joe biden
President Joe Biden
White House/Lawrence Jackson

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Don't feel bad if your bracket's busted, though you should never pick against Sister Jean.

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Here's what you need to know:

Breaking this morning: AstraZeneca reported results from the US trial of its COVID-19 vaccine. A trial of 32,000 people found that it was 79% effective, clearing the way for potential FDA authorization. More details here.

1. FINDING A JOB IN BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION IS HARD WORK: Democratic frustration is boiling over with the Biden administration's hiring process. A former member of Biden's transition team told Insider "The personnel system is a black box."

Former campaign staffers and transition officials who applied for jobs say they haven't heard back. Would-be applicants also face stiff competition from former Obama officials, Biden campaign aides, and a broader Democratic universe that spent much of the past four years in the political wilderness.

  • Key quote: "It is either slow going or a lot of stonewalling," said one former Democratic Senate staffer who has heard from frustrated colleagues.

Read the rest of our exclusive report here.

Chaser: Former government tech staffers are finding a much easier path back.

Getting a call back isn't the only problem: Democratic lawmakers slammed the White House over a Daily Beast report that staffers were asked to resign or work remotely due after they disclosed past marijuana use. This policy affected staffers who use pot recreationally in one of the 14 states and D.C. where such use is legal.

2. DHS secretary defends Biden's immigration policies amid a surge at the border: Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said "the border is closed" but that the US would also not send back "vulnerable children" who have arrived. The White House refuses to call the situation a crisis, but Mayoraks has warned that the number of people at the border will be the highest in 20 years.

3. Trumpworld is at war over how to deploy his endorsement: "This consolidation of power in the chaotic months since Trump lost re-election have angered the Republicans who supported Trump but are not part of the tiny clique running Trump's post-White House political operation." More on the drama in our exclusive report.

  • Key quote: "It is ridiculous that someone who didn't do a good job in the campaign is now out there leading the charge and getting all the rewards after doing a s****y job," one former Trump White House aide keeping tabs on the endorsement struggle told Insider. That was a reference to former campaign manager Bill Stepien, who alongside Donald Trump Jr. has established himself as a gatekeeper of Trump's coveted endorsement.

miami beach spring break
People dance on top of a police car as revelers enjoy spring break festivities in Miami Beach, Florida, on March 20, 2021.
REUTERS/Marco Bello

4. Miami Beach police fired pepper balls as the city struggles with spring breakers: Police clashed with crowds late Saturday, as Mayor Dan Gelber told CNN that crowds of students flooding streets "feels like a rock concert." A state of emergency was declared earlier Saturday and an 8 p.m. curfew has been extended through at least the end of the month. A Miami Beach official said Florida's relaxed pandemic policies have made enforcing the city's mask mandate more difficult.

5. The accused Atlanta shooter's church expelled him: The Crabapple First Baptist Church said Aaron Long's alleged killing of eight people was "the result of a "sinful heart and depraved mind." The church also pushed back against Long blaming his "sexual addiction" for the violence saying "he alone is responsible …"

6. The top things for your calendar, all times Eastern:

  • 11:00 a.m.: Dr. Anthony Fauci and other members of the White House's pandemic team hold a news briefing.
  • 12:30 p.m.: Jen Psaki holds the White House's daily news briefing.
  • 2:25 p.m.: Vice President Harris visits a vaccination center in Jacksonville, during her trip to Florida.
  • 5:30 p.m.: The Senate votes on Marty Walsh's nomination to become Labor secretary.

7. Meet Joe Biden's eyes and ears in the Capitol: Delaware's congressional delegation is so close to the Biden that one (Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester) co-chaired his campaign and help vet Harris before she became Biden's running mate, another (Sen. Chris Coons) will soon meet with a foreign leader to convey Biden's message, and the third (Sen. Tom Carper) will be in charge of shepherding whatever the package the president proposes on climate change or infrastructure.

More on how the trio will shape Biden's legacy in our exclusive report.

8. A New York GOP congressman apologized for sexual misconduct: Rep. Tom Reed publicly apologized days after a former lobbyist told The Washington Post that he rubbed her back and unhooked her bra in 2017. Reed vowed that he would not seek reelection nor challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo next year, which he had been openly considering. More on the fallout here.

9. Trump's Mar-a-Lago partially closed after a COVID outbreak: But the parties will go on at the former president's resort. Just last night, a 500-person, $375-a-head charity fundraiser was held there. The outbreak occurs after several large parties where attendees didn't wear masks or socially distance.

10. Jack Dorsey's first tweet could sell for more than $2.5 million: The Twitter CEO is selling an NFT of the tweet with a pledge to convert the proceeds into a charitable donation. It's just the latest part of the NFT craze that is sweeping music, art, Hollywood, and sports. (Here's an explainer on why people are paying millions for digital assets)

One last thing.

Today's trivia question: With Harris' trip in mind, it's a good time to explore the rich history of America's vice presidents. Which one was a former haberdasher? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider