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| Good morning. It’s Thursday, April 23, and we are misty-eyed at the tale of this 21-year-old who saved up to buy her grandmother’s house back. Now let’s get to the news. | |
 |  | Clearing the Strait of Hormuz of mines could take six months, the Pentagon said. | - Why it matters: The assessment, shared during a classified briefing for lawmakers this week, means the economic impact of the Iran war could extend late into this year or beyond.
- Surging gas prices are hitting some states harder than others: Costs depend on where gas comes from, local taxes and other factors. See which states have the lowest prices here.
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 | Navy Secretary John Phelan was forced out after clashing with Pete Hegseth. | | | John Phelan’s exit is the latest departure of a senior political appointee from the Trump administration this year. (Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images) | - Who is Phelan? A billionaire and major contributor to President Donald Trump’s campaign. Last night, officials announced his abrupt exit from the administration.
- What happened? Five officials said Phelan disagreed with Hegseth on multiple issues, continuing a pattern of infighting during Hegseth’s tenure as defense secretary.
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 | Trump’s team is defending its redistricting push despite limited Republican gains. | - This week: Voters in Virginia set back Trump’s efforts by approving a new map that favors Democrats. Some Republicans are now openly questioning Trump’s strategy.
- See where the national redistricting battle stands: The Post created these detailed maps to show how states are changing political boundaries and who benefits.
- In Congress: Lawmakers are supposed to police their own ethics. They’re falling short.
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 | The Trump administration is planning to ease controls on marijuana. | - Right now: Marijuana has the same Schedule I classification as heroin. But the White House has told federal agencies to prepare to imminently loosen restrictions.
- Next steps: The administration wants to move marijuana to Schedule III, similar to some prescription painkillers. However, the plans are in flux and could still change.
- Marijuana seems to be more popular than ever: See how it impacts your brain.
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 | An upcoming trial is exposing the dirty secrets of Silicon Valley’s billionaires. | | | Elon Musk and Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left the company in an acrimonious split in 2018. (Emma Kumer/The Washington Post; Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post; Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post; iStock; United States District Court) | - What’s happening? Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and others. Court filings include cringey texts and diary entries from Silicon Valley’s elite.
- They’re very revealing: Here are five takeaways from the documents, including private messages between Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and questions about “rhino ketamine.”
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 | A few minutes of meditation can make a big impact on stress. | - In a recent study: The brain waves of people focusing on their breath changed to suggest they had entered a more relaxed state after just two or three minutes. Here’s how to try it.
- Another simple way to benefit your health: Let go of grudges. Research shows people who are more inclined to forgive report higher levels of physical and mental well-being.
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 | No one really knows which pants are trendy these days. | | | (Illustration by Katty Huertas/The Washington Post; iStock) | |
Hannah Jewell and 
