Biden says he hopes to see a cease-fire in Gaza by next week. Diddy is accused of sexual harassment and assault in a new lawsuit. And a case of unopened hockey cards sells for more than $3 million.
Here's what to know today.
Biden says he hopes to see a cease-fire by next week in the Israel-Hamas war
President Joe Biden said that he hopes there will be a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war by next week. “My hope is by next Monday we will have a cease-fire,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question while he was in New York City. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, close but not done yet,” he said.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that representatives “came to an understanding” about what “the basic contours" of a hostage deal for temporary cease-fire would look like.
The White House has been working on cease-fire negotiations amid growing pressure from progressives and Palestinian allies.
NBC News has previously reported that Qatar is mediating talks between Israel and Hamas this week, and cease-fire negotiations have taken place between U.S., Israeli, Qatari and Egyptian officials in Paris. Israel’s military is planning a ground offensive in Rafah, where about 1.5 million people are taking refuge. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the military has proposed a plan for evacuating civilians.
Read more:
- Biden’s suggestions that cease-fire talks were close to a resolution were dismissed by a senior Hamas official this morning, who accused the U.S. of leaking proposals with the aim of pressuring Hamas’ leadership into agreeing to a deal that does not permanently end the fighting or lead to the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Follow live updates.
- Palestinian civilians sheltering in Rafah will be allowed to flee to other areas of southern Gaza ahead of a planned offensive, but won’t be allowed to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, according to two Israeli officials.
- Biden made an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” during which he answered questions about the Israel-Hamas war and his age.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sexual harassment, drugging and threatening producer on his latest album
Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued in federal court by a producer of his most recent album, who accuses the music mogul of sexually harassing, drugging and threatening him over more than a year.
The producer, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, says in the lawsuit that in or about August 2022, Combs called him and requested that he produce several songs on the R&B album “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” which was released in September 2023 and was nominated for a Grammy. “Mr. Jones agreed, and his life has been detrimentally impacted ever since,” the lawsuit says.
He lived and traveled with Combs from September 2022 to November 2023, according to the lawsuit. During this time, he recorded hours of video and audio of Combs, his staff and others “engaging in serious illegal activity.” The lawsuit includes what it says are screenshots from gatherings hosted at Combs’ homes that included underage girls and sex workers, some of whom he said were provided drinks that’d been laced with drugs at Combs’ direction. Jones is seeking $30 million.
University of Georgia faces calls for campus safety measures after nursing student’s death
The University of Georgia has been facing pressure to upgrade security on the campus after a nursing student, Laken Riley, was killed in an apparent random attack last week.
An online petition to place “blue lights” — emergency phone boxes that allow the user to quickly connect with police — across its Athens campus of more than 40,000 students garnered more than 25,000 signatures. The nonprofit organization SafeD Athens, which includes parents of students, is calling on the university to take on other initiatives, such as increased safety patrols and enhanced camera surveillance systems in designated “safe zones.”
“It’s like it’s always there in the back of your mind,” student Sanjana Gowda said of last week’s attack. “This happened in broad daylight on campus — somewhere that I go pretty frequently, too.”
Riley’s slaying has put a spotlight on security measures as university campuses have been affected by deadly violence.
Read more:
- Republicans are pointing to the death of the woman on the University of Georgia campus in their push for tougher immigration tactics after an undocumented immigrant was charged in the killing.
Case of unopened hockey cards that may include Wayne Gretzky’s first goes for $3.7M
A sealed carton of hockey player cards hit $3.7 million at auction, Heritage Auctions said. The bidder will get an unopened cardboard box filled with 48 packs of O-Pee-Chee hockey cards from the 1979-80 season, it said. Among its 10,752 cards could be as many as two dozen coveted Wayne Gretzky rookie cards.
The box, which has been untouched in a basement for years, made global headlines last month when its existence was revealed. Despite the mystery of what may lie inside, a company spokesperson told The Associated Press that he doesn’t expect the winning bidder will open the boxes — as they are rarer than the cards themselves.
Politics in Brief
Michigan primary: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told NBC News that there will be a “sizable” number of protest votes against Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war in tonight’s presidential primary.
Government shutdown: Biden will meet with congressional leaders as they scramble to avoid a government shutdown and send aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Trump investigations: Prosecutors in New York are seeking a limited gag order barring Donald Trump from talking about court staff members and witnesses ahead of his trial next month on charges that he falsified business records.
IVF ruling: Democrats are expected to increase their messaging around an Alabama Supreme Court ruling over in vitro fertilization, and will be drawing a direct line from the decision to Trump.
Abortion rights: Sen. Lindsey Graham has introduced a federal abortion ban bill to every Congress since 2013. For the first time in the last decade, he hasn’t proposed legislation yet.
Alabama politics: An explosive device detonated outside the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a day after his office said he had no plans to prosecute IVF providers or families following the state’s Supreme Court ruling that embryos are people.
✦ WANT MORE POLITICS NEWS?
Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here.
Staff Pick: Innocent, but paying the price of guilt
Jasmine Violenes, a mother of two pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse, was wrongly identified in a police lineup and then charged with two felonies that she didn’t commit. She couldn’t have. She was working at an urgent care at the time. Reporter Deon Hampton tells a gutting story of life after a wrongful indictment that’s worth your time. —Richie Duchon, deputy director of owned platforms
In Case You Missed It
- A photographer has accused Taylor Swift’s dad of punching him on a waterfront in Sydney and has reported the alleged incident to the police.
- Delta Air Lines announced that it will operate a flight April 8 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Detroit, timed to give people on board the chance to witness the total solar eclipse from 30,000 feet in the air.
- The husband of a New York doctor filed a lawsuit alleging that his wife died of an allergic reaction at Disney World.
- A man will spend life in prison for fatally shooting a TikTok personality and his date at a California movie theater.
- A missing American couple allegedly hijacked on a yacht in Grenada were likely thrown overboard and died, according to police.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Stepping out of a hot shower into the cold air isn’t always so pleasant. A towel warmer could help you ward off that post-shower chill. Here’s what to consider when shopping for one.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for exclusive reviews and shopping content from NBC Select.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Both. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.
