Subject: The Daily 202: Cruz-Kasich recriminations typify everything hapless about the Stop Trump movement
From: The Washington Post <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:52:34 -0400

The Daily 202 from PowerPost
New evidence Bernie’s campaign is winding down

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<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTEzNzM3NiZzej0xMTZ4MTUmbGk9JTdCJTdCYWRoYXNoJTdEJTdEJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cf7fb512e>   <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTEzNzM3NyZzej02OXgxNSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Dcfb5e60f>

Cruz-Kasich recriminations typify everything hapless about the Stop Trump movement <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3BhbG9tYS9kYWlseS0yMDIvMjAxNi8wNC8yOS9kYWlseS0yMDItY3J1ei1rYXNpY2gtcmVjcmltaW5hdGlvbnMtdHlwaWZ5LWV2ZXJ5dGhpbmctaGFwbGVzcy1hYm91dC10aGUtc3RvcC10cnVtcC1tb3ZlbWVudC81NzIyMmYxMTk4MWI5MmEyMmQzNTdjYjYvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cf41d9533>

Jose A. DelReal reports from the scene. "One Trump supporter, who had been apparently punched in the face, was seen bleeding from his face.” (EPA/Eugene Garcia)
">
Protesters clashed with police in Costa Mesa, Calif., after a Donald Trump rally last night. Individuals vandalized vehicles and in one instance smashed the windows of a police car, Jose A. DelReal reports from the scene <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI5L3Byb3Rlc3RzLW91dHNpZGUtdHJ1bXAtcmFsbHktdHVybi12aW9sZW50Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C90dc863d>. "One Trump supporter, who had been apparently punched in the face, was seen bleeding from his face.” (EPA/Eugene Garcia)

THE BIG IDEA: Each party’s nominating contest has entered the dénouement phase, even if many conservative and liberal activists cannot yet recognize it. One race is ending with a bang; the other, with a whimper.

First, the Republicans…

-- A majority of Republicans do not want Donald Trump to be their party’s standard bearer, but the continuing failure to coalesce around an alternative makes him increasingly likely to prevail at the convention in Cleveland.

-- The Kasich-Cruz deal to divide up spheres of influence did not just fall apart <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L3JlbWVtYmVyLXRoYXQtdGVkLWNydXotam9obi1rYXNpY2gtYWxsaWFuY2UteWVhaC1pdHMtdG90YWxseS1kZWFkLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C9b022013>. It has backfired.

For all intents and purposes, both campaigns have now walked away from the statements they released Sunday night, in which John Kasich pulled out of Indiana and Ted Cruz ceded New Mexico and Oregon.
“There is no alliance,” Cruz said in Indianapolis, acting as if there was never a public announcement. “John Kasich made the decision in his own political self-interest to withdraw from Indiana and go compete elsewhere.”   “There's been a lot more made of it than what there is,” Kasich said in Portland <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L2thc2ljaC1kZWZlbmRzLWRlYWwtd2l0aC1jcnV6LWF0LW9yZWdvbi1jYW1wYWlnbi1zdG9wLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C7cb16a28>. He’s said that he still wants his Indiana supporters to vote for him and defended the deal last night as “a matter of resources.”
The agreement, and the way it was announced, has fed perfectly into Trump’s argument that party bosses are trying to rig the system to steal the nomination from him. Many supporters of Cruz and Kasich do not like the other, and  the deal rubs them the wrong way <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2NydXota2FzaWNoLWNvbGxhYm9yYXRpb24tcnVicy1zb21lLXN1cHBvcnRlcnMtdGhlLXdyb25nLXdheS8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L2NiMzQxY2Y2LTBjYmMtMTFlNi1hNmI2LTJlNmRlMzY5NWIwZV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ca5114d6b>.

A new survey of Oregon <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3Jlcy5jbG91ZGluYXJ5LmNvbS9iZHk0Z2VyNC9pbWFnZS91cGxvYWQvdjE0NjE4NzgzODUvSG9mZm1hbl8wNDE2X1N1cnZleV9SZXBvcnRfaWFwb2kzLnBkZj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C8ac5ad43> shows Trump at 43 percent, with Cruz at 26 percent and Kasich at 17 percent. The pollster, Tim Nashif, argues that the deal hurt both underdogs. “I just think a lot of voters got fed up,” he said <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5vcGIub3JnL25ld3Mvc2VyaWVzL2VsZWN0aW9uLTIwMTYvZG9uYWxkLXRydW1wLXBvbGwtb3JlZ29uLWVsZWN0aW9uLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cbdc8b33f>.

The Indianapolis Star editorial board <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5pbmR5c3Rhci5jb20vc3Rvcnkvb3Bpbmlvbi8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L2VkaXRvcmlhbC1hbHRob3VnaC1mbGF3ZWQta2FzaWNoLWNsaW50b24tb2ZmZXItYmVzdC1jaG9pY2VzLzgzNjYxOTk4Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C8cc25942>, meanwhile, urges Republicans to vote for Kasich, while also criticizing him for pulling out of the state, in today’s edition: “It’s unfortunate that Indiana voters have been given no chance to hear directly from the candidate most qualified to represent the Republican Party in the fall campaign for the White House.”

Cruz speaks during a rally in South Bend, Ind. (Sam Householder/AP)

-- Cruz is getting no bounce from Carly Fiorina: He announced her as his running mate on Wednesday in an effort to change the conversation after getting demolished in the Acela Primary. Remember, he finished in third place behind Kasich in four states. But the fallout from John Boehner calling him “Lucifer in the flesh” totally overshadowed any buzz that picking Fiorina might have generated. (It also underscored how much the party establishment remains unwilling to warm to him.) Sometimes, a word cloud says it all. Here is what the conversation about Cruz looked like on social media yesterday, via our analytics partners at Zignal Labs:

In this regard, there’s some irony that Boehner made the comments at Fiorina’s alma mater, which is also literally across the street from Hewlett Packard’s headquarters.

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vcG9saXRpY3MvbGlzdGVuLWJvZWhuZXItY2FsbHMtY3J1ei1sdWNpZmVyLWluLXRoZS1mbGVzaC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L2UzMzkxNzc2LTBkNzktMTFlNi1iYzUzLWRiNjM0Y2E5NGEyYV92aWRlby5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C2eab86ad>

Listen: Boehner calls Cruz 'Lucifer in the flesh'

(The Stanford Daily gave us the audio of Boehner's remarks.)

-- For all his talk of uniting the party, Cruz’s willingness to burn bridges and his unwillingness to show respect for Republican elders is coming back to haunt him. “For Cruz, it was just another day of brawling with leading figures from his own party — a role that has formed the cornerstone of his short political career. But for many Republicans, (the back-and-forth with Boehner) crystallized an overriding problem for Cruz’s campaign: Many people simply don’t like him," Sean Sullivan and Ed O'Keefe write. <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2NydXpzLWxhdGVzdC1maWdodC13aXRoLWZlbGxvdy1yZXB1YmxpY2Fucy1pcy1hLXJlbWluZGVyLW1hbnktZG9udC1saWtlLXRoZS1ndXkvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC84MjNmNTg2Yy0wZDU3LTExZTYtYmZhMS00ZWZhODU2Y2FmMmFfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1D3c4f8c38> “At a moment when he is in urgent need of a Republican army united behind him, Cruz is going into the next Tuesday’s primary here in Indiana with, at best, a platoon.”

GOP strategist Ana Navarro calls Cruz “the political version of liver and onions <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2NydXpzLWxhdGVzdC1maWdodC13aXRoLWZlbGxvdy1yZXB1YmxpY2Fucy1pcy1hLXJlbWluZGVyLW1hbnktZG9udC1saWtlLXRoZS1ndXkvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC84MjNmNTg2Yy0wZDU3LTExZTYtYmZhMS00ZWZhODU2Y2FmMmFfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1E3c4f8c38>”: “Some people love it and can’t get enough. And some people gag at the mere thought of it.”

-- Kasich admitted he’s had “serious thoughts” about not continuing, but then he recommitted to staying in: “I want to tell you that I got up yesterday and, well, I started thinking about my campaign, started thinking about my effort,” the governor told voters in Oregon <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2FiY25ld3MuZ28uY29tL1BvbGl0aWNzL2pvaG4ta2FzaWNoLXJlbWFpbnMtcHJlc2lkZW50aWFsLXJhY2Uvc3Rvcnk_aWQ9Mzg3NDY1NTkmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C30d0bce9>. “I’ve decided to keep going. … I’m gonna do my very best.”

-- Big picture: Most GOP elites are entering the “acceptance” phase, resigning themselves to Trump becoming the likely nominee. “An aura of inevitability is now forming around the controversial mogul,” Philip Rucker writes on today’s front page <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2dvcC1lbGl0ZXMtYXJlLW5vdy1yZXNpZ25lZC10by1kb25hbGQtdHJ1bXAtYXMtdGhlaXItbm9taW5lZS8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzdlZThjZjcyLTBjYmMtMTFlNi1hNmI2LTJlNmRlMzY5NWIwZV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C6e38bcf8>. Four key quotes from his piece:
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty: “The hysteria has died down, and the range of emotion is from resignation to enthusiasm.”   Former Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams: “Fatigue is probably the perfect description of what people are feeling. … More and more people hope he wins that nomination on the first ballot because they do not want to see a convention that explodes into total chaos. People just want this to be over with — and we need a nominee.”   Former Speaker Newt Gingrich: “Trump has become a fact rather than a problem. Show me mathematically how you’re going to stop him. This all assumes, by the way, that the guy who wrote ‘The Art of the Deal’ can’t figure out a way to make a deal with the undecided delegates.”   RNC member Ron Kaufman, who is close to Mitt Romney and George H.W. Bush: “More and more Republicans are believing that Trump is the inevitable nominee. They’re accepting the fact that he’s the nominee and looking forward to moving on.”
Bob Corker (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

-- Even Bob Corker the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised Trump’s “America First” speech: “Let’s face it, the foreign policy establishment in Washington hasn’t been exactly brilliant in their assessments of things,” the Tennessee senator told reporters yesterday. “I do like the fact that he’s challenging that status quo, I really do. I thought it was really a good step in the right direction, and felt like I should say something about it. … I think his campaign, like anybody who hadn’t been in the public arena before, is evolving.” (Karoun Demirjian <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3dwLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvdHJ1bXAtZ2V0cy1oYXQtdGlwLWZyb20tc2VuYXRlcy10b3AtZm9yZWlnbi1wb2xpY3ktZmlndXJlLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cbdbc99cc>)

ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE...

Sanders rallies in Springfield, Oregon. (AP/Ryan Kang)

-- Six signs that the race has reached a pivot point: 

1. Hillary Clinton’s campaign is no longer paying to air ads in the Democratic nominating contest. Her team hasn’t spent a single cent in upcoming primary states, according to new ad-spending data, whereas Bernie Sanders' campaign has spent more than $1 million on commercials. (NBC's Mark Murray <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDE2LWVsZWN0aW9uL2NsaW50b24tbm90LWFpcmluZy1hZHMtdXBjb21pbmctcHJpbWFyeS1zdGF0ZXMtbjU2NDE3Nj9jaWQ9ZW1sX3BvbF8yMDE2MDQyOCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C0378b2a0>)

2. Sanders canceled some of his Indiana TV reservations, scaling back his buy from $1.2 million to $1 million. (Politico's Gabe Debenedetti <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wb2xpdGljby5jb20vc3RvcnkvMjAxNi8wNC9iZXJuaWUtc2FuZGVycy1pbmRpYW5hLXByaW1hcnktc3BlbmRpbmctY3V0YmFja3MtMjIyNTk3P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ca7916d23>)

3. The Sanders campaign officially acknowledged laying off 225 field staff. He’s been operating with 550, so that leaves him about 325. (John Wagner <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L2h1bmRyZWRzLW9mLWxheW9mZnMtYXJlLWFjdHVhbGx5LTIyNS1zYW5kZXJzLWNhbXBhaWduLXNheXMvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C4c2e5302>)

4. Sanders also seemed to scale back his criticism of Clinton at an Oregon campaign rally last night: “Over the course of an hour, Sanders mentioned his policy differences with Clinton just three times, Dave Weigel reports from Oregon.  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L3NhbmRlcnMtaGFzLWxlc3MtdG8tc2F5LWFib3V0LWNsaW50b24tbW9yZS10by1zYXktYWJvdXQtY29udGVzdGVkLWNvbnZlbnRpb24vP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C3ca8afbe>“First, he said that he'd opposed the ‘bad trade deals’ that she'd supported. He went on to invite Clinton to support a national ban on fracking -- but did not, as in New York, criticize her State Department for promoting fracking abroad.

5. Sanders’ lone Senate backer suggested he should concede to Clinton after the California primary, rather than waiting until the convention. Breaking with the campaign's messaging, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said the party should be “united” heading into Philadelphia. (CNN <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jbm4uY29tLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvcG9saXRpY3MvYmVybmllLXNhbmRlcnMtamVmZi1tZXJrbGV5LWVuZG9yc2VtZW50L2luZGV4Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cd77db548>)

6. Most news organizations – though not The Post – are pulling back big time on Bernie coverage:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9kYXZld2VpZ2VsL3N0YXR1cy83MjU3NTM5NjIxODg1NDE5NTQ_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C7f30d8c2>

-- But, but, but: Four signs that Hillary's struggle will continue.

1. Jane Sanders lamented the slow pace of the FBI probe into Clinton's email set-up, saying “it would be nice” if the bureau sped things up. The candidate’s wife said on Fox, “It’s going forward, it’s an FBI investigation … We want to let it go through without politicizing it, and then we’ll find out what the situation is.” (Washington Free Beacon <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2ZyZWViZWFjb24uY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2phbmUtc2FuZGVycy1uaWNlLWZiaS1zcGVkLWNsaW50b24tZW1haWwtaW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C4c239446>)

2. Bernie left no doubt there's still bad blood during his Oregon event last night: The senator referred generically to Clinton as part of a political class that doubted the power of voters to make change. “The establishment will always tell us that real change is impossible," he said. “When a voter yelled 'bull----,' Sanders laughed. 'I like that,' he said. 'Now, I myself can't phrase it exactly like that. But that's not bad!'"

3. Sanders supporters continue to harass the superdelegates. “Barry Goodman, a personal injury lawyer in Detroit, suddenly found his firm’s Yelp business review page besieged by bad ratings. ‘You deserve this rating. Why does some random lawyer get more sway than the citizens,’ read one comment.” (The AP’s Lisa Lerer <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2NsaW50b24tYmFja2Vycy1mZWVsLXRoZS1iZXJuLW9mLWFuZ3J5LXNhbmRlcnMtc3VwcG9ydGVycy8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzVmNjczMDFjLTBkNzAtMTFlNi1iYzUzLWRiNjM0Y2E5NGEyYV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ce6f4c7e5>)

4. Sanders remains the most popular senator in America. He has an 80 percent approval rating in Vermont, according to the Morning Consult. The firm has tested every incumbent with more than 62,000 registered voters since January. Marco Rubio’s approval rating in Florida is 45 percent. Cruz’s is 55 percent in Texas. The least popular senator is Mitch McConnell: 49 percent of Kentuckians don’t have a favorable impression of him. See the results for each senator here <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly9tb3JuaW5nY29uc3VsdC5jb20vc2VuYXRlLWFwcHJvdmFsLWJlcm5pZS1ydWJpby1jcnV6Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C7f1e869c>.

Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning newsletter.
With contributions from Breanne Deppisch (@b_deppy <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9iX2RlcHB5P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C99ea06fb>) and Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9lbGlzZXZpZWJlY2s_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C99f20107>) Sign up to receive the newsletter. <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3dwL2NhdGVnb3J5L3RoZS1kYWlseS0yMDIvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Eb23d6565>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE0Mjk1MSZsYXlvdXQ9bWFycXVlZSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1E915a04da>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE0Mjk1NCZzej0xMTZ4MTUmbGk9JTdCJTdCYWRoYXNoJTdEJTdEJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ff635d30d>   <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE0Mjk1NSZzej02OXgxNSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Gb949e67f>

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9jcmFpZ2NhcGxhbi9zdGF0dXMvNzI1ODk0NjM1MDE3NjA5MjE2P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C279f7bf6>

-- Ex-Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) died at home in Billings. He was 81. “A former livestock auctioneer, traveling salesman and agriculture news broadcaster, Burns skyrocketed from political obscurity to the U.S. Senate in 1988 unseating Democratic incumbent John Melcher,” the Missoulian notes in its obituary <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL21pc3NvdWxpYW4uY29tL25ld3MvbG9jYWwvdXBkYXRlZC1mb3JtZXItc2VuLWNvbnJhZC1idXJucy1kaWVzLWluLWJpbGxpbmdzL2FydGljbGVfNmY4OWJlYjgtZDA2MC01MTZiLWI3MTYtMzMyMGJlZTU2NDJmLmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C8bb17bb0>. “He had been elected Yellowstone County Commissioner only two years before winning his Senate seat, where for 18 years, he became a powerful lawmaker … Prone to chewing tobacco and occasionally picking his teeth with his pocket knife, Burns stuck out in the Senate.” He lost to Jon Tester, now DSCC chairman, in 2006 by 3,562 votes. Burns was hurt badly by his ties with Jack Abramoff. He wound up returning $150,000 in contributions from the corrupt lobbyist, clients and friends. After losing, he took a lobbying job.

Joao Santana and his wife Monica (Reuters/Rodolfo Buhrer/File photo)

-- Brazilian authorities arrested President Dilma Rousseff's chief campaign strategist on corruption charges. Joao Santana is accused of diverting funds from government-run oil Petrobras. Santana -- the architect of Rousseff's 2010 and 2014 victories -- denies the charges. But because of his proximity to Rousseff, many said the arrest will negatively affect her ongoing impeachment proceedings, even though they are unrelated to the corruption probe. (BBC <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtbGF0aW4tYW1lcmljYS0zNjE2NjYzMj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C8005d1e5>)

GET SMART FAST:

The vice president talks to Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani in Northern Iraq. (AFP /Safin Hamed/Getty)

Joe Biden made an unannounced trip to Iraq, returning to the country for the first time in five years to meet with political leaders and urge national unity against the Islamic State. He's now in Rome. (Greg Jaffe <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2JpZGVuLW1ha2VzLXVuYW5ub3VuY2VkLXRyaXAtdG8taXJhcS1oaXMtZmlyc3Qtc2luY2UtMjAxMS8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzdjMWVhMWY2LTBkMGYtMTFlNi1hNmI2LTJlNmRlMzY5NWIwZV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C398be17d>)   Authorities arrested three relatives of the San Bernardino terrorists on marriage fraud charges. The charges do not directly relate to last year's attack but stem from the ongoing investigation. (Mark Berman and Ellen Nakashima <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1uYXRpb24vd3AvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC9mYmktc2F5cy13YXJyYW50cy1zZXJ2ZWQtaW4tc2FuLWJlcm5hcmRpbm8taW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C57958762>)   The Senate confirmed Obama’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Mexico after Marco Rubio, who blocked the nomination for months to protest the administration's Cuba policy, withdrew his hold. (L.A. Times <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5sYXRpbWVzLmNvbS93b3JsZC9tZXhpY28tYW1lcmljYXMvbGEtZmctdXMtbWV4aWNvLTIwMTYwNDI4LXN0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C6c8be368>)   The House Armed Services Committee voted to require women to register for the draft, with a handful of Republicans voting an amendment to the defense reauthorization bill. (Karoun Demirjian <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3dwLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvd29tZW4tY291bGQtYmUtaGVhZGVkLWZvci10aGUtZHJhZnQtYWZ0ZXItaG91c2UtY29tbWl0dGVlLXZvdGUvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cf167d064>)   The NCAA adopted a rule requiring sites that host its events to provide proof of an anti-discriminatory environment, taking a hardline stance against “bathroom bills.” (Cindy Boren <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvZWFybHktbGVhZC93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L2FudGktZGlzY3JpbWluYXRpb24tcnVsZS1qZW9wYXJkaXplcy1uY2FhLXRvdXJuYW1lbnQtZ2FtZXMtaW4tbm9ydGgtY2Fyb2xpbmEvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cd8879cf7>)   Teenage pregnancy has reached an all-time low, with birth rates among Hispanic and black teens dropping nearly 50 percent since 2006, according to CDC data. (Ariana Eunjung Cha <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdG8teW91ci1oZWFsdGgvd3AvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC90ZWVuLWJpcnRoLXJhdGUtaGl0cy1hbGwtdGltZS1sb3ctbGVkLWJ5LTUwLXBlcmNlbnQtZGVjbGluZS1hbW9uZy1oaXNwYW5pY3MtYW5kLWJsYWNrcy8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cd1163bc3>)   The gender "wage gap” has been growing wider and begins earlier than previously understood, according to a new study from the Economic Policy Institute. Young female graduates earn only 79 percent of what their male counterparts do – a decline from 84 percent last year. (Danielle Paquette <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3Mvd29uay93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L3doZW4tbWVuLW1ha2UtbXVjaC1tb3JlLXRoYW4td29tZW4tcmlnaHQtYWZ0ZXItY29sbGVnZS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C878024a6>)   Two New York Times employees filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the newspaper and its CEO, accusing the corporation of “deplorable discrimination” based on age, race, and gender. (ABC <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2FiY25ld3MuZ28uY29tL1VTL3dpcmVTdG9yeS9sYXdzdWl0LWNsYWltcy1kaXNjcmltaW5hdGlvbi15b3JrLXRpbWVzLTM4NzUyMTAyP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C45902977>)   The Army decided to retain a decorated Green Beret it had planned to kick out, after he physically confronted an Afghan commander for raping a boy. (Fox News <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5mb3huZXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDE2LzA0LzI5L2FybXktcmV0YWlucy1kZWNvcmF0ZWQtZ3JlZW4tYmVyZXQtaXQtcGxhbm5lZC10by1raWNrLW91dC1vdmVyLWNvbmZyb250aW5nLWFmZ2hhbi1jaGlsZC1yYXBpc3QuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ca7c1df1d>)   A man wearing a panda suit was shot and wounded by police after he threatened to blow up a Fox TV affiliate in Baltimore. Police later determined that the “device” he was carrying consisted of chocolate bars wrapped in aluminum foil. (Justin Wm. Moyer <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvbG9jYWwvd3AvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC9tYW4taW4tcG9zc2libGUtcGFuZGEtc3VpdC1zdG9ybXMtZm94LXN0YXRpb24taW4tYmFsdGltb3JlLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C951de2f8>)   North Korea sentenced a former Virginia resident to 10 years of hard labor for “subversion and espionage activity,” making him the second American criminally charged by Kim Jong Un’s regime this year. (Anna Fifield <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL25vcnRoLWtvcmVhLXNlbnRlbmNlcy1mb3JtZXItdmlyZ2luaWEtbWFuLXRvLTEwLXllYXJzLW9mLWhhcmQtbGFib3IvMjAxNi8wNC8yOS82YjY5ODIwOC0wZGM5LTExZTYtOTBiNy05MmYxNmE4NTAxZDlfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C98e4f4fc>)   Google's CEO told shareholders he sees the end of computers as physical devices, predicting artificial intelligence will eventually power “formless computers” used throughout daily life. (Bloomberg <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9vbWJlcmcuY29tL25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZXMvMjAxNi0wNC0yOC9nb29nbGUtY2VvLXBpY2hhaS1zZWVzLXRoZS1lbmQtb2YtY29tcHV0ZXJzLWFzLXBoeXNpY2FsLWRldmljZXM_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cf748d751>)   The production company behind "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" filed for bankruptcy protection, faulting low ratings. (USA Today <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy51c2F0b2RheS5jb20vc3RvcnkvbW9uZXkvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC9jb21wYW55LWJlaGluZC1hbWVyaWNhbi1pZG9sLWZpbGVzLWJhbmtydXB0Y3kvODM2MzkwNTYvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C44a5ce4d>)   The Obamas hosted their final Passover seder last night. (Juliet Eilperin reports <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL3Bhc3NvdmVyLXNlZGVyLWEtd2hpdGUtaG91c2UtdHJhZGl0aW9uLW9uZS1sYXN0LXRpbWUtZm9yLXRoZS1vYmFtYXMvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC9iZDgyZGFjZS0wY2JkLTExZTYtYTZiNi0yZTZkZTM2OTViMGVfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cdfc3e69d> on the tradition and the “series of lasts” that come with the final year of a presidency.)   Cracker Jack is replacing the little prizes in its boxes with QR codes that link to baseball-themed “mobile experiences.” (Katie Mettler <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvbW9ybmluZy1taXgvd3AvMjAxNi8wNC8yOS9jcmFja2VyLWphY2stcmVwbGFjZXMtYmVsb3ZlZC1wbGFzdGljLXRveXMtd2l0aC1xci1jb2Rlcy1hbmQtYS1tb2JpbGUtZXhwZXJpZW5jZS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cecec98c1>)
-- The Secret Service proposed a 13-foot White House fence, complete with “anti-climb” technology to deter intruders. A spokeswoman for the agency said they want a fence that's “tougher, taller and stronger." (When Thomas Jefferson occupied the White House, security consisted of a low stone wall. In the mid-1800s, a rail-style wood fence was installed. The iron picket fence was put in place in the early 1900s, per Dana Hedgpeth <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2xvY2FsL3B1YmxpYy1zYWZldHkvbmV3LXRvdWdoZXItdGFsbGVyLWFuZC1zdHJvbmdlci1mZW5jZS1wcm9wb3NlZC1mb3ItdGhlLXdoaXRlLWhvdXNlLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvZmZhZDdkMjItMGQ0MC0xMWU2LWJmYTEtNGVmYTg1NmNhZjJhX3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C50b7318b>.)

On the left is the existing White House fence. On the right is what it may look like in 2018.

-- The lead sponsors of criminal justice reform in the Senate unveiled significant revisions to the bill that passed the Judiciary Committee last year. Their goal is to pick up more Republican votes (they gained at least two yesterday) but they may have lost some key Democratic support in trying to placate the tough-on-crime crowd.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he thinks the new bill can pass the Senate “with both a majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans supporting it.”   Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, leery about moving forward on anything that divides his conference and worried about GOP incumbents getting pounded by Willie Horton-style ads, faces an intensifying pressure campaign to give floor time to the measure, including a letter of support for the updated legislation from victims' advocate John Walsh.    A crucial endorsement came from the National District Attorneys Association, which said the latest version of the bill “strikes the appropriate balance between targeting the highest level drug traffickers plaguing our communities, while simultaneously decreasing crime rates and addressing the burgeoning prison population.”   Speaker Paul Ryan said he is optimistic and hopeful” that the House will act on a package of criminal justice measures that could be reconciled with a Senate bill, Mike DeBonis reports <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3dwLzIwMTYvMDQvMjkvdGhlLXRpbWUtZm9yLWNyaW1pbmFsLWp1c3RpY2UtcmVmb3JtLW1pZ2h0LWF0LWxhc3QtYmUtbmlnaC8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cb634878e>.
MORE ON THE DEMOCRATIC RACE:

-- The house always wins: Sanders, the biggest spender of the 2016 race, has generated millions for D.C. consultants. Matea Gold and Anu Narayanswamy:  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL3NhbmRlcnMtaXMtYmlnZ2VzdC1zcGVuZGVyLW9mLTIwMTYtc28tZmFyLS1nZW5lcmF0aW5nLW1pbGxpb25zLWZvci1jb25zdWx0YW50cy8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzYwMDE3MGNlLTBjZjItMTFlNi1hNmI2LTJlNmRlMzY5NWIwZV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cc3fad695>The small-dollar fundraising juggernaut that has kept his insurgent White House bid afloat has generated a financial windfall for his team of Washington consultants. "By the end of March, the self-described democratic socialist senator from Vermont had spent nearly $166 million on his campaign ... More than $91 million went to a small group of admakers and media buyers who produced a swarm of commercials and placed them on television, radio and online ... While the vast majority of that money was passed along to television stations and websites to pay for the advertising, millions in fees were kept by the companies … While it is impossible to determine precisely how much the top consultants have earned, FEC filings indicate the top three media firms have reaped payments of seven figures."

-- Eugene Robinson makes the case for Hillary to pick Elizabeth Warren as her running mate in his column today <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL29waW5pb25zL2EtY2xpbnRvbi13YXJyZW4tdGlja2V0LzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvYzY1ZWE0MzgtMGQ3Ny0xMWU2LThhYjgtOWFkMDUwZjc2ZDdkX3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C77497e19>. He argues that the Massachusetts senator would address two specific vulnerabilities:

1. “If there is a specific issue on which Clinton is weak with the Democratic left, it is not the FBI investigation of her emails. It is her perceived coziness with Wall Street, highlighted by the six-figure speaking fees she was paid by investment bank Goldman Sachs.”

2. “[I]t is becoming clear that on the question of U.S. military involvement around the world, Trump will position himself to the left of Clinton. … Warren wasn’t in Congress when the Iraq War began, and national security isn’t the issue with which she is identified. But her views fit squarely with those of the party’s progressive wing.”

MORE ON THE REPUBLICAN RACE:

Donald and Jeb last September. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

-- Jeb Bush called for a contested GOP convention, saying he doesn’t think Trump is a “serious candidate”: In his first TV interview since leaving the race, the former Florida governor said he believes Trump could still lose the nomination. “There’s a possibility he won’t get 50 percent on the first ballot,” Bush told CNN’s Jamie Gangel <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jbm4uY29tLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvcG9saXRpY3MvamViLWJ1c2gtamFtaWUtZ2FuZ2VsLWludGVydmlldy1yZWZsZWN0aXZlLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ce0cc2063>. He maintained the billionaire would be bad for the GOP down ballot: “We'll lose the Senate and we'll lose the presidency in a landslide."

Marco Rubio looks at a newspaper featuring his photo on the front page aboard his campaign bus after a rally in The Villages on March 13. (Reuters/Carlo Allegri)

 -- “Why did Cruz send his dad to Puerto Rico? Marco Rubio’s delegates <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2luLXRoZS1taXgtaW4tdGhlLXJlcHVibGljYW4tbm9taW5hdGlvbi1iYXR0bGUtbWFyY28tcnViaW9zLTE3MS1kZWxlZ2F0ZXMvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC85Njk5N2QyNC0wYmMyLTExZTYtYmZhMS00ZWZhODU2Y2FmMmFfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C39dece7e>." Ed O'Keefe and Karen Tumulty: “As Cruz was addressing the Indiana Republican Party’s spring dinner last week, his father was on a secret mission to Puerto Rico. Rafael Cruz … was meeting privately at a home in Dorado with some of the island’s 23 delegates to the Republican National Convention — all of whom are still bound to a presidential candidate who got out of the race more than a month ago. Rubio, berated on the campaign trail by Trump as ‘Little Marco,’ still has scores of convention delegates who are required to vote for him on the first ballot, and who could go anywhere on the second and beyond. Rubio’s delegates could be crucial should Trump fall short of the 1,237 delegates he needs to take the nomination on the first ballot. They also give him leverage, although those close to him say he is not sure what he would do with it. ‘It’s about keeping doors open — to step through and do what, who knows?’ said one adviser.”

Trump leads reporters on a tour of the Old Post Office Pavilion, soon to be a Trump International Hotel, last month. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

-- Trump routinely makes promises he has no intention of keeping, cont. Buzzfeed looks  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6emZlZWQuY29tL2FyYW1yb3N0b24vaG93LWRvbmFsZC10cnVtcC13b24tY29udHJvbC1vZi1hLXByaXplZC1kYy1sYW5kbWFyaz91dG1fdGVybT0ueW0wb1IyV2dEJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDIjLnNkMFdaUDBNRA/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C117aa71b>at how the front-runner won control of Washington's Old Post Office Building to build his new hotel: Insiders said he beat out over several other bidders because of two big promises. “Trump promised to employ the architect who had, over decades, championed the building’s careful, historic restoration. And he promised the involvement of a multibillion-dollar real estate investment firm with a rock-solid financial reputation. But after Trump’s team got the nod to move forward, it reversed itself on both these promises. A former member of Trump's team says, “The Trump people said all the right things” in the early stages. “He never intended to stick with it. He thought, ‘Well, let’s get to the next phase and then we’ll do what we want to do.'"

-- White House allies to expand push for Garland during recess. “They’re calling it the 9-9-9 campaign: nine states, over nine days, to push for a court with nine justices,” Politico’s Edward-Isaac Dovere reports <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wb2xpdGljby5jb20vc3RvcnkvMjAxNi8wNC93aGl0ZS1ob3VzZS1tYWtlcy1uZXctcHVzaC1mb3ItZ2FybGFuZC0yMjI2MTI_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cc76b25f3>. “To date, the outside allies have focused on the states with the five most vulnerable GOP incumbents (New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley’s Iowa. Now they’ll be expanding the map to cover three more incumbents up for reelection: Arizona’s John McCain, North Carolina’s Richard Burr and Missouri’s Roy Blunt. … The plans represent an unspoken acknowledgment that the Supreme Court fight is less about actually trying to get Garland on the bench before November, and more about turning the Republican resistance into a campaign issue.”

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE0Mjk1NiZsYXlvdXQ9bWFycXVlZSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1H2b206bc0>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE0Mjk1OSZzej0xMTZ4MTUmbGk9JTdCJTdCYWRoYXNoJTdEJTdEJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1I55849227>   <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE0Mjk2MCZzej02OXgxNSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1J54de5ddb>

WAPO HIGHLIGHT: 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi (R), held a press conference overnight to express solidarity against Washington. The duo criticized U.S. efforts to halt communist incursions in the South China Sea. (EPA/Rolex Dela Pena)

-- Did Chinese intelligence agents infiltrate a key cog in the U.S. communications network? “Federal officials fear national security may have been jeopardized when the company building a sensitive phone-number database violated a federal requirement that only U.S. citizens work on the project,” Ellen Nakashima reports <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL25hdGlvbmFsLXNlY3VyaXR5L3NlY3VyaXR5LW9mLWNyaXRpY2FsLXBob25lLWRhdGFiYXNlLWNhbGxlZC1pbnRvLXF1ZXN0aW9uLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvMTFjMjNiMTAtMGM4ZC0xMWU2LWE2YjYtMmU2ZGUzNjk1YjBlX3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Caa2b7482>. “The database is significant because it tracks nearly every phone number in North America, making it a key tool for law enforcement agencies seeking to monitor criminal or espionage targets.” Swedish-owned Telcordia is being compelled to rewrite the database computer code to assuage concerns from federal officials that foreign citizens had access to the project. “The security rewrite began in March after the agencies learned that a Chinese citizen with a U.S. work permit had helped write the system code … Officials fear that if other countries gain access to the code, they could reap a counterintelligence bonanza, learning the targets of U.S. law enforcement and espionage investigations.”

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:

Obama dropped into the briefing room unexpectedly and greeted a group of college journalists <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2RjaXN0LmNvbS8yMDE2LzA0L29iYW1hX2Ryb3BzX2luX29uX2NvbGxlZ2Vfam91cm5hbGlzLnBocD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C3b5ada2f>:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly92aW5lLmNvL3YvaVAxS20zbkltWnE_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cedd215ac>

.@POTUS: “Hey…”

The Clinton campaign's latest fundraising tool? Trump's "woman card" comment (Alexandra Petri has a funny take on the comment <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2Jsb2dzL2NvbXBvc3Qvd3AvMjAxNi8wNC8yNy9ob3ctdG8tcGxheS10aGUtd29tYW4tY2FyZC8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cc75ce862>):

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9BQkNMaXovc3RhdHVzLzcyNTc4ODI2NDkwOTY0Mzc4MT93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C8649bbd7>

Here's how Cruz signed a copy of the Communist Manifesto for a fan:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9iZ2l0dGxlc29uL3N0YXR1cy83MjU3NjU2MzI5NjUzNjk4NTc_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ca6c7b5c2>

Trump called Cruz "so dramatic":

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly92aW5lLmNvL3YvaVBKRFdkVkhtcjI_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C0d641a18>

.@realDonaldTrump thinks @tedcruz is so dramatic

Kasich's chief strategist's cryptic tweet was read as a shot at Cruz:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KV0dPUC9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzE1NDg1NTI2ODg0MzUyP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C6701dffa>

Last night, he posted this:

< http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KV0dPUC9zdGF0dXMvNzI1ODU4NTAzMDEzNzI4MjU3P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C83691547>

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt slammed Boehner for calling Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh":

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9odWdoaGV3aXR0L3N0YXR1cy83MjU3NDMwOTA1NjUyODM4NDI_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C95a248b7>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9odWdoaGV3aXR0L3N0YXR1cy83MjU3NTA1MTgzMTI3Mzg4MTY_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C82749e26>

Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), who often clashed with Boehner, added:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9qdXN0aW5hbWFzaC9zdGF0dXMvNzI1Nzk1NjUzMzg1ODgzNjQ5P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C9a8e44a6>

A Sanders social media staffer accidentally blamed millennials for the recession:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9qYW1lc3RhcmFudG8vc3RhdHVzLzcyNTY5NjM3Njc3NzEzODE3Nj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C48a2a2d4>

Team Kasich celebrated Draft Day with this throwback photo:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9wL0JFdnlNZjV2N3lZLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C662ab831>

A thought from Rhode Island's Democratic congressman:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9kYXZpZGNpY2lsbGluZS9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzY3OTE0NTg3MDQxNzkyP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C7d34b7aa>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9lbW1hcm9sbGVyL3N0YXR1cy83MjU3NDYyMjA4MTIxMzIzNTQ_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C4b22644a>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9kYW5hbWlyYS9zdGF0dXMvNzI1ODY1MDgxMjA5MjMzNDA5P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cb850bfeb>

2016 is making everyone ask: what exactly constitutes an endorsement? Republican politicians keep going out of their way to say they are not "endorsing" both Trump and Cruz, merely "voting" for them.

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zY290dHdvbmdEQy9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzAwODQ5ODU5NzE1MDc0P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cc1c078b3>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zY290dHdvbmdEQy9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzAzNjY3MDk4MjQzMDczP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C2a220c1e>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zY290dHdvbmdEQy9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzA0NDg0MTc4MDE4MzA1P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cfa66593d>

Biden rocked his shades during a surprise visit to Iraq:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9pZ29yYm9iaWMvc3RhdHVzLzcyNTY5MDcwNTQwNzAzNzQ0MD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C2a25d543>

NBC News accidentally tweeted a photo of Merrick Garland with a story about alleged murderer Robert Durst:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9FcmlrV2VtcGxlL3N0YXR1cy83MjUzNDU1OTA5MzA5NzY3Njk_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C2248decd>

Harry Reid tried to make a joke about Zika...

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9TZW5hdG9yUmVpZC9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NjkyODE4NDY4MDQ4ODk2P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cb0cbca7c>

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) celebrated his daughter's first birthday:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zZW50b21jb3R0b24vc3RhdHVzLzcyNTUyMzY3NTk5NTIwMTUzNj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C91bc46e2>

Journalists brought their kids to the Capitol for Take Your Child To Work Day:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9DaGFkUGVyZ3JhbS9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzA2ODg5NjYxNjY5Mzc2P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C95cc170e>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9TcGVha2VyUnlhbi9zdGF0dXMvNzI1Nzg2OTk3NjE3NTI4ODMyP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cf9884ecd>

Nancy Pelosi hung out with the kids too:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1rVmk1cWVXZXR6byZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Heb14fe1e>

#TakeYourKidToWorkDay: Democratic Leader Pelosi Hosts Children in Capitol Office

The AFL-CIO used the day to make a political statement:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9BRkxDSU8vc3RhdHVzLzcyNTc4NzI5OTMyMjE0NjgxNj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ce12e936d>

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) met with Garland:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9Sb25XeWRlbi9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzM3ODUyMTczMTY0NTQ0P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C8a9e253e>

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) celebrated #NationalSuperheroDay with a motorcycle ride:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9wL0JFd2VEclJPQm1aLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C495c01c7>

It was Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole's birthday:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9wL0JFd1c1b3h5Y2M0Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C24991a69>

The celebrities are arriving for tomorrow's White House Correspondent's Dinner. Spotted in the Capitol: Doug Stamper from House of Cards.

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9wL0JFd2ZkMnVSYXM1Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C0f86af17>

And Bobby Flay:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9wL0JFd1hUa2Z5eTZSLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cc44a4dfa>

Finally, Sunny and Bo:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9QcmVzc1NlYy9zdGF0dXMvNzI1NzM1MDMwMTIzNzAwMjI1P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ce27e8bbd>

GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE:

Chris Wallace moderates the GOP debate in Cleveland. (Reuters/Aaron Josefczyk)

-- New York Times, “Chris Wallace, In-House Moderate at Fox News, Has Less Predictable Targets <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS8yMDE2LzA0LzI5L2J1c2luZXNzL21lZGlhL2NocmlzLXdhbGxhY2UtaW4taG91c2UtbW9kZXJhdGUtYXQtZm94LWhhcy1sZXNzLXByZWRpY3RhYmxlLXRhcmdldHMuaHRtbD9zbWlkPXR3LXNoYXJlJl9yPTAmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C630bf7bb>,” by Michael M. Grynbaum: “As Fox News grapples with how to cover Trump — who has tested the network’s influence and battled its anchors, even as he stokes its ratings — Wallace has stood out as Fox’s moderate, occasionally contrarian voice, irritating Trump with tough questions and, on occasion, tweaking his opinionated colleagues, too. When Mr. Trump pledged in an interview to act more presidential, Mr. Wallace parried: ‘When are you going to start?’ Then there was the time he ticked off Roger Ailes, Fox’s powerful chairman, after chastising the hosts of the network’s morning show, ‘Fox and Friends,’ for their carping coverage of Senator Barack Obama in 2008. ‘They were very unhappy,’ Mr. Wallace recalled. ‘I had called them out on the air.’ He added: ‘There’s a phrase that we all talk about, which is, ‘You do not fire inside the tent.’ That’s the ultimate transgression in Roger Ailes’s mind.’”

HOT ON THE LEFT

“Professors Rail Against Renaming Law School After Antonin Scalia,” from Buzzfeed <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6emZlZWQuY29tL2RhbnZlcmdhbm8vc2NhbGlhLWtvY2gtYW5kLWdtdT93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C3076e613> : “Professors at George Mason University protested the recent renaming of the law school after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. At a meeting full of angry student activists, the school’s faculty senate voted 21-13 to reopen the naming process. The vote took issue with Scalia’s ‘numerous public offensive comments’ about black people, women, and LBGT individuals, as well as his role in ‘the polarized climate in this country.’ The professors also opposed the $30 million in donations from the Charles Koch Foundation and an anonymous donor that came along with the renaming …”
 
HOT ON THE RIGHT

“Illegal immigrant criminals released into U.S. despite thousands of vacant detention beds,” from the Washington Times <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9udGltZXMuY29tL25ld3MvMjAxNi9hcHIvMjgvaWxsZWdhbC1pbW1pZ3JhbnQtY3JpbWluYWxzLXJlbGVhc2VkLWludG8tdXMtZGVzcGkvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cb62cc390> : “Homeland Security is leaving thousands of detention beds empty even as it voluntarily releases thousands of murderers, kidnappers and other criminals, the chief of deportations admitted to Congress on Thursday. Ms. Saldana said the agency now has 2,000 beds vacant out of the 34,000 it is supposed to have available on the average day … even as the agency released dangerous convicts back into the community to await the outcomes of their immigration proceedings.” “We strive for perfect, but we are human and we fall short sometimes,” she said.

DAYBOOK:

On the campaign trail: Happy Friday. Here is the rundown:
Clinton: New York, N.Y.   Cruz: Indianapolis, Ind.   Kasich: San Francisco, Burlingame, Calif.
At the White House: Vice President Biden participates in the Vatican's International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine, meets with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, then departs for Washington, D.C. In the evening, President Obama speaks at the International Jazz Day Concert on the South Lawn.

On Capitol Hill: The House meets at 9 a.m. to consider the SOAR Reauthorization Act. The Senate is not in session.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: 

“I’m just glad I’m not on the ballot.” -- Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), speaking with Politico <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wb2xpdGljby5jb20vc3RvcnkvMjAxNi8wNC90cnVtcC1nb3AtcmVzaXN0YW5jZS0yMjI1NTE_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cd70d18d7>  about Trump

NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:

-- Another day of gray skies and dampness ahead – but at least it’s Friday! The Capital Weather Gang <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvY2FwaXRhbC13ZWF0aGVyLWdhbmcvd3AvMjAxNi8wNC8yOS9kLWMtYXJlYS1mb3JlY2FzdC1zaG93ZXJzLW1heS1kYW1wZW4tdGhpcy1tb3JuaW5nLXdlZWtlbmQtZmVhdHVyZXMtbW9yZS1jbG91ZHMtYW5kLXJhaW4tY2hhbmNlcy8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C499a7b7a> forecasts: “Early morning patches of rain (40% chance) should tend to dry out as the day progresses. By afternoon, shower chances dwindle toward 15%. Temperatures in the mid-50s (overcast areas) may perhaps warm toward mid-60s if the sun more than peeks at us.”

-- The Capitals beat the Penguins <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3Nwb3J0cy9jYXBpdGFscy90ai1vc2hpZXMtaGF0LXRyaWNrLWxpZnQtY2FwaXRhbHMtcGFzdC1wZW5ndWlucy1pbi1zZXJpZXMtb3BlbmVyLTQtMy8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzgwZmZjYWU4LTBjZjAtMTFlNi1iZmExLTRlZmE4NTZjYWYyYV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cacb80ec8> 4-3.

-- The Nationals lost to the Philadelphia Phillies <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3Nwb3J0cy9uYXRpb25hbHMvcGhpbGxpZXMtbWFrZS1pdC1hLXN3ZWVwLWFzLWxpc3RsZXNzLW5hdGlvbmFscy1hcmUtc2h1dC1vdXQtYWdhaW4vMjAxNi8wNC8yOC8zNDAwZmYwOC0wY2YyLTExZTYtYmZhMS00ZWZhODU2Y2FmMmFfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C5b937227> 3-0.

-- The Redskins drafted TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson: “Entering the draft as owners of the 21st overall pick, Washington moved one spot back to acquire the Houston Texans’ first-round pick (22nd) and a 2017 sixth-round pick. The Redskins had desired to move down further in the draft but didn’t receive any offers enticing enough to make them pull the trigger on another deal.” (Mike Jones <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvZm9vdGJhbGwtaW5zaWRlci93cC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4L25mbC1kcmFmdC1yZWRza2lucy10YWtlLXdpZGUtcmVjZWl2ZXItam9zaC1kb2N0c29uLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C4dd641da>)

-- Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. and Kelly Ripken divorced after almost 30 years of marriage. (Emily Heil <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcmVsaWFibGUtc291cmNlL3dwLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvYmFzZWJhbGwtbGVnZW5kLWNhbC1yaXBrZW4tYW5kLWtlbGx5LXJpcGtlbi1hcmUtZGl2b3JjZWQtYWZ0ZXItbmVhcmx5LXRocmVlLWRlY2FkZXMvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C5b79bbc7>)

-- Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx stepped up his pressure on Metro to improve its safety performance by replacing three members of the transit agency’s board with experienced transportation-safety professionals. Robert McCartney and Paul Duggan <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2xvY2FsL3RyYWZmaWNhbmRjb21tdXRpbmcvZm94eC1zYXlpbmctbm8tbW9yZS1leGN1c2VzLWZvci1tZXRyby1vbi1zYWZldHktcmVwbGFjZXMtMy1ib2FyZC1tZW1iZXJzLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvMDA4OWMxMDgtMGQ1My0xMWU2LWJmYTEtNGVmYTg1NmNhZjJhX3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cbf1b2f5b>: “Foxx, who has been frustrated by the delay in creating a new Metro safety oversight office, made clear in a written announcement that his impatience was growing with the agency and the three local jurisdictions that help govern it. ‘Given the continued urgency, we will be forced to use every available lever at our discretion to force action as soon as possible to improve safety for the traveling public,’ Foxx said. ‘No more excuses.’ In a timely reminder of the problems that Foxx wants addressed, Metro announced a four-day service slowdown along part of the Red Line so work crews can carry out what the agency called a ‘maintenance surge.’”

-- A 16-year-old high school student was reelected to the Montgomery County school board for a second term. (Donna St. George <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2xvY2FsL2VkdWNhdGlvbi9zdHVkZW50LWZyb20tYmV0aGVzZGEtY2hldnktY2hhc2UtaGlnaC1yZWVsZWN0ZWQtdG8tbW9udGdvbWVyeS1zY2hvb2wtYm9hcmQvMjAxNi8wNC8yOC8zZDQ3OTEyNC0wYzkwLTExZTYtYTZiNi0yZTZkZTM2OTViMGVfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C79fc98a2>)

-- Virginia state senator Richard Black, a Republican from Loudoun County, shook hands with President Bashar al-Assad during a visit to Syria. He praises the Syrian dictator as a “protector of Christian values.” (Laura Vozzella <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2xvY2FsL2RjLXBvbGl0aWNzL3ZhLXNlbmF0b3ItdHJhdmVscy10by1zeXJpYS10by1zaGFrZS1oYW5kcy13aXRoLWJhc2hhci1hbC1hc3NhZC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzA3YzAzNTgyLTBkNTQtMTFlNi1hNmI2LTJlNmRlMzY5NWIwZV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cf29a56bd>)

The official Syrian news agency released this picture:

VIDEOS OF THE DAY:

Funny or Die imagines the rise of "PC culture" -- on a South Carolina plantation in 1859. Watch the video here <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj0xNExpbHA0NEFxayZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ia570db04>.

Caitlyn Jenner took Trump up on his offer <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9vbWJlcmcuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2FydGljbGVzLzIwMTYtMDQtMjgvY2FpdGx5bi1qZW5uZXItdXNlcy13b21lbi1zLXJvb20tYXQtdHJ1bXAtaG90ZWwtcG9zdHMtdmlkZW8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C1f826a3d> to use the woman’s restroom at his hotel (watch her video about the experience here <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL0NhaXRseW5KZW5uZXIvdmlkZW9zLzE1NTY1MTQ0MTc5ODE3MzkvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Df6710633>):

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL0NhaXRseW5KZW5uZXIvdmlkZW9zLzE1NTY1MTQ0MTc5ODE3MzkvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Ef6710633>
Seth Meyers took a closer look at the results of the Acela Primary:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1GNVhRMEtWcDk4RSZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1J87e7a30d>

Northeast Primary Results: A Closer Look

The Fix made a video of Trump and Sanders conducting an orchestra, based on how much they swing their arms on the stump:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vcG9saXRpY3Mvd2hhdC1pZi1iZXJuaWUtc2FuZGVycy1hbmQtZG9uYWxkLXRydW1wLXdlcmUtcmVhbGx5LW9yY2hlc3RyYS1jb25kdWN0b3JzLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvZTA1NzgwMjYtMGQ1ZS0xMWU2LWJjNTMtZGI2MzRjYTk0YTJhX3ZpZGVvLmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C4d33269c>

Arm-waving Sanders and Trump would actually make good orchestra conductors

Cruz released an ad featuring Fiorina to run in Indiana:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1OMzBfc2J0RTBnRSZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1K93cf24a0>

#CruzCarly for Jobs, Freedom, and Security | TV Ad

A pro-Cruz super PAC says it will spend $350,000 to run this ad highlighting the Fiorina pick on Indiana TV before Tuesday:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1TZ2VRcEVNTERfSSZmZWF0dXJlPXlvdXR1LmJlJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1L73c69359>

A Serious Leader

This video from the Clinton campaign offers a taste of what their general election ads could look like:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9wL0JFdnV5blJFUGg2Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1C315b77a4>

Bobby Knight compared Trump to Harry Truman:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vcG9saXRpY3MvYm9iYnkta25pZ2h0LWNvbXBhcmVzLWRvbmFsZC10cnVtcC10by1oYXJyeS10cnVtYW4vMjAxNi8wNC8yOC82YzAxMDBlYy0wZDZmLTExZTYtYmM1My1kYjYzNGNhOTRhMmFfdmlkZW8uaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cd79aa9e5>

Bobby Knight compares Donald Trump to Harry Truman

Watch The Post's breakdown of what it means to be a millennial:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vbmF0aW9uYWwvbWVldC10aGUtYXZlcmFnZS1taWxsZW5uaWFsLzIwMTYvMDQvMjgvMjliNzA0ZTgtMGQ3NC0xMWU2LWJjNTMtZGI2MzRjYTk0YTJhX3ZpZGVvLmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cfe8f3930>

Meet the average millennial

Ten years after her funeral, a victim of mistaken identity talked about the bus accident that killed her friends:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vbmF0aW9uYWwvMTAteWVhcnMtYWZ0ZXItaGVyLWZ1bmVyYWwtbWlzdGFrZW4taWQtdmljdGltLXNwZWFrcy1hYm91dC1hY2NpZGVudC8yMDE2LzA0LzI4LzkyMjIzNzU2LTBkNTAtMTFlNi1iYzUzLWRiNjM0Y2E5NGEyYV92aWRlby5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Caf8688d5>

10 years after her funeral, mistaken ID victim speaks about accident

The Roots rapped a summary of the season premiere of Game of Thrones (warning: spoilers):

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1jcmVLc3E2VXJEYyZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX2RhaWx5MjAy/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1M51afef73>

The Roots' "Game of Thrones" Rap

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We respect your privacy <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3ByaXZhY3ktcG9saWN5LzIwMTEvMTEvMTgvZ0lRQVNJaWFpTl9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfZGFpbHkyMDI/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cd419ea36>. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error, or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here <{{optout_confirm_url}}>. Contact us  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6615376.60470/aHR0cDovL2hlbHAud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2ljcy9zdXBwb3J0L0tCU3BsYXNoLmFzcD9kZXB0SUQ9MTUwODAmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF9kYWlseTIwMg/55c8886a6e4adc304b9cf8c1Cc78eb304> for help.

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