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Big Tech’s outsized influence over so many aspects of everyday life has become one of the biggest battlefronts in state legislatures. Scores of so-called “techlash” bills are being debated in dozens of statehouses, where lawmakers of both major parties are proposing rules related to antitrust, consumer privacy, taxes on digital ad sales, app store fees and speech on social media. The statehouse debates are taking on greater importance because congressional action is stalled. Tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google aren't content to play defense and are working to kill legislation or write their own more favorable bills.

In addition to their nationwide efforts to restrict voting access, Republican lawmakers in some key states are seeking greater control over the local mechanics of elections, from voter registration to certifying results. It's part of a broader GOP campaign to limit access to the ballot and challenge outcomes. The legislation includes partisan takeovers of election boards and threats to fine county election officials. Georgia has one of the more consequential bills, which was signed into law Thursday. Among other things, it would give state lawmakers greater authority to oversee how elections work.

For decades, the job of a vice president was to try to stay relevant, to avoid being viewed, in the words of one occupant of the post, as “standby equipment.” But in recent administrations, the seconds-in-command have increasingly been deputized with special policy assignments that add some weight — and political risk — to the job. That’s likely to be the case for Vice President Kamala Harris, who this week was named the new point person on immigration. The job comes as President Joe Biden is rolling back four years of stringent policies enacted by his predecessor and contending with intensifying Republican criticism over the increased flow of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Five thousand music lovers are set to attend a rock concert in Barcelona after passing a COVID-19 screening, to test its effectiveness in preventing outbreaks at large cultural events. The show on Saturday has the permission of Spanish health authorities. Concertgoers will undergo a antigen test hours before the concert. Those who test negative will be able to attend the indoor concert and mix freely, although face masks will be mandatory. The concert is an expanded version of a case study in December based on a concert for 500 people that organizers said showed no sign of contagion. 

Authorities suggested for weeks in court hearings and papers that members of the Oath Keepers militia group planned their attack on the Capitol in advance in an effort to block the peaceful transition of power. But prosecutors have since said it’s not clear whether the group was targeting the Capitol before Jan. 6, giving defense attorneys an opening to try to sow doubt in the government’s case. Authorities are still combing through a sea of evidence in what they say is likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Justice Department. More than 300 people are facing federal charges and more are expected. 

A raft of new pandemic restrictions is taking effect in Poland to slow the spread of infection. The new restrictions take effect Saturday and are to last for the two weeks surrounding Easter. But some Poles are already flouting the existing rules. On Friday police raided a bar in Warsaw that was operating in defiance of the regulations. In the runup to Easter, churches are also among locations that are flouting the rules. On Friday, there were more than 35,000 new infections reported in Poland in one day, a record in the country of 38 million people.

Israelis will once again hold large family gatherings this weekend to celebrate Passover, the festive Jewish holiday recalling the biblical flight of the Israelites from Egypt. That's thanks to a highly successful coronavirus vaccination campaign that has inoculated 80% of the country's adult population. Authorities have reopened restaurants, hotels, museums and theaters, and permit indoor gatherings of up to 20 people. It's a stark turnaround from last year, when Israel was in its first of three lockdowns, with people largely confined to their homes. Many had to celebrate last year's Thanksgiving-like Seder feast via video conference, or even in solitude.

The Sweet 16 gets going on Saturday for both the men and women at the NCAA tournaments. On the men's side, the top game is Villanova against Baylor. The Bears have an exceptional backcourt trio while Villanova is chasing its third national championship in the last six years. The women's draw features UConn against Iowa. The game matches two freshman phenoms in the Huskies' Paige Bueckers and the Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark. The two happen to be good friends.

James Harden scored 44 points and Blake Griffin added 17 in his return to Detroit to lift the Brooklyn Nets to a 113-111 victory over the Pistons. Harden was back after missing his team’s previous game because of neck soreness and he added 14 rebounds and eight assists in addition to his big scoring night. Brooklyn was still without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but the Nets had enough to hold off the last-place Pistons. Jerami Grant scored 19 points for Detroit.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice to lead the Washington Capitals past the New Jersey Devils 3-0 for their ninth victory in 10 games. They're back in first place in the NHL's East Division. Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves for his first shutout in more than 14 months. Nicklas Backstrom and Conor Sheary also scored, while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson each had two assists. Ovechkin's goals give him a team-best 17 this season and 723 in his career. New Jersey has lost two in a row to Washington after winning four of its previous five.

Shaka Smart is leaving Texas to return to his home state to coach Marquette.. The move comes a week after Marquette fired Steve Wojciechowski and Smart’s Texas team was upset 53-52 by Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Smart’s decision to head north ends a six-season tenure at Texas that fell short of the lofty expectations that accompanied his arrival. Smart went 109-86 with no NCAA Tournament victories at Texas after a remarkably successful six-year run at VCU. He went 163-56 at VCU and led the Rams to a Final Four appearance in 2011. 

Mark Emmert acknowledged the glaring failures to give the coaches and players in the women’s tournament the same attention the NCAA gave the men was a result of a lack of communication between the two basketball staffs along with focusing on trying to tip off both events safely during a pandemic. The NCAA president said the oversights resulted in overlooking differences that led to inequities that have cast a dark, looming cloud over the women’s tournament.

Amazon workers and labor advocates are making a final push for the union vote at the company's warehouse outside Birmingham, Alabama. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont headlined a Friday rally. He says a labor victory against the tech and retail giant would resonate across the country. If voted down, it would be another loss for organizers hoping to win a rare labor victory in the Deep South. Workers supporting the union say they face relentless quotas and poor working conditions. Amazon is fighting the union effort. The company argues the warehouse created jobs with an average pay of $15.30 per hour and benefits including health care, vision and dental insurance.  

Kathryn Nesbitt is a 32-year-old soccer referee from Philadelphia. She became a pioneer as FIFA appointed women to work on-field officials for men’s World Cup qualifiers. She served as an assistant referee when Canada opened with a 5-1 rout of Bermuda at Orlando. A former competitive figure skater and chemistry professor, she worked 18 MLS games last year and was voted the league’s assistant referee of the year. She can't point toward any instance of sexism aimed at her. She says: "I think I was treated the same way a new referee would be treated.”

California Latinos, who have borne the brunt of pandemic deaths and job losses in the state, are a critical voting bloc for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he fights to save his political career. The Democratic governor is likely to face a recall election later this year, giving voters the power to choose whether he should be removed from office. Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group in California. With a special election looming, Latino advocates say their communities will be looking for engagement and a more robust policy response to address the effects of the pandemic. 

The Buffalo Sabres are welcoming a limited number of fans to attend four more games this season. Tickets go on sale Monday for upcoming April games against the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. Fans will be allowed in if they have proof of being fully vaccinated 14 days before the game, or proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test within three days of the game. The Sabres added another option of proof of a negative antigen COVID-19 test within six hours of the doors opening. The Sabres have had fans only once this season. They honored front-line health care workers last week.