The 7: Ranking the 2028 Democratic contenders; MAGA splinter; plane seating chaos; and more

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Premium sale: Share the savings with three extra accounts Billed as $3/four weeks for the first year, then $19/four weeks. Pricing subject to change. Cancel anytime. → PUBLISHED BY READ ONLINE   By Jamie Ross and Hannah Jewell Listen to this briefing Good morning. It's Thursday, Feb. 26, and we learned a lot from this article on why skier Lindsey Vonn almost had to have her leg amputated. Now let's get to the news. Cuban forces shot four people dead on an American speedboat. Six people were wounded and then evacuated to receive medical attention, Cuban officials said. (The Washington Post) Why? The crew opened fire on border agents yesterday, according to Cuban officials. They said that the vessel was carrying 10 armed Cubans attempting to infiltrate the country. What now? The U.S. said it would carry out an investigation. Tensions between the two nations were already high because of President Donald Trump's effective oil embargo. Read this story       Republicans heavily shared one moment from Trump's State of the Union address. Which? Trump asked Democrats to stand if they agree that the government should protect U.S. citizens over "illegal aliens." Republicans believe they successfully laid a trap. More fallout: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) has demanded an investigation into the arrest of her State of the Union guest, who was removed after standing to protest Trump. Looking way ahead: We ranked the 2028 Democratic presidential contenders here. Read this story       Hillary Clinton will testify to Congress today as part of a Jeffrey Epstein investigation. What to expect: Lawmakers will ask about her links to the sex offender. However, her ties are much more tenuous than those of former president Bill Clinton. He testifies tomorrow. Yesterday: Former treasury secretary Larry Summers resigned from teaching at Harvard. He is the latest powerful figure to step down over connections to Epstein — find a list here. Read this story       Surgeon general nominee Casey Means was grilled by lawmakers yesterday. Casey Means drew fire and praise from both sides of the aisle, reflecting the crosscutting appeal of the Make America Healthy Again coalition. (Tom Brenner/AP) Who is she? A health entrepreneur who could soon become the nation's top doctor. She faced questions about her stance on pesticides and vaccines, but dodged many of them. In recent weeks: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been unusually quiet about vaccines. Some Republican pollsters consider his anti-vaccine views a political liability. Read this story       Right-wing influencer Candace Owens has made Erika Kirk her latest target. How? Owens released a video yesterday about Charlie Kirk's widow, promising to unearth secrets from her past. The project has provoked outrage from some conservatives. Why it matters: It further stokes divisions within Trump's MAGA base that have grown since the assassination last year of Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA. Read this story       Family seating on planes is causing major stress for parents. The problem: Since airlines started charging for seat selection, parents have been seated apart from their young children. That has triggered tears and social media rants. Can anything be done? There are no regulations forcing airlines to keep families together without charging extra. And a new rule to change that is stuck in limbo. Flights are etiquette minefields: Ask an attendant to intervene in these 10 scenarios. Read this story       Advertisement   Dogs in Mardi Gras costumes paraded through the Senate yesterday. Why? It's an annual "bipawtisan" event. One lawmaker said it helps to build relationships between Republicans, Democrats and their furry friends — see more pups here. But not everyone's tail is wagging: Critics said the time would be better spent trying to solve a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, now on its 13th day. Read this story       Before you go … not ready for spring cleaning? Ease your way into it with 11 low-lift tasks. Plus: It's probably time for you to replace these household items.  One more good read: The life path conservatives want to teach in schools — graduate, marry, have kids. We want to hear from you: Do you have questions about stories you've seen in The 7? Send them here. We'll find the right person to answer them and share responses in our weekend edition. And finally … take a game break: News quiz: Catering to 'the worst qualities of mankind' in today's On the Record.    Word game: One word to spell 'em all! Can you solve today's Keyword in 6 guesses? Crossword: It's time to solve! Play now.    Wridges: Speed and spell your way up to a high score in our newest game.   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. 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