In today's newsletter: Several Justice Department lawyers involved in Trump investigations are fired. China's DeepSeek AI model sends a shockwave through the tech industry. And North Korean defectors share insight into the mindset of Kim Jong Un's soldiers.

Here's what to know today.

The firings of several Justice Department lawyers involved in prosecuting Donald Trump was meant to intimidate the workforce and deter investigations during the president’s second administration, former DOJ and FBI officials told NBC News.

The Justice Department announced yesterday that the career employees who were fired worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation that led to now-dismissed indictments against Trump over his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the lead-up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda,” a Justice Department official wrote, characterizing the decision as “consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government.”

Justice Department officials last week also reassigned four senior career prosecutors involved in Trump investigations to a new task force meant to crack down on sanctuary cities. Those officials included a senior civil servant who was involved in the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022 and a career prosecutor who helped convict Ross Ulbricht, the cryptocurrency backer who helped found Silk Road, a black market on the dark web that sold illegal drugs, who Trump pardoned on his first full day in office.

“They are scaring people into behaving a certain way,” said a former senior FBI official. A former Justice Department official said the firings are an effort by Trump “to get them to submit to him personally rather than to their jobs and the Constitution.”

One Justice Department official predicted more retribution if Trump ally Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director. Patel, whose confirmation hearing is on Thursday, has blamed career civil servants for being part of a “deep state” plot to undermine Trump’s presidency.

Read the full story here.

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DeepSeek's new AI model jolts the tech industry

The rise of Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek turned heads in the tech world and beyond while sparking debate about the AI development race. It started last week with the release of DeepSeek’s latest large language model, R1. It quickly ranked second only to U.S.-based OpenAI’s o1 model in the Artificial Analysis Quality Index, a well-followed independent AI analysis ranking, beating a range of other models from companies like Google and Meta. In recent days, DeepSeek’s assistant hit No. 1 on the Apple App Store. DeepSeek released yet another AI model, Janus-Pro-7B, yesterday. Entrepreneur Marc Andreessen wrote on X over the weekend that “DeepSeek R1 is AI’s Sputnik moment.” Here’s what else to know about the app that has Silicon Valley talking.

DeepSeek’s success sent tech stocks plunging, with Nvidia losing nearly $600 billion in market value yesterday, amid fears that China may be passing the U.S. in the scale and efficiency of their AI investments.

President Donald Trump said the app “should be a wake-up call” for America’s tech companies but considered the model to be a “positive development” for AI overall because businesses could “spend less, and you’ll come up with, hopefully, the same solution.” But other Republican lawmakers expressed more concern, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling the company “a serious threat” and another GOP representative calling for the U.S. to act to slow down DeepSeek. Read more about the political reaction.

Gun used in border agent shootout linked to double murder

The woman who accused of opening fire on U.S. border patrol agents in northern Vermont, leaving one dead, used a gun purchased by a person of interest in a double murder in Pennsylvania. Court papers filed yesterday revealed that Teresa Youngblut and Felix Bauckholt, a German national who was in the car with her and also died in the exchange of gunfire, possessed firearms purchased by a Vermont resident in February 2024. That individual, who was not identified, is a person of interest in a double homicide in Pennsylvania.

Last week’s shooting started after border patrol agents pulled over Youngblut and Bauckholt to conduct an immigration inspection. Prosecutors have said that the pair were traveling with a large collection of weapons and tactical gear, including 48 rounds of .380-caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition, a ballistic helmet and night vision equipment.

Read the full story here.

Inside the minds of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia

North Korean soldiers are fighting and dying for Russia, the U.S. and allies say, in a major escalation of the war in Ukraine. Little is known about soldiers from the reclusive communist-ruled state, who would reportedly rather take their own lives than be captured. NBC News' Janis Mackey Frayer and Stella Kim spoke with former North Korean soldiers who defected and shared insights into their training, conditions and mindset.

— Jennifer Jett, Asia digital editor

Having trouble with dust mites in your home? Experts gave advice on the best ways to get rid of them. Plus, the NBC Select team found the best treatments you can use on dry and cracked heels.

Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson.

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