Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How are you?  I've mostly recovered from shoveling that heavy snow on Sunday, so that's good.  BDH and Little Buddha just let me know about a winter storm warning tonight, although I think they're talking about freezing rain.  I have to check in with Dad Clutter about today's schedule, but we should be done long before that precipitation hits, if the forecast is correct. 

Before I do that, let's check out the headlines.  The guys made coffee, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Tuesday Clutter.

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Next up on the docket:  Donald Trump's hush money case is scheduled to begin on April 15, despite his attempts to have it delayed.  Trump is accused of falsifying business records by trying to hide the $130,000 he paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election to stay quiet about their encounter.  This is probably the least of Trump's worries from a legal perspective.  However, given that it looks like the trial will begin soon, he faces the real danger of running for president as a convicted criminal, and that's a red line for some voters who might otherwise support him.

A New York appeals court threw Donald Trump a major lifeline yesterday by cutting the amount of the bond he has to post in his civil fraud case to $175 million and giving him 10 more days to pay it.  It's still not clear that Trump has that much money, but if he does, posting the bond will block New York Attorney General Letitia James from seizing any of his properties until at least September.  However, to be clear, the $464 million judgment against him in this case still stands, pending his appeal.

Monday was a mixed day in court for Donald Trump.  (pic via uk.news.yahoo.com)

Donald Trump told a story about the New York Stock Exchange that was completely disconnected from reality.  His nonstop lying has gotten to the point where his stories aren't even coherent anymore.  If he had anyone in his life who actually cared about him, they would have taken him to a medical professional years ago.  That's why Republicans are so desperate to attack President Biden's mental acuity.  They're trying to deflect from their own candidate's major deficiencies.

A judge threw out Elon Musk's lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), calling it a blatant attack on the organization's free speech.  Musk claimed CCDH's report highlighting the rise of hate speech on Twitter after his purchase caused millions of dollars in damages, and that it was a violation of Twitter's terms of service.  District Judge Charles Breyer was having none of it.  This is a huge win for the 1st Amendment, and it provides another layer of protection for watchdog organizations who seek to hold the powerful accountable for their actions.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in the battle over the medical abortion drug mifepristone.  This pill has been safely used in the United States since 2000, and its uses were expanded in 2016.  Anti-abortion zealots went judge shopping to find one to support their ideology-based argument that the FDA didn't follow proper procedures in 2016.  Given the extremism of the court's conservative majority, any anti-abortion challenge has to be taken seriously, no matter how weak the actual legal arguments.  However, it will have much larger repercussions for drug safety as a whole in this country if Chief Justice John Roberts and his associates rule for the plaintiffs.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas says he's not worried that his agents and the team couldn't agree on a contract extension recently.  Glad to hear he's not upset about it, because everyone should tap the brakes a bit here.  Casas won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season.  We're big fans of the guy.  He's a character, and he's got major potential at the plate.  However, let him show that he can continue the strong performance he put up in the second half of last season first before we start talking about extensions. 

Also, it's a wise move for Casas to publicly state how much he wants to stay in Boston.  That will make it harder for Red Sox ownership to ever smear him down the road about a lack of desire to remain with the club, as they're fond of doing.

Shohei Ohtani told reporters yesterday that he's never bet on any sports, that he had no idea about ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara's gambling problem until last week, and that Mizuhara stole money from him to pay his debts.  We continue to believe this account until someone presents actual evidence to the contrary. 

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said the team is still open to acquiring a wide receiver via a trade.  That makes sense.  If the Pats can find a guy they like that way, it frees them up to focus on finding a quarterback and left tackle in next month's NFL Draft.  It feels like a lot of fans are upset about New England's relatively quiet off-season.  We're comfortable with the moves Mayo and the new administration have made so far, and if they can find guys they like at these three positions, this rebuild will be in good shape.

Former New England Patriots running back Damien Harris announced his retirement yesterday.  Harris played five seasons in the NFL, including four with the New England Patriots.  However, injuries derailed the 29-year-old's stint with the Buffalo Bills.  Good for Harris for looking after his health and walking away now.  He's got the rest of his life to consider, and we wish him the best of luck with whatever comes next.

After trashing him earlier, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is trying to reinflate Zach Wilson's value by saying the team could keep the quarterback if they can't trade him.  Good luck with that.  Wilson has been a disaster with the Jets, and he'd be #3 on the depth chart at best, behind Aaron Rodgers and the newly-signed Tyrod Taylor.  The Jets will be lucky if anyone offers them more than a bag of footballs for the guy.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is seemingly doing everything he can to hype up J.J. McCarthy before the NFL Draft.  Harbaugh and McCarthy teamed up to lead Michigan to the national championship in January, and Harbaugh clearly has a fondness for the quarterback.  It feels like there's a 10% chance at most that New England would take McCarthy with the #3 pick, but we're expecting Jerod Mayo and company to go with Drake Maye instead.

Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to join the newest Jurassic World movie, which is scheduled to come out in July of next year.  That project is certainly on the fast track with that release date, considering the cast hasn't even been finalized.

The BBC announced it will stop using A.I. to create Doctor Who promotional materials after hearing complaints from fans.  Artificial intelligence has repeatedly been shown to be a dangerous force on the show, so this use by the BBC was seen by many as tone deaf.

Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony released a video celebrating the creation of 5150, which was Van Halen's first record with the singer.  Still trying to process that the album came out 38 years ago, but in any case, it holds up.

Law enforcement raided Sean Combs' properties in Miami and Los Angeles yesterday.  What exactly they were looking for is unclear, but the raid was reportedly part of a sex trafficking investigation involving the music mogul.  Meanwhile, the music producer who is suing Combs for sexual assault and harassment has added actor Cuba Gooding Jr. to his complaint.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here are The Replacements to close things out with, "I'll Be You" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, folks.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, be careful driving out there, 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.