| The House adjourned early over a potential extremist threat; Germany is placing its far-right party under observation. Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum. | | | | | | | House passes major bills in advance of QAnon threat | | | | | Ty O'Neil/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images | | - House members changed their voting schedule and canceled their Thursday session after Capitol Police warned of increased levels of chatter among extremist groups regarding today's date. [CNN / Whitney Wild and Jim Sciutto]
- Some federal officials have suggested the online rhetoric is mostly just talk, and do not expect significant demonstrations or travel to the DC area. But after the events of January 6, the Capitol Police have bolstered their presence and enlisted outside help. On Thursday, the police requested a 60-day extension on National Guard deployment around the Capitol. [The New York Times]
- Unlike last time, lawmakers were given advance notice that an identified militia group was discussing attacking the Capitol on March 4. The House moved up an expected vote on a police reform bill from Thursday to Wednesday evening to give representatives the chance to leave town. [The New York Times / Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Matthew Rosenberg]
- March 4 is an important date for believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory. Some are convinced that Trump will be inaugurated again today and begin his second term. Others saw it as a potential date to attempt another insurrection and remove Democratic lawmakers. [Vox / Nicole Narea]
- The date is believed to be significant because it was the original Inauguration Day in American history — though the very first one did not take place until April 30 due to weather. [The Washington Post / Gillian Brockell]
- Even with the shortened week, House Democrats passed massive legislation regarding election reform and police reform, both of which face long odds in the Senate. HR 1, a huge voting rights bill known as the For the People Act, passed with the support of all House Democrats but two, and no Republicans. [CBS News / Grace Segers]
- HR 1 includes voting rights protections and anti-corruption measures. It would create automatic national voter registration, mandate at least 15 days of early voting in all states, restore voting rights for felons, and provide for public financing of campaigns, among other provisions. [Vox / Ella Nilsen]
- The police reform bill would prohibit chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, create a national police misconduct registry, and incentivize state and local departments to create similar standards. [The Hill / Marty Johnson]
- Despite the security threats, the Senate is planning to stay in session until they have passed their version of the Covid-19 relief bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. The vote could be long, as Republicans are determined to attack the bill by drawing out the amendments process. One senator even insisted the 628-page bill be read aloud. [The Guardian / Lauren Gambino]
- For more policy analysis, don't miss our Weeds newsletter. Every Friday we break down the biggest policy stories of the Biden administration. Sign up here.
| | | Far-right AfD placed under surveillance in Germany | | - For the first time in German parliament in the postwar era, a party has been placed under domestic surveillance. The far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, will be put under watch for violations of Germany's rules protecting human dignity and democracy. [Bloomberg / Iain Rogers and Birgit Jennen]
- Because of its Nazi history, Germany has given itself wide latitude to protect from another far-right party gaining power through democratic channels, including using its domestic intelligence agency. AfD is currently the largest opposition party in Germany's parliament, with significant support in formerly Communist East Germany. [The New York Times / Katrin Bennhold]
- Under the new designation, Germany's intelligence agency has the authorization to wiretap AfD members' phones and spy on their activities. AfD has representation in all 16 German regional parliaments; some regional chapters were already under surveillance. [The Guardian / Kate Connolly]
- AfD was founded in 2013, capitalizing on Euroskepticism around the EU bailout of Greece and later the Syrian refugee crisis. The party is openly Islamophobic and deeply xenophobic, advocating against Germany's acceptance of refugees and migrants. [BBC News]
- The move comes as election season approaches, with AfD polling around 10 percent. AfD leaders called the extremism investigation and subsequent decision to be an act of politics, and said the party will be bringing court challenges. [NPR / Bill Chappell]
| | | | | | | Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's financial services company is purchasing Tidal, the streaming service owned by Jay Z. | | | [Recode / Peter Kafka] - The number of average daily vaccinations in the US hit 2 million for the first time on Wednesday. [New York Times]
- In a teaser for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, Markle said Buckingham Palace has had an active role in "perpetuating falsehoods" about her and her husband. [People / Ashley Boucher]
- Musician Grimes's digital art collection, in which each piece comes with a form of cryptocurrency, sold at auction for over $5.8 million. [Vanity Fair / Emily Kirkpatrick]
| | | | | Support our journalism | | Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work from as little as $3. | | | | | | | | | | "If we can't get these changes in place in time for the 2022 midterm election, the efforts that Republicans are taking at the state level to lock in this voter-suppression regime will reshape the environment in a way that makes it impossible to get this, or frankly many other things, done." | | | | | | | | | | |
Vox book critic Constance Grady talks with Vox gender identities reporter and novelist Anna North about Anna's new book Outlawed. They discuss creating an alternative history, reimagining the Western, and having fun with the usually fraught topics of gender and identity. [Spotify / Constance Grady] | | | | | | | | |  | This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036.
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