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Commanders to brief Trump on new Iran military options Thursday

(Axios) President Trump is slated to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, two sources with knowledge tell Axios. The briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations either to try to break the logjam in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war. Behind the scenes: CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran — likely including infrastructure targets — in hopes of breaking the negotiating deadlock, three sources with knowledge said.

Hegseth Cites Falsehood to Defend His Firing of Senior Officers

(New York Times) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday defended his decisions to fire or sideline nearly 30 generals and admirals over the past year with little explanation by falsely comparing his record to that of President Barack Obama. “I would also note that under Barack Obama, 197 general officers were removed,” Mr. Hegseth said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. The number Mr. Hegseth gave has no basis in fact. It originated with an unsigned 2018 editorial in Investor’s Business Daily, which cites the right-wing news site “Breitbart.com’s Facebook page” as its source.

Hegseth says $400M in Ukraine support released after McConnell's angry op-ed

(The Hill) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said $400 million in Ukraine support was released after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) penned an angry op-ed criticizing the stall in funding. “The department recognizes that $400 million was allocated for European capacity building, and as of yesterday, it has been released,” Hegseth said in response to a question about the aid from Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.). Elfreth followed up to ask whether the money was released under contract. Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III said the aid was “not under contract, but released to be put under contract.”

Janet Mills, Governor of Maine, Suspends Senate Campaign

(New York Times) Gov. Janet Mills of Maine, the Democratic establishment’s choice to run for the Senate seat long held by Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, suspended her campaign on Thursday, saying she no longer had the financial resources to compete against Graham Platner, a progressive political newcomer. Her exit paves the way for Mr. Platner, an oysterman who has led her in polls, to become the Democratic nominee in one of the most important Senate races in the country.

R U ready 4 some TOONS?

Amazon Mulls 'Apprentice' Reboot With Donald Trump Jr. as Host

(The Wrap) Amazon is reportedly considering a reboot of the “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., hosting the new iteration. The Jeff Bezos-led company appears to be doubling down on its relationship with the Trumps after buying First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania,” as a new report from the Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon executives are in the midst of talking about an “Apprentice” reboot.

The supreme court's voting rights decision is a death knell for American democracy

(The Guardian) Political scientists such as the University of Notre Dame’s Christine Wolbrecht have argued that America wasn’t really a democracy, not in the meaningful sense of the term, until the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the law that formed the signature achievement of the civil rights movement and sought to end racial barriers to voting across the south when it was passed in 1965. If you accept that premise, you could say that the era of American democracy officially ended on Wednesday, when the supreme court finished its project of dismantling the VRA in its 6-3 decision in Louisiana v Callais. Whatever this country has become now, “democracy” does not describe it.

Trump administration appeals ruling that blocked RKF Jr.'s vaccine overhaul

(NBC News) The Trump administration has appealed a Massachusetts federal judge’s ruling that blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent overhaul of the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule. A filing Wednesday evening in the District of Massachusetts indicates the administration is appealing Judge Brian Murphy’s order March 16. Murphy put any decisions made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee on hold, ruling that Kennedy replaced the committee “unlawfully.”. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate signed the appeal.

Clear paper trail revealed of Trump officials planning to share sensitive voter data with an outside political group

(Democracy Docket) The records — first obtained by Democracy Forward through public record requests and ongoing litigation, and shared exclusively with Democracy Docket — include heavily redacted emails between government employees and the external group. They also include the signed voter data agreement and discussion of how data would be transferred between parties. Internal communications included in the files show discussions about executing a data-sharing agreement and coordinating the transfer of information once finalized, though key details — including the identities of the outside entity and other officials involved — remain blacked out.

Elon Musk told a federal court on Wednesday that he now considers himself

(Newswer) Elon Musk told a federal court on Wednesday that he now considers himself "a fool" for bankrolling OpenAI's early years, as his lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company and its leaders played out in a California courtroom. On the stand, Musk said he put roughly $38 million into what he believed was a nonprofit meant to advance AI for the public good, the Wall Street Journal reports, only to see it become "an $800 billion company."