Israel’s military urges civilians to evacuate parts of Rafah. An ex-Army financial adviser scammed Gold Star families out of millions of dollars. And Boeing is set to launch its first piloted flight to space.
Here’s what to know today.
Israeli military tells 100,000 people to flee Rafah
The Israel Defense Forces this morning called on civilians in eastern Rafah to move toward what it termed an expanded humanitarian area, potentially signaling preparations for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city, where more than 1.4 million civilians are sheltering.
The number of people being told to move from eastern Rafah is estimated to be around 100,000, an IDF spokesman said.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani would not say in a media briefing how long civilians have to evacuate under this morning’s evacuation order. He said that the humanitarian zone would be “safer” for civilians but that the IDF reserved the right to strike against Hamas inside the zone.
A possible ground offensive in Rafah has been widely condemned internationally, with United Nations officials warning that it would increase the civilian death toll and worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Cease-fire talks appear to have stalled after hopes were raised for a last-ditch deal to avoid a Rafah offensive and secure the release of the hostages still held in Gaza.
Read more:
- CIA Director William Burns may travel to Israelfor more cease-fire and hostage release talks after holding discussions yesterday in the Qatari capital, Doha, a source with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
- Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said it would be “appropriate” to condition future aid to Israel if the country’s leadership doesn’t “do better” at preventing civilian deaths in Gaza.
Democrats prepare to go on the offensive over immigration
At a White House meeting last week, key administration officials and top Democratic lawmakers discussed a path forward on an aggressive new immigration strategy. The discussions included potential executive actions within the coming weeks and forcing votes that Republicans would be likely to oppose, sources said. The discussions come months after Republicans blocked a bipartisan border security bill aimed at easing record-high illegal crossings along the southern border.
The purpose of the talks was to ensure Democrats agreed on an issue they seek to capitalize on ahead of the November election, when the party will seek to take back control of the House and defend its control of the Senate and the White House.
The White House has also sought input from immigration advocacy groups ahead of any potential executive order. A number of actions are still on the table, but advocacy groups and Department of Homeland Security officials believe that an order could be announced within the coming weeks, sources said.
Trump trial resumes after tense week of testimony
Testimony will resume today in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, following sometimes heated and emotional testimony from major witnesses last week.
It wasn’t immediately clear whom Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office plans to call Monday as its 10th witness. The DA’s office has been keeping that information close to the vest, telling New York state Judge Juan Merchan it has concerns that Trump might post about the witnesses on social media. Merchan found Trump in criminal contempt last week for violating a gag order barring him from making “public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding.”
Follow our live coverage for news out of the courtroom, reactions from across the political landscape and expert legal analysis throughout the day at NBCNews.com.
First these Army families lost their loved ones. Then the man assigned to help them took their money.
Caz Craffy was an Army financial counselor who was supposed to help Gold Star families, the survivors of service members, manage their benefits. He bilked them instead. He’s pleaded guilty to scamming dozens of families — all of whom lost loved ones who were on active duty — out of millions of dollars.
Instead of giving grieving families generic financial advice, prosecutors say, Craffy had a second civilian job as an investment manager and handled their investments in violation of Army rules. Court records say he convinced Gold Star relatives to hand him their money — then racked up huge commissions even as he made unwise investments that plummeted in value.
Natasha Cruz-Bevard signed $500,000 over to Craffy after she lost her husband, staff sergeant and Iraq combat veteran Rodney Bevard, to suicide.
Cruz-Bevard said Craffy appeared to specifically target those who were not sophisticated about investments. Prosecutors say he would also urge them not to look at their statements and assure families that any losses would be made up by big gains later. His victims say they trusted him because of his position in the military, and some say that accountability in this case should extend beyond one man — and thatthe Army still has questions to answer.
Ole Miss opens conduct investigation following protest confrontation
The University of Mississippi has opened at least one student conduct investigation after videos of pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded by counterprotesters circulated online, including one that many have singled out as racist. Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce sent a letter to students and staff noting that Ole Miss leaders were aware of behaviors that were “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones” at the protest.
A group of roughly 30 to 60 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered, but the event turned hostile as they were outnumbered by counterprotesters, who at one point drowned out the chants of protesters by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Videos of the event circulated online, with many noting that the pro-Palestinian demonstrators appeared to be a multiracial group but were surrounded by a mostly white group of counterprotesters taunting them.
Read more:
- University leaders are facing calls for more accountability after crackdowns on pro-Palestinian encampments, and school communities are expressing frustration with administrators’ actions.
- Who were the “outsiders” at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall?
Boeing set to launch its first flight to space
Boeing is set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station tonight in a crucial test for the company after years of delays, technical setbacks and significant budget overruns. The Strainer spacecraft is scheduled to lift off at 10:34 p.m. from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If the flight goes well, NASA could authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station for the agency. It would also enable Boeing to challenge the dominance of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The plan is for astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams to dock with the space station and spend about a week there before touching down in New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range. Here’s what else to know about the highly anticipated flight.
Politics in Brief
Election 2024: Kristi Noem suggested that President Joe Biden’s dog Commander should meet a similar fate as her dog Cricket, whom the South Dakota governor reportedly described shooting and killing in her coming book.
Abortion rights: Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff will convene a panel this week focused on how men can advocate for more access to abortion rights, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Montana politics: Democrats are attempting to frame Tim Sheehy, a Republican running for Senate who founded a major cattle ranch in central Montana, as a threat to public land access.
Presidential race: Here’s where the presidential race stands, six months away from Election Day, and how things could possibly change.
RNC overhaul: Republican National Committee chief counsel Charlie Spies is stepping down from his role, just two months after he was hired to lead the committee’s legal efforts.
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Staff Pick: The long, frustrating wait for better sunscreens in America
Turns out that there might be a reason why I get sunburned every year despite using sunscreen: sunscreens sold in the U.S. do not have the same ingredients as sunscreens sold in places such as Europe and Japan. A decades-old FDA rule requires sunscreens to be tested on animals and classified as drugs, rather than as cosmetics as they are in much of the world. And while there is a bill in the House to change that, Americans are not likely to get those better sunscreens — which block the ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer and lead to wrinkles — in time for this summer, or even the next.
— Jana Kasperkevic, weekend director of platforms
In Case You Missed It
- Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s annual Met Gala.
- Hundreds of people have been rescued from flooded homes and roads after some areas northeast of Houston got upwards of 23 inches of rain.
- A person died after falling from spectator stands to the ground level during Ohio State University’s graduation ceremony.
- New York City’s Department of Corrections is temporarily suspending the use of body-worn cameras after an employee suffered burns and smoke inhalation when one caught fire.
- Three bodies found in Mexico have been identified as those of two Australians and an American who were killed in a carjacking while on a surfing trip, officials say.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Mother’s Day is now less than a week away, but it’s not too late to make sure something she loves will arrive in time for the special day. Here are 21 last-minute Mother’s Day gifts, most with options for two-day shipping.
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