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Wednesday's Mini-Report, 3.10.21

Today's edition of quick hits.

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Vaccines: "President Joe Biden announced plans Wednesday to purchase an additional 100 million doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, giving the U.S. more than enough supply to vaccinate the entire U.S. population."

* He was confirmed, 70 to 30: "The Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Merrick Garland as U.S. Attorney General, handing the reins of the Justice Department over to a longtime federal judge who's pledged to de-politicize the agency. He was confirmed by a vote of 70 to 30."

* She was confirmed, 66 to 34: "The Senate has confirmed Marcia Fudge to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, placing the longtime Ohio lawmaker in charge of the agency just as Congress is poised to pass new benefits for renters and homeowners who have suffered economic losses amid the coronavirus pandemic."

* The Jan. 6 attack: "As members of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group shouldered their way through the mob and up the steps to the U.S. Capitol, their plans for Jan. 6 were clear, authorities say. 'Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud,' someone commanded over an encrypted messaging app some extremists used to communicate during the siege."

* On a related note: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has formally approved an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months as possible threats of violence remain, the Pentagon said Tuesday."

* The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act): "House Democrats on Tuesday approved the most significant expansion of labor rights since the New Deal, advancing legislation that would neutralize right-to-work laws in 27 states and bolster workers' ability to organize after years of eroding clout."

* It amazes that another qualified nominee is in trouble over mean tweets: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday urged Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to support President Joe Biden's nominee for the top Pentagon policy job amid criticism of his past Twitter posts. But the moderate senator says he's still undecided."

* Hmm: "The booming housing market helped stave off economic collapse in 2020. But soaring prices are starting to worry policymakers, who fear the market could lock a generation of would-be buyers out of homeownership."

* The obvious call: "An Iowa jury on Wednesday acquitted a journalist who was pepper-sprayed and arrested by police while covering a protest, in a case that critics have derided as an attack on press freedoms and an abuse of prosecutorial discretion. After deliberating for less than two hours, the jury found Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri and her ex-boyfriend Spenser Robnett not guilty on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse and interference with official acts."

* Interesting developments in Brazil: "Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set the stage on Wednesday for a likely 2022 presidential run, using his first speech since his graft convictions were annulled to blast President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic and economy."

See you tomorrow.