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Paul Manafort's sentence and Democrats divided after House vote: The Morning Rundown

Judge T.S. Ellis said Manafort "has lived an otherwise blameless life" before sentencing him to less than four years in prison.
Image: People hold up banners as thousands march to mark International Women's Day in Melbourne
People hold up banners as thousands march to mark International Women's Day in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday. William West / AFP - Getty Images
By Petra Cahill

Good morning, NBC News readers.

Paul Manafort was handed much less prison time than expected, House Democrats voted to condemn all forms of hatred — instead of singling out anti-Semitism, and it's International Women's Day.

Here's what we're watching today.

Manafort's lenient sentence slammed as ‘an outrage’

President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman was sentenced to 47 months in prison by a federal judge in his financial fraud case on Thursday — considerably less than the federal sentencing guidelines.

The political operative had faced between 19 to 24 years behind bars for the charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller.

But before announcing his decision, Judge T.S. Ellis called that range "excessive," and said Manafort "has lived an otherwise blameless life."

Legal observers expressed surprise, calling his sentence "disrespectful" and "an outrage."

Manafort, 69, faces a second sentencing hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., next Wednesday.

Trump has called Mueller's Russia investigation "a witch hunt," but check out how many convictions and guilty pleas it's resulted in so far.

A courtroom sketch of shows Paul Manafort seated in a wheelchair during his sentencing in Virginia federal court yesterday.
A courtroom sketch of shows Paul Manafort seated in a wheelchair during his sentencing in Virginia federal court yesterday. Art Lien

Democrats' deep divisions laid bare

After a week of brutal infighting over how to respond to comments by freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., about Israel, the House passed an all-inclusive resolution condemning anti-Semitism, as well as anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities.

The move disappointed some Jewish Democrats who had wanted a separate measure addressing anti-Semitism on its own.

While the Omar fight may be over for now, the battle lines won't be erased anytime soon, NBC News' Jonathan Allen writes in a news analysis. Democrats can expect to find themselves brawling on ideological, generational, religious and racial lines again.

It's International Women's Day: 'Think equal, build smart, innovate for change'

A year after #MeToo and #TimesUp raised issues about sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace, International Women's Day is a reminder of where we've been and where we want to go.

Here are suggestion on what you can do to close the gap.

And check out the history behind the day that's meant to be not just a celebration of women, but a call to action to continue to push for gender equality.

Image: A woman holds her baby close as thousands march to mark International Women's Day in Melbourne, Australia
A woman holds her baby close as thousands march to mark International Women's Day in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday. William West / AFP - Getty Images

The Week in Pictures

Image: Jessica Taylor
Jessica Taylor prays in front of a cross for Jonathan Bowen, 9, at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a tornado that slammed into Beauregard, Ala., on Sunday and killed 23 people. "I have a son his age," Taylor said. "I can't imagine that mother's loss."David Goldman / AP

See the most compelling images from the last week.

Plus

  • The Department of Homeland Security and Congress are investigating whether U.S. border agents have been targeting journalists for questioning. The move comes after NBC News and KNSD reported that Customs and Border Protection had compiled a list of reporters, lawyers and analysts to be questioned in the San Diego border area.
  • At an Airbnb? You might be on camera, whether you like it or not.
  • Tom Seaver, the right-hander who led the "Miracle Mets" to one of the most improbable championships in American sports history in 1969, has been diagnosed with dementia. His family said he is retiring from public life.
  • Are you going to be in Austin this weekend? NBC News is heading to @SXSW to talk all about journalism from investigative reporting to debunking conspiracy theories on social media, and self-driving cars. Check out our favorite #SXSW2019 panels and say hi to my colleagues if you're there!

THINK about it

Fox News is key to the 2020 election. Denying it a debate will only hurt Democrats, Matt Laslo writes in an opinion piece.

Science + Tech = MACH

Sensing a possible shift from conventional automobiles to flying cars, Goodyear has come up with a tire that doubles as a propeller.

Live BETTER

Daylight saving time starts on Sunday, but to get ahead of the health effects, and not drag come Monday morning, you need to start preparing tonight.

One fun thing

Mike Weirsky accidentally left his lottery ticket at a New Jersey convenience store, but miraculously, an employee turned it in.

After winning big, Weirsky said he plans to thank the person who helped him with a good deed of his own.

"I wouldn’t have $273 million if it wasn’t for them, they would have it," Weirsky said.

Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.

If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — drop me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com

If you would like to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox Monday to Friday, please sign-up here.

And if you make it to SXSW, it should be fascinating. Have fun!

Thanks, Petra

Petra Cahill

Petra Cahill is a senior editor and writer for NBC News Digital. She writes NBC News' Morning Rundown newsletter.