Extra, Extra

On a West Wing and a Prayer: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led a Christian prayer service in the Pentagon’s auditorium on Wednesday morning, during working hours, in which President Trump was praised as a divinely appointed leader.” As Fred Wellman explains, “This is a clear and direct violation by a Cabinet member of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and is a direct violation of military norms, traditions, and regulations by the senior official of the entire military.” Breaking: The Constitution at the DOD.

+ Sudan Onset: Judge rules Trump administration violated court order by attempting to deport migrants to South Sudan. (We’re anxiously waiting to see if court orders still matter.)

+ Pump Up Your Life Expectancy: “For decades, as a cardiologist, I would always be emphasizing aerobic exercise to my patients, whether that was walking or bicycling or swimming or elliptical or you name it. I’d say to get at least 30 minutes most days. And that’s what I did myself. I didn’t really accept the importance of strength training until I began researching the book.” How a scientist who studies ‘super agers’ exercises for a longer life.

+ That’s the Ticket: “Amid an antitrust battle with the Justice Department, global entertainment company Live Nation is adding one of President Trump’s closest advisors to its board of directors. Richard Grenell, who is both Trump’s presidential envoy for special missions and the newly installed president of the Kennedy Center, was named to the Live Nation board on Tuesday.” (Even for a ticketing company, these guys fell into line pretty fast.)

+ WHO Goes There: “China has pledged to give $500 million to the World Health Organization as the country is set to replace the United States as the group’s top state donor, expanding Beijing’s global influence in the wake of Washington’s retreat from international cooperation.”

+ Ive Seen This Before: Former Apple Design Guru Jony Ive to Take Expansive Role at OpenAI. “OpenAI to buy Ive’s startup in $6.5 billion deal, as Ive and CEO Sam Altman work on new generation of devices and other AI products.”

+ No Surrender: Bruce Springsteen is not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats and social media obsession. He’s repeated his comments and he just released a live EP that includes them.

+ Norm: George Wendt, Who Played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ Died at 76. He famously got a laugh every time he entered the bar. My favorite of his lines: “It’s a dog-eat-dog world … and I’m wearing Milkbone underwear.” But there are plenty of Normisms to choose from. Here’s a supercut of Every Time Norm Peterson Enters the Bar.