Marcus: “Fast forward to January 2025. Donald Trump has been elected to a second term. The House and Senate are in Republican hands. In the Senate, the filibuster is gone, having been abolished by frustrated Democrats in 2021. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, back for a final term as majority leader at age 82, declares that he will not move to restore it.

“Welcome to the apocalypse.”

Mar-a-Lago Closed Over COVID-19 Outbreak

March 19, 2021 at 6:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago beach club has been “partially closed” because of a COVID-19 outbreak, the AP reports.

Lindsey Graham Abandons His Own Immigration Bill

March 19, 2021 at 5:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “introduced a bipartisan immigration bill 43 days ago. But if it came up on the Senate floor today, he wouldn’t support it,” Politico reports.

Said Graham: “God, no. I’m not in support of legalizing one person until you’re in control of the border.”

Cuomo Accused of Sexual Harassment by Current Aide

March 19, 2021 at 4:59 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Alyssa McGrath described a series of unsettling interactions with Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) telling the New York Times that the governor would “ogle her body, remark on her looks, and make suggestive comments to her and another executive aide.”

“Ms. McGrath, 33, is the first current aide in Mr. Cuomo’s office to speak publicly about allegations of harassment inside the Capitol.”

Final Polls Show Netanyahu Gaining In Israel

March 19, 2021 at 4:55 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Final polls ahead of Tuesday’s election in Israel showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “on the cusp of clinching a ruling majority as the race draws to a close, though he is still not guaranteed one,” the Times of Israel reports.

“The upcoming elections — the fourth in two years — were called after the power-sharing government of Likud and Blue and White failed to agree on a budget by a December 23 deadline.”

14 House Republicans Won’t Condemn Myanmar Coup

March 19, 2021 at 4:50 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Earlier today, the House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution condemning the military coup in Myanmar and calling for the release of those detained — but 14 Republicans voted against the measure.

McCarthy Had Covid-19 But Didn’t Know

March 19, 2021 at 4:32 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said he learned he had Covid-19 antibodies after getting blood drawn in December, learning for the first time that he previously had the virus, CNN reports.

Just Reopen the Schools Now

March 19, 2021 at 4:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Chait: “It is entirely possible that when we look back at the coronavirus pandemic decades from now, we may see the gravest catastrophe as a generation of schoolchildren whose formative years were irrevocably stunted. Even if the year and counting of public-school rollback has not done as much damage as the death toll itself, it is a social crisis of the same magnitude.”

“As the pandemic recedes, it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand why school closings continue to grind on. The answer at this point is simply to open up schools, everywhere, right away.”