Donald Trump’s rhetoric about L.A. protestors stands in contrast to his reaction on Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters attacked the Capitol. Israel is considering a unilateral strike on Iran, sources say. And renters are on the rise in America’s suburbs.
Here’s what to know today.
Plane crashes near major Indian airport with 242 people on board
An Air India plane with 242 people on board has crashed near a major international airport in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Air India, the country’s flagship carrier, confirmed that Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was “involved in an accident today after take-off” and offered “full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
The airline said 12 crew members and 230 passengers were onboard, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals. The number of casualties is not yet known.
Ahmedabad Airport temporarily suspended all flight operations after the crash, which happened in a residential area near the airport just before 5 a.m. ET on Thursday. Hospitals were put on high alert.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called “the scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.”
Read the full story here and follow live updates.
Trump’s about-face on violence against police
Protests against ICE immigration raids have popped up across the nation while protests persisted in Los Angeles.
In California, 700 Marines were mobilized in the L.A. area, and a curfew was enforced for a second night in a row in downtown. Meanwhile, a court hearing is set today in San Francisco over the state’s lawsuit seeking to block the military from involving itself in immigration enforcement.
In San Antonio, protesters gathered at a peaceful rally outside the Alamo to speak out against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of the Texas National Guard.
In Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump spent yesterday evening attending the opening night of “Les Misérables” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
The president promised this week a swift response to any violence against law enforcement by protesters in L.A., writing on social media, “If they spit, we will hit.” His low tolerance for such violence is a turnaround from Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters attacked the Capitol in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. No National Guard help arrived for hours, despite pleas from those inside the building. And on the first day of his second term, Trump pardoned most of the rioters.
The White House said Trump is fulfilling his mandate in L.A. to secure the border, make sure federal officials can execute his plan and restore law and order. Attorney General Pam Bondi, when asked about how Trump is handling California versus Jan. 6, 2021, said the situations are “very different.”
Some critics were quick to point out the change in attitude, including Michael Fanone, a former D.C. police officer who was attacked on Jan. 6. He called Trump a “hypocrite” and said, “Had those people storming the Capitol been illegal immigrants or Black people” or another group Trump’s base took issue with, “then they would have said ‘open fire.’”
More politics news:
- Republicans are barreling toward a critical deadline to lift the debt ceiling — and say there’s no “Plan B” if they don’t pass the massive Trump agenda bill in time.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tapped eight new members to join the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel, two days after firing the previous group. Here’s who he selected.
- Trump’s political statements at a rally this week at Fort Bragg raises questions about whether military regulations were violated.
- Progressive activist David Hogg said he won’t run again for vice chair of the Democratic National Committee after the DNC called for a redo of the February election that elevated him to the post.
- Despite touting Trump’s endorsement in the New Jersey primary, GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli is looking to focus his campaign against Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill on a different political leader.
Israel considers a military strike on Iran, sources say
Israel is considering taking military action against Iran, most likely without U.S. support, in the coming days, according to five people with knowledge of the situation. The potential move would mark a dramatic break with the Trump administration. It would also happen in spite of Trump being in advanced discussions with Tehran about a deal to to curtail its nuclear program and include provisions about uranium enrichment that Israel views as unacceptable.
U.S. and other officials are on alert awaiting the possibility of Israel’s striking Iran, the officials said.
The notion of a new front in a simmering conflict has prompted the administration to order all embassies within striking distance of Iranian missiles, aircraft and other assets to send cables with assessments about danger and about measures to mitigate risks to Americans and U.S. infrastructure, two sources said. Read the full story here.
Government can’t deport or detain Mahmoud Khalil, judge rules
The Trump administration, for now, cannot deport or detain pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil based on a determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a federal judge ruled. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz’s preliminary injunction will not take effect until Friday morning, which gives the government time to appeal.
Khalil, a Columbia University student who played an active role in campus protests last year, was one of the first protesters targeted by the Trump administration when he was arrested in March. Rubio cited an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify Khalil’s removal from the U.S. and said he posed a national security risk. Fairbairz said in his ruling yesterday that Khalil’s “career and reputation are being damaged and his speech is being chilled — and this adds up to irreparable harm.” Read the full story here.
And last week, ICE denied Khalil’s request to move to a detention center in New Jersey to be closer to his wife and newborn son despite an agency policy that requires parents and legal guardians to be transferred to facilities closer to their children if they are primary caretakers or have custody of minor children.
Read All About It
- Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys frontman who is widely considered one of the most gifted singers, songwriters and producers in the history of American pop music, has died at the age of 82.
- Jurors in disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s retrial found him guilty of sexually assaulting one woman and not guilty of assaulting another. They couldn’t reach a verdict on a third woman’s allegations.
- The Indiana Pacers took Game 3 of the NBA Finals in a 116-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder after unleashing their best defense and hustle on offense in the fourth quarter.
- In slashing billions in research funding, the Trump administration seems to have banked on the idea that the public will see much of scientific research as wasteful or arcane. So a number of researchers are finding new ways to appeal directly to everyday Americans.
- The first-ever images of the sun’s south pole were released, offering fresh insights into its magnetic field and how it produces space weather.
Staff Pick: The rising demand for renting in suburbia
America’s housing affordability problem has seeped into suburbs — so much so that it has become easier to rent than buy in several areas near major cities, according to recent analysis looking at rentership from 2018 to 2023. Among the metros where nearby suburbs have become majority-renter communities are Dallas, Houston, Miami, Boston and Philadelphia.
From my perch in Los Angeles, where renting feels more like the norm than the exception, I find the shift in who has a stake in America’s suburbs to be eye-opening. As experts told intern Evie Steele for this story, renting is a way for families to get the space and lifestyle of suburbia without the cost of a mortgage, which has risen sharply since the pandemic. And the appeal of suburbs doesn’t seem like it’ll fade anytime soon. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
When spending a lot of time outdoors, experts recommend wearing clothing with built-in sun protection. The NBC Select team consulted dermatologists on the best UPF hats to consider this summer. Plus, dermatologists lay out the major differences between American and Korean sunscreen.
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.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.
The post Plane crashes near Indian airport and judge rules on Mahmoud Khalil detainment: Morning Rundown appeared first on NBC News.
