Barr the Door: Forget the whole Russia thing, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general William Barr said in his confirmation hearings yesterday that he will not seek to enforce federal marijuana laws in states where weed is legal. That’s a reversal of his predecessor, Jeff Sessions.

  At least 10 states have legalized recreational marijuana.

  For those of you who aren’t getting stoned in celebration, Barr also said he will allow the special Counsel Russia investigation to reach its conclusion and that he will not bow to any political pressure on the Justice Department.

  He was a little fudgy on  whether he will release the entire Special Counsel report when it is delivered.

  This is the second time around for Barr. He was attorney general during the first Bush administration.

  At 68 years old Barr said, “I am in a position in life where I can provide the leadership necessary to protect the independence and reputation of the department.” He said, “I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong — by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president. I’m going to do what I think is right.”

  He also said he would resist any attempt by the President to fire the Special Counsel unless it is for good cause.

Wall Envy: The Trump administration has ordered thousands of furloughed federal employees back to work without pay to inspect planes, issue tax refunds, monitor food safety, and speed the sale of offshore oil drilling rights.

  As each day passes, the effects for unpaid workers is deepening. They are beginning to miss mortgage, rent, and car payments.

  It’s day 26 of the federal government shutdown and there are no negotiations to end it.President Trump wants his wall. He tweeted, “There are now 77 major or significant Walls built around the world, with 45 countries planning or building Walls. Over 800 miles of Walls have been built in Europe since only 2015. They have all been recognized as close to 100% successful. Stop the crime at our Southern Border!”

The Brexit Brawl:British Prime Minister Theresa may faces a no-confidence vote in parliament later today after her plan to exit the European Union sustained the worst defeat in modern Parliamentary history. The vote was 432 to 202.

  EU diplomats said they were stunned by the enormity of the loss, but they will refuse to alter the terms of Britain’s exit. 

  Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29^th, but more than 2 ½ years after the British voted to exit, their government has not been able to figure out how to do it.  

  May says her government will not back out of its intention to leave the EU.

  A vote expected at about 7 pm will determine whether May continues in power. Her defeat would spur a general election. 

Your Papers, Please:A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from asking people in the next census whether they are citizens of the United States.

  Opponents of the question have argued that it will discourage some people from responding to the census, resulting in an undercount that will favor Republicans in congressional districting and elections.

  Judge Jesse Furman of the US District Court in Manhattan said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, broke “a veritable smorgasbord” of federal rules when he ordered the citizenship question and that his aides gave false or misleading statements under oath

 The issue is likely to reach the Supreme Court before the census questionnaires are printed. 

The Obit Page: Alfred Newman, one of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers from World War II, has died at age 94. The Code Talkers spoke over the radio in their native language, confounding the Japanese who were listening. 

Permawar:Gunmen attacked a hotel complex in Nairobi yesterday, resulting in an hours-long gun battle and the deaths of at least 14 people, one of them an American man. The Kenyan Red Cross says the number is higher, but they are still counting. Four attackers from the Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab were also reported to have been killed.

The Gathering Parade:New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced last night to Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” that she’s running for president.”As a young mom I’m going to fight for other people’s kids as hard as I fight for my own ….” Blah, blah, blah.

  We’re heading into two years of blah, blah.

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