Today's Top Stories from NBC News |
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In today's newsletter: Furloughed federal workers were already drained and demoralized by months of layoffs and funding cuts, then came the government shutdown. Frustrated young Trump supporters express what they want to see from the president. And, Taylor Swift album drops have always been an event; her 12th one was no different. Here's what to know today. |
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(Elijah Nouvelage / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) |
Furloughed federal employees won't be paid until Congress passes legislation to fund the government. And with neither side showing signs of budging as the shutdown enters its third day, some federal employees say they are "sad," "scared" and "afraid." While most of the furloughed employees won't be allowed to work during the shutdown, others who are deemed essential — such as members of the military and airport security screeners — will continue working without pay. Federal workers typically receive back pay once the government reopens, but that requires congressional approval. In addition to the uncertainty around paychecks, the Trump administration has threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext to carry out more mass firings. That's left federal workers, already drained and demoralized by months of layoffs and funding cuts, scrambling to figure out how to cope with the possibility of weeks without pay and a new round of layoffs, according to nearly two dozen federal workers who reached out to NBC News. The wife of a Department of Homeland Security worker in Ohio said that her bank rejected her request for a deferment on her mortgage. Like nearly all federal employees whom NBC News spoke with, she asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration, which has publicly fired federal workers it has deemed as being against its agenda. "I was never afraid to speak my mind before, I never felt afraid to talk. Now, people are afraid," an Arizona TSA worker said, explaining her concerns over speaking publicly about how the shutdown is impacting her. She will have to continue working without pay during the shutdown. Read the full story. |
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the shutdown "stupid" and said a negotiation with his Democratic counterpart Sen. Chuck Schumer is not "going to accomplish a lot."
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President Donald Trump's victory last year was fueled in part by young voters. But new focus groups reveal why some young voters who backed his campaign are beginning to sour on his administration's approach to immigration and the economy. Fourteen swing-state Trump voters under age 30 participated in recent focus groups observed by NBC News as part of the 2025 "Deciders" series, produced by Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago. Nine said they disapproved of Trump's overall job performance so far, while five approved. The group included eight self-identified independents and six Republicans. And while some of the voters in the focus groups detailed concerns about Trump, that didn't necessarily mean they're inclined to support Democrats. Many of them described the Democratic Party as weak and out of touch. Read the full story. |
- A top national security prosecutor was fired after a pro-Trump writer, without evidence, linked him to internal pushback over the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
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Sean "Diddy" Combs apologized and expressed how "sorry" he was "for all of the hurt and pain" he caused in a letter to the judge set to sentence him on two prostitution-related convictions today.
Combs, who faces up to 20 years in prison, also asked for mercy, writing he has "been humbled and broken to my core."
The letter marks the first time that Combs has addressed U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian in any meaningful way. During the eight-week federal trial, Combs did not testify and gave brief answers to questions from the judge. Read the full story. |
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Taylor Swift has already broken records with her latest album, with "The Life of a Showgirl," being the most pre-saved album ever on Spotify, making her the first female artist to exceed 100 million album sales. The album features a dozen tracks and reunited her with Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, diverging from her good friend Jack Antonoff, who produced her most recent albums. Fans are also expected to flock to movie theaters this weekend to catch "Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl," which the singer described as a "dazzling soirée." The theatrical event will include the premiere of the music video for "The Fate of Ophelia." Read the latest updates on "The Life of a Showgirl" in our liveblog. |
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Perhaps, nobody knows more about how to sound like Trump than Ryan Chen, a social media star from "CHI-na." Though Chen has never set foot in the U.S., he sounds as American as the president himself, nailing Trump's tone, rambling cadence, and the signature hand gestures. In his first U.S. media interview, Chen told NBC News that he posted his first Trump impression video last fall just as a dare. But the clip went viral. So, he just kept going. Chen's popularity continues to grow at home and abroad, even amid the U.S.-China trade war. However, Chen said his videos aren't about politics, and he just wants to make people laugh by introducing Chinese food and culture to foreigners in Trump's accent. – Peter Guo, associate producer |
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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Christian Orozco. If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send us an email at: MorningRundown@nbcuni.com If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign up here. |
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