Florida: Rubio defends Trump foreign policy. Responding to a question from Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press,” US Sen. Marco Rubio (R), a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Intelligence Committee, said “I think [Trump] is dealing with the reality of our options oftentimes on foreign policy are not a choice between a good one and a bad one. It’s a choice between two less-than-ideal options.” ……. Tennessee: Haslam wins major tax victory. Gov. Bill Haslam (R) won “a major political and policy victory,” says the Tennessee Journal, when both legislative chambers passed his IMPROVE Act, which contained a 6-cent a gallon increase in the state’s gasoline tax. The measure also cuts the sales tax on grocery food from 5% to 4% ……. North Carolina: A civil conversation between Rs and Ds. Under the auspices ofDuke University, some 30 leading movers-and-shakers from the two major parties participated in five day-long discussions of the best ways to help families earn enough to feed their families. The group included GOP contributor Art Pope, state Republican chairman Robin Hayes, AFL-CIO official MaryBe McMillan and former state Rep. Rick Glazier (D), head of the NC Justice Center. There was not a lot of agreement, but there was a lot of listening, and no name calling, reports Rob Christenson in the News & Observer …….