Trump officials texted war plans to a group chat in a secure app that included a journalist

By TARA COPP, AAMER MADHANI and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a story posted online Monday. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.”

Trump told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, 2 1/2 hours after it was reported.

The material in the text chain “contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported.

It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. The U.S. has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis since the militant group began targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.

Just two hours after Goldberg received the details of the attack on March 15, the U.S. began launching a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The National Security Council is looking into the matter

The National Security Council said in a statement that it was looking into how a journalist’s number was added to the chain in the Signal group chat.

Trump told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” He added that The Atlantic was “not much of a magazine.”

Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be hacked. Privacy and tech experts say the popular end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice call app is more secure than conventional texting.

The sharing of sensitive information comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office has just announced a crackdown on leaks of sensitive information, including the potential use of polygraphs on defense personnel to determine how reporters have received information.

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the defense secretary posted war operational plans on an unclassified app.

The breach in protocol was swiftly condemned by Democratic lawmakers. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for a full investigation.

“This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a floor speech Monday afternoon.

“If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement.

He said American lives are “on the line. The carelessness shown by Trump’s Cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by the reports.

Himes said if a lower-ranking official “did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation. The American people deserve answers,” which he said he planned to get at Wednesday’s previously scheduled committee hearing.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to learn more about what happened.

“Obviously, we got to to run it to the ground, figure out what went on there,” said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.

There are strict laws around handling defense information

The handling of national defense information is strictly governed by law under the century-old Espionage Act, including provisions that make it a crime to remove such information from its “proper place of custody” even through an act of gross negligence.

The Justice Department in 2015 and 2016 investigated whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke the law by communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up, though the FBI ultimately recommended against charges and none were brought.

In the Biden administration, some officials were given permission to download Signal on their White House-issued phones, but were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the Democratic administration.

The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to communicate what they internally referred to as “tippers” to notify someone when they were away from the office or traveling overseas that they should check their “high side” inbox for a classified message.

The app was sometimes also used by officials during the Biden administration to communicate about scheduling of sensitive meetings or classified phone calls when they were outside the office, the official said.

The use of Signal became more prevalent during the last year of the Biden administration after federal law enforcement officials warned that China and Iran were hacking the White House as well as officials in the first Trump administration, according to the official.

The official was unaware of top Biden administration officials — such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national security adviser Jake Sullivan — using Signal to discuss sensitive plans as the Trump administration officials did.

Some of the toughest criticism targeted Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel weekend host. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”

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AP writers Stephen Groves and Lisa Mascaro contributed reporting.

Firefighters in the Carolinas battle multiple wildfires as New Jersey crews contain a forest blaze

Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said.

Millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year combined with long stretches of dry weather this spring are making for a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller said.

“Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground,” Scheller said. “Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.”

Both South Carolina and North Carolina have issued statewide bans on outdoor burning.

North Carolina fires

Mandatory evacuations continue for about 165 properties in parts of Polk County in western North Carolina, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon.

Three fires burned at least 7.5 square miles (19.5 square kilometers) in the county and the two larger blazes were completely uncontained, Cannon said in a social media update Monday morning. The Black Cove Fire, one of the larger ones, was moving toward neighboring Henderson County, Cannon said.

Wildfires forced a mandatory evacuation Sunday in a North Carolina county still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and South Carolina’s governor declared an emergency in response to a growing wildfire in that state. (AP Video)

Kim Callaway, who lives near one of the evacuated areas in Polk County, has prepared her home, WLOS-TV reported.

“We’ve already actually evacuated everything that we thought that was important,” Callaway said. “And now we’re just staying at the house and trying to do what we can to get our house prepared if the firemen need to show up and hold the line.”

A downed power line sparked the Black Cove Fire, but the causes of the other two fires in Polk County were under investigation, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop.

A number of other wildfires burning across the state including one that damaged 500 vehicles at a salvage yard in Burke County, officials said.

South Carolina fires

Two fires in the South Carolina mountains have led Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency.

One fire was in Table Rock State Park in Pickens County and the other was on Persimmon Ridge in Greenville County. Winds and difficult mountainous terrain allowed blazes to grow, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said.

The Table Rock Fire expanded to more than 2 square miles (5.3 square kilometers), including several hundred acres that firefighters intentionally burned to try to contain the flames, officials said.

The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started Saturday, spread to more than 1.25 square miles (3.2 square kilometers) despite many dozens of water drops, the commission said.

Human activity ignited both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. No injuries had been reported, and while no structures were imminently threatened, voluntary evacuations of about 100 homes remained in place.

How a September hurricane is creating March fires

Scheller, the North Carolina State University professor, predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather following Helene.

Scientists saw something similar in 2022 when a fire burned more than 51 square miles (133 square kilometers) of timberland in the Florida Panhandle. The Bertha Swamp Road Fire almost directly followed the eye pattern from 2018’s Hurricane Michael and the fallen pine trees left behind.

Pines and their waxy needles dry out and become very flammable, Scheller said. The fallen trunks can also block roads and paths used to fight fires, experts said.

The last ingredient to fuel wildfires is dry weather. Despite recent rain, the Carolinas are undergoing an extreme drought, according to federal monitors.

The common denominator for many fires on the East Coast is human activity, whether people burn debris, light a campfire that isn’t well watched or toss out cigarette, Scheller said.

And more people living next to areas that can burn make fires a bigger threat, he said.

New Jersey fire

A forest fire burning in New Jersey’s million-acre Pinelands region was 100% contained on Monday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Services said in a post on X. The fire was first spotted Saturday and burned through about 3.5 square miles (5.8 kilometers).

That blaze led authorities to evacuate two campgrounds in Wharton State Forest, officials said. The cause was under investigation.

Fire forecast

A front moving off the East Coast brought rain and more humidity to the area, helping firefighters Monday.

But not much rain fell and temperatures are expected to get warmer and the air drier as the week goes on, likely meaning another round of wildfires unless people follow burn bans and fire safety.

“It is absolutely paramount that folks respect the statewide ban on all open burning,” North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Philip Jackson. said.

Time To Give Your Cat A Bath

Cats and Baths

It is a common question among new cat owners: do their cats need to take baths? The answer is yes, every so often felines do need to bathe. Though they can clean themselves most of the time, help from humans is necessary.

A few reasons why cats need a bath can come down to external parasites such as fleas and ticks, or even dirt. Some cats have a problem of cleanliness because of their skin type. A hairless cat with no fur will need help to care for their skin or even a long-haired cat might have a clump of kitty litter stuck to their tail.

Some people will take their pets to a professional groomer which is a good idea if the owner does not know how to properly bathe their animal. Cats are not the best of friends with water so a professional might be a best option. The fleas might be a big issue and the owner does not know how to handle them.

If you want to tackle the bath yourself, make sure you are preparing your feline for the bath. Slowly get your cat ready by dripping a little bit of water on their bodies or paws a little bit before the bath. Having a calm demeaner and voice will also help with the circumstance. Another good tip is to trim their nails before the water apocalypse, so you aren’t scratched later.

Purina has a really good step-by-step list on how to bathe your cat, if you want more information!

Philly Cheesesteak with Peppers and Onions

Philly Cheesesteak Recipe with Peppers and Onions Recipe from Valerie’s Kitchen

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serving size: 8 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (or as needed)
1 sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (2-inch slices)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2½ to 3 pounds petite sirloin, thinly sliced sirloin
1 ½ teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or other all-purpose seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon garlic pepper, divided
8 hoagie rolls
6 tablespoons softened butter
7 ounces sliced Provolone cheese, (7 1-ounce slices) I used Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut

Directions

Before starting, place beef in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will make it easy to slice thinly.
Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a large, deep (14-inch) sauté pan and place over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender. If they are beginning to brown, turn the heat under the skillet down a bit. While the veggies are cooking, prepare the steak, returning to stir every now and then.
Remove steak from freezer and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim edges of excess fat and then slice it as thinly as possible across the grain. Chop the sliced steak into very small pieces. Keep chopping until you can chop no more! You want little ¼-inch-ish pieces. Check on those veggies periodically while you’re prepping the beef.
When the veggies are tender, transfer them to a dish and return the skillet to the heat. Add additional oil and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add half of the chopped steak and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until no pink remains. Season with ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt and ½ teaspoon garlic pepper while cooking. Transfer the first batch of steak with a slotted spoon to the dish with the onions and peppers, leaving the juice behind in the pan. Add additional oil, if needed and repeat with remaining steak and seasoning.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Split open the hoagies rolls but do not separate them. Spread them with the softened butter and place them on a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted.
Drain off all of the juices from the pan and return to the stove. Add back all of the steak and the onions and peppers. Place 7 provolone slices over the mixture in a circle and cover the pan. Cook on MEDIUM until cheese melts, about 4 to 5 minutes, then stir and use tongs to transfer to the toasted sandwich rolls.

Eat This, Not That!

Bizarre Food Combos People Swear By

Vanilla Ice Cream and Olive Oil

This is a new trend that has popped up recently. Many people are coming to find that it is a great way to make plain ice cream more decadent. The olive oil gives a nutty, almost fruity, rich taste to the neutral flavours of the vanilla in the ice cream.

Orange Juice and Oatmeal

Now, you might be thinking “I’ve had this meal before at breakfast, that isn’t a weird combo.” I understand, this is a stable on our morning tables growing up but have you had them in the same bowl before? One source says to let the oats soak up the oj instead of milk or water to give it a tangy robust taste. Even add a topper of something like coconut to help round out the tropical feel.

Avocado and Chocolate

Adding avocado to your chocolate is actually a very healthy option when making a chocolate mousse. The creaminess of the avocado help elevate the mousse to an indulgent dessert. Just add your favorite toppers afterwards like mint leaves, nuts, or berries.

Milkshake and Fries

This is a weird but classic food combination that just about everyone can swear by. The sweet and delightful taste of the milkshake and the salty, crispy texture of the fries blend so well together. Just dunk a few fries in your milkshake and you won’t be the same, you will keep going back for more. Trust me!

March 24th 2025

Thought of the Day

Even the best weeks start on Monday.

Proctor, Flagg help No. 1 seed Duke roll past Baylor 89-66 to reach Sweet 16 of March Madness

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor couldn’t miss. And top-seeded Duke showed the toughness to push back when pushed.

Proctor had career highs of seven 3-pointers and 25 points to continue his recent tear, helping Duke beat Baylor 89-66 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman star Cooper Flagg had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Blue Devils (33-3), the East Region headliners who faced little drama in two home-state wins to secure a spot in the Sweet 16.

“For us to win by this margin, I think this speaks to the level of killer instinct that our guys have, the competitiveness and the connectivity,” coach Jon Scheyer said.

Duke will face either Oregon or Arizona in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey.

Proctor, a junior, made 7 of 8 3-pointers — his third straight game with at least six 3s and an abrupt turnaround after going 0 for 10 in his first two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament games. He made 9 of 10 shots overall Sunday.

“I think it’s just my preparation, just behind the scenes putting in the work and trusting myself,” Proctor said.

Duke shot 64.4% to set a program record for a tournament game, hit 12 3-pointers and turned it over just six times.

“You look at it and the analytics showed they didn’t have any weaknesses,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said, adding: “They’re blessed because they have size and length and skill.”

Freshman V.J. Edgecombe scored 16 points for the ninth-seeded Bears (20-15), who haven’t reached the tournament’s second weekend since Drew’s team won it all in the Indianapolis bubble in 2021.

Duke took over in the 7 1/2 minutes before halftime, outscoring Baylor 24-6 with clean offensive execution while also holding up better against the Bears’ relentless work on the offensive glass that upped the physicality of the game. That included Flagg getting poked in the right eye and teammate Mason Gillis picking up a red scratch stretching from the right side of his neck around toward his throat during a rebounding scrum.

Duke led 47-30 at the half, and Baylor got no closer than 13 points afterward. The Bears shot 36.8% and hung around by taking an 18-3 edge in offensive rebounding, which gave them 23 more shots than Duke.

“If you go into a game and you say you’re going to outrebound somebody 18-3 on the offensive glass and only going to have five turnovers, you’d probably feel pretty good about that,” Drew said.

Takeaways

Baylor: The Bears opened the tournament by holding off eighth-seeded Mississippi State on Friday, but they were ousted in the second round for the fourth straight year.

Duke: The Blue Devils were playing about a half-hour’s drive from their Durham campus, though the building had been the site of some unusual struggles. Duke had lost seven of 11 games at Lenovo Center entering the tournament, six coming in trips to Atlantic Coast Conference neighbor N.C. State and the other a first-round March Madness loss to 14-seed Mercer in 2014. But Duke cruised right along this time, starting with Friday’s win against 16-seed Mount St. Mary’s, as Flagg had a smooth return from an ankle injury.

Hello again

The game marked a reunion between guard Jeremy Roach and his former Duke program. Roach played four seasons at Duke, including the Final Four run in Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell season and Scheyer’s first two years as Coach K’s successor.

Roach had seven points and three rebounds Sunday.

Jawing

The game included a testy moment when Baylor reserve big man Marino Dubravcic was called for a flagrant-1 foul after hooking the right arm of Duke defender Patrick Ngongba, then dragging him to the court in a tangled pile.

As the 6-foot-10 Dubravcic got to his feet, he traded words with the 6-9 Flagg as the two loomed over official Brian O’Connell, who stood between them.

A new museum in Texas tells the life stories of Medal of Honor recipients

By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A new museum devoted to telling the stories of those who have received the nation’s highest military honor is opening this coming week in Texas.

The National Medal of Honor Museum is set to open Tuesday in Arlington, just west of Dallas. It highlights the lives and service of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the global war on terrorism. Over 3,500 people have received the Medal of Honor, which is awarded by Congress for risking one’s life in combat beyond the call of duty.

Jack Jacobs, a retired U.S. Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, said he wants museum visitors to realize the recipients aren’t “spectacular supermen,” but regular people who “embody the kinds of values that are really important.”

A new museum is opening in Texas that highlights the lives and service of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the global war on terrorism. (AP Video: Kendria LaFleur)

“Really grand things, not just in combat, but in everyday life … are all accomplished by ordinary people who come to the conclusion that something has to be done and they are going to do it,” Jacobs said.

When his unit was ambushed by the Viet Cong on March 9, 1968, Jacobs took charge after his commander was seriously wounded. Despite being wounded in the head by shrapnel and bleeding heavily, Jacobs reorganized the company and repeatedly ran through enemy fire to rescue the wounded, saving the lives of a U.S. adviser and 13 soldiers.

Jacobs, now 79, said he lost a lot of friends in the battle.

“You really do wear the award for all of the people who can’t wear the award,” he said.

The museum’s focus is on telling the life stories of the recipients, said Alexandra Rhue, the museum’s senior vice president of engagement. “Here you met the people first and then you learn what they did,” Rhue said.

The recipients featured in the museum include those from various branches of the military, conflicts and geographic locations, as well as different ethnicities and races.

Chris Cassidy, the museum’s president and CEO, said he hopes the exhibits inspire visitors.

“Everybody needs courage in some form or fashion,” he said. “So that’s our aim: to inspire people through the stories of Medal of Honor actions, to bring a little courage into your own life.”

Several of the recipients, including Jacobs, appear in videos in an exhibit where their images answer visitors’ questions. There are over 60 recipients who are still living.

A celebration Saturday ahead of the opening will feature musical performances, fireworks and a drone show. The museum is nestled amongst Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers play, and AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Education secretary says Columbia University’s changes put it on track to recover funding

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon says Columbia University is “on the right track” to recover federal funding frozen by the Trump administration. McMahon’s comments on CNN’s “State of the Union” follow Columbia agreeing to a host of policy changes demanded by the administration. Earlier this month, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding over how the university handled protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Federal officials demanded the university make nine changes to its academic and security policies before the administration would consider restoring the money. The university said Friday it would agree to nearly all of the demands.

NC State officially announces hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as new Wolfpack men’s basketball coach

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State has made it official: McNeese’s Will Wade is the Wolfpack’s new men’s basketball coach.

The school announced the hiring Sunday, coming a day after Wade’s McNeese team lost to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

An introductory news conference for Wade is scheduled for Tuesday, capping a week in which Wade was unusually open about his conversations with N.C. State compared to coaches typically deflecting questions or playing word games when asked about other jobs.

In that regard, the eventual hiring — who has signed a six-year deal — has been an open secret for days. The contract is pending approval from the university trustees.

Now N.C. State and athletic director Boo Corrigan finally have their man.

“Will told me that he believes that he can win at NC State … and ‘win big,”‘” Corrigan said in a statement from the school. “It didn’t take me too many conversations with him to believe it too.”

Wade’s second NCAA Tournament run in as many seasons with the Cowboys ended Saturday with a second-round loss to Purdue, which came two days after a first-round upset of his alma mater, Clemson. Wade’s two-year tenure in Lake Charles, Louisiana, marked a successful climb back after being fired at LSU in 2022 because of allegations of recruiting violations. Those were rooted in a federal corruption investigation in college basketball that became public in 2017, with N.C. State among the multiple schools entangled in that probe.

The N.C. State job will present a new challenge. It comes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a time of transition for the tradition-rich league, with numerous long-time coaches — North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton — all exiting in the past four years amid a rapidly changing college landscape.

There’s also the tough-neighborhood dynamic of building a winning program in the Triangle region in North Carolina, where UNC, Duke and N.C. State — boasting a combined 13 NCAA championships — share the 919 area code and are all within a half-hour’s drive of one another.

But the 42-year-old Wade is clearly undeterred by that with a track record that includes eight 20-win seasons in his 11 years as a head coach.

“I am beyond excited and honored to be chosen to lead the Wolfpack basketball program,” Wade said in a statement. “N.C. State’s rich tradition, passionate fan base, and location in one of the best cities in the country make this a destination job and I can’t wait to get started.”

Wade replaces Kevin Keatts, who was fired after eight seasons on March 9. That came less than a year after Keatts guided N.C. State to its first Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title since 1987 and its first Final Four trip since the late Jim Valvano’s “Cardiac Pack” did it in an improbable 1983 NCAA title run.

Keatts had guided N.C. State to three NCAA bids and had the program in position for another when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of March Madness in 2020. But the Wolfpack went 12-19 this season to kill any lingering buzz from last year’s remarkable run.

That ultimately led the school to move on from Keatts even though he was under contract until April 2030, putting N.C. State on the hook for roughly $6.9 million in base salary alone. And it marked a reset for the program, down to how it handles finances for roster construction with players able to profit from their athletic fame and revenue sharing set to start nationally next season.

Wade’s first head-coaching job was a two-year stint at Chattanooga from 2013-15, followed by two NCAA bids in as many seasons at VCU before leaving for LSU in 2017. The peak of his tenure with the Tigers came in his second season, with LSU winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season title and reaching the Sweet 16.

He returned to the sideline after his LSU exit at McNeese in 2023, with his tenure beginning with NCAA penalties that included a 10-game suspension to open his first season. But the Cowboys teams went on to win 58 games in two seasons, a rapid climb for a program that had won just 56 games combined in the five seasons before Wade’s arrival.