Hi everyone,

How are you?  Our crew is okay.  We were up later than expected last night, because we discovered at the last minute that there were new FBI shows on CBS.  I was under the impression they would resume next week, along with new "One Chicago" programs on NBC.  Thus, we might be moving a little slowly this morning, but we'll ramp up eventually.

The good news is that the wind has finally died down for the time being.  As a result, today's highs around 50 should actually feel about 50.  I'll take it.  I could use some coffee before we get started.  Thankfully, BDH and Little Buddha just made a fresh pot.  Grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Wednesday Clutter.

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The GOP's fraudulent impeachment inquiry into President Biden is going nowhere, so now Republicans are shifting the goal posts to the idea of criminal referrals instead.  They know full well they have nothing here, so they can make this empty gesture and then lie about why the DOJ won't take action.  Of course, a returning Donald Trump would be happy to have his next corrupt administration waste everyone's time with this nonsense, which is yet another reason why the insurrectionist must be defeated in November.  Send this whole group of Fox News wannabes packing and replace them with people who actually want to govern the country.

Republicans have embarrassed themselves trying to bring down President Biden.  (pic via cbsnews.com)

The transcripts of special counsel Robert Hur's interviews with President Biden over the mishandling of classified documents make it clear that Hur's claims of Biden's poor memory were nothing more than a political hit job.  Shame on Attorney General Merrick Garland for enabling this smear campaign.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reportedly selected his running mate and will make the announcement within the next two weeks.  The list of possible choices is said to include the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Jesse Ventura, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, to give you an idea of the seriousness of the candidate pool.  The good news is that none of these people are going to pull Democratic voters away from President Biden.

Representative Ken Buck (R-Colorado) wants out of Congress, and he's not going to wait:  Rep. Buck previously said he wouldn't run for re-election in November, but now he's decided to resign by the end of next week.  That cuts the House Republican majority down to 218-213, which will make life even more difficult for Speaker Mike Johnson (who deserves every last bit of it.)

Rep. Lauren Boebert isn't happy there will be a special election on June 25 to fill out the remainder of Buck's term.  Boebert is already running to replace Buck (because she'd likely lose in her current district), but whomever wins the special election will have an incumbency boost that may damage Boebert's chances in November.  That's a shame.

Good for the federal courts for finally pushing back against "judge shopping" yesterday:  The U.S. Judicial Conference passed a new rule on Tuesday that would, "ensure that any cases seeking to block state or federal policies in federal district courts would be assigned randomly from larger pools of judges." MAGA cult members have been cherry-picking for years where they file certain cases, like their absurd and extremist challenge to the safety of mifepristone, in order to get the results they want, regardless of the lack of merit to their arguments. 

These cases may still end up before judges who put their political agendas ahead of enforcing the law, but randomizing the process will make it at least a little more fair.  This country has got to stop allowing Donald Trump and his accomplices to stop weaponizing the courts at every turn.

Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez announced his resignation yesterday, saying it will take effect on April 6.  The move is long overdue.  The incompetence of the Uvalde police department during the Robb Elementary School massacre in 2022 should have brought criminal charges.  Rodriguez and the officers who initially arrived on the scene should have been fired for their failure to do their jobs. 

The CDC is sending a team to Chicago to help with the city's measles outbreak, because unlike Florida, Chicago actually believes in science.

February's Consumer Price Index data seemed to come in a touch higher than expected yesterday.  Inflation rose slightly to a 3.2% annualized rate, up from January's 3.1%.   It wasn't a disaster or anything, and the report didn't stop stocks from going on a run on Tuesday.  However, the Clutter investment team is still suspicious of any claims that the Fed will cut interest rates in June.

Global dividends reached a record $1.66 trillion last year, with roughly half of that coming from bank stocks.

Apparently Meta's virtual reality headsets can be hacked.  Add that to the list of reasons why we have no interest in buying one of these gadgets.

We're a little (pleasantly) surprised to see that free agent linebacker Josh Uche agreed to come back to the New England Patriots on a one-year deal yesterday.  Uche had an down season last year without the injured Matthew Judon beside him, but it seemed like he had interest from other teams and would likely head out the door.  His decision looks like a vote of confidence for head coach Jerod Mayo, so here's hoping Uche rebounds under the new system.

Wide receiver DeVante Parker reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles before he was even officially released by the New England Patriots today.  Parker was a complete bust in his two seasons in New England, and we will have forgotten he was ever on the team by the time we get to our next item...

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will reportedly restructure his contract again to give the team $21.6 million in additional cap space.  It's a wise move, as Kansas City seeks to win its third straight Super Bowl next season.  Mahomes will have the rest of his life to spend this money.  He's smart to do what it takes to help the team maximize its chances to make history.

It looks like the Washington Commanders are following the New England Patriots' lead:  The Pats just signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal, presumably to help mentor whomever the team chooses with the #3 pick in this year's NFL Draft.  Now, the Commanders have reportedly agreed on a one-year contract with QB Marcus Marriotta, who will likely have the same role with whomever Washington goes with at #2.

Sharon Stone now says the late Robert Evans was the producer who tried to pressure her to sleep with Sliver co-star Billy Baldwin to save the movie.  The actress had previously discussed the conversation without naming names.  According to Stone, Evans argued that sleeping with Baldwin would improve the pair's chemistry, and thus improve Baldwin's performance.  Baldwin then tweeted a bitter response which made us think Stone's account was spot-on.

Neve Campbell is returning to the Scream franchise after sitting out the last movie because of a salary dispute.  Hopefully this means the powers that be gave her a better offer this time around.  If that's the case, good for the actress for knowing her worth and standing her ground.

NCIS star Sean Murray shared some thoughts about the show's recent tribute to the late David McCallum.

Has David Tennant been nominated for an Olivier Award for his starring role in the latest Macbeth revival?  Why yes, yes he has, now that you mention it.  We wish the Clutter favorite the best of luck when the winners are announced on April 14.

Rumors are growing that former Doctor Who boss Steven Moffatt wrote this year's Christmas special.  We remember current showrunner Russell T. Davies announcing in his column in Doctor Who Magazine that he was writing the episode, so it might be a while before we can confirm the author's identity.  Regardless, both possibilities are terrific, so we look forward to being entertained either way during the holiday season.  (It's also nice that there won't be a multi-year gap between adventures once Ncuti Gatwa's first full season ends this spring.)

Hey General Hospital fans, if you haven't seen Nicolas Bechtel since he left the soap opera in 2020, check out his new profile picture on Twitter.  We barely recognized the former Spencer Cassadine.  Nicholas Chavez is doing a great job in the role now, but Bechtel looks like he could handle a return to the character as an adult if the opportunity ever arises.

The new Black Crowes album, Happiness Bastards, seems to be getting positive reviews.  Here's hoping Rich and Chris Robinson can keep their newfound harmony going for a while this time, so we can enjoy even more new music.

Oh hell yes:  There's an Indigo Girls documentary coming to theaters for one night on April 10 and then digitally on May 7.   Sign us up for this one.  Check out the trailer:

Judas Priest kicked off their latest world tour this past Monday, and we're impressed that these guys are still delivering the goods after all these years.  (You can read our review of their new Invincible Shield album here.)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here's Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to close things out with, "Wild God" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, folks.  It was great to see you, as always.  Like we said at the top, the new "One Chicago" shows don't return until next week.  However, BDH and Little Buddha say you're still welcome to come back later if you like, and we'll see if we can find something else to watch together.  Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day, be good, 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.