Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Iran’s military assets still matter: “An American fighter jet carrying two crew members was shot down today by Iranian forces, a U.S. official told MS NOW. The military has rescued a pilot of the F-15E, and a search is underway for the second crew member, two officials said.”
* In related news: “A second U.S. military plane involved in the U.S. war with Iran crashed on Friday, a U.S. official with knowledge of the matter told MS NOW. The plane’s pilot was safely rescued by American forces after it went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The crash was first reported by The New York Times. It was not clear if the plane, an A-10 Warthog, was shot down or crashed due to mechanical failure, the U.S. official said.”
* Crisis conditions in Lebanon: “The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon issued an alert Friday to U.S. citizens to ‘Leave Lebanon NOW,’ urging them to depart ‘while commercial flight options remain available.’ The alert said if people choose not to leave, they should ‘prepare contingency plans’ in case ‘the situation deteriorate further.’”
* A probe worth watching: “An expansive inquiry by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general into the handling of contracts under the agency’s former secretary, Kristi Noem, is scrutinizing her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski’s interactions with companies seeking federal business, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation.”
Recommended
* The obvious call: “A federal judge on Friday reaffirmed his decision to block subpoenas from the Justice Department to the Federal Reserve on the grounds that the probe appears to be driven by a political vendetta, setting the stage for an appeal by the Trump administration.”
* Hegseth is full of ideas: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, citing the Second Amendment and recent shootings at bases across the country.”
* In light of the occasional rumors about his possible retirement, this seems notable: “Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito became ill during an event in Philadelphia on the evening of March 20, a spokesperson for the high court said Friday. … Alito, 76, underwent an examination and received fluids for dehydration, the spokesperson said, adding he returned home that night, which was previously planned.”
Have a safe weekend.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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