Navy Secretary John Phelan is the latest defense official to leave the Trump administration amid the Iran war. A look ahead at one of the most unpredictable NFL drafts in recent memory. And ICE quietly rolls back some of its most aggressive immigration policies.
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Navy Secretary John Phelan fired amid Iran war
Navy Secretary John Phelan will leave the Trump administration “effective immediately,” the Pentagon announced, marking the latest departure of a top defense official as the war in Iran continues.
The abrupt firing came after mounting tensions between Phelan and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon’s No. 2, Stephen Feinberg, according to multiple officials and others familiar with the relationship. There were a number of issues between the men, but the speed and approach Phelan was taking when it came to shipbuilding, a challenge in which President Donald Trump has taken a personal interest, appears to have been the main reason for the firing, multiple people said. Feinberg had wrested some decision making on shipbuilding away from Phelan, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
Hegseth also forced out the Army’s top officer and two other Army generals earlier this month.
The new acting Navy secretary will be Undersecretary Hung Cao, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said.
Phelan’s ouster comes amid the U.S. naval blockade of Iran. The American military has seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has called a violation of the ceasefire between the two countries. And firing the head of the Navy when the U.S. is enforcing a naval blockade caught members of Congress and Pentagon officials off guard.
Read the full story for more details about Phelan’s firing.
The latest on the conflict in the Middle East:
- U.S. Central Command says it has turned around 31 ships — mostly oil tankers — in its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Yesterday, Iran attacked and seized three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the mounting global economic consequences, Trump said there is “no time frame” on ending the war after he extended the ceasefire. Follow our live blog here.
- For subscribers: They fled Iran in search of freedom. Instead of finding the American dream, refugees and asylum-seekers have been detained by ICE.
Staff Pick: NFL mock draft: An NBC News political reporter (and draft guru)’s predictions
I’m a national political reporter now, but ever since I was young, I was that kid who loved the NFL Draft — who used to bring his Walkman radio around on the big day to not miss a minute of the action, all seven rounds.
That obsession hasn’t waned much since. I’m in fantasy football leagues with rules that would make your head spin. I use the skills I’ve sharpened sifting through election data on crunching college football statistics. And each year, I take my own crack predicting who will be chosen in the first round.
That’s why my friends over on the sports desk decided to channel my obsession into a full-fledged first-round mock draft — an outsider’s take.
This year is poised to be one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent memory, and I can’t wait. — Ben Kamisar, national political reporter
Catch up on our NFL Draft coverage:
- The five biggest questions of the first round, including if Alabama’s Ty Simpson will hear his name called tonight.
- For NFL prospects, hand size and wingspan matter as much as on-field performance.
- Pittsburgh students move to remote learning as NFL draft consumes the city.
- Later today, visit NBCNews.com as our sports team live blogs the first-round picks, fashion and draft night excitement.
- And subscribe to “The Sports Desk” newsletter for more reaction and analysis from NBC News’ sports reporters.
GOP feels fear and anger after Virginia redistricting loss
Republicans expressed their anger a day after voters in Virginia approved a redistricting plan that could enable Democrats to gain as many as four new congressional seats in the midterm elections.
The vote in favor of a new map in Virginia brought the overall mid-decade redistricting back-and-forth to a draw — if not a slight advantage for the Democrats. In this subscriber article, senior reporter Jane Timm reviews which states have changed their districts and what Republicans and Democrats stand to gain. See the full breakdown here.
After the Virginia election, Trump — who initiated a scramble last year when he urged GOP-led states to redraw their maps ahead of schedule — called on the “Courts” to “fix this travesty of ‘Justice.’”
Democrats were jubilant. And several Republicans expressed regret and anger. Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas said, “I think both sides will live to regret it, because it establishes a new precedent that has no end.” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania called gerrymandering “bad for our country.” And Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who has introduced a bill to ban partisan gerrymandering, called Virginia’s map “a f- — -ing joke.”
More reactions to the Virginia redistricting vote.
More politics news:
- Six candidates for California governor talked about former Rep. Eric Swalwell, homelessness and Trump in the first debate since Swalwell’s exit from the race.
- Democratic Rep. David Scott, who made history as the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has died at the age of 80.
- Prediction market Kalshi said it fined and suspended three political candidates for trading on their own races during primary campaigns.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clashed with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, as well as Democratic senators, over his vaccine policy, the CDC and abortion medications.
Trump admin curbs some its most aggressive immigration enforcement policies
The Department of Homeland Security is quietly rolling back at least two of its controversial immigration enforcement policies, according to two senior officials and two immigration attorneys who have seen the changes firsthand. The Trump administration softened its tone around mass deportations in recent months — notably after the killings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, in Minnesota, and after Trump ousted Secretary Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary.
According to the two DHS officials, ICE field offices across the country have been instructed that its officers should no longer enter homes without a judicial warrant. ICE officers also have drastically curtailed the number of arrests they make during immigration court proceedings by taking people into custody only when a person is a target for deportation, one of the officials and the immigration attorneys said.
Take a closer look at how the Trump administration has softened parts of its immigration crackdown while keeping other controversial enforcement policies intact.
Separately, Senate Republicans voted early Thursday morning to approve a budget measure that would pave the way for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol funding without any Democratic support.
Inside the courtroom where former students face a teacher charged with rape
Hilary Simon and Melissa Fares said they were frightened, but they didn’t show it yesterday in a Massachusetts courtroom as they watched the teacher who allegedly preyed on them when they were students at the posh Miss Hall’s School plead not guilty to rape.
When they emerged from the Berkshire County Courthouse after the brief hearing, they were greeted by cheers from dozens of supporters. “He didn’t say a word to me,” Fares said of the teacher, Matthew Rutledge. “It was still worth coming for this. Now I have the power.” Simon said she felt relieved.
Rutledge, 64, had once been the popular teacher at Miss Hall’s School, a swaggering presence who would march down the hallways of the all-girls boarding school bellowing “Make way for Mr. Wonderful!” But during his arraignment, he said exactly two words.
Senior reporter Corky Siemaszko was in Pittsfield to watch the latest development in the case unfold. Read his dispatch from the Berkshire County Courthouse.
Read All About It
- For subscribers: Long before eight children were massacred last weekend in Shreveport, Louisiana, the city struggled with an alarming streak of domestic violence incidents.
- Two people died, one person was in critical condition and more than 30 people sought medical treatment after a “chemical release” at a West Virginia manufacturing facility.
- A woman who used to work for MrBeast has accused the YouTuber’s company of sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
- The Trump administration neared a $500 million rescue deal for Spirit Airlines, in a rare move to support the struggling air carrier.
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