In today’s newsletter: President Donald Trump takes the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in an unfamiliar, concerning direction, according to current and former employees. Students at Columbia University plan to stage encampment protests this week. And the NFL draft kicks off tonight with the Tennessee Titans in the hot seat.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump upends DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sparking ‘bloodbath’ in senior ranks
President Donald Trump has been quietly overhauling the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a way that former employees say is at odds with how previous administrations – Republican and Democrat – have enforced civil rights law.
As part of his remake, Trump picked Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative culture warrior who represented him in challenging the results of the 2020 election and backed his baseless claims of voter fraud, to lead the office. Ten current and former employees of the office, as well as other sources familiar with the Justice Department’s operations, who spoke to NBC News, claim Dhillon has forced out a majority of career managers, caused others to resign and led a 180-degree shift in the direction of the department from its original mission: enforcing laws that prohibit discrimination in hiring, housing and voting rights.
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Dhillon has issued a series of memos, obtained by NBC News, directing the group to pursue new priorities: “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” and “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” objectives that mirror Trump’s executive orders.
The changes have led to a “complete bloodbath,” one senior Justice Department lawyer in the division said. More than a dozen senior lawyers in the division have been reassigned.
Dhillon described the changes as a normal shift in priorities with a new administration. “The Civil Rights Division looks forward to continuing to aggressively protecting the civil rights of Americans,” she said in a statement.
But the current and former employees say the extent of the repurposing of the Civil Rights Division stands out. “If regular Americans think that this administration is going to protect their rights, they’re just wrong,” a recently departed division lawyer said.
Columbia University students plan to build tent encampments this week, sources say
Protesters are making plans to build tent city encampments at Columbia University this week in protest of the war in Gaza. According to three people familiar with the planning and a recording of a meeting shared with NBC News, organizers expect to erect two separate encampments on the main campus and the site of the university’s business school.
Over 100 people attended a coordination meeting Tuesday night where students used code names and wore masks to conceal their identities.
“Any action that we do will bring police, will bring repression and we thought about that deeply and we’re aware of that,” a speaker at the meeting said to applause.
Organizers distributed several guidelines, obtained by NBC News, to student protestors, covering the legal risks of protesting and best practices for encountering law enforcement. One person at the planning meeting called this year’s planned demonstration “much more organized and careful.”
Dozens of students at Columbia were arrested last year after a monthslong campaign of protests over the Israeli military’s response to the Oct. 7 2023 attacks, prompting protests at colleges across the United States and around the world. Demonstrators also urged the school to divest from companies linked to the Israeli government.
The Trump administration suspended several federal grants to Columbia and Princeton, part of what it says is a broader effort to “root out” antisemitism on college campuses.
The president has continued to target other institutions of higher education by giving them a list of policies to adhere to, or face threats to their federal funding. Many universities, including Harvard, have opposed complying with Trump to push back against what it calls federal overreach. Columbia University eventually agreed to a list of demands set by the Trump administration to restore the grants.
Putin launches worst attack on Ukraine in months
Russia launched one of the most devastating bombardments on Ukraine’s major cities since the war began overnight, killing at least nine people. It came hours after President Donald Trump said he believed he had struck deals with both sides to end the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he was cutting short a trip to South Africa to return home immediately and deal with the “destruction” in his country.
“Russia continues to kill people and avoid tough pressure and accountability for this,” he said Thursday. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of destruction. Rescue operations are ongoing, the rubble of buildings is being cleared.”
The attacks follow the latest conflicting and often contradictory statements in the U.S.-brokered peace talks.
On Wednesday, Trump said in the Oval Office that “I think we have a deal with both” sides — before suggesting that an agreement with Ukraine was still pending.
“I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy,” he said. “So far, it’s been harder.”
Special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Moscow this week to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the talks, the White House said Tuesday. Plane spotters using the website FlightRadar24 said they had tracked a plane matching one previously used by Witkoff flying from Paris to Moscow overnight.
Everything you need to know about the 2025 NFL draft
The NFL draft kicks off in Lambeau Field, Wisconsin, with the Tennessee Titans on the clock. Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi said the team “has come to a consensus” for the No. 1 pick. Still, many questions remain: Will the Cleveland Browns take a quarterback prospect or build up their defensive roster? Will Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, pave his own way in the spotlight and get picked up in the first round?
These questions and more will be answered tonight. Read the full story here.
More NFL draft news:
- Here’s what we can learn and maybe expect based on the latest mock drafts.
- NFL teams devote countless hours and resources towards discovering the next great quarterback, but that doesn’t mean franchises have gotten better at picking them.
- Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart’s elite athleticism has piqued the interest of NFL evaluators. Will his lack of college stats be a deterrent at the draft?
- University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward entered his final high school season without a single college scholarship offer but is rumored to get picked up in the first round.
Read All About It
- A liberal nonprofit group plans to unveil an ad campaign spotlighting law firms that reached deals with Trump to avoid being targeted by executive orders.
- A combination of somewhat lower mortgage rates, property supply, and higher tariffs has some home manufacturers pausing their plans.
- Prosecutors painted Harvey Weinstein as a Hollywood mogul who “preyed” on women as his sexual abuse retrial began.
- Promoter Billy McFarland is releasing ties on the Fyre Fest brand just one week after organizers postponed the second iteration of the festival without a set date.
- A gut toxin has been found to inflict potentially lasting damage on colon cells that can eventually lead to the development of cancer.
Staff Pick: Farmers sound the alarm over getting saddled with repair bills
America’s farmers are battling more than just the elements this planting season. They say manufacturers are making repairs for agricultural equipment costly and difficult to access, and it’s affecting their livelihoods.
While their tractors are idle, they’re headed to the courtroom at full throttle. Hundreds of farmers are embroiled in class action lawsuits against John Deere, accusing the agricultural giant of limiting access to critical repair software. Now the Federal Trade Commission is accusing Deere of illegally monopolizing repair services. We spoke with farmers, independent mechanics, and activists fighting for the “right-to-repair,” who told us why this isn’t just an issue for farmers. It affects all of us as consumers.
— Natalie Kainz, production assistant
NBCU Academy: How High School Students Are Getting Medical Jobs Right After Graduation
In Duluth, Georgia, teens are learning how to check vitals, take EKGs and care for patients as part of their public school education. The $38 million McClure Health Science School prepares students for healthcare careers through hands-on learning and partnerships with local hospitals. “When you take a child or a student, and they are getting a chance to put their hands on it and do it — whether they succeed or fail at using it — they’re gaining so much more knowledge than what they would ever get from a piece of paper,” McClure teacher James Boulware said. Students typically graduate with certifications that they can use to immediately start working or expand on in college. See how the school is giving teens a head start in their medical careers.
NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Talking Shop is an NBC Select series where we talk to interesting people about their most interesting buys. We recently spoke with Blueland founder Sarah Paiji Yoo about her favorite cropped shirts, air purifiers, reusable straws and much more. Plus, we tested dozens of workout headphones to find the best options on the market.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
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