Officials Resigned After Refusing to Drop Adams Case

Manhattan’s U.S. attorney resigned this afternoon rather than obey an order from a top Justice Department official to drop the corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams. Soon after, when the department sought to transfer the case to the public integrity unit in Washington, the two men who led that division also quit.

Danielle Sassoon, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, wrote in her resignation letter that the order from Emil Bove, the acting No. 2 official at the Justice Department, was “inconsistent with my ability and duty to prosecute federal crimes without fear or favor.” (You can read her full letter.)

The resignations represent the most high-profile public resistance so far to President Trump’s tightening control over the Justice Department. They were a stunning repudiation of the administration’s attempt to end the prosecution of Adams, who has recently sought to curry favor with the president.

Just three days ago, Bove — who until recently was a criminal defense attorney for Trump — ordered the Manhattan office to drop the charges against Adams, arguing that it was stopping the mayor from helping Trump crack down on immigration. He made clear that he believed Trump should hold sway over the Justice Department, which for decades has operated separately from the White House.

Bove accepted Sassoon’s resignation in his own eight-page letter, in which he blasted her handling of the case. He also told Sassoon that the attorney general and the Justice Department’s internal investigative arm would evaluate her conduct.

Trump plans to upend trade with ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

President Trump ordered his advisers this afternoon to devise broad new tariffs on American trading partners around the globe. He described them as necessary to end “unfair” trading relationships and stop other countries from taking advantage of the U.S. market.

Howard Lutnick, the president’s nominee for commerce secretary, said the tariffs could come as soon as April 2. Nearly every country would be affected, but the move could have particularly significant consequences for Europe, Japan and India.

The president’s plan seems likely to kick off intense negotiations with governments whose economies depend on exports to the U.S. It could also cause increased prices and elicit trade wars. The tariffs would take into account a range of trade barriers imposed on American exports, including tariffs, taxes and domestic subsidies.

Just hours after announcing the tariffs, Trump met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, whom the president has accused of gaining an unfair trade advantage over the U.S. Here’s the latest.

In other politics news:

Europe and Ukraine demanded a part in peace talks

Some of America’s closest European allies rushed today to respond to Trump’s decision to begin negotiations with Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. At a NATO meeting in Brussels, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine joined calls from British and German leaders insisting that Ukraine and NATO members be included in peace talks.

My colleague Steven Erlanger, our chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe, said that European leaders were particularly “unhappy about concessions made to Putin that seem to have been granted without any negotiation or recompense.” Trump’s comments yesterday appeared to leave Ukraine with little leverage. But this afternoon, the president said that Ukraine would be involved in the peace talks.

For more: Trump said that he may meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia for talks.

Inside the Murdoch family succession saga

Rupert Murdoch and his firstborn son, Lachlan, worked on a secret plan to amend the family’s trust to strip three of his other children of their power to influence their media empire — in order to preserve its conservative bent.

Their lawyers had named it Project Family Harmony, but it set in motion a bitter legal battle. The Times Magazine obtained the bulk of the trial record — 3,000 pages, including private messages between family members — which tell a story of bitterness and betrayal.

Bridget Jones is back

Nearly a quarter century after Renée Zellweger first starred as Bridget Jones, the rom-com heroine is returning tomorrow in “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.” This time, Bridget is a widow trying to make the most of her 50s.

The big surprise, my colleague Elisabeth Vincentelli wrote in a review, is that the new film is just as satisfying as the original — maybe even more so. “I’m now looking forward to seeing Bridget as a madcap grandmother,” Elisabeth said.

If you like the movie, check out these books.

A pet detective with a secret weapon

Chad Tavernia, a retired New York State Police investigator, purchased a thermal-imaging drone in 2023. He used the device’s heat signals to locate and photograph bobcats, deer and other wild animals for his Facebook page.

The fashion world’s silly hat party

Once a year in Paris, the young artisans who work for the world’s most prestigious luxury houses get together for a private fashion show featuring opulent — and sometimes outlandish — hats.

Historically, the event was attended by unmarried fashion workers looking for a partner, but it has become a day for the industry to celebrate itself. My colleague Jessica Testa got an inside look at a recent celebration, where Schiaparelli’s employees wore hats resembling high-heeled shoes and Hermès workers walked out to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”

Have a creative evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today.

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