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--> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha--breaks down crying hysterically.

The Hill's 12:30 Report: Pressure builds on Boeing after 737 crashes | Trump worries planes 'too complex to fly' | Romney, Blumenthal call for jet to be grounded | The Hill exclusive: Biden tells lawmaker he will run | Dems unite against Trump budget, but face own funding challenge | Book claims Trump wanted Ivanka, Jared out of WH | Actresses Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman charged in college admissions scam | Free pancakes at IHOP | Romney's Twinkie birthday cake

LATEST WITH THE PLANE CRASH

I mean, I'd love for Albert Einstein to be my pilot:

This morning, President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE argued that airplane technology is becoming too sophisticated after the Ethiopian Airlines crash over the weekend. http://bit.ly/2SXAB9D

The gist of his argument: "Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT."

Trump's full tweets: "Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better. Split second decisions are ... needed, and the complexity creates danger. All of this for great cost yet very little gain. I don't know about you, but I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!" http://bit.ly/2XRf2eu

So, real talk -- are Boeing 737 Max 8s safe to fly?:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says yes. http://bit.ly/2XPsz6B

From the FAA: "The FAA continuously assesses and oversees the safety performance of U.S. commercial aircraft," the FAA said. "If we identify an issue that affects safety, the FAA will take immediate and appropriate action." Read the FAA's full statement: http://bit.ly/2Tvalsg

YEAH BUT -- THIS MORNING:

UK grounds all 737 Max: British regulators have banned all Boeing 737 Max aircraft as a precautionary measure. How many: Five are registered; a sixth would fly later this week. http://bit.ly/2SXmCRb

And Norwegian Air did, too: Norwegian Air grounded its fleet of 737 Max 8s. http://bit.ly/2Y1K4ka

SOME SENATORS HAVE CALLED FOR MAX 8s TO BE GROUNDED:

So far, Sens. Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneySenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (R-Utah,), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHarris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda Judd Gregg: The Kamala threat — the Californiaization of America GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (D-Mass.) have called for Boeing 737 Max 8s to be grounded. http://bit.ly/2Cev1dG

REACTION FROM BOEING -- NO NEW GUIDANCE:

Boeing told The Hill: "Safety is Boeing's number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets … based on the information currently available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators." The full statement: http://bit.ly/2Cev1dG

ATTENTION ALL WARY PASSENGERS -- THIS NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE IS WRITTEN FOR YOU:

"To help worried travelers determine what plane they are scheduled to fly on, and their rights if they choose not to board, we talked to airlines, passenger advocates and insurance experts." https://nyti.ms/2Tv75NI

HERE'S A LIST OF EVERY BOEING 737 MAX 8 PATH AROUND THE WORLD:

https://nyti.ms/2HiXMdc

And in North America specifically:

There are a number of 737 max 8s in the sky now. Here they are. pic.twitter.com/6xlAA0G5tx — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 12, 2019

New software update for Boeing 737s:

Via Reuters, "Boeing Co confirmed late on Monday it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8, a few hours after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would mandate "design changes" in the aircraft by April." https://reut.rs/2XQYd3k

What Boeing added: The company offered condolences to the 157 people that died.

It's Tuesday. I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com -- and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook .

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NEWS THIS MORNING

The Hill exclusive -- Biden told a senior Dem that he's running:

Via The Hill's Scott Wong and Amie Parnes, former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE told a senior Democratic lawmaker this past week that he will run for president in 2020. http://bit.ly/2ChTbUn

In Biden's words: "I'm giving it a shot."

Why Biden told that lawmaker: "In the brief phone call, the former vice president asked if he could bounce some campaign strategy ideas off the lawmaker and invited the lawmaker to sit down with him in person in the near future. Biden also said he hoped to have the lawmaker's support, something the lawmaker did not commit to."

Read the full report: http://bit.ly/2ChTbUn

Op-ed on why Biden could win: http://bit.ly/2EWpRU9

Nooo, not Aunt Becky! I hope Uncle Jesse wasn't involved:

"Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are among at least 40 people charged in a large-scale college entrance exam cheating scheme, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday." https://nbcnews.to/2VTL5ZK

The alleged cheating scheme: "The alleged scheme focused on getting students admitted to elite universities as recruited athletes, regardless of their athletic abilities, and helping potential students cheat on their college exams, according to the indictment unsealed in Boston."

Colleges the students wanted to attend: Georgetown University, Stanford University, UCLA, the University of San Diego, USC, University of Texas, Wake Forest and Yale.

Keep in mind: There is no indication that any of the schools were aware of the alleged scheme.

What we know: https://nbcnews.to/2VTL5ZK

Ouch:

Aunt Becky's spin-off show is gonna be so good pic.twitter.com/TRr7RrWHIm — Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) March 12, 2019

IN THE WHITE HOUSE

*Cracks knuckles and pulls out the charming smile*:

Via The Hill's Alexander Bolton, as a last-ditch effort to convince Senate Republicans to vote against Democrats' national emergency wall declaration, President Trump is trying to pressure the GOP. http://bit.ly/2EX9qH1

From White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sarah Elizabeth SandersSarah Sanders on Trump's reported war dead criticism: 'Those comments didn't happen' Sarah Sanders memoir reportedly says Trump joked she should hook up with Kim Jong Un McEnany stamps her brand on White House press operation MORE Sanders: "We talk to a number of members every single day, certainly at the presidential and the staff level, and we're going to continue to engage with them in this process."

Five takeaways from Trump's budget -- most notably, it *clap* won't *clap* go *clap* anywhere:

Trump sees wall fight as political winner Debt doesn't matter to Trump The budget relies on inflated economic expectations The budget is not going anywhere with Congress Trump's base is still his most important audience

Context and details for each from The Hill's Niv Elis: http://bit.ly/2NZRn72

HOW DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO STAY UNITED BUT HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY: Think: Democratic Party leaders are set to release their own budget blueprint, which will end any short-lived unity in the party. http://bit.ly/2ETgEfg

Ouch, not Trump's ~two~ favorite children -- yes, I meant what I said:

According to New York Times excerpts of a new book, President Trump directed his former chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE to "get rid of" his daughter Ivanka Trump Ivana (Ivanka) Marie TrumpSpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report Trump, Biden vie for Minnesota Trump luxury properties have charged US government .1M since inauguration: report MORE and son-in-law Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerAbraham Accords: New hope for peace in Middle East Tenants in Kushner building file lawsuit alleging dangerous living conditions Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing MORE from the White House because his children "didn't know how to play the game." http://bit.ly/2TBkuDR

REACTION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: White House officials and a representative for Jared Kushner denied the claims. http://bit.ly/2TBkuDR

MORE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES: https://nyti.ms/2Ux20kl

IN CONGRESS

OK, now on the next take I want to see some tears. Make me feel the scene:

Via The Hill's Olivia Beavers, "Lawmakers are clashing over GOP allegations that Democrats met extensively with Michael Cohen Michael Dean CohenA huge deal for campaign disclosure: Trump's tax records for Biden's medical records Our Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Eric Trump says he will comply with New York AG's subpoena only after Election Day MORE before his scheduled testimonies, an early sign of partisan divides growing deeper amid the House investigations into the Trump administration." http://bit.ly/2F8a7yB

What Republicans are alleging: Democrats knew what Cohen would say beforehand and may have coached his testimony.

What Democrats are saying: Republicans' claims are wrong and that meeting with witnesses beforehand is standard practice.

This morning -- Sen. Gillibrand responds to claims her office mishandled sexual misconduct allegations:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten GillibrandSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Suburban moms are going to decide the 2020 election Jon Stewart urges Congress to help veterans exposed to burn pits MORE (D-N.Y.) defended how her office handled sexual misconduct accusations from a former staffer against a male aide. http://bit.ly/2NZu7q7

Gillibrand told reporters: "We investigated claims of sexual harassment and derogatory comments. We interviewed all current employees that had relevant information. We were able to substantiate derogatory comments and [were] not able to substantiate the sexual harassment. The sexual harassment claims did not rise to the level of sexual harassment."

On the former staffer who made the allegations: "I told this employee at the time that she was loved and we loved her. I deeply valued her."

BACK STORY: Via Politico's Alex Thompson and Daniel Strauss, "Former Gillibrand aide resigned in protest over handling of sex harassment claims." The full story: https://politi.co/2TsyLTo

IN OTHER NEWS

Hulify! Spotilu! Spulu! Hulispot!:

Hulu and Spotify announced this morning that the two services will be offered for one $9.99 monthly membership fee. http://bit.ly/2Jb2pYv

How it worked before: "The companies previously offered a bundle in 2018 that allowed users to include Hulu membership with their Spotify account for a monthly fee of $12.99. Spotify wrote in Tuesday's press release that those users would see their monthly bill reduced under the new pay scale."

NOTABLE TWEETS

That's a crowning achievement, Erin. Be proud:

why is my biggest achievement being the second picture on google when you search mental breakdown pic.twitter.com/QeCcmThfVv — erin gilfoy (@eringilfoy) March 11, 2019

His reaction is pretty great -- Twinkies tho?:

My team surprised me with a cake made out of my favorite snack—twinkies! Looking forward to all this year has in store. pic.twitter.com/lQfyIrQ9Qe — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 12, 2019

What is interesting here: How Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) blew out his candles. I really appreciate that he pulled each of them out before blowing on them. Much more sanitary. Watch: http://bit.ly/2Ux6l7h

Happy Birthday, senator!

ON TAP

The House and Senate are in.

11:45 a.m. EDT: President Trump is given the Boy Scouts' report to the nation.

1:45 p.m. EDT: President Trump signs the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.

2 p.m. EDT: First votes in the House.

Today -- March 17: SXSW 2019. The schedule and lineup: http://bit.ly/2NVEk6Q

WHAT TO WATCH

This morning: Vice President Pence spoke at the Credit Union National Association's Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. Livestream: http://bit.ly/2zl0CZY

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...

Today is National Pancake Day!

How to celebrate: IHOP is giving away free pancakes today. Details: http://bit.ly/2VT0Xvq

If you enjoy watching Lifetime-style royal family movies:

(Don't worry, I'll keep it between us.)

Netflix announced it is creating a third movie in the "Christmas Prince" series: "Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby." When it will be released: Next holiday season. Details: http://bit.ly/2tZzbS6