(This evocative Wyoming sunrise provides a look at what will be coming to DC by this weekend. It also reflects a sense of the conflict far to the east. Hank Ruland got this picture looking from his porch over the Wind River Range and it was published in our morning paper, the Cowboy State Daily).

We are riding the stark horror of war this morning with SECWAR Hegseth and Chairman Razin’ Caine giving a stark and compelling brief on the raging conflict. Highlights from the televised brief this morning include word of the first submarine kill scored by a US submarine since World War II. With sadness we note the images of the first four of six casualties that were released here after notification of next-of-kin.

We note in solemn respect the loss of SFC Nicole M. Amor, 39, one of those first killed in action. Due to the astonishing energy, success and sadness that goes with conflict, we will not attempt to analyze the progress of the war. Iran continues to launch missiles at its neighbors as the zealots who remain capable attempt to realize their vision of self-sacrifice. But there is no news about the religious police who patrolled the streets vigorously to bludgeon women who are not dressed properly.

Any other commentary is less important. But there is news about our weather that falls behind news of war. We still get the Post with the electronic summaries in the morning. There is apparently still a weather desk over there, and they are predicting a peak bloom date for the Tidal Basin’s Yoshino trees between April 3 and 7. The Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to start on March 18th, so there is some frantic rearranging of events. This would be the latest peak bloom since 2018 (April 5), and could be as late as 2015 (April 10).

There is state-level news that competes with the startling activity overseas. The following graphic reflects the aftermath of the murder of a Fairfax mother returning home to Hybla Valley near Fort Hunt. She was debarking from a bus when a fellow passenger produced a knife and slashed her to death. It was eerily simillar to the kiling of Iryna Zarutska, 23, a Ukrainian refugee from war murdered by a homeless man while riding on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Or the naturalized citizen from Senegal who murdered three and shot a dozen at closing time at a bar in Austin, Texas.

There are several direct issues affecting our County and our Country contained in the graphic above. The murderer should never have been admitted to this nation. Once here illegally, he should have been deported after his first offense—one of more than 30 recorded crimes, several of them violent. Our County Prosecutor should be recalled for his leniency. Our Governor is now in violation of Federal law for her refusal to cooperate with Immigration officials.

So, that is the swirl of news from several fronts. Our young Dierdre made a forthright effort to do a recipe this morning but failed. She reported to Miles at the end of the morning meeting that she had stopped at the new Bagel Uprising location in Ballston near the transient residential location on her way to HQ in Fairfax. She had a big sack of tasty pastries and a news note.

The boiled-and-baked bagel shop was born from a home kitchen in 2015 and is located at the corner of Fairfax Drive and North Vermont. The other news was a little sobering. She had done the research on the new entrée to the McDonalds menu, the Big Arch. She produced the facts on what select locations will be offering now, at almost ten bucks for the burger:

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