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By Kaanita Iyer, CNN

(CNN) — Young, eligible men will be automatically registered for the military draft pool starting in December as part of a measure tucked into the annual defense policy bill Congress signed into law late last year.

Men ages 18 to 26 must already register for selective service in case a draft is required. The last time a draft was in effect was February 1973, during the Vietnam War.

Automatic registration is already in place in 46 states and territories, according to the Selective Service System’s 2024 report. The SSS proposed a rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs late last month to implement the practice nationwide.

The nationwide measure has no connection to the ongoing war with Iran and was passed with bipartisan support months before the current conflict with the country. But the Trump administration has declined to rule out the possibility of putting US troops on the ground, and the war has led to renewed attention on the draft policy.

CNN has reached out to the Selective Service for more information about the proposed rule.

Here’s what you need to know about automatic Selective Service registration.

Who will be registered and how will it work?

According to the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in December, the automatic registration will apply to male US citizens and “every other male person” in the country between the ages of 18 and 26.

The mandatory registration applies to green-card holders, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented men. Those on a nonimmigrant visas are exempt.

Currently, in states that haven’t enacted automatic registration, men must register “within 30 days of (their) 18th birthday,” according to the SSS website. The agency “accepts late registrations up until” a man’s 26th birthday.

It is a felony to not register for selective service and can result in the loss of certain benefits, like some student loans and federal jobs. It’s also a violation of the Military Selective Service Act, which could lead to imprisonment up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Some places, like Arizona and Delaware, and Washington, DC, automatically register eligible men when they apply for driver’s license or another form of state identification. Meanwhile, in New York, the application for driver’s license includes a section that allows eligible men to register for selective service.

According to the SSS’ 2023 report, over 60% of registration came from state motor vehicle departments.

Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, who sponsored the automatic selective service language, told CNN in a statement, “Making registration automatic, not only saves taxpayer dollars by eliminating the need to advertise but finally ensures that young men are not unknowingly penalized.”

In the statement, Houlahan stressed that the measure has bipartisan support.

The NDAA passed with bipartisan votes in the House and Senate.

What happens in a draft?

Co

CNN

By Betsy Klein, Donald Judd, CNN

(CNN) — First lady Melania Trump blasted “lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein” in extraordinary and rare remarks from the White House Thursday, attempting to distance herself from the convicted sex offender while calling on Congress to hold hearings allowing his victims to testify on Capitol Hill.

That call for action directly undercut ongoing messaging from her husband and the West Wing, renewing attention on a topic that was fading from public discourse amid the war with Iran. President Donald Trump and his top lieutenants have sought to downplay Epstein and his victims, repeatedly and publicly stating that the country is ready to move on.

President Trump was aware his wife planned to make Thursday’s statement, a person familiar with the matter said.

“I have never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” the first lady said in remarks to reporters. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell.”

Melania Trump called on Congress to provide a forum for Epstein’s victims to testify on Capitol Hill.

“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors, give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony,” she said.

“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the congressional record.”

Former Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who was fired in part over her handling of the Epstein files, was asked to apologize to Epstein survivors during a February congressional hearing and declined to do so.

Melania Trump also sought to downplay her relationship with Maxwell, Epstein’s associate who was convicted of sex trafficking. CNN had inquired with her office in February about a friendly 2002 email exchange between the two women — which was released as part of a tranche of documents pertaining to the Epstein investigation — but did not receive a response. Trump signed that email, “Love, Melania” and Maxwell responded, calling her “sweet pea.”

On Thursday, Trump characterized the email as “casual” and a “polite reply.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

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By Don Riddell, CNN

Augusta, Georgia (CNN) — As you’d expect, much of the conversation around this week’s Masters revolves around the golfers competing at Augusta National for the famed green jacket. But just beneath the surface lies a somber discussion about the most famous man in the sport, who is a long way from here.

“Watching him win around this place in ’97 is kind of the reason I got into golf,” said world No. 20 Harris English this week. “I know he’s going to get through this. He has a big fight ahead of him. He’s a fighter.”

Tiger Woods’ predicament has been highly publicized. Following a car crash in Florida last month, and the subsequent release of numerous police videos showing the aftermath, the world was presented with an unvarnished view of a broken hero.

No longer the dominant figure who won 15 major titles and transcended his sport, he was arrested for driving under the influence after rolling his car in a collision. According to the Martin County report, Deputy Tatiana Levenar observed Woods to be sweating profusely, lethargic and slow. He was also found with multiple hydrocodone pills in his pockets after the crash.

He’s now scheduled for a court appearance in May, and prosecutors are seeking access to his prescription records.

For so long the biggest gravitational pull on the narrative during Masters week, Woods is now conspicuous by his absence.

The golf community has become so conditioned to Woods’ apparently super-human qualities that many just expect him to recover, no matter the magnitude of the challenge,

“He is arguably the king of comebacks,” noted 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm.

CNN has reached out to Woods’ team for comment on the rumors that he’s flown to Switzerland for treatment – Woods said he’d be seeking treatment in a statement days after the crash. His friend Fred Couples alluded to Woods being in Switzerland when he spoke with reporters on Monday, sending him well-wishes.

“What would I tell him? I tell him I love him and things can always get better,” said the 1992 Masters champion.

Couples expressed sympathy for Woods, sharing his own experience with back pain, but for some of Woods’ peers, that sympathy is qualified with a caveat.

“It just shows the human element,” said Jason Day, “Someone that is struggling with some sort of addiction. He’s not immune to it just because he can hit a golf ball really well. The only thing that I don’t understand is that it’s a little bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harm’s way. But when you’re the player that he was, and how strong-willed he is, he thinks he can do almost anything.”

The three-time champion Gary Player went further.

“Do I blame him for taking medicine? Hell, no. He has sleep deprivation. But I don’t think he should drive a car,” Player said. “When you’re taking that medicine, it’s dangerous when you’re driving a