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Daily Briefing: Lawmakers brazen after Sen. Alex Padilla expelled

Nicole Fallert   Paste BN

We've made it to Friday!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Check out this interactive map of the early universe.

Get a quick look at today's headlines:

Democrats hammer indignity of Padilla episode

Hours after senior U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from a press briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, House Democrats roamed the Capitol seeking an audience with GOP leadership.

Meanwhile, their Senate Democrats gave floor speech after floor speech, condemning the action as an "abuse of power" and "assault."

  • Republicans largely defended the actions taken by federal law enforcement agents. Padilla was grabbed and hauled by security guards, pushed to the ground and handcuffed outside the room after he interrupted a Noem's press briefing Thursday in Los Angeles.
  • "You can only imagine what they're doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers": Padilla, who was not arrested or detained, spoke out after the incident.
  • Meanwhile, a new appeals court ruling means Trump will maintain command of California's National Guard troops for now.

🪧 "The numbers have skyrocketed": Massive crowds are expected nationwide on Saturday following Trump's move to send in Marines and the National Guard to Los Angeles.

Israel launches strikes against Iran

Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said Israel now anticipates "a missile and drone attack" in response to a move against Tehran described as a "preemptive strike." According to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the IDF struck Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and hit additional targets "at the heart" of the Islamic Republic's programs for nuclear weaponization and enrichment, as well as its ballistic missile program. Netanyahu added that "Iran's leading nuclear scientists" were also targets, and that the IDF's attacks will continue for "as many days as it takes." U.S. officials stressed American forces "are not involved in strikes against Iran."

More news to know now

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Do you support President Trump's military parade?

President Donald Trump's celebration parade in Washington, DC, is scheduled for Saturday. But as the $45 million big event nears, debate among Americans grows. Should Trump allow military personnel and armory to descend on the nation's capital? You get to tell us. Take part in this poll and Paste BN Opinion may use your response as part of an upcoming column.

Miracle in seat 11A

'It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me.'

~ Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, spoke to The Hindustan Times from his hospital bed about his experience aboard Air India flight 171, which crashed Thursday with 242 passengers and crew aboard. Ramesh appears to be the sole survivor.

Today's talkers

One dad talked about the 'father's mental load.' Then the backlash hit.

A podcast clip about the mental load fathers carry amassed more than 53,000 views on TikTok. But then it prompted controversy in the comment section, whether such a burden exists and why men don’t feel comfortable expressing it. Experts say today's dads are more engaged and involved with their children than fathers in previous generations, research has shown. But societal pressure, a lack of male role models and a disregard for men’s mental health have made it difficult for them to share their anxieties. What does the "father mental load" look like?

Photo of the day: Date night in 'Florida!!!'

American's favorite lovers, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, were in attendance at Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday in Sunrise, Florida. During the second period of the game, the couple sat with hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

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