Newsletter Mar 24, 2021

A week that saw 18 deaths in two separate mass shootings has reignited calls for gun control, and President Biden has declared it's time for action.

3 Things

Loaded question: Following every mass shooting in the U.S., gun rights activist inevitably point out that now is not the time to broach the subject of sensible gun legislation. But in the wake of Monday's murder spree in Colorado, President Joe Biden says the time is now.
Biden's comments come one day after a lone gunman shot and killed 10 at a Boulder grocery store, and one week after a Georgia man claimed eight lives in shootings at three Atlanta-area spas.
The president said he does not "need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act."
Biden's plans have already encountered strong opposition from Republican lawmakers, who have long fended off gun control efforts despite shootings at schools, churches, theaters and restaurants.
The NRA responded by tweeting a copy of the Second Amendment, but will the mounting death toll turn public outcry into political action?
FOLLOW THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST GUN CONTROL

'Rocket Man' returns:: While the U.S. is already coping with the COVID pandemic, gun violence, rising tensions with China and Russia, and a state of emergency at the southern border, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un added his name to the things-to-do list.
North Korea launched two rockets over the weekend, the first such action under the Biden administration. The nations had seemed to have reached a strange detente under the unpredictable policies of the Trump administration, but Kim is back to testing his boundaries.
"It would be hard to find a place on the planet where there is more vigilance than the circumstance and situation surrounding North Korea," one senior White House official said of the situation Tuesday. "Our forces are always prepared, always on high alert."
The Biden administration says it is in the final stages of completing a review of foreign policy toward North Korea. The U.S. is also sending out signals that it is willing to talk, but not under Kim's conditions -- and certainly not while staring down the barrel of a rocket launcher.
SEE THE POTENTIAL FALLOUT OF NORTH KOREA'S ACTIONS

Mailing it in: Not rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail can stop the U.S. mail, according to the U.S. Postal Service's unofficial motto. But an inexperienced postmaster general with a bold plan to drastically slash the nation's mail delivery service just might do the trick.
Embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor with no prior postal experience, unveiled his 10-year plan to scale back operations and cut costs. But his plan also calls for price hikes while also delivering slower mail times and reduced business hours.
The proposal further angered Democrats, who have already been calling for Biden to fire DeJoy for "gross mismanagement" and "rampant conflicts of interest." He was accused of intentionally creating mail delivery delays to suppress mail-in voting in 2020.
Canning DeJoy isn't so easy since he technically is not a political appointee, but the wheels are in motion to deliver him a pink slip
SEE THE REACTION TO DEJOY'S PLAN TO GUT THE USPS

Markets

DJIA	32,423.15	-0.94%
S&P 500	3,910.52	-0.76%
Nasdaq Composite	13,227.70	-1.12%
Japan: Nikkei 225	28,452.46	-1.87%
UK: FTSE 100	6,699.19	-0.40%
Crude Oil Futures	57.73	-0.05%
Gold Futures	1,731.50	0.37%
Yen	108.51	-0.06%
Euro	1.18	-0.05%
* As of market close

Shot in the dark

America's hopes of getting emergency use authorization for a fourth COVID vaccine in the U.S. hit a major stumbling block Tuesday when it was revealed the AstraZeneca test trials were tainted by outdated data.

The U.S. National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases called out the drug-maker for using antiquated data in its application for FDA approval. AstraZeneca stood by its report and vowed to file an updated report with the most recently available information within 48 hours.

The AstraZeneca vaccine does have at least one supporter in its camp, and it's a big one -- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's foremost infectious disease expert. He called the problem an "unforced error" and expressed confidence that the vaccine would become the fourth approved in the U.S.

The news was the latest in a long line of bad reviews for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was halted in the U.K. over suspicion the vaccine causes blood-clotting issues. The greater fear is that the bad press the drug has been receiving could cause a loss of confidence in vaccines in general

CHECK OUT THE PROS AND CONS OF THE ATRAZENECA VACCINE

Will work for wine

A California winery is looking for one lucky candidate to immerse themself in all things wine for an exciting new career. For those of us who having been doing it for free for all these years, here's the chance of a lifetime.

Murphy-Goode Winery is offering $10,000 a month to live rent-free in the heart of California Wine Country and learn every aspect of the industry. From the grapevines to popping a cork on the latest vintage, the position involves becoming a vino know-it-all before choosing your dream job.

The winning candidate also receives a nice "benefits package" -- 30 cases of wine so you can, you know, "do research" while you get paid for it. And on your days off (if there is such a thing as a work day) you can explore scenic Sonoma Wine Country, and maybe mix things up with a cold beer.

Oenophiles (OK, we had to Google it) must apply by making a video showing why you are the ideal candidate. You must be willing to move to California (yes, please) and have a passion and palate for good wine.

FIND OUT HOW TO APPLY FOR A WINE-LOVER'S DREAM JOB

Semi-sweet 16

This March Madness has already been madder than most, with the surreal scenes of near-empty arenas and coaches shouting out orders from behind face masks creating an unusual feel to the spring tradition.

But the real surprise has been the number of lower-seeded teams defying the logical order of things and advancing to the Sweet 16. Oral Roberts, Loyola Chicago, Oregon State and Syracuse are among the double-digit seeds crashing the party and refusing to leave the Big Dance early.

The last perfect bracket didn't survive the weekend as top-seeded Illinois fell, along with every Big Ten team except Michigan. Fellow No. 1 seeds Gonzaga and Baylor are still alive, but the rest of the Sweet 16 bracket looks a lot like a bunch of genetically altered grapes -- seedless.

The NCAA men's basketball tournament returns to action this weekend, and many sports sites are running Sweet 16 pools since so many fans have already sent their original brackets through the paper shredder.

SEE THE UPDATED ODDS FOR THE BIG DANCE'S SWEET 16