Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  How are you?  BDH and Little Buddha were just watching the snow fall.  It's supposed to turn to rain this afternoon, so no shoveling concerns, but we'll probably be inside for most of the day.  That's fine.  The guys can read, and I can clean for a while, or at least procrastinate about cleaning while looking forward to March.  We push the clocks forward an hour two weeks from tomorrow, and our crew can't wait.  Of course, once March arrives, we can start daydreaming some more about gardening season.  However, we promise to stay focused on the news right now.  There's a fresh pot of coffee on the counter, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Saturday Clutter.

The House passed President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill by a 219-212 vote early this morning.  Every House Republican voted against the legislation, and their Senate counterparts are expected to do the same, because they're betting their base will reward them for doing nothing to help millions of struggling Americans.  It's not like we're talking about saving huge corporations or giving unnecessary tax cuts to the top 1%, which are pretty much the only items in the GOP platform besides confirming conservative judges.  These folks are fine to watch millions suffer and die, as long as their voters stay rich.  The bill will likely pass in the Senate, with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote when the time comes.

Speaker Pelosi overseeing passage of the bill.  (pic via cnn.com)

A FDA advisory panel unanimously endorsed Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.  Assuming the full agency signs off over the weekend, an estimated 4 million doses would be distributed across the country next week.  Hang in there, folks.  We'll get to the finish line eventually, but this is still no time to be easing restrictions.  (cc:  Governor Charlie Baker)

A new poll says Americans are increasingly receptive to getting their coronavirus vaccinations.  It's amazing what having a pro-science White House can do to help change minds.  This never had to be a political fight.  A virus doesn't care about ideology.  It's not a test of strength.  It's a medical problem that has a medical solution.

The Biden administration released the intelligence report confirming that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, approved the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and President Biden is...not going to directly do anything about it, because he doesn't want to damage this country's relationship with Saudi Arabia.  Saudi Arabia must be pleased.  Apart from some bad headlines, they get off scot-free and don't even have to pay whatever kick-back the previous administration was getting this time.

The FBI says it's identified a suspect in the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, but they're not releasing a name at the moment.  Should they be able to pursue a case against this individual, Donald Trump should be named as an accessory.  The so-called "Blue Lives Matter" mob never cared about protecting the lives of law enforcement - they just wanted to show their contempt for black lives.

Facebook reached a $650 million settlement for an class-action lawsuit where it was accused of violating the privacy of almost 1.6 million users in Illinois.  It appears Facebook violated an Illinois privacy law and failed to get users' permission before using facial-recognition technology on the pictures these folks uploaded.  The company has apparently changed its process since then, but you know they see privacy as a threat to be eradicated at all costs in order to serve their bottom line.

Boston Globe writer Kevin Paul Dupont has a nice tribute to The Baseball Encyclopedia.  We've got a 1982 edition, and it's a fascinating relic from the pre-Internet age, because there was nowhere else you could find all of these statistics in one place "back in the day."  Might spend a little time showing it to BDH and Little Buddha this afternoon.

Reinforcements are coming for the New England Patriots, because all eight players who opted-out last year are reportedly returning next season.  The big three are linebacker Dont’a Hightower,  safety Patrick Chung, and  offensive tackle Marcus Cannon.  Are they game-changers?  We'd say that the three combined are probably worth an additional win at most, but this team could use some additional veteran leadership, so it's good to hear they'll be back on the field. 

The WNBA's Atlanta Dream has new ownership, after extensive pressure on former Senator Kelly Loeffler to sell her share of the team, following her criticism of the league's racial justice initiatives.  Goodbye and good riddance.  On the downside, this means Loeffler has more time to focus on her voter suppression efforts in Georgia, but hey, you celebrate the wins where you can. 

We may sound like a broken record, but this week's WandaVision is terrific.  No spoilers from us, but it almost feels like an episode from a different series, given the hard tonal shift.  It's heavy on the Elizabeth Olsen - Kathryn Hahn dynamic, and both women are amazing.  A lot of pieces were moved on the board with just one episode left.  We have some guesses about what happens in the next week, but above all else, even with new MCU movies on the horizon, this show has to get a second season, because this story is only getting started. 

Here are 37 Easter Eggs from this week's episode.  Warning:  #25 made things a little dusty.

We are not huge DC Comics movie fans, but when you tell us  Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing a new Superman movie, you have our attention.  We loved his work on the Black Panther and Captain America graphic novels (as well as his non-comic book writing), so sign us up for this one.  No word yet on a star or a story.

Congratulations to Seth Meyers on signing a four-year contract extension to continue hosting Late Night on NBC.  Always have to cheer for a New Hampshire native who does well.

Prepare yourself, Generation X - here's the first trailer for the 30th reunion of the original Real World cast, who are having a limited run on Paramount+ that starts on March 4.  Where does the time go?  We're still not buying the service, but we would love to watch this series. 

First there was a postponement, and now Taylor Swift cancelled her "Lover Fest" tour because of ongoing pandemic issues.  We'd love to see some signs of a new "normalcy" come by the second half of this year, but we're probably talking about 2022 being the real return for things like live performances, crowds in movie theaters and sports stadiums, and the like.

We're relieved to hear that Lady Gaga's stolen dogs were recovered yesterday, and they're reportedly healthy.  The Los Angeles Police didn't release much in the way of details, except that a woman, who they say was not involved in the dog theft and shooting of the dog-walker, brought the dogs to the station.  It sounds like the dog-walker is stable.  Here's hoping he has a full and speedy recovery.  What a bizarre story.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here's Rage Against the Machine to take us out with, "Testify" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  Hanging out with you is always a treat.  Enjoy the rest of your day, be safe, and we'll catch up with you again soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.