Pam Bondi out as AG
Phaedra Trethan👋🏼 Hi there! The weekend is almost here. I'mPhaedra Trethan, thinking about a burrito for dinner on National Burrito Day. 🌯
In Thursday's news:
- President Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi.
- Artemis II launched successfully Wednesday. We look at what's next on its itinerary. 🚀
- In Texas' Big Bend region, even Republicans are fighting against a Trump administration plan to build a border wall. 🚫
But first: In another sure sign that spring is here, hummingbirds are on their way north. Where to find them. 📍
Pam Bondi out as AG
President Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, after investigations of his perceived enemies failed to result in any prosecutions, and after her handling of the Epstein files drew bipartisan criticism. Bondi will be temporarily replaced by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year," Trump said in a social media post, adding that she'll move to "a much needed and important new job in the private sector." What we know.
- Watch: Pam Bondi's tenure as U.S. Attorney General ends.
- What to know about Todd Blanche.
The view from space 🌎
The Artemis II mission is in space, having launched successfully Wednesday, and the view the four astronauts have of Earth from the Orion spacecraft is nothing short of breathtaking. They'll soon head toward the moon, the first mission in more than 50 years to send people that far into space.
- There are things every living being has to do. Even astronauts in space. 🚽
- How long will the mission take? Here's a timeline. ⏳
- A closer look: Tracking the Artemis II mission. 🚀
- Watch: Americans witness the Artemis II launch. 😮
Real quick
- President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday about the war in Iran. What he said. 📺
- She went missing at 13 years old. Thirty-two years later, Christina Marie Plante has been found alive. 💝
- The death of a nearly blind refugee who was left outside by federal agents in Buffalo in February was ruled a homicide.
- President Trump is being sued over his executive order targeting mail-in ballots.
'They want to disrupt our peace'
The Big Bend's dark nights reveal faraway galaxies. The green Rio Grande rests like a ribbon in the jaws of jagged canyons. Terlingua, a quirky former ghost town, serves as a springboard to vast desert vistas in Big Bend National Park. And Presidio, population 3,246, anchors the region to its historic Mexican, Spanish and Indigenous roots.
Texans in the Big Bend say Trump administration plans for a massive border wall there threaten their land, lives and livelihood. Even those who voted for Trump and support Republican policies say they don't want faraway government bureaucrats making decisions without their input. Any physical barrier could jeopardize the landscape that draws more than half a million visitors annually and drives the local economy. "It doesn't take much to kill a community, and a wall coming through the Big Bend country ... it's gonna wipe out the economy here," said one Republican and Trump supporter.
- Photos: Life along the Big Bend.
- Watch: What residents in the Big Bend region say about a border wall.
And then there were four... 🏀 🏀 🏀 🏀
March is over but the madness continues: The NCAA Tournament continues this week (the women) and weekend (the men) and even if your bracket is a busted, broken, crumpled bit of paper, the games will still be exciting, especially on the women's side, where all four No. 1 seeds face off Friday.
- On the men's side: These players might be their teams' X-factor. ⛹🏽♂️
- On the women's side: What to look for when South Carolina and UConn tip off. ⛹🏻♀️
A break from the news
- This handbag is made from T-Rex "leather." Its price might make your life savings extinct. 🦖 💸
- We love kids. And we love reading. So here's a guide to picking out the best, age-appropriate books kids will actually read. 📚
- This good dog helped save another dog stuck in a frozen creek and the video would warm the coldest heart. 🐕 ❤️🩹
Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and your favorite children's books (hers was "The Monster at the End of This Book.")Email her at [email protected].