Jamie Ross and Izin Akhabau">

By Jamie Ross and Izin Akhabau

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Good morning. It’s Friday, April 3, and this column by Monica Hesse might make you think differently about the exposé on Bryon Noem. Now let’s get to the news.

President Donald Trump ousted Pam Bondi as attorney general.

Pam Bondi testifies before a Senate committee in 2025. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

• Why? He became frustrated with her struggles to prosecute his enemies and her handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi had pressed Trump for more time on the job.
• Bondi will exit her role by the end of April: But, regardless of her employment status, lawmakers from both parties are demanding she still testifies about the Epstein files.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked the Army’s top officer to step down.

• Why? His reasons aren’t immediately clear. But his ousting of Gen. Randy George is his latest clash with Army leadership and an extraordinary move to make amid the Iran war.
• This is a precarious moment for Trump: The president is struggling to sell his war to the American public. He is facing some of the lowest approval ratings of his second term.
• However, on the White House’s news app: Trump is always winning.

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The scene of the planned White House ballroom this week. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

• Where things stand: The project yesterday cleared the final procedural obstacle it faced. But its future remains uncertain after a judge’s ruling that it needs approval from Congress.
• We got a glimpse of Trump’s presidential library this week: A glitchy AI video suggested it will cost billions. Columnist Philip Kennicott says it will be a big tower of grift.
• Another satirical Trump statue appeared in D.C.: This one featured a Golden Dome.

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ICE is still arresting many immigrants with no record.

• In late January: Trump officials indicated agents would take a more targeted approach to arrests after officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
• But, according to new data: Immigration officers continued to target large numbers of immigrants with no criminal record in the weeks after the shootings.

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From left, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover. (NASA/AP)

• The latest: The astronauts have begun the second phase of their journey toward the moon. They are set to break the Apollo distance record Monday — here’s how to track them.
• Space travel is bad for the body: The crew faces all kinds of health risks on the voyage, including swelling heads and shrinking legs. Their hearts could even change shape.

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An extremely unusual weather phenomenon could start to unfold this weekend.

• In the West Pacific: Tropical cyclones could form on either side of the equator at about the same longitude — mirroring each other, like twins. There may even be triplet cyclones.
• There could be far-reaching impacts: The possible cyclones would boost the chances of a super El Niño this year. That could influence floods and extreme heat across the planet.

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Octopuses are solitary and rarely encounter each other in the wild, so researchers set out to observe them mate in the lab. (Anik Grearson)

• The octopus is the intellectual marvel of the sea: They’re known for their incredible abilities to solve puzzles, use tools and escape tanks. One even learned to play the piano.
• And they’re smart about sex, too: Males have a tongue, arm, penis and a sperm cell all rolled into one appendage, new research found. Scientists captured some amazing footage.

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