Services for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) were held at the National Cathedral Tuesday [C-Span]. 

•Click The Gray Area for Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay’s take on President Trump's speech to Michigan auto workers Monday. 

Diplo-This – Yesterday we reported that President Trump told Axios he has decided to pause strikes on Iran to give diplomacy yet another chance. 

Wednesday, Iran launched a “surprise” missile attack on American forces in Jordan, The Wall Street Journal reports citing a US official. All of Iran’s missiles were successfully intercepted.

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Funeral Diplomacy – The late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) unwavering support of Ukraine and Israel paid off for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who attended his state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. Buoyed by a flip by former Putin supporters like far-right MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, who now is on Ukraine’s side, and by Ukraine’s air strike last weekend on an Iranian cargo ship travelling the Caspian Sea that Ukraine says was carrying arms between Iran and Russia, Zelenskyy had a productive White House meeting with President Trump before attending Graham’s funeral, according to The Kyiv Independent.

“The president and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,” Zelenskyy said. He also visited with US senators and representatives from Lockheed Martin.

Ukraine is running out of Patriots, which allows Russia more effective air strikes on the country. It will take some time for Ukraine to begin replenishing with their own interceptor missiles.

Meanwhile … Zelenskyy insists Ukraine has turned the tide against Russia. The country’s own very successful drone warfare has taken its toll on infrastructure well inside Russia, and dictator Vladimir Putin does not hold the upper hand in the war. Put another way, Putin does not hold the cards.

“Now, the initiative is not in the hands of Putin,” Zelenskyy told Sean Hannity on Fox News’ Hannity.

Graham also was an unwavering supporter of Israel, whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, also attended the late senator’s funeral. 

Trump criticized Netanyahu for going public with intelligence about Iranian activity at suspected nuclear site Pickaxe Mountain. Trump told Fox & Friends Tuesday morning he knew “exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe.” Netanyahu wants Trump to “stay involved,” he said.

Their meeting was to cover Iran, a framework deal the US and Israel signed with Lebanon and possible expansion of the Abraham Accords, a White House official said, per The Guardian. Protestors well outside the White House, where the Trump administration has installed fences to expand separation from the public, shouted; “Netanyahu, you’re a tyrant” and “Bibi, you’re not welcome here.”

Netanyahu had plans after Graham’s funeral to visit New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tried to get the Israeli prime minister arrested for his conduct of the war on Gaza.

“I’m going to speak the truth in front of this hate-spewing elected official who’s pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others,” Netanyahu told Hannity.

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Pricier Gas – National average of unleaded regular is $4.091 Wednesday, a savings of 1.9 cents from Monday’s price per gallon, according to AAA, and $1.289 costlier than February 27. Diesel is $5.329, up 3.3 cents over Monday and +$1.605 over late February. –Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa