Welcome to the daily briefing. Start with the following story.
nicole farato Here’s the news you need to know Wednesday from Team USA’s heartbreak as Trump administration officials resign following World Baseball Classic loss.
Why did Joe Kent resign?
The first high-ranking official in the Trump administration to resign over the US war with Iran.
Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on March 17 after less than a year in office, saying he “could not in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”
“It is clear that Iran is not an immediate threat to our country and started this war under pressure from Israel and its powerful U.S. lobby,” Kent, a decorated former Army Ranger and CIA militia officer, said in a letter to President Donald Trump, who condemned his comments.
In his letter, Kent cited the death of his wife, Shannon Kent, who was killed by an ISIS suicide bomber in Syria in 2019. “I cannot support sending the next generation to fight and die in a war that is of no benefit to the American people and that does not justify the sacrifice of American lives,” Kent said in the letter.
More news you need to know right now
2026 Midterm Elections
Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary
Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the Illinois Senate primary, filling the seat vacated by longtime Sen. Dick Durbin. Progressives are now heading to the November election, where they could become the sixth Black woman to serve in the Senate.
world baseball classic
Team USA whiffs
On Tuesday night, the United States lost to Venezuela 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic title game. Some of the players became enraged and, upon receiving their silver medals on the field, tore their heads off before returning to the locker room. The American players admitted afterwards that although they wanted to win, they didn’t deserve to win. Either way, the USA TODAY sports columnist thinks this was the best WBC tournament of all time.
before going
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