The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the US military still carried out a follow-up strike, according to the Associated Press.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the second strike as emerging in the “fog of war,” saying he didn’t see any survivors but also “didn’t stick around” for the rest of the mission.
See how the day unfolded.
Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building — 9:58 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration has renamed the U.S. Institute of Peace after Trump and has planted the president’s name on the organization’s headquarters despite an ongoing fight over the institute’s control.
It’s the latest twist in a seesaw court battle over who controls the Peace Institute, a nonprofit think tank that focuses on peace initiatives. It was an early target of the Department of Government Efficiency this year.
The takeover of the Peace Institute was also anything but peaceful, with Trump’s administration seizing the independent entity and ousting its board before actually affixing his name to the building.
Since March, the headquarters has switched hands multiple times in court actions related to the DOGE takeover. A final decision on its fate is pending in federal appeals court.
The building is expected to be the backdrop for the signing of a peace agreement Thursday between Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Longest US government shutdown cost Delta Air Lines $200 million — 9:40 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The longest government shutdown on record cost Delta Air Lines an estimated $200 million, CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday in the first disclosure by a U.S. airline regarding the shutdown’s financial impact.
Bastian told investors that refunds “grew significantly” while bookings slowed amid the uncertainty in air travel caused by the 43-day shutdown, contributing to Delta’s loss of about 25 cents per share.
The shutdown led to long delays at major airports and historic flight cancellations as unpaid air traffic controllers missed work, citing additional stress and the need to take on side jobs.
The Federal Aviation Administration eventually issued an emergency order requiring commercial airlines to cancel up to 6% of their domestic flights — a decision that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described as necessary to guarantee safe air travel.
Bastian said Duffy’s decision led to more customers holding off on booking their holiday travel.
Senator Jack Reed had concerns about Venezuelan boat strikes. Now, he’s helping lead a Senate investigation. — 9:32 p.m.
By Jim Puzzanghera, Globe Staff
The US military strike on a speedboat allegedly containing drug traffickers off the Venezuela coast in September raised red flags for Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed immediately.
“There is no evidence — none — that this strike was conducted in self-defense,” the West Point graduate and former Army Ranger declared in a speech on the Senate floor a few days later. “That matters, because under both domestic and international law, the US military simply does not have the authority to use lethal force against a civilian vessel unless acting in self-defense.”
Now, Reed worries his worst fears about the deadly attacks in the Caribbean have been realized.
After a Washington Post report that a second strike during the September mission killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage, Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, quickly joined with the committee’s Republican chair, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, to announce they were looking into the incident. A similar bipartisan effort has been launched by the two leaders of the House Armed Services Committee.
“They deliberately touted the lethality of the strikes, which suggests to me that there might be something more to this than following military law and procedures,” Reed, who has served in the Senate for nearly three decades, told the Globe. “All of this is designed, I think, to be kind of just a made-for-TV reality show.”
University of Alabama shutters Black and female student magazines — 8:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The University of Alabama has suspended the publication of two student-run magazines — one primarily focused on Black students and another on women’s issues — citing recent federal guidance against diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.
The editors of Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice magazines were informed Monday that the university was stopping the magazines immediately. A university official cited July guidance from Attorney General Pamela Bondi on what the Trump administration considered unlawful discrimination at institutions that receive federal funding, according to one of the editors.
The move comes as college campuses across the United States react to Trump’s push to end DEI practices on college campuses. The university’s decision to shutter the magazines appears based on the fact that the publications had primary target audiences, although neither magazine limited who could work on staff.
Bipartisan lawmakers preparing health care framework — 7:37 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The group of more than 30 House members led by Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia are proposing a menu of options for leaders and lawmakers to consider as they deal with the issue of rising health insurance premiums if tax breaks expire at year’s end.
Their plan includes a one-year extension of the enhanced tax credits, with some modifications around the various income levels to qualify, and more significant reforms in a second year, according to a person familiar with the framework and granted anonymity to discuss the emerging proposal. It is expected to be unveiled Thursday.
While the group is not proposing a bill of legislative text, they are pushing for votes in Congress by Dec. 18, ahead of the expiration.
Trump pardons sports and entertainment industry veteran who his own Justice Department indicted — 7:03 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Timothy J. Leiweke, who co-founded Oak View Group, was indicted in July for what federal prosecutors alleged was “Orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process” for a university arena in Austin, Texas.
Leiweke had pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to restrict trade.
He received what Trump called “a full and conditional pardon.”
A statement on his granting of clemency posted on a DOJ website did not include details on why the president was reversing the case brought by a department he now oversees.
The White House also offered no immediate comment on Trump’s move.
Hegseth invoked the ‘fog of war’ in a boat strike. What does that mean? — 7:02 p.m.
By the New York Times
As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke Tuesday about a deadly US military attack on a boat in the Caribbean, he referred to “the fog of war,” a phrase that has been used in war planning for centuries.
“I did not personally see survivors,” he said at a Cabinet meeting in the White House, referring to people who were clinging to the boat’s wreckage between two US strikes Sept. 2. “The thing was on fire. It exploded; there’s fire; there’s smoke.
“This is called the fog of war,” he added.
Here’s what the term means and why Hegseth’s remarks matter.
Healey promises to protect vaccine access ahead of CDC committee vote — 6:28 p.m.
By Katie Muchnick, Globe Correspondent
Governor Maura Healey and Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein warned of misinformation about the childhood vaccine schedule, especially the infant hepatitis B vaccine, at a convening of doctors and public health officials Wednesday.
The forum took place one day before a pivotal meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, in Washington on Thursday. The group of vaccine advisors, hand-picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are slated to discuss the pediatric vaccine schedule and vote on the recommendation to administer hepatitis B shots to newborns.
“We have real concerns and very little confidence that what they put out will be sound or based in science,” Healey said.
A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by the agency’s current vaccine chief — 6:19 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A dozen prior leaders of the US Food and Drug Administration — appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike — issued a scathing denunciation of new FDA assertions casting doubt on vaccine safety.
The former officials say the agency’s plans to revamp how life-saving vaccines for flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases are handled — outlined in an internal FDA memo last week — would “disadvantage the people the FDA exists to protect, including millions of Americans at high risk from serious infections.”
“The proposed new directives are not small adjustments or coherent policy updates. They represent a major shift in the FDA’s understanding of its job,” the officials, former FDA commissioners and acting commissioners, wrote Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Report shows Hegseth’s Signal use was reckless, top Democrats on intelligence committees say — 5:43 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees say a Pentagon inspector general report on Hegseth’s use of Signal shows a pattern of recklessness.
The inspector general found that Hegseth endangered US personnel when he used Signal to convey sensitive information about a strike against Yemen’s Houthi militants, two people familiar with the findings told The Associated Press.
Senator Mark Warner, of Virginia, noted that investigators found that Hegseth had used Signal to discuss official business in other instances as well.
US Representative Jim Himes, of Connecticut, said it is fortunate the mission was not compromised by Hegseth’s actions.
“Pete Hegseth’s behavior and lack of judgment would be a fireable offense for anyone else in the Department of Defense,” Himes said.
White House says Trump stands by Hegseth after Pentagon watchdog report — 5:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Wednesday that the Pentagon inspector general’s review of the Defense secretary’s use of the Signal messaging app affirms the administration’s statements that “no classified information was leaked, and operational security was not compromised.”
The review found that Hegseth has the ability to declassify material and did not find that he did so improperly. But it did find that he put US personnel and their mission at risk when he shared sensitive information about a military strike against Yemen’s Houthi militants, according to two people familiar with its findings.
“President Trump stands by Secretary Hegseth,” Leavitt said in her statement.
Trump criticizes Democrats’ ‘affordability’ message in Tennessee special election — 4:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump lamented that the Democratic nominee in Tuesday’s special congressional election “said it’s all about affordability” without going into “specifics.”
Republican Matt Van Epps won the Tennessee district by about 9 percentage points after Trump carried the district in 2024 by more than 20 points. But Trump maintained that Democrat Aftyn Behn “lost by a lot more than they thought.”
Behn sharply criticized economic policies that she said prioritize wealthy people and corporations throughout the campaign.
Trump, speaking at an Oval Office event announcing a cut in federal emissions standards, said that message was a “hoax” perpetuated by “great con people.”
Trump says Cuellar is ‘a respected person’ who was ‘treated very badly’ — 4:56 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president was asked if he spoke with GOP leaders in the House about pardoning the Democratic congressman and if it strengthened Cuellar’s reelection prospects.
Trump said, “It didn’t matter” and that Cuellar was targeted for his comments critical of immigration.
“He represents the people on the border and he saw what was happening,” Trump said.
Senators file war powers resolution to block strikes on Venezuela — 4:45 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A bipartisan group of senators is filing legislation that would put a check on Trump’s ability to use military forces against Venezuela, potentially forcing a vote on the matter.
The group of four senators — Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Tim Kaine and Adam Schiff and Republican Senator Rand Paul — have already tried unsuccessfully to pass a similar resolution, but almost all Republicans voted against it.
However, the senators say there is renewed interest from GOP lawmakers amid the Trump administration’s increasing threats against Venezuela, as well as scrutiny on an attack in international waters where survivors of an initial strike were killed.
The senators could force a vote on the resolution in 10 days.
Trump says his advisers believe Vladimir Putin wants to end war in Ukraine — 4:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“He would like to end the war — that was their impression,” Trump said Wednesday of special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. “Their impression was very strongly that he’d like to make a deal.”
Trump’s comments came a day after Witkoff and Kushner, who is also the president’s son-in-law, met for more than five hours with Putin in Moscow for talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Omar hits back at Trump after his disparaging remarks about her — 4:49 p.m.
By Alyssa Vega, Globe Staff
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar shot back at President Trump after he called the Democrat “garbage” and said Somalis should “go back to where they came from.”
“I hope he gets the help he needs,” Omar, who emigrated from Somalia in 1995, said in an interview with MS Now, formerly known as MSNBC.
“It sounds like he’s trying to deflect from the failures that he’s had as president ... he’s fought to be the head of the pedophile protection party,” Omar said.
Trump says administration will release video of Sept. 2 boat strike — 4:21 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president was asked if he would release video of a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea in early September as Hegseth is facing bipartisan scrutiny over the operation.
“I don’t know what they have, but whatever they have we’d certainly release. No problem,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
Pentagon says Hegseth is exonerated by investigation into his use of Signal — 4:07 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Pentagon says Hegseth was absolved by the inspector general’s investigation into his use of the Signal messaging app to discuss sensitive military information.
“The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along — no classified information was shared,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This matter is resolved, and the case is closed.”
Archbishop of the military services warns against illegal acts by US forces — 4:02 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the Catholic chaplains ministering to the U.S. military, urged service members Wednesday to adhere to the rule of law during its campaign to curtail drug smuggling.
“In the fight against drugs, the end never justifies the means, which must be moral, in accord with the principles of the just war theory, and always respectful of the dignity of each human person,” Broglio said in a statement.
“As the moral principle forbidding the intentional killing of noncombatants is inviolable, it would be an illegal and immoral order to kill deliberately survivors on a vessel who pose no immediate lethal threat to our armed forces,” Broglio said.
His comments come after a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea in early September. On Tuesday, Hegseth defended the action, citing the “fog of war.”
House delays vote on NCAA-backed bill to regulate college sports — 3:44 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A planned House vote on the controversial SCORE Act — legislation aimed at regulating college athletics — was unexpectedly postponed Wednesday afternoon. While the bill could still come up later this week, lawmakers offered no additional clarity on timing.
The White House has expressed support for the measure, but Republican divisions have complicated its path forward. Several GOP members openly debated with party leadership over the bill during a procedural vote Tuesday.
Critics argue the SCORE Act would disproportionately benefit the NCAA and its most influential athletic programs.
Bovino touches down in Louisiana amid immigration operation — 3:34 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Border Patrol commander arrived in the New Orleans area Wednesday as federal agents launched their operation.
Bovino was sighted by The Associated Press at a Home Depot parking lot in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans where Hispanic residents account for about 30% of the municipality’s population.
Bovino, who wore a uniform and was surrounded by agents with their faces covered, has made headlines for leading large-scale, high-profile immigration enforcement campaigns — including the operation in Chicago where federal agents rappelled from a helicopter into a residential apartment complex.
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell files paperwork to run for governor of Minnesota — 3:04 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Lindell, a prominent backer of President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, filed the paperwork with the Minnesota campaign board Wednesday.
But Lindell told The Associated Press that it’s “not 100%” sure yet that he will run. He said he filed because the person who would run his campaign told him they needed to get things going now so he could hit the ground running.
Lindell said he’ll make his announcement on Dec. 11 at MyPillow headquarters in the Minneapolis suburbs. He noted that he previously said he was 99% sure and added that that hasn’t changed.
NVIDIA CEO visits Capitol Hill for meeting with Senate Republicans — 2:59 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Jensen Huang, chief executive of the world’s most valuable company, joined Republicans from the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday to discuss bills that could regulate where his company’s chips may be allowed to be sold around the world.
Huang has advocated for more relaxed export regulations on the chips, which are key to powering artificial intelligence systems.
The White House has expressed support for some of Huang’s position, but congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle are concerned about exporting high-end AI hardware to China and other potential rivals.
Huang emphasized the need for the U.S. to maintain top technology but said his company must compete globally.
“The one thing we can’t do is we can’t degrade chips that we sell to China. They won’t accept that,” he said.
Hegseth was previously pressed on how he’d respond to the investigation — 2:26 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Hegseth told Fox News Channel in April that what he shared over Signal was “informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things.”
During a congressional hearing in June, Hegseth was pressed multiple times by lawmakers over whether he shared classified information and if he should face accountability if he did.
Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Marine veteran, asked Hegseth whether he would hold himself accountable if the inspector general found that he placed classified information on Signal.
Hegseth would not directly say, only noting that he serves “at the pleasure of the president.”
Lawmakers had called for the inspector general investigation in Hegseth’s Signal use — 2:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The revelations of the administration’s use of Signal sparked intense scrutiny, with Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans saying Hegseth posting the information to the chats before the military jets had reached their targets, potentially put those pilots’ lives at risk.
They said lower-ranking members of the military would have been fired for such a lapse.
The inspector general opened its investigation into Hegseth at the request of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
Some veterans and military families also raised concerns, citing the strict security protocols they must follow to protect sensitive information.
New name on the Institute of Peace — 2:11 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The U.S. Institute of Peace, initially targeted by an executive order by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency has a new name on its former headquarters: Donald J. Trump.
The president’s name is now above “The Institute of Peace” on the building.
In March, the president fired the board, and the staff was dismissed. The building was handed to the General Services Administration. A federal district court overturned the action in May, but a federal appeals court reversed it weeks later. Employees have been fired twice, and the building is back with the GSA.
It is unclear when the president’s name appeared. Attempts to reach a spokesperson for the former employees was not immediately answered.
A refresher on Signalgate — 1:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
In at least two separate Signal chats, Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women carrying out those attacks on behalf of the United States were airborne.
Hegseth’s use of the app came to light when a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal text chain by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz.
It included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss March 15 military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.
Hegseth had created another Signal chat with 13 people that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of the same strike, The Associated Press reported.
Pentagon watchdog reportedly says Hegseth’s use of Signal posed risk to US personnel — 1:53 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Pentagon’s watchdog found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday.
Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the information. CNN first reported the initial findings.
The review by the Pentagon inspector general’s office was delivered to lawmakers, who were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol.
Rep. Ilhan Omar says Somalis won’t be ‘scapegoated’ by Trump — 1:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar says that Trump’s “obsession” with her and the Somali community is “creepy and unhealthy.”
On Tuesday, during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said he did not want Somalis in the U.S. because “they contribute nothing.” Somalis have been coming to Minnesota and other states, often as refugees, since the 1990s. Trump, for years, has criticized Omar, who emigrated from Somalia in 1995 as a child.
“We are not, and I am not, someone to be intimidated, and we are not gonna be scapegoated. We are here — we are here to stay,” Omar said.
Top immigration officials tout arrival of federal agents to New Orleans — 1:20 p.m.
By the Associated Press
As the immigration enforcement operation launched in the New Orleans area Wednesday, some of the nation’s top immigration officials chimed in on social media.
“We are here arresting criminals who should not be here,” Bovino posted on X. The Border Patrol commander, who has led aggressive operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, described Louisiana’s state and local law enforcement as “excellent partners.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that agents will remove “the worst of the worst” from New Orleans.
Lawmakers reviewing report on Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal — 1:15 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The inspector general of the Department of Defense has delivered a report reviewing the defense secretary’s use of a Signal chat in March to discuss pending military strikes in Yemen.
Senators were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol and a partially redacted version of the report was expected to be released publicly later this week.
The report’s findings are not known, but its arrival on Capitol Hill adds to the scrutiny on Hegseth. Another congressional investigation is examining whether an operation in international waters near Venezuela violated military code of conduct by firing on the survivors of an initial strike that destroyed a boat allegedly carrying drugs.
Trump reportedly plans to weaken vehicle mileage rules that limit air pollution — 1:03 p.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump is expected to announce a proposal Wednesday to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks, according to several people familiar with the White House plans.
The proposal would significantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year, according to a White House official and several people familiar with the plan.
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino expected to lead New Orleans enforcement — 12:58 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Bovino has led aggressive operations in other cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles. The deployment aims to arrest 5,000 people.
On Trump’s insults, Somalia’s prime minister says ‘it’s better not to respond’ — 12:56 p.m.
By the New York Times
Somalia’s leader said Wednesday that it was “better not to respond” a day after President Trump called Somali immigrants “garbage” during a xenophobic tirade.
“We are not the only country that Trump insults,” Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre told an audience at an innovation summit in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, in response to a question about Trump’s comments, according to video published by Shabelle TV, a local media network. “Sometimes it’s better not to respond,” he said.
Louisiana’s Republican governor welcomes federal police — 12:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is a close Trump ally who who has moved to align state policy with the White House’s enforcement agenda. He said Wednesday that the crackdown will target the “worst of the worst, criminal illegal aliens that have broken the law.”
“It started today and it’s going to run until we get them all off the street,” Landry said during an interview on the Walton & Johnson radio show.
Representative Ayanna Pressley condemns Trump’s comments on Somali immigrants as ‘hate speech’ — 12:51 p.m.
By Matt Stout, Globe Staff
US Representative Ayanna Pressley — herself a past target of President Trump’s offensive rhetoric— on Wednesday accused the Republican of spewing “hate speech” when he attacked Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants as “garbage” during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.
“This vile hate speech is dangerous,” Pressley, a Boston Democrat, said in a post on the platform X that included video of Trump’s comments.
The president on Tuesday said that Somalia “stinks,”said that he doesn’t want Somali immigrants in the United States, and commented that Omar — who came to the United States from Somalia and became a US citizen decades ago — is “always wrapped in her swaddling hijab.”
Pressley said Trump’s repeated targeting of the Minnesota Democrat “not only puts her and her family at risk, but also every Somali, every woman in hijab, every Muslim, and every woman of color.”
“Shameful,” Pressley added.
Trump in 2019 wrote on Twitter that Pressley, Omar, and two other Democratic women of color should ‘‘go back’’ to their home countries, even though all are citizens and three were born in the US. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the comments “racist,” and the House, then led by Democrats, passed a resolution condemning his social media posts despite Trump’s protests that he doesn’t “have a Racist bone in my body.”
Trump launched his latest attack on Tuesday, accusing Somali immigrants of being “people that do nothing but complain.”
“We could go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said, adding of Omar: “She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage. These aren’t people who work.”
Louisiana immigrant rights group challenges new law in court — 12:21 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A Louisiana immigrant rights group asked a judge Wednesday to declare the new state law unconstitutional, with critics arguing that the legislation could be used to punish protesters or silence opponents of the Trump administration’s federal immigration crackdown that ramped up Wednesday.
The law took, which took effect in August, expands the crime of obstruction of justice to include anyone who “knowingly” commits “any act intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart” federal immigration enforcement efforts.
In that lawsuit filed in a Louisiana federal court, New Orleans-based nonprofit Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy called the law vague. Out of fear of violating the law, they’ve stopped hosting “Know Your Rights” workshops.
Treasury secretary says China on track to meet soybean purchase commitments — 12:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says China is on track to buy millions of tons of American soybeans even though the purchases so far are much lower than promised.
The White House has said China committed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans by January and at least 25 million tons per year for each of the next three years.
“They are in a perfect cadence to complete that goal,” Bessent said Wednesday at the DealBook Summit.
But reports from the Agriculture Department show that China has only bought 2.251 million tons of soybeans so far.
Bessent said he thinks China’s immediate purchase commitment of 12 million metric tons should be completed by the end of February. Chinese officials have not confirmed the specific purchase promises.
Trump administration takes aim at the New Orleans’ immigration policies — 12:12 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Attorney General Pam Bondi has accused New Orleans of undermining federal immigration enforcement. The Department of Justice includes New Orleans in a list of 18 cities it considers to be providing sanctuary to immigrants without legal status.
New Orleans officials deny the city’s policies thwart federal immigration enforcement. City police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has said she considers immigration enforcement to be a civil matter outside her jurisdiction.
House Democrats release photos and videos of Epstein’s private island — 11:37 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are releasing 14 photos and videos of Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, showing empty courtyards, a bedroom and other rooms from his villa.
Congress is pressing the Trump administration to release all of its case files on the sex trafficking investigation into the late financier. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight panel, said he was releasing the images “to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”
The Department of Justice has until mid-December to comply with legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Trump to publicly release many of its documents on Epstein.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to meet Trump face-to-face for first time — 11:19 a.m.
By the Associated Press
It will happen when she travels to Washington on Friday for the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw meet.
Sheinbaum said Wednesday that she’ll be at the draw with Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
When asked if she would also hold a private meeting with Trump, Sheinbaum said that hasn’t been determined and if a meeting is scheduled, it would be “very brief.”
Sheinbaum and Trump were scheduled to meet during the G7 summit in Canada in June, but the bilateral meeting was canceled after Trump had to travel back to Washington to address tensions between Israel and Iran.
The US is co-hosting next year’s tournament — which for the first time will feature 48 national teams, up from 32 — with Canada and Mexico. The draw event will determine the World Cup’s groups and the games each team plays in the opening round.
Republican victory in Tennessee special election fails to dispel 2026 midterm concerns — 11:02 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Republicans held onto a reliably conservative U.S. House district in Tennessee’s special election, but only after a late burst of national spending and high-profile campaigning helped them secure a margin less than half of last year’s race.
Even with that victory, the outcome contributed to a gloomy outlook for the party going into the 2026 contests that will determine control of Congress. Republicans will need to defend much more vulnerable seats if they have any hope of keeping their House majority, while Democrats are capitalizing on President Trump’s unpopularity and the public’s persistent frustration with the economy.
“This is one of the biggest flashing red light warning signs we’ve seen yet for Republicans,” Matt Whitlock, a Republican strategist, wrote on social media. If there were similar numbers across the country next year, “we would be looking at a blue wave far worse than 2018.”
Republican Matt Van Epps, a military veteran and former state general services commissioner, defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn by 9 percentage points Tuesday for the seat vacated by Republican Mark Green, who retired over the summer. Green had won reelection in 2024 by 21 percentage points.
Trump pardons Democratic congressman and his wife — 10:45 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump has pardoned Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife in a bribery and conspiracy case brought by federal prosecutors.
Bessent tight-lipped on the choice for Fed chair — 10:27 a.m.
By the Associated Press
When asked about the next possible Fed chair, Bessent demurred on whether the job would be offered to Kevin Hassett, who’s currently director of the National Economic Council and a top Trump advisor.
“I think the important thing to remember here is that it’s a board and then several other voters from the regional banks” Bessent said. “So the chair of the Federal Reserve has the ability to move and start the discussion. But at the end of the day, he or she is one vote.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says some sectors of the economy have weakened — 10:19 a.m.
By the Associated Press
At the New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Bessent said some sectors of the US economy are weakening, including housing, which he said justifies the need for additional interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
“Maybe it goes back to the reason we need interest rate cuts,” Bessent told host Andrew Ross Sorkin. Citing the two rate cuts in 2025, occurring at the September and October meetings, Bessent said “I am very optimistic about the economy.”
Minnesota has the largest Somali American population in the US — 9:38 a.m.
By the Associated Press
An estimated 260,000 people of Somali descent were living in the U.S. in 2024, according to the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. The largest population is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, home to about 84,000 residents, most of whom are American citizens. Ohio, Washington and California also have significant populations.
Almost 58% of the Somalis in Minnesota were born in the US. Of the foreign-born Somalis in Minnesota, an overwhelming majority — 87% — are naturalized US citizens. Of the foreign-born population, almost half entered the US in 2010 or later, according to the Census Bureau.
They include many who fled the long civil war in their east African country and were drawn to the state’s welcoming social programs.
Trump targets Minnesota’s Somali community with harsh words and policies — 9:37 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Recent statements by President Trump and top administration officials disparaging Minnesota’s large Somali community have focused renewed attention on the immigrants from the war-torn east African country and their descendants.
Trump on Tuesday said he didn’t want Somalis in the US because “they contribute nothing.” The president spoke soon after a person familiar with the planning said federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the US.
Federal agents launch immigration crackdown in New Orleans — 9:00 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The crackdown began Wednesday in New Orleans under an operation that a Homeland Security official said would target violent criminals, expanding the Trump administration’s sweeps that have unfolded in other US cities.
The aim of the operation is to capture immigrants who were released after their arrests for crimes such as home invasion, armed robbery and rape, Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
She didn’t say how many agents would be deployed under the operation. Louisiana has been preparing for weeks for an immigration crackdown that Republican Governor Jeff Landry has said he would welcome.
“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets,” McLaughlin said. “
The Trump administration also launched immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Trump-backed Republican Matt Van Epps wins US House special election in Tennessee — 8:59 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Republican won the nationally watched special election in Tennessee for a US House seat Tuesday, maintaining his party’s grip on the conservative district with help from President Trump. But the comparatively slim margin of victory fueled Democratic hopes for next year’s midterms as the party grasps for a path back to power in Washington.
A military veteran and former state general services commissioner from Nashville, Van Epps defeated Democratic state Representative Aftyn Behn to represent the 7th Congressional District.
With 99% of votes counted, Van Epps’ lead was around 9 percentage points. The previous Republican who held the seat won by 21 points last year, and Trump carried the district by 22 points.
Behn, who ran as an unapologetic progressive, ran up a huge margin in Davidson County, which is the most Democratic county in the district and home to Nashville. But Van Epps carried the rest of the district, including many deep-red counties throughout central Tennessee, as he tied himself tightly to Trump.
Pete Hegseth faces deepening scrutiny from Congress over boat strikes — 8:46 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Hegseth barely squeaked through a grueling Senate confirmation process to become secretary of defense earlier this year, facing lawmakers wary of the Fox News Channel host and skeptical of his capacity, temperament and fitness for the job.
Just three months later, he quickly became embroiled in Signalgate as he and other top US officials used the popular Signal messaging application to discuss pending military strikes in Yemen.
And now, in what may be his most career-defining moment yet, Hegseth is confronting questions about the use of military force after a special operations team reportedly attacked survivors of a strike on an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela. Some lawmakers and legal experts say the second strike would have violated the laws of armed conflict.
Group spends $250K in ads showing US citizen, Army veteran snared in immigration arrest — 8:45 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The group led by Trump critics is launching an online advertising campaign featuring an Army combat veteran who was detained by immigration agents and held in custody for three days this summer.
The ad by Home of the Brave shows George Retes talking about encountering a line of immigration officials on the road while heading to work outside Los Angeles.
The Department of Homeland Security says the agents were executing criminal search warrants at marijuana sites in the area and that Retes “became violent and refused to comply with law enforcement.” The images showed Retes stepping outside his car in the middle of a protest and gesturing with his arm before the agents surrounded his car.
Home of the Brave is targeting people who’ve seen ads run on streaming platforms by the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the last 30 days.
Chinese government expresses its opposition to any US move to shut down Venezuelan air space — 8:44 a.m.
By the Associated Press
“China opposes any actions that violate the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and infringe on other countries’ sovereignty and security,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wednesday in Beijing.
President Donald Trump said last weekend that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety.” The South American country rejected Trump’s declaration.
China opposes interference in Venezuela’s affairs “under any pretext,” Lin said.
Judge issues injunction restricting immigration arrests in nation’s capital — 12:02 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A federal judge late Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from making widespread immigration arrests in the nation’s capital without warrants or probable cause that the person is an imminent flight risk.
US District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington granted a preliminary injunction sought by civil liberties and immigrants rights groups in a lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security.