Israeli military dismisses 2 officers over aid strikes and Alabama killer asks to be executed: Morning Rundown

Special counsel Jack Smith could consider ''nuclear button'' in Trump's classified documents case. Israel opens new aid routes into Gaza after pressure from President Joe Biden. And more than 100,000 fish spilled out of an overturned truck — but most swam away. 

Here’s what to know today.

Jack Smith could be nearing his ‘breaking point’ in Trump’s classified docs case

Special counsel Jack Smith made clear this week that he wasn’t happy with Judge Aileen Cannon’s request for jury instructions from both sides in former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. And depending on the outcome of Cannon’s decision on that matter, prosecutors and defense attorneys warn that Smith could reach his “breaking point” — and maybe even seek Cannon’s removal from the case.

In other words, as one attorney put it, Smith is “close to pushing the nuclear button.”

Cannon’s request for jury instructions asked both prosecutors and Trump’s team to put forth competing versions of instructions for jurors centered around the Presidential Records Act. A final version of the instructions would be delivered to jurors at the end of a trial.

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But Smith shot back earlier this week, saying the request is “fundamentally flawed” because it would take into account Trump’s interpretation of how classified documents could be preserved after leaving office — which is at the center of the charge against the former president.

Cannon doesn’t seem to be backing down after Smith’s comments. For Smith to actually reach the point of pushing for Cannon’s removal from the case, a few more things would have to happen. Legal experts explain.

Read the full story here.

More on Trump’s cases: 

• Cannon denied Trump’s bid to dismiss the classified documents case, rejecting his argument that the papers were considered personal under the Presidential Records Act — but she left open the possibility that the argument could be used later.

• After Smith’s scathing critique of the request for jury instructions, Trump called Smith a “lowlife” who should be “sanctioned or censured.”

• A Georgia judge denied a bid by Trump and his co-defendants in the election interference case to dismiss the charges on First Amendment grounds.

• New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking more info about Trump’s bond for the civil fraud case.

Israel to open more aid routes to Gaza after pressure from Biden

Israel committed to opening additional routes to allow more aid to flow into Gaza after a call with President Joe Biden, during which the president warned of a potential shift in U.S. policy in the wake of a strike that killed seven aid workers.

Israel committed to opening the Ashdod port to allow assistance to be directly delivered into Gaza, opening the Erez crossing to let aid flow into north Gaza and significantly boosting deliveries from Jordan, a White House spokesperson said. No timetable was laid out.

A spokesperson for the Israeli government said in a statement that the increased aid “will prevent a humanitarian crisis” and is necessary “to achieve the goals of the war.”

In the call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, the president strongly implied to Netanyahu that the U.S. could condition military aid to Israel on what it does to address humanitarian concerns in Gaza and get to a cease-fire as soon as possible, two U.S. officials said.

Read the full story here.

Read more

• The Israeli military has dismissed two officers and said that a probe into the strikes that killed seven aid workers found serious errors and violations of protocol that led its forces to repeatedly hit a convoy that it says its forces believed was carrying Hamas gunmen, not World Central Kitchen team members. Follow live updates. 

A look at what has become of Gaza’s revered universities

Built over decades, Gaza’s universities were a beacon of hope for young Palestinians looking to exercise some control over lives stifled by war, a 17-year blockade, political stagnation and misrule and an economy on its knees. After Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, those hopes of a better life for Gaza’s young population are reduced to rubble.

According to an NBC News analysis of more than 60 videos and photos, and interviews with university administrators, professors, students and experts, at least five of Gaza’s seven major universities have been destroyed or partially damaged since Israel launched its offensive following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Aya Salameh, a 21-year-old English language and translation student, was set to graduate this spring from Al Azhar University. “The Israeli army has killed all our plans, all our passions,” she said referring to her disrupted college life, adding that she “literally cried many nights” over the news that the campus, as well as her home, had been destroyed.

Read the full story here.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ son accused of sex assault in lawsuit

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been named as a defendant in a new lawsuit that alleges his son drugged and sexually assaulted a woman while she was working on a yacht that the music mogul chartered for a “wholesome family excursion” at the end of 2022. The allegation is the latest in a wave of lawsuits against Combs, who is a subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation, and accuses 26-year-old Christian Combs of sexual assault, sexual harassment and infliction of emotional distress.

In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Grace O’Marcaigh included transcriptions of audio clips that she states are evidence of her denying Christian Combs’ advances as he gropes her. Here’s what else the lawsuit alleges.

A representative for Christian and Sean Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sean Combs has denied all of the recent allegations against him.

Your last-minute guide to the total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will cross over 15 U.S. states Monday, offering a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun. Tens of millions of people will be within what’s known as the path of totality, where the full eclipse will be visible. And those outside the path will still be able to enjoy a partial solar eclipse.

The timing, including how long totality lasts, depends on your location, but some spots will see the moon fully cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds. Just remember to not stare directly at the sun! To safely view the solar eclipse and avoid eye damage, NASA recommends using special eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors. Here are other tips for catching the rare celestial event.

More eclipse coverage:

• Festivals, art projects and a mass wedding ceremony: It’s as clear as day that eclipse mania has seized the nation.

• Inmates at a New York prison will get to watch the eclipse after all, and a lawsuit over the matter was withdrawn.

Alabama death row inmate asks to be executed 

Alabama death row inmate Derrick Dearman wants to die. It’s time, he said, for the victims and the families of the five people he murdered eight years ago to get closure. In his first interview with a reporter, he explained why he no longer wants to delay justice and is ready to pay the ultimate price for his crimes.

“I have laid many nights thinking, what would I say to any of them if I ever had the chance, the opportunity to say something?” Dearman, 36, said. But, he decided, “words don’t have any weight in this situation.”

This week, he mailed nine letters to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall, as well as the judges and others involved in the case informing them he is dropping his appeals. He also intends to write letters to the victims’ families.

Dearman was high on methamphetamine when he burst into a home in rural Alabama and killed five people, including a pregnant woman. He also kidnapped his girlfriend and a 3-month-boy. He has no excuse for what he did, he said, but “it doesn’t change the fact the crimes were committed.” Read the full interview here.

100,000+ salmon spill out of truck — and swim away

A tanker truck that overturned in northeast Oregon last week spilled more than 100,000 live salmon — but most were able to swim away after they landed in a nearby creek. Of the approximately 102,000 spring Chinook smolts that spilled out of the 53-foot truck last week, more than 25,000 fish didn’t survive.

The salmon were supposed to be released into the Imnaha River, supplementing the threatened wild population. Despite the wreck, state wildlife officials said, they don’t expect the loss to impact their operations and production goals in the future.

And, in case you’re wondering, the driver is fine, too.

Politics in Brief

Biden in Baltimore: Biden will meet with state and local officials in Maryland more than a week after the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

No candidate for No Labels: The bipartisan group No Labels is ending its efforts to put a third-party presidential ticket on the ballot after it was unable to find a candidate with a feasible path to the White House.

RFK Jr. campaign: RFK Jr.’s campaign disowned a fundraising email that referred to Jan. 6 rioters as “activists,” claiming it was sent in error. Meanwhile, “freaked out” Democrats are waging an open war on RFK Jr. and other people they view as a threat to Biden’s re-election.

Considering disbarment: The disciplinary panel of the D.C. Bar reached a preliminary conclusion that former Trump official Jeffrey Clark committed an ethical violation when he pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

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Staff Pick: Can ‘poisoning’ AI models with cat hallucinations protect copyrights?

University of Chicago researchers think so — at least up to a point. Their free tool called “Nightshade” lets artists subtly alter images in ways that humans barely notice but confuse AI image generators. When business and data correspondent Brian Cheung “nightshaded” a photo of himself, the platform spit out spooky felines, not more Brians. Nightshade’s developers know it’s no silver bullet but see it as a helpful “spear” to defend intellectual property rights. — Rich Bellis, senior business editor

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Sephora’s spring sale starts today — and for the store’s most dedicated members, discounts of up to 20% will be available. Here’s everything you need to know about the sale and our team’s favorite products to shop.

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