By MICHAEL FALCONE

NOTABLES

• TWEETS FROM HILLARY: The soon-to-be 2016 presidential candidate weighed in last night on Indiana's new bill that prevents the government from getting in the way of anyone's practice of their own religion. Gay rights advocates say it could lead to discrimination.

@HillaryClinton: Protecting pregnant women from discrimination shouldn't be a fight, should be as American as apple pie. More to do: http://t.co/icUxTfuBUz

@HillaryClinton: Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today. We shouldn't discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT http://t.co/mDhpS18oEH

• ANALYSIS - ABC's RICK KLEIN: Suddenly, she's become quite the Tweeter. After using Twitter to offer her first response to the e-mail controversy that sucked a few weeks of campaign prep time from her team, Hillary Clinton has picked up her pace of interaction significantly. Her choice of subjects is instructive as to the type of campaign she hopes to run. She's weighed in to defend Obamacare; oppose GOP budget cuts; slam the Senate Iran letter; bemoan the delaying of a confirmation vote for attorney general; and, on Thursday, blast the new Indiana "religious freedom" law. It's a lesson in choosing your own opponent - clearly a preferable course to opposing yourself (or the media) all the time. In most of the choices she's making, we're seeing Clinton and her team jousting with congressional Republicans, something we'll surely see much more of as the campaign develops. And Clinton has Tweeted barely a syllable that could be even mildly controversial inside the Democratic base.

• THIS WEEK ON 'THIS WEEK': Sunday on "This Week," George Stephanopoulos goes one-on-one with former Maryland governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate Martin O'Malley. Plus, the powerhouse roundtable debates all the week's politics, with ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, ABC News contributor and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, and CNN's Fareed Zakaria, author of the new book, "In Defense of a Liberal Education." Check the "This Week" page for full guest listings. Be sure to use #ThisWeek when you tweet about the program. TUNE IN SUNDAY: http://abcnews.go.com/thisweek

SAYING GOODBYE TO THE SENATE: HARRY REID WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2016. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid announced today he will not seek re-election in 2016, ending a Senate career that has spanned three decades. Known for his feisty and combative style in the Senate, the 75-year-old Nevada Democrat made the announcement in a YouTube video, ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ reports. Earlier this year, Reid suffered a serious eye injury while exercising at home, causing him to reconsider whether he would seek re-election in 2016. "This accident has caused Landra and me to have a little down time. I have had time to ponder and to think," Reid said. "We've got to be more concerned about the country, the Senate, the state of Nevada than about ourselves. And as a result of that I'm not going to run for re-election." Reid has led Senate Democrats for the past eight years, first as Senate Majority Leader from 2007 until this year when Republicans took control of the Senate, bumping him to Senate Minority Leader. http://abcn.ws/1MaxF4I

THE BUZZ

with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

AARON SCHOCK BIDS CONGRESS FAREWELL. Rep. Aaron Schock returned to the Capitol Thursday, casting a final vote in the House before delivering a farewell address to close a nearly two-month drama for the Illinois Republican. On the final day of legislative business before his March 31 resignation becomes official, Schock cast a vote in favor of a bipartisan deal to eliminate the Medicare "Doc-Fix." "I leave here with sadness and humility," Schock said, according to ABC's JOHN PARKINSON and A.J. FEATHER. "For those whom I've let down, I will work tirelessly to make it up to you." "I know that God has a plan for my life," he added. "I believe that through life's struggles, we learn from our mistakes, and we learn more about ourselves. And I know that this is not the end of a story, but rather the beginning of a new chapter." http://abcn.ws/1Csomqe

RAND PAUL REVERSES STANCE ON DEFENSE SPENDING BY TRYING TO INCREASE IT. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul revealed a new stance on defense spending when he introduced an amendment to the budget that would increase defense spending by $190 billion over the next two years. This increase in defense spending runs counter to the budget the Republican introduced in 2011, just months after joining the Senate. That plan, which failed in the Senate, would have slashed defense spending from $553 billion in 2011 to $542 billion in 2016. Paul's new amendment failed in the Senate yesterday with only four senators supporting the measure, ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ reports. Since his flirtation with a presidential bid first began, Paul has walked a tricky line on military spending and, in recent months, the Kentucky Republican has adopted a more hawkish position. http://abcn.ws/1FP0eRc

BEN AFFLECK TALKS 'BATMAN' DURING SENATE HEARING (AND YES THERE'S A SPOILER). Actor Ben Affleck gave away a closely held secret about the upcoming "Batman" film while testifying on Capitol Hill Thursday morning. "To Senator Leahy, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my co-star in Batman. The role is marginally smaller than mine but I understand you're quite good," Affleck said to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on diplomacy and development. Spoiler alert! Before Affleck's comment Thursday it was not confirmed that Leahy would make a cameo in the upcoming "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice." Leahy, for his part, has been coy about whether he'll appear in the latest caped crusader movie, but Affleck spilled the beans, ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ notes. http://abcn.ws/1GvHQfp

PRESIDENT OBAMA THANKS PELOSI - AND BOEHNER. It's not every day that the President openly applauds the Republican-led House of Representatives, much less Speaker Boehner. But that's exactly what he did before a crowd in Birmingham Thursday night, praising Boehner and Pelosi for passing the Doc Fix. "The good news is that today the House of Representatives passed a bill. No, no. You think I'm joking - I'm not," he said to some laughter at Lawson State Community College. "It was a bipartisan bill designed to make sure that doctors in our medicare system get paid on time." "I called the Speaker John Boehner and the Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and I said congratulations," said President Obama, according to ABC's MARY BRUCE and MATTHEW LAROTONDA. "They did good work today and they deserve credit and the House of Representatives deserves credit."

MARCH MADNESS

GOP CONGRESSMAN SEES PAYING NCAA ATHLETES AN 'INEVITABILITY.' With March Madness highlighting the billion-dollar enterprise that is NCAA athletics, pressure is building from prominent former athletes, state lawmakers, and even members of Congress to allow - or even require - colleges to pay the student-athletes who bring them so much revenue, ABC's RICK KLEIN writes. Speaking on the ESPN/ABC podcast "Capital Games," Rep. Charlie Dent - a leading congressional critic of the NCAA - said the idea of providing student-athletes at least a stipend for their services is "very reasonable." "Big-time college football and college basketball are the minor leagues for the NFL and the NBA respectively - that's what it is," said Dent, R-Pa. "It's professional athletics." Listen to the full "Capital Games" podcast HERE on desktop and HERE on mobile devices, or download it for free via smartphone podcast apps. http://abcn.ws/1xCMarr

WHO'S TWEETING?

@HotlineJosh: In the battle for Senate, Reid retirement potentially good news for Dems. His unfavorables high. Better shot w fresh cand in D lean state

@ChadPergram: Focus will soon be on who may become Dem Ldr. Schumer. Durbin. Some will push for Warren.

@maggieNYT: SCOOP - Jebworld looking to use its own Data Trust, a for-profit that would sell data to his campaign and Super PAC http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/03/27/today-in-politics-marathon-vote-a-challenge-for-senators-thinking-about-2016/?smid=nytpolitics …

@JenniferJJacobs: Insiders pump brakes on Ted Cruz. Email survey shows GOP influencers in Iowa don't think the polarizing Texan can win http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/insiders-pump-the-breaks-on-cruz-116444.html#ixzz3VaQarZKx …

@ajjaffe: ' @JamesPindell does a fantastic rundown of the odd political spectacle that is a New Hampshire town hall meeting: http://bit.ly/1BPE5L4