1. James Mattis wanted to seek Congressional approval before bombing Syria last week but Trump overruled him. Trump wanted a rapid and dramatic response and wanted to be seen backing up his threatening tweets with swift action. A limited strike on three targets was the compromise. (New York Times)

  2. Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un over Easter weekend for a top-secret visit as an envoy for Trump. The meeting was part of an effort to lay the groundwork for direct talks between Trump and the North Korean leader to discuss the North's nuclear weapons program. Trump said he will probably meet with Kim in June or earlier. (Washington Post)

  3. The disagreement between Nikki Haley and Trump over proposed Russian sanctions has grown into a more prominent conflict between the two over foreign policy. Haley was not kept in the loop on the decision not to impose new sanctions against Russia, despite the fact that she has been the administration's leading foreign policy official. (New York Times)

  4. Barbara Bush died at the age of 92 after a series of recent hospitalizations. Bush had recently refused to seek any further medical treatment. (NBC News)