Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz isn't going to lie, he told Megyn Kelly on Tuesday's Kelly File. Ted Cruz "was one of the best students I ever had, because a teachers loves to be challenged," he said. Dershowitz uses the Socratic method, he said, and "everything I said, he disagreed with.... And he made such brilliant arguments that I never had to play the devil's advocate." Dershowitz, whose views skew liberal, said he knew Cruz's politics were the opposite, but they were also "clear, principled, unwavering, and very intelligently presented."

Kelly asked if it's true that Cruz was one of his smartest students ever, and Dershowitz said yes. "And in fact, I got a lot of criticism from my friends on the left, saying, 'Why are you saying that?'" he added. "I'm a professor. I have to tell the truth about my students, even if I disagree with their views, even if I'm not going to vote for him." Watch one of the oddest academic performance evaluations ever below. Peter Weber

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of nuclear war with North Korea on Friday, a grim and alarming statement not to be taken lightly. But with the American media sidelined during Tillerson's four-day visit to Asia, it has largely fallen on the South Korean press to report on the state of the negotiations, and how the U.S. and South Korea are planning to move forward together. It is through The Korea Herald, then, that it was revealed Tillerson cut short his meetings with South Korean leaders because he was too tired.

The Korea Herald writes:

… Tillerson's shortened diplomatic consultations and public events in Seoul spawned a flurry of speculation given a leadership vacuum and political uncertainties.

A joint news conference aside, Tillerson spent almost two and a half hours with Japanese Foreign Minister [Fumio] Kishida, including a dinner, and another hour with Prime Minister Abe. But his meetings with [Seoul's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se] and [acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn] were each confined to about an hour, without a lunch or dinner gathering. Seoul officials said the U.S. side opted not to have a meal together, citing the secretary's "fatigue." [The Korea Herald]

On the topic of North Korea, Tillerson cautioned Friday that "the policy of strategic patience has ended." But maybe he just needs a nap. Jeva Lange

The United States has made a formal apology to Britain after baselessly claiming that the nation's spy service, GCHQ, helped former President Obama wiretap Trump Tower before President Trump's inauguration. The apology came "directly" from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, a person familiar with the incident told The Telegraph.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said there are "no indications" that Trump was wiretapped by Obama. Nevertheless, Spicer alleged that Obama was able to get intelligence on Trump and that "there's no American fingerprints on it."

"Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command — he didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI, and he didn't use the Department of Justice — he used GCHQ," Spicer told the press. A GCHQ spokesperson responded, calling the allegation "nonsense," "utterly ridiculous," and adding that it "should be ignored."

"The cost of falsely blaming our closest ally for something this consequential cannot be overstated," tweeted Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice.

A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said the White House assured Britain the allegation would not be repeated again. Jeva Lange

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday in South Korea that all options are "on the table" regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons programs, including a pre-emptive U.S. strike "if they elevate the threat of their weapons program to a level that we believe requires action." The U.S. does not want a military conflict with North Korea, he said at a press conference in Seoul, "but obviously if North Korea takes actions that threaten South Korean forces or our own forces, that would be met with (an) appropriate response."

The U.S. keeping a military option open on North Korea is not new, but U.S. officials don't normally make the threat explicit or publicly. Tillerson is on the second of three stops of a tour of Asia, following a visit to Japan and right before he heads to China. Beijing has been urging the U.S. and North Korea to return to multilateral peace talks, but Tillerson ruled that out for now. "The policy of strategic patience has ended," Tillerson said, referring to the Obama administration's decision to wait for North Korea to collapse and slowly increasing sanctions, pressure, and covert activity.

In the past year, Pyongyang has fired 24 test ballistic missile and conducted two nuclear tests, in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions. You can learn more in the CNN report below. Peter Weber

Frustrated Freedom Caucus members are not turning to House Republican leadership with their concerns about the GOP's proposed health-care replacement, Politico reports. Instead, they're gambling on Stephen Bannon's influence over President Trump and going straight to their sympathizers in the West Wing.

Freedom Caucus members would rather start with the repeal of ObamaCare and formulate the replacement later. Members are also upset about House Speaker Paul Ryan's reliance on health-care tax credits and have slammed his bill as "Obamacare-Lite."

But while Ryan's allies argue he is working to incorporate as much conservative input as possible, some members of the House feel ignored and are bypassing the traditional channels for negotiating. It's a risky move, Politico notes: "The Freedom Caucus' unwillingness to go along with GOP leaders could backfire if Trump loses his patience. The president carried most of its members' districts by wide margins. If he turns against them — blaming them for the bill's failure — the hard-liners could find themselves in a precarious spot in the 2018 midterms."

The Freedom Caucus has gone as far as to begin constructing its own deal with moderates, without first consulting Ryan or other GOP leaders. Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows even admitted that with the exception of a single conversation with Majority Whip Steve Scalise, he has not spoken to Republican leaders in two weeks but talks to the White House almost every day. A senior administration official confirmed that "we opened up a direct channel to get the real issues on the table" with Meadows and other Freedom Caucus leaders. Bannon also reportedly wants the far-right Freedom Caucus to be involved in the formation of the bill.

Meadows has already put in a list of "improvements" to the White House. Jeva Lange

The No. 12 seeds managed to pull off just one upset as the NCAA men's basketball tournament kicked off in earnest on Thursday, as Middle Tennessee State beat No. 5 seed Minnesota 81-72 to move into the second round. As The Associated Press notes, "Since 2007, the 12s have won 50 of 152 games against No. 5s," making the pairing "infamous" for upsets.

Another No. 12, Princeton, nearly advanced, but lost to Notre Dame 60-58 after having a shot at an upset in its final possession. UNC-Wilmington came close, too, but squandered a 15-point lead and lost 76-71 to Virginia. The fourth No. 12 seed, Nevada, lost to Iowa State, 84-73.

Two No. 1 seeds, North Carolina and Kansas, take their turns on Friday trying to avoid being the first regional top seeds to be upset by a No. 16 seed since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. "I'll tell you what," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams, whose Tar Heels face No. 16 Texas Southern. "Every coach of the No. 1 always worries like the dickens about it the night before. It's something you always think about." Harold Maass

When President Trump has his first meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on Friday, it will be a big clash of policy, temperament, and governing styles. Merkel, Europe's longest-serving and most powerful leader, is unassuming, seasoned, diplomatic, and an astute observer; Trump is brash, new to the job and public policy, and inclined to make shows of strength. Expectations for the meeting are not high.

The main topics of discussion are expected to be trade and the economy. Trump will urge Germany to spend more on its national defense, to meet NATO obligations, and ask about Merkel's long experience dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, White House officials say. Merkel will gauge Trump's openness on multilateral issues like climate change and financial regulation, according to German officials, and gently press Trump to reconsider his proposal to tax U.S. imports — a potential blow to Germany, which had a $50 billion trade surplus with the U.S. last year.

Trump has slammed Merkel on issues like immigration and refugees, but both leaders are expected to keep their tête-à-tête cordial. "I believe that direct conversation is always much better than talking about each other," Merkel said Monday. Peter Weber

On Thursday, President Trump sent his first budget plan to Congress, and it was not warmly received. Democrats criticized its sharp cuts to the EPA and programs for the vulnerable, and Republicans signaled that Congress would write its own budget. Republican defense hawks said Trump's increase in military spending was not big enough, while many GOP lawmakers criticized the proposed 28 percent cut to the State Department, slashing of the National Institutes of Health budget, and steep reduction in funds for programs and services in poor and rural areas. If the House voted on Trump's budget as is, one top House Republican told Politico, "I don't think we'd get 50 votes for it."

"I think the president's proposal is not our starting point," said Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "While we have a responsibility to reduce our federal deficit, I am disappointed that many of the reductions and eliminations proposed in the president's skinny budget are draconian, careless and counterproductive," said Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), a member and former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "We will certainly review this budget proposal, but Congress ultimately has the power of the purse." The cuts to foreign aid "will not stand," he added. "This too shall pass." Peter Weber