Saving Spring Break

Good afternoon. Here’s what you need to know.

THE LATEST

Is a DHS funding deal finally coming together? Senate Majority Leader John Thune is aiming to get something done today. He didn’t offer details but said negotiations haven’t strayed far from the widely reported framework that lawmakers have been discussing all week.

• “I think the Dems are now in possession of what I think is our last and final offer,” Thune told reporters. “We’re going to know soon.”
  
• A deal would likely salvage lawmakers’ two-week recess, which is set to begin tomorrow.
  

Republicans also have a backup plan. Donald Trump is reportedly preparing an executive order that would at least partially fund the TSA.

• “I was prepared to go this afternoon to the floor and just offer a bill to just get TSA open while we finish reconciliation. I’m going to hold up on that now,” Sen. John Kennedy told reporters. “I expect my bill not to be necessary because of actions that may or not be taken by the White House.”

The big ‘present’ that Trump said he received from Iran was actually safe passage for eight Pakistani oil tankers and two other vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The gesture came after Iranian officials “apologized for something they said,” Trump claimed during a Cabinet meeting this morning.

• “I hope I haven’t screwed up your negotiations,” Trump said, pointing at special envoy Steve Witkoff. It’s unclear whether those negotiations are actually taking place at the moment — or if they are, who is representing the Iranians.
  

Israel says it killed Iranian navy chief Alireza Tangsiri, who was responsible for maintaining the blockade of the strait.

• Nearly 2,000 vessels are now stranded in the region, and the Iranian Parliament is moving quickly to implement steep tolls for all ships that want to pass through the narrow waterway, Al Jazeera reports.
  
• Some have already paid up: An Iranian lawmaker told U.K.-based broadcaster Iran International earlier this week that some ships have paid as much as $2 million for safe passage.
  

Trump had previously said the U.S. would bomb Iranian power plants if the country didn’t open the strait by tomorrow.

• This morning, Trump held fast: “We have a lot of time. You know what? It’s a day. In Trump time, a day, you know what it is? That’s an eternity,” the president said.
• A few hours later, he announced he would wait until April 6, citing talks “going very well.”

THE HILL

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is sitting for a rare public hearing of the House Ethics Committee to examine allegations that she stole close to $5 million in FEMA disaster relief funds to finance her first successful congressional campaign.

• Spotted by NOTUS’ Oriana Gonzalez: Sitting in the front row was Elijah Manley, her primary opponent.
  

Also spotted: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg entering Thune’s office. The subject of their meeting remains unclear.

78-year-old Rep. Joe Wilson is “fine” after suffering a fall in the bathroom of his Washington home last night. He was taken to a local emergency room with a cut to his head but is expected to recover.

• “He received stitches, is fine and working remotely,” a spokesperson said.

THE ADMINISTRATION

A deal that would allow the Justice and Homeland Security departments to use sensitive voter-registration data for immigration enforcement and in criminal investigations is nigh, CBS reports.

• It’s unclear how quickly this could be put into practice. The DOJ’s requests for voter rolls are currently tied up in lawsuits filed by more than a dozen states.
  

The Kennedy Center began its first wave of layoffs today after Trump announced that the storied arts venue would close for two years for renovations, The Washington Post reported. Among those shown the door were Executive Vice President Rick Loughery and Vice President Nick Meade, two top deputies of the venue’s recently ousted president, Ric Grenell.

• Staffers “generally disliked the trio and dubbed them ‘the Icks,’” according to the Post.
  
• Another staffer told the paper that their ouster was “poetic justice.”
  

The Trump administration has begun investigations into how race plays into admissions at three medical schools: Stanford, Ohio State and the University of California, San Diego. Officials are demanding that the schools turn over reams of data by April 24, or lose crucial federal funding.

INCOGNITO MODE

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.