{"id":838,"date":"2025-03-24T11:56:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T11:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/24\/trumps-law-firm-memo-and-wildfires-burn-in-the-carolinas-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T11:56:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T11:56:31","slug":"trumps-law-firm-memo-and-wildfires-burn-in-the-carolinas-morning-rundown-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/24\/trumps-law-firm-memo-and-wildfires-burn-in-the-carolinas-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s law firm memo and wildfires burn in the Carolinas: Morning Rundown &#8211; NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><em>Donald Trump escalates his assault on law firms. Wildfires have burned thousands of acres in the Carolinas. And Canada\u2019s prime minister calls for snap elections amid a trade war with the U.S.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Here\u2019s what to know today.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Trump targets law firms that file \u2018frivolous\u2019 suits against his administration<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>President Donald Trump escalated his assault on law firms with the release of a new memo that authorizes the attorney general and homeland security secretary to sanction firms that file lawsuits the two officials deem \u201cfrivolous,\u201d legal experts and former Justice Department officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The presidential memorandum, issued Saturday, is titled \u201cPreventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court,\u201d also ordered AG Pam Bondi to recommend revoking attorneys\u2019 security clearances or terminating law firms\u2019 federal contracts if she deems their lawsuits against the administration \u201cunreasonable\u201d or \u201cvexatious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/morning-rundown-signup\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> to get it in your inbox.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The memo follows executive orders against three law firms \u2014 Covington &#038; Burling, Perkins Coie, and Paul Weiss \u2014 calling on federal contracts of the firms\u2019 clients to be reviewed, suspending some employees\u2019 security clearances and barring them from some federal buildings. Trump rescinded the order against Paul Weiss last week after the firm struck a deal with the president.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>David Laufman, a former head of the DOJ\u2019s counterintelligence section who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, described the move as \u201can authoritarian plan to silence and punish the legal profession\u201d that would have triggered swift intervention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s chilling the very sector of society that stands between Trump and tyranny,\u201d said a former federal prosecutor and senior lawyer at a law firm that has sued the administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Legal experts accused Trump of hypocrisy, noting that his own lawyers have violated Rule 11 of the federal rules of civil procedure, which bars lawyers from making false or frivolous claims in court, when falsely saying Trump won the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/trump-targets-lawyers-frivolous-lawsuits-administration-rcna197698\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Read the full story here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>More politics news:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Second lady Usha Vance\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/trump-administration\/second-lady-usha-vance-visit-greenland-trump-mike-waltz-chris-wright-rcna197708?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>will travel to Greenland<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0this week along with two other administration officials as Trump ramps up calls for U.S. ownership of the Danish territory.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The Republican-led Congress\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/four-hurdles-republicans-shift-focus-bill-pass-trump-agenda-rcna197047?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>is eyeing an April deadline<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to pass Trump\u2019s multitrillion-dollar agenda, which includes extending his 2017 tax cuts and a debt ceiling increase.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>In an unusual case before the Supreme Court today, civil rights groups are in a tentative alliance with Republican officials\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/supreme-court\/supreme-court-hears-louisiana-racial-gerrymandering-claim-rcna197285?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>to defend a Louisiana congressional map<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that includes two majority Black districts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Wildfires burn in the Carolinas<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Wildfires feeding on dry woodlands that were damaged by Hurricane Helene last year have together burned thousands of acres in North Carolina and South Carolina over the weekend. Despite possible rain in the region today, federal forecasters warn that fire weather could return this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A trio of fires is burning in Polk County, in the western part of North Carolina. The Black Cover Fire was more than 2,000 acres as of Sunday afternoon and 0% contained, while evacuations were ordered for some residents in the area, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Deep Woods Fire nearby has burned more than 2,500 acres and was 0% contained. And the Fish Hook Fire has burned 199 acres and was 50% contained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In South Carolina, a fire is burning in Table Rock State Park, in the northern part of the state. The fire was over 300 acres as of yesterday afternoon and was still growing, the state Forestry Commission said. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/north-carolina-wildfires-prompt-evacuation-orders-rcna197686\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\u2019s what else we know.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>U.S. and Russia start new Ukraine peace talks on a tricky footing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure><picture data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" ><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" ><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-03\/250324-ukraine-strike-mb-0923-82f9e8.jpg\" alt=\"Russian drone strike in Kyiv\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"><\/picture><figcaption data-testid=\"caption\"><span data-testid=\"caption__container\">An apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 23, 2025. <\/span><span data-testid=\"caption__source\">Vladyslav Musiienko \/ Reuters<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The\u00a0United States and Russia\u00a0began a new set of talks aimed at a partial\u00a0Ukraine ceasefire this morning \u2014 even as the two sides disagreed over how well the talks in Saudi Arabia were going and after another night of drone strikes. American negotiators say they are hopeful of achieving \u201creal progress\u201d at\u00a0the talks in Saudi Arabia, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned of \u201cdifficult negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The White House is attempting a strategy of \u201cshuttle diplomacy,\u201d one source familiar with the negotiations told NBC News \u2014 meeting with Russian delegates having already spoken with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia a day before. Both sides sounded upbeat following those talks, with Ukraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling the discussions \u201cquite useful,\u201d and Trump\u2019s special envoy Steve Witkoff telling several broadcast shows that he was hopeful of \u201creal progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, yesterday also brought another reality check to the White House\u2019s optimism. Russia launched 99 drones into Ukraine, killing three people in the capital of Kyiv including a father and his 5-year-old daughter, according to Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n<p>Read the full story <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/us-russia-talks-ceasefire-ukraine-zelenskyy-putin-trump-waltz-saudi-rcna197734\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Read All About It\u200a<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Pope Francis was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/pope-francis-first-public-appearance-discharged-rcna197657?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>discharged from the hospital<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0after making his first public appearance in more than five weeks.<\/li>\n<li>Four people, including three teens,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/two-suspects-arrested-new-mexico-mass-shooting-kills-3-injures-15-rcna197663?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>were arrested in a New Mexico shooting<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that killed three people and injured 15.<\/li>\n<li>McNeese State\u2019s time in the NCAA Tournament may have ended, but team manager Amir Khan\u2019s moment in the spotlight\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/sports\/college-basketball\/mcneese-state-lost-biggest-winner-ncaa-tournament-rcna197625?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>is far from over<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Staff Pick\u200a: <strong>For Gen Z, what\u2019s \u2018cringe\u2019 is charming<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure><picture data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" ><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" ><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-03\/250321-gen-z-millenial-cringe-lr-e76fd7.jpg\" alt=\"Photo illustration of Barack Obama and Hannah Horvath (character from HBO Girls) surrounded by stickers that read \"LOL\" and \"omg\" and \"cute\" and \"win\" \" height=\"1600\" width=\"2400\"><\/picture><figcaption data-testid=\"caption\"><span data-testid=\"caption__source\">Leila Register \/ NBC News; Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Good news, fellow millennials: Gen Z likes us. Or they at least like that \u201cmillennial era of like BuzzFeed quizzes,\u201d hipsters, mustaches and nerdcore, which one TikTok creator called \u201cdelightfully cringe, but in a very wholesome way.\u201d (So, maybe \u201clike\u201d is a strong word to describe how Gen Z feels about their millennial elders.) News associate Kyla Guilfoil spoke to experts and young people who explained\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/pop-culture\/lifestyle\/gen-z-nostalgia-millennial-cringe-charm-rcna196957?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>why Gen Z is feeling a certain type of way<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0about the era of Barack Obama, Tumblr, the TV show \u201cGirls\u201d and clubbing culture. <em>\u2014\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Elizabeth Robinson,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>newsletter editor<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified<\/h2>\n<p>\u200aFace taping is exactly what it sounds like. But does the viral trend actually diminish the appearance of wrinkles? The NBC Select team\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/select\/shopping\/what-is-face-taping-rcna197126?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>spoke to experts to find out<\/strong><\/a>. Plus, students can get 50% off any Paramount+ plan, a perfect deal for enjoying March Madness.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/select\/shopping\/paramount-plus-student-deal-rcna197122?cid=eml_mrd_20250324\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\u2019s how<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to get the discount.\u200a<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/nbc-news-select-signup-homepage\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Sign up to The Selection<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>\u00a0newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Thanks for reading today\u2019s Morning Rundown. Today\u2019s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you\u2019re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/link.nbcnews.com\/join\/5cj\/morning-rundown-signup\" target=\"_blank\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-activity-map=\"expanded-byline-article-bottom\">\n<p><span data-testid=\"byline-thumbnail\"><\/span><span data-testid=\"byline-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/author\/elizabeth-robinson-ncpn1305004\">Elizabeth Robinson<\/a><\/span><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth Robinson is a newsletter editor for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump escalates his assault on law firms. Wildfires have burned thousands of acres in the Carolinas. And Canada\u2019s prime minister calls for snap elections amid a trade war with the U.S. Here\u2019s what to know today. Trump targets law firms that file \u2018frivolous\u2019 suits against his administration President Donald Trump escalated his assault on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}