Federal workers impacted by Trump’s DEI orders share their thoughts. A look Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role in the aftermath of a deadly vaccine accident in Samoa. And four NFL teams will battle for their conference championship and a spot in a Super Bowl.

Here’s what to know today.

Anger and fear among federal workers placed on leave

Months before the presidential election, a woman of color who is a federal worker prepared to lose her job. She started buying her children clothing in larger sizes last summer. Presents under the Christmas tree were scant. And she stopped taking her kids to Target “so that they won’t ask you for a bunch of stuff that you won’t be able to afford,” she said. 

This week, she was among the workers placed on paid leave after President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal agencies. Despite her preparations, she was still surprised and upset by how quickly the order was implemented. “It’s disheartening that we’ve become pawns in this grapple for control,” the woman said. 

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She and others affected by Trump’s order said they are angry at their jobs being eliminated and fearful at what comes next. “I’ve put 23 years of blood, sweat and tears into this agency,” said another employee who had worked for the same agency for more than two decades. A third worker in a Cabinet-level agency told NBC News that his group helped create an internal policy for employees who transition genders. By Wednesday evening, the once-public policy was no longer on the agency’s website. 

Trump’s order is one of several he signed this week on DEI efforts. Separate orders directed the Federal Aviation Administration to end DEI efforts and rescinded a 1965 order prohibiting discrimination in hiring by federal contractors. Trump and his allies have labeled DEI programs as discriminatory.  

The repercussions of Trump’s executive order were also felt among workers not placed on paid leave. “Right now there is a lot of fear,” a worker said. “It feels like we are in Cuba.”

Read the full story here.

More coverage of Trump’s first week in office: 

• A federal district court judge temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship. The judge, a Ronald Reagan appointee, said in his ruling, “This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”
• Trump said he wants Saudi Arabia to increase its U.S. investment to $1 trillion and decrease the price of oil in a wide-ranging virtual address during the World Economic Forum. 
• Trump has ordered his administration to evaluate whether to create a “national digital asset stockpile.”
• Trump signed an executive order pardoning 23 anti-abortion-rights activists, one day before he is expected to address thousands at the annual March for Life in Washington.
• A descendant of President William McKinley proposed a compromise after Trump signed an order to rename Denali, North America’s tallest peak, to McKinley.
• Thousands died in constructing the Panama Canal, and gaining control of the critical waterway was no easy feat. Not to mention, training an engineer to run it takes 12 years. Here’s what else Panamanians had to say about Trump’s threats to retake the canal. 

Trump to visit fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles

Donald Trump is set to visit California today to view the devastation from the wildfires that have ripped through the Los Angeles area, his first presidential trip since returning to office. “We’re going to take care of Los Angeles,” Trump told reporters as he previewed the visit. But he has repeatedly blamed the state’s Democratic leaders for persistent blazes and suggested that federal aid to California could be withheld over state efforts to protect a small endangered fish called the Delta smelt. It’s unclear if Trump would meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom while he is on the ground.

The president’s visit comes as crews work to contain the Hughes Fire north of Los Angeles after it broke out Wednesday. The blaze, which hasn’t destroyed any structures, was 10,396 acres and 36% contained as of last night.

Much-needed rain is in the forecast for Southern California this weekend, but with it comes the risk of mudslides, flash flooding and toxic runoff. 

Experts saw Samoa’s plunging vaccination rates as a crisis. RFK Jr. saw an opportunity.

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited in June 2019, Samoa was on the brink of crisis. The government had suspended measles vaccinations the year before after an improperly prepared vaccine killed two babies. Though the vaccinations resumed months later, many parents weren’t convinced that the shots were safe, leaving thousands unprotected against a highly contagious disease as it was resurging across the globe.

With fewer than a third of Samoa’s babies vaccinated, experts and officials feared for the Pacific Island nation. But Kennedy, then chairman of anti-vaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, saw an opportunity. Months later, a measles outbreak swept the country, killing 83 people, mostly small children.

Kennedy’s time in Samoa and influence there have come under renewed scrutiny since President Donald Trump announced his nomination as secretary of health and human services. The subject is sure to come up during his confirmation hearing next week before the Senate Finance Committee.

Senior reporter Brandy Zadrozny reports on Kennedy’s visit to the country, his communication with its leaders and the health crisis that gripped the nation. Read the full story here.

More on Trump’s Cabinet picks: 

• A confirmation vote for Pete Hegseth to be Trump’s defense secretary is expected today after the Senate voted yesterday to advance his nomination, despite opposition from two Republicans.
• John Ratcliffe was confirmed as the next CIA director in a 74-25 Senate vote. 

In the battle for a Super Bowl spot, which teams have the edge?

The 2025 Super Bowl contenders will be known by the end of the weekend. But first, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will compete against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game, and Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders will take on Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC championship. Sports reporter Rohan Nadkarni previews the star athletes and storylines to watch for during Sunday’s matchups: 

🏈 Rank the four quarterbacks. 1. Patrick Mahomes. 2. Josh Allen. 3. Jayden Daniels. 4. Jalen Hurts.

I would rather be behind the curve when it comes to doubting Mahomes. Even with the Chiefs’ relatively pedestrian offensive numbers this year, in the game’s biggest moments, there is no question for me: I would want Mahomes.

Allen has been great this year, especially when it comes to protecting the football. Some of his best plays in the Bills’ win last weekend over the Ravens were the plays he didn’t make: no forced throws or ill-advised laterals. Combine his newfound risk avoidance with his running and throwing talent, he’s a clear second for me.

Daniels versus Hurts is where it gets interesting. I’d take the Eagles’ offense overall, but what about Hurts on his own? Ultimately, I would trust Daniels more in pure passing situations.

🏈 Besides the big players, what are under-the-radar storylines to watch? The Commanders’ fourth-down aggressiveness definitely stands out, but I think their coaching strategy has been on point in the postseason. After attempting five fourth-down conversions in the wild card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington went for it four more times against the Detroit Lions in the divisional round. That strategy will be especially important against the Eagles, whose rushing attack can skew time of possession pretty quickly. If the Commanders are going to pull off an upset this week, then continuing to employ a bold fourth-down strategy will go a long way.

🏈 Which non-quarterback (besides Eagles running back Saquon Barkley) will have the biggest impact this weekend? Don’t let the lack of insurance commercials or podcast clips fool you — Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is as integral a part of the Chiefs winning as the Mahomes-to-Kelce connection is. Jones is primed for a monster performance on Sunday against the Bills’ rock-solid offensive line. Jones needs to help slow down the run, and if he’s able to generate pressure lined up over the middle, that could neutralize some of Allen’s scrambling ability.

🏈 Who do you think makes the Super Bowl? Chiefs and Eagles. Mahomes stays the king of the AFC, and Philly’s experience in big games will finally catch up to the Commanders.

NBC Sports’ Patrick Daughtery and contributor Andrew Greif also shared their thoughts ahead of this weekend’s games. Read the full story here.

Read All About It

• Members of the Sackler family and OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion in a new settlement.
• An AI-powered weapon detection system failed to pick up the handgun a 17-year-old Nashville student used in a school shooting this week, school officials said. Authorities also revealed the shooter livestreamed part of the incident and was influenced by “harmful and objectionable” internet content.
• Ichiro Suzuki has an invitation for the one person who didn’t vote in favor of his Baseball Hall of Fame selection.

Staff Pick: Israelis brace to hear the fate of Hamas’ youngest hostage

Clutching his pink elephant and beaming, Kfir Bibas is the picture of innocence. Today he is the youngest hostage yet to be freed by Hamas. He was just nine-months-old when he was taken captive along with his 5-year-old brother and his parentson Oct. 7. Since then, Kfir has spent his first and second birthday in captivity, but when NBC New’s Raf Sanchez and Shira Pinson spoke to his aunt, Ofri Bibas-Levy, she said she was hopeful he would be freed as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal struck between Israel and Hamas.— Henry Austin, Senior Editor

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