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Pentagon watchdog finds Hegseth’s use of Signal posed risk to US personnel, AP sources say WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 Yemen’s Houthi militants, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-war-plans-inspector-general-5a315349f428e22e5bf6a424287738eb?

Trump pardons Texas Democratic Rep. Cuellar in bribery and conspiracy case WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case on Wednesday, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system. https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-cuellar-45a47bc329bec820cd19c087b20fca19? Pete Hegseth faces deepening scrutiny from Congress over boat strikes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth barely squeaked through his Senate confirmation process at the start of the year. And lawmakers have been uneasy about the lack of information flowing from the Pentagon to Congress. Now, lawmakers have announced an investigation into a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean that some have said raises questions of potential war crimes. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Republicans brace for tough midterms after Tennessee special election Trump pardons Texas Democratic Rep. Cuellar in bribery and conspiracy case What to know about Somalia as Trump wants Somalis in the US to leave Federal agents launch immigration crackdown in New Orleans Progressive group targets Senate Democrats for backing Trump’s judicial nominees Delayed care to 2 Black pregnant women highlights maternal health disparities Two pregnant Black women nearly 1,000 miles apart were ready to do what many do every day: welcome new bundles of joy, and just before the start of the holiday season. Instead, the health of both women and their babies was put at risk after hospital staff did not immediately provide the needed care. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Black mother delivers baby on expressway after being discharged from Indiana hospital What to know about the hepatitis B shot — and why Trump officials are targeting it

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Quote of the day, penultimate CFP rankings, Big Numbers, NFL playoff picture, LSU won't stop scoring, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Sitake stays put: BYU's Kalani Sitake, whom Penn State was reportedly targeting to be their next head coach, has instead signed an extension to remain in Provo. Great news for the Cougars (11-1), who are about to play in the Big 12 championship for a spot in the CFP. 🏀 Clips part ways with CP3: The Clippers sent Chris Paul home in the middle of their road trip, parting ways with the future Hall of Famer in the middle of his 21st and final NBA season. Specifics of the split are not yet known. ⚽️ U.S. books elite matchups: The USMNT will face Belgium, Portugal and Germany in friendlies next year during their two international windows (March and June) ahead of the World Cup. All three teams are currently ranked in the top 10, with a fourth opponent still to be determined. 🏎️ Max's new teammate: Red Bull is promoting Isack Hadjar to be their second driver next season in place of Yuki Tsunoda. Hadjar will be Max Verstappen's fourth teammate in the past three years, as Red Bull searches for some stability alongside their four-time defending champ. 🏀 Thrilling night of college hoops: Unranked Syracuse stunned No. 13 Tennessee, 62-60; No. 4 Duke held off No. 15 Florida's furious rally for a 67-66 win; No. 16 North Carolina (over No. 18 Kentucky) and No. 5 UConn (over No. 21 Kansas) both picked up narrow road victories.   💬 WORDS TO LIVE BY QUOTE OF THE DAY (Sean Meagher/The Oregonian) Oregon State's new head football coach, JaMarcus Shephard, shared some powerful words on Tuesday. So powerful, in fact, that I decided to start today's edition with them. Amid constant headlines about coaching salaries, NIL payments and CFP predictions, this is the stuff that really matters. JaMarcus Shephard: I think that each and every one of us approaches each day with a little bit of brokenness inside of us. Everyone has a little bit of brokenness inside of them, regardless of how you grew up, regardless of what your home environment was. Everybody has a little bit of brokenness and a will to win. I want everyone to know that you can still achieve the level of success that you want, regardless of the brokenness that you have inside. These young men walking around here, they have issues that you would never know. I've been in this position, l've been in this office now for just over 24 hours and I already had a young man break down crying in my office. All of them are walking around with a little bit of brokenness, and I just wanted to help reinforce in them that, no, you could have the type of success that you want to have regardless of that. So, that inspires me every day. It's funny, my wife gotta listen some days. I get up in the morning, I look in the mirror, and I say to myself, "There's someone who needs you today, big dog. They need you. They need you now. They don't need you a week from now. They don't need you a month from now. They need you today. I don't care what's going on in your life right now. Go help them." And that is what my life is all about. It's about helping people.   🏈 12-TEAM PLAYOFF CFP: COULD NOTRE DAME FALL OUT? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Did the College Football Playoff Committee just set a trapdoor for Notre Dame to fall right out of the field and be replaced by Miami? From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: After weeks of propping up Notre Dame's feeble résumé to make it seem like the Irish were a lock for the 12-team field as long as they finished 10-2, there is legitimate drama surrounding the playoff's most divisive contender as we head into the final weekend. In a surprise Tuesday night during the penultimate ranking show on ESPN, the committee moved Alabama up to No. 9 and dropped Notre Dame to No. 10. That's crucial because, with the ACC and American Conference champions almost certainly finishing outside of the top-12, the last at-large spot will go to the team ranked No. 10. Why is that potentially bad news for Notre Dame? It all comes down to, of all things, the Big 12 championship game between Texas Tech and BYU. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 4 and seem to be a playoff lock regardless of what happens. BYU is No. 11 and would get an automatic bid with a win, giving the Big 12 a second playoff team — and knocking Notre Dame out of playoff position. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) But here's where it gets really interesting. Say Texas Tech wins, as expected. That would presumably knock the Cougars down in the rankings among other two-loss teams. And if the committee's ordering of the two-loss teams looks like it did this week, that means the final two teams to evaluate for the last spot would be either Notre Dame or … Miami. So far, the selection committee has resisted a direct either/or comparison between Notre Dame and Miami because the Irish have been ranked several spots ahead. But if that becomes the inevitable choice for the final playoff spot, would the committee not have to default to Miami's 27-24 win over Notre Dame in Week 1 as the tiebreaker to jump the Hurricanes into the final at-large spot? "The head-to-head is one data point the committee will use," selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said Tuesday. "It's obviously easier to use when the teams are back-to-back [in the rankings] as opposed to when they're separated by a team or two or three as has been the case." Uh, oh, Irish. At the very least, the committee understands the theatrical aspect of what it just did. One way or another, Notre Dame vs. Miami for the final spot would be the most explosive controversy in the 12-year history of the CFP.   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) ⚽️ 100 goals Manchester City's Erling Haaland scored his 100th Premier League goal in his 111th match on Tuesday, making him the fastest player to reach the century mark. The previous record of 124 matches, held by Alan Shearer, stood for 30 years. Fastest to 100 goals: Haaland (111 matches), Shearer (124), Harry Kane (141), Sergio Agüero (147), Thierry Henry (160), Mohamed Salah (162), Ian Wright (173), Robbie Fowler (175), Les Ferdinand (178), Michael Owen (185), Andy Cole (185). 🏀 116.8 points NBA teams are scoring at a historic clip to start the season, averaging 116.8 points per game through November. That's the third-highest mark entering December since the early 1960s, trailing only the 1961-62 season (118.1 ppg) and 1960-61 season (117.4 ppg), back when legends like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were at the height of their powers. The game has changed: Back in 1961-62, NBA teams attempted 108 field goals (none of which were threes) and 37 free throws per game. This season, they're attempting 89 field goals (37 of which are threes) and 25 free throws per game. The final scores may look the same, but it's a completely different sport. 🏈 $3.3 million One bettor at BetMGM put $50,000 on the Bears earlier this season to win the Super Bowl at 66-1 odds. The bet would win $3.3 million, which is currently the largest reported futures bet for Super Bowl LX at any legal U.S. sportsbook. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) 🏀 45.3% of games Zion Williamson, already limited to just 10 games this season due to injury, will now miss "extended time" with an adductor strain. Since entering the league in 2019, the Pelicans star has played in just 224 of a possible 494 regular-season games. That's a 45.3% availability rate. Dark days in New Orleans: Though it's still early, this is looking like it may be another lost season for the Pelicans, who have the worst record in the NBA (3-19) and fired their head coach last month. Now their best player is back in street clothes… again. 🏈 $228 million Total buyouts for 15 fired FBS coaches in 2025 has reached $228 million, which is a record by nearly $100 million. The biggest buyouts: LSU's Brian Kelly ($54 million), Kentucky's Mark Stoops ($38 million), Michigan State's Jonathan Smith ($33.5 million), Florida's Billy Napier ($21 million), Auburn's Hugh Freeze ($15.8 million) and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy ($15 million). 🏒 38 years old Sidney Crosby is defying Father Time in his age-38 season, fueling the Penguins' surprise start (13-7-5) and ranking third in the NHL with 18 goals. The ages of the other players in the top five: 20, 27, 28 and 30.   🏈 WEEK 14 NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) With five weeks left in the regular season, just 10 teams in each conference still have a realistic shot of making the playoffs. NFC: The Bears are No. 1 in the NFC entering December for the first time since 2006, which is also the last time they reached the Super Bowl. It hasn't always been pretty, as evidenced by their +6 scoring differential (eighth-best in the conference), but wins are wins. Bears (9-3) Rams (9-3) Eagles (8-4) Buccaneers (7-5) Seahawks (9-3) Packers (8-3-1) 49ers (9-4) … In the hunt: Lions (7-5), Cowboys (6-5-1), Panthers (7-6) Highly unlikely: Falcons (4-8), Vikings (4-8), Commanders (3-9) Eliminated: Cardinals (3-9), Saints (2-10), Giants (2-11) Games of the week: Cowboys at Lions (Thursday night), Bears at Packers, Eagles at Chargers (Monday night) (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) AFC: The Chiefs have made at least the Conference Championship in all seven seasons of the Patrick Mahomes era. In Year 8, they may need to run the table to even reach the postseason. Patriots (11-2) Broncos (10-2) Jaguars (8-4) Ravens (6-6) Chargers (8-4) Colts (8-4) Bills (8-4) … In the hunt: Texans (7-5), Steelers (6-6), Chiefs (6-6), Highly unlikely: Dolphins (5-7), Bengals* (4-8), Jets (3-9), Browns (3-9) Eliminated: Raiders (2-10), Titans (1-11) Games of the week: Colts at Jaguars, Steelers at Ravens, Texans at Chiefs (Sunday night), Bengals at Bills Go deeper: Week 14 power rankings (Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports) *Could Cincy pull off a stunner? The wild card is out of the question for the 4-8 Bengals, but they're just two games behind the division-leading Ravens and Steelers (both 6-6) with five games to play.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3 Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis during Monday's win over Denver. (Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) 🏀 Heat at Mavericks Dallas — which has won two straight for the first time all season — hosts Miami (8:30pm ET, NBA) as the Mavs seek another victory behind rookie Cooper Flagg, who appears to have put his slow start behind him. Heating up: In the past week, 18-year-old Flagg has become the youngest player in NBA history to score 35+ points in a game and the youngest to dish out 10+ assists. After averaging 13.9 points on 40.3% FG in his first 10 games, Flagg has averaged 19.9 points on 51.5% FG in his last 11. ⚽️ Premier League, Week 14 A trio of top-12 matchups headline today's six-game slate. First-place Arsenal hosts 12th-place Brentford (2:30pm, USA), fifth-place Brighton hosts fourth-place Aston Villa (2:30pm, Peacock) and eighth-place Liverpool hosts sixth-place Sunderland (3:15pm, Peacock). More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Sabres at Flyers (7:30pm); Mammoth at Ducks (10pm) … Anaheim (16-9-1) sits in first place in the Pacific. 🏀 NCAAM: No. 6 Louisville at No. 25 Arkansas (7:15pm, ESPN); Clemson at No. 12 Alabama (7:15pm, ESPNU); SMU at No. 17 Vanderbilt (9:15pm, SEC) … Vandy is off to its first 8-0 start since 2007-08 behind the nation's second-best offense (97.9 ppg). 🏀 NCAAW: No. 17 Kentucky at Miami (5pm, ESPN2); Virginia at No. 15 Vanderbilt (5pm, SEC); NC State at No. 9 Oklahoma (7pm, ESPN2); No. 19 Tennessee at Stanford (9:15pm, ESPN2) … The Vandy women are also off to an 8-0 start, their first since 2011-12.   🏀 MVP RACE NBA TRIVIA Giannis and Luka in action last month. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) The top four betting favorites for NBA MVP are all international players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Nikola Jokić Luka Dončić Giannis Antetokounmpo Question: Can you name the countries all four were born in? Answer at the bottom.   🏀 TRIPLE DIGITS LSU WON'T STOP SCORING (Matthew Hinton/AP Photo) Fifth-ranked LSU isn't just off to an undefeated start — they've accomplished something no other team in the history of the sport has ever done before. Keep it 100: The scorching-hot Tigers (8-0) have scored 100 points in all eight games so far, breaking a 43-year-old NCAA record for the longest streak of 100-point games at any point in a season. LSU 108, Houston Christian 55 LSU 115, SE Louisiana 26 LSU 118, Georgia Southern 70 LSU 117, Charlotte 59 LSU 101, Tulane 71 LSU 112, Alcorn State 49 LSU 113, Marist 53 LSU 112, Washington State 35 Flashback: The previous record was held by Louisiana Tech, which scored 100+ in six straight games in February 1982 before winning the inaugural NCAA women's basketball championship that March. Here's the kicker: The same woman had a hand in both streaks. In 1982, Kim Mulkey was Tech's All-American starting point guard. 43 years later, she's LSU's head coach.   Trivia answer: Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Jokić (Serbia), Dončić (Slovenia), Antetokounmpo (Greece)

Fears of cuts to fire departments and emergency services plague Florida property tax proposals Fears of decimated fire departments dominated Tuesday’s Florida House committee hearing on proposals to slash property taxes. https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/02/fears-of-cuts-to-fire-departments-and-emergency-services-plague-florida-property-tax-proposals/? ps:My first thoughts!!!

Marine robotics firm will resume deep-sea search for MH370 plane that vanished a decade ago KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s transport ministry said Wednesday that a private firm will resume a deep-sea hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 later this month, more than a decade after the jet vanished without a trace. https://apnews.com/article/malaysia-missing-plane-mh370-search-eb0e65b20bf6766dfa1394c58fc6ccbf?

Israel to reopen a key border crossing to Gaza While announcing its plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing, Israel said the partial remains returned by Hamas militants did not match those of the Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza. Read more. What to know: The missing remains of two hostages threaten to stall a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in its first phase. But by promising to open the Rafah crossing, Israel showed it was moving ahead with parts of the U.S.-backed plan. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said forensic testing showed the remains returned Tuesday did not match either of the bodies of the two hostages, Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak. The statement about opening Rafah said Israel would coordinate with Egypt on the exit of Palestinians, under the supervision of a mission from the European Union. Those wishing to leave Gaza will require “Israeli security approval,” the statement said. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What to know about the 2 hostages whose remains are still in Gaza Mass wedding in Gaza celebrates new life after years of war and tragedy

Trump administration halts immigration applications for migrants from 19 nations The Trump administration is pausing all immigration applications, such as requests for green cards for people from the 19 countries banned from travel earlier this year, as part of sweeping immigration changes in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard troops. Read more. What to know: The pause puts on hold a wide range of immigration-related decisions, such as green card applications or naturalizations for immigrants. It’s up to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director Joseph Edlow on when to lift the pause, the memo said. The administration in June banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access for those from seven others, citing national security concerns. Days before the National Guard shooting, USCIS said in a separate memo that the administration would review the cases of all refugees who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration. Critics have said that the Trump administration’s actions have amounted to collective punishment for immigrants. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Man charged in National Guard shooting pleads not guilty during court appearance from hospital bed Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says Doodling, drowsiness and a conspicuous misspelling highlight Trump’s last Cabinet meeting of 2025 Trump says National Guard will be sent to New Orleans Venezuela to continue accepting deported migrants despite Trump’s airspace closure assertion With ‘Trump Accounts,’ your baby could qualify for $1,000. Here’s what to know Costco becomes biggest company yet to demand refund of Trump tariffs Chances dwindling for renewal of health care subsidies, risking premium spikes for millions Trump administration threatens to withhold SNAP management funds from states that don’t share data Justice Department expands legal action against states that have refused its demands for voter data Some friendly, some on-the-news questions at first briefing for new Pentagon press corps Sabrina Carpenter and Franklin the Turtle publisher condemn Trump administration’s use of their work

Epstein’s Grim Warning About Trump Is Coming True: Wolff The convicted sex trafficker predicted that Trump would exploit a key presidential power, according to Michael Wolff. Jeffrey Epstein once warned that Donald Trump would exploit a key presidential power if he should win the White House, according to author Michael Wolff. Wolff argued on the Inside Trump’s Head podcast that the convicted sex trafficker’s prediction about his former friend’s conduct in office has come unnervingly true. “Jeffrey Epstein had a kind of riff about this,” Wolff told co-host Joanna Coles, explaining that even before Trump was elected, Epstein would talk about how the real estate mogul could wield the pardon power as president. The Trump biographer, whose correspondence with Epstein raised eyebrows last month after some of their emails were released, said the disgraced financier believed Trump would misuse the presidential power because he revels in holding leverage over others. According to Wolff, Epstein told him, “He loves having this kind of thing. He loves showing the power that he has.” Epstein, who died in jail in 2019, predicted that Trump would use his powers “in a childlike way,” Wolff said. The 79-year-old president began his second term by pardoning more than 1,500 people convicted in the Jan 6. Capitol attack. He has since handed out what Coles called a “string of unfathomable pardons” to high-profile allies who back his agenda—and have the resources to lobby for clemency. Trump has even left the door open to pardoning Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, leading to speculation that he had cut some kind of deal with her to protect himself.On Monday, Trump granted clemency to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez—marking what is perhaps his most controversial pardon to date. Hernandez, 57, was sentenced to 45 years in prison last year after he was convicted of drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The Justice Department, under then-President Joe Biden, said Hernandez had “abused his power to support one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world,” helping heavily armed traffickers smuggle as much as 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. Wolff said Trump’s decision to pardon Hernandez stands out because “this is not a white-collar crime.” “This is a criminal who is not only an egregious drug smuggler, but it’s an administration that’s full of pride about its ability to stop drug smuggling,” he said. Trump has justified letting Hernandez walk free by saying that “many people of Honduras” told him “it was a Biden setup.” Presidents typically grant clemency to people who demonstrate some “anomaly” in the process of their conviction, Wolff noted. But “in the case of Trump’s pardons,” he said, “that’s seldom the case.” “These people have done the deed and Trump has decided for a variety of reasons—it was a political prosecution—some fig leaf rationale,” he said. “The real reason is that these people become part of his structural support base.” Securing a pardon from the president involves “knowing people who know people who know Trump, with an amount of money that has been passed along the line,” Wolff said. “There are no free pardons here.” In October, Trump pardoned money-laundering crypto billionaire Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, after his company, Binance, helped enrich the Trump family and hired at least two lobbying firms to push for Zhao’s pardon. Coles noted that the “opportunity cost” of Trump’s approach to pardons is that those who lack access to the president’s circle, but are “in jail wrongly,” are passed over. When reached for comment, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told the Daily Beast in a statement, “Michael Wolff is a lying sack of s--t and has been proven to be a fraud. He routinely fabricates stories originating from his sick and warped imagination, only possible because he has a severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his peanut-sized brain.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson later followed up to add, “Why isn’t the Daily Beast concerned with their own employee—Michael Wolff—closely corresponding with, and even offering advice to Jeffrey Epstein?” https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-grim-warning-about-trump-is-coming-true-michael-wolff/?

Keystone Kash Cornered on Humiliating Tantrum Revealed in Bombshell FBI Dossier The FBI director put his own spin on claims he threw a hissy fit in the midst of the Charlie Kirk investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel lashed out at a group of active-duty and retired FBI agents who compiled a dossier blasting his “dismal” leadership and accusing him of being more focused on his image than doing his job. The report, which was leaked Monday to the New York Post, recounted an embarrassing scene that took place on Sept. 11, a day after far-right activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah, leading to a 33-hour manhunt. After the FBI jet touched down in Provo, Utah, Patel refused to disembark until agents who were busy trying to find Kirk’s killer had tracked down a size medium FBI raid jacket for him to wear. “Patel apparently did not have his own FBI raid jacket with him and refused to step from the plane without wearing one,” the report’s authors said. A raid jacket in his size was finally located and brought to Patel, but he then wasn’t satisfied with the lack of proper patches on the sleeves, so he wouldn’t disembark until members of an FBI SWAT team “took patches off their uniforms and ran those patches over to FBI Director Kash Patel at the airport.” During an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle late Tuesday, Patel accused the dossier’s authors, an anonymous group of retired and active-duty agents who call themselves “the Alliance,” of lying and cratering the public’s trust in the FBI. He also said the jacket story was “100 percent false.” He appeared to put his own spin on the story. “One of my agents handed me a jacket and said, ‘Hey, boss, you should probably wear this. We are going into the command center.’ I said, ‘I would be honored to wear that.’ And then another one handed me the SWAT team badge of the unit that was protecting the area where Charlie was assassinated. I wore that with pride,” he said. He then insisted that his FBI was “succeeding in ways that no FBI has ever done so before.” “The institutionalists and the anonymous reporters from the swamp D.C. bureaucracy are the ones we are crushing. And that’s how I know we are winning,” he declared. He ended his monologue by taking another swipe at California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, recycling his own joke about Christine Fang, also known as “Fang Fang,” a Chinese woman who volunteered on Swalwell’s 2014 re-election campaign before it was publicly revealed in 2020 that she was a suspected Chinese spy. U.S. officials said they found no evidence she obtained any classified information from Swalwell, who cut contact with her after an FBI briefing in 2015. “If Eric Swalwell wants to come online and talk about what jacket size I wear, I’m happy to send him a women’s medium so he and Fang Fang can go out again,” Patel told Ingraham, who laughed obligingly. The Daily Beast reached out to the FBI for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/keystone-kash-says-humiliating-fbi-dossier-proves-hes-winning/?

December 3, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning. President Trump has escalated his attacks on immigrants, calling Somalis “garbage” in an unapologetically bigoted tirade. The U.S. also paused immigration applications from some countries. We’ll get to that and more below. But before we do, I’d like to draw your attention to Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro is trying to avoid the long arm of the United States. President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times Fast dancing In response to threats from the Trump administration, Maduro has tightened his security, my colleague Anatoly Kurmanaev reports. He hopes to escape a precision strike or a special-forces raid. He changes where he sleeps and what cellphones he uses. He has expanded the use of Cuban bodyguards in his personal security detail because he believes they are more loyal and less likely to betray him. He has also attached more Cuban counterintelligence officers to Venezuela’s military, according to multiple people close to the Venezuelan government. (They asked Anatoly not to use their names because they were worried about Maduro’s reprisals.) At the same time, Maduro has put on a public display of nonchalance in Venezuela, addressing the public frequently (if often in recordings), showing up at public events (if often unannounced), dancing and posting propaganda clips on TikTok. “It’s comfort for his supporters,” Anatoly told me on the phone yesterday, “and defiance to his opponents. He’s a good dancer.” The Trump administration says that Maduro is running a “narcoterrorist” cartel that is flooding the United States with drugs. But Venezuela does not produce fentanyl, which is responsible for two-thirds of American overdose deaths. And the cocaine that moves through his country likely accounts for less than 10 percent of the total that enters the United States. What the administration is looking for, current and former officials in Washington say, is regime change. To hasten it, Trump has moved warships and troops into the region, while also indicating that he might be open to a diplomatic solution. He and Maduro spoke by phone last month to talk about a possible meeting. (There are no current plans for a meeting, people with knowledge of the phone call told The Times.) On Monday, Anatoly reported, Maduro made a surprise appearance at a government rally in Caracas, the nation’s capital. “Party for as long as the body can bear it!” he told the crowd, before dancing to a fast electronic beat. A loop of his voice echoed over the speakers: “No war; peace.” There was a sniper standing guard nearby. ‘Street politics’ Maduro has been in this position before. Trump tried to unseat him during his first administration, calling for a “maximum pressure” campaign that appealed to Latino voters in Florida, a crucial state for Trump at the time. He imposed sanctions on Venezuela and recognized an opposition politician as the nation’s president. It was to no avail. “Maduro wasn’t born yesterday,” Anatoly told me. “He’s been in power for 12 years. He’s survived his fair share of uprisings and coup plots. His message is, I’m here. I’m not scared. I’m running this place.” Andrés Izarra, a minister under Maduro who has broken with the government and gone into exile, put it more bluntly. “He is a compulsive political operator,” he told Anatoly. “He plays by the rough rules of street politics, of corrupt union politics, rules that are similar to those of a mafia.” All of which leaves Venezuela in a precarious position. The economy there is hurting. Close to eight million people have fled the country since Maduro took office, more than a quarter of the population. He is deeply unpopular, with an approval rating that hovers around 20 percent. But many better-off Venezuelans who have stayed are anxious. They worry that dumping Maduro is a risk. “They prefer the predictable chaos of Maduro to the unpredictable chaos of the opposition,” Anatoly said. Yet they recognize that the country’s best chance may be a better relationship with the United States, the country’s cultural and financial north star. Anatoly quoted Porfirio Díaz then, the Mexican dictator who was toppled in 1911: Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States. The aphorism applies to Venezuela, and to its citizens, he said. “They have to live with the United States,” he continued. “They just want to survive this round of pressure.” Read about how Maduro is hanging on. IMMIGRATION CURBS Federal prosecutors charged an Afghan national with murder yesterday in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., one of whom died. Trump says that the attack is evidence immigrants are dangerous — and that it justifies a maximalist version of his anti-immigrant agenda. In response to the shooting, his administration has: Stopped processing green card and citizenship paperwork for immigrants from any of the countries under Trump’s travel ban, mostly in the Middle East and Africa. Paused all asylum decisions until it could “ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” an official said. (The shooting suspect obtained asylum in April, while Trump was president.) Trump also recently threatened in a social media post to deport foreigners deemed to be “non-compatible with Western Civilization.” Ordered ICE to start arresting and deporting Afghans who have court orders seeking their removal. A new target A Somali-American community in Minneapolis. Ben Brewer for The New York Times He has also escalated his rhetoric. Although the suspect in Washington is Afghan, he has fixated on another group since the shooting: Somali immigrants. Yesterday, Trump called them “garbage” that he doesn’t want in the country. It was an outburst that was shocking in its unapologetic bigotry, even compared to other statements he has made in his long history of insulting people from African countries. Trump continued his tirade, saying Somalis “do nothing but bitch,” and Vice President JD Vance banged the table in encouragement. He directed ICE agents to target Somali immigrants in Minnesota. THE LATEST NEWS Boat Strikes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a follow-up strike that killed men clinging to boat wreckage in the Caribbean was “the right call.” Hegseth, who watched the initial operation on video, said that he had not seen the men in the water. The admiral who ordered the second strike will face questions from Congress. More on Politics Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow for nearly five hours to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine. They did not reach any compromises. In Tennessee, Matt Van Epps, a Republican, won a special election for the House of Representatives after national Republican groups spent millions to boost his campaign. The Pentagon is test-driving a new press corps composed of pro-Trump commentators and outlets after barring traditional journalists who refused to sign on to its rules. Business The Trump administration wants its “no taxes on tips” rule to exclude money made from pornographic activity. It may soon fall to the I.R.S. to decide what constitutes porn. The Times’s DealBook Summit is today. Follow along to hear from Mr. Beast, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Erika Kirk and many others. Sign up for the DealBook newsletter. Andrew Ross Sorkin and his Times colleagues help you make sense of business headlines — and the power brokers who shape them. Get it in your inbox Philanthropy Elon Musk’s charity, the Musk Foundation, controls billions of dollars. Yet it failed to give away the minimum required by law, and most of its giving went to charities closely tied to Musk, a Times investigation found. The tech billionaires Michael and Susan Dell plan to give $250 dollars each to 25 million children across the U.S. The money will go into so-called Trump accounts, a type of investment account for children. Read how those work. International Hong Kong authorities have arrested at least two people for demanding more government accountability after a deadly fire. The Indian government ordered smartphone makers to install a tracking app on all new phones. Officials say it will prevent crime; critics say it’s a tool for mass surveillance. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking a pardon in his corruption trial, is borrowing from Trump’s playbook, David Halbfinger writes. Other Big Stories In a testimony in a Manhattan court, an officer told the story of arresting Luigi Mangione in New Jersey. The University of Alabama suspended two student magazines that focus on women and Black students, saying they violated guidance from the Justice Department on D.E.I. JOIN THE FIGHT The New York Times Early in the war with Russia, Ukraine cast military service as a way to defend civilization. But as war fatigue set in and recruitment suffered, the army began depicting service as just another career path. See how Ukraine’s war recruitment ads have changed. OPINIONS Americans should treat the Epstein files with skepticism, considering that Trump’s politicized Justice Department is in charge of redacting them, the editorial board writes. Millennial women are loving Lily Allen’s album “West End Girl” because they’re starting to face their own midlife crises, Lizzy Goodman writes. Morning readers: Save on the complete Times experience. Experience all of The Times, all in one subscription — all with this introductory offer. You’ll gain unlimited access to news and analysis, plus games, recipes, product reviews and more. MORNING READS Illustration and animation by David Silverman. The Simpsons™ and © 2025 20th Television The greatest generation: That’s Gen X, not so obvs. Amanda Fortini, one of its members, tackled the question for T Magazine: “How did a generation that gets stereotyped as slackers turn out to be a far more important group of artists than they were initially given credit for?” Take a chill pill. It’s true. Think of Nas rapping in “N.Y. State of Mind” about growing up in the Queensbridge housing projects. Amanda quotes the scholar Marc Lamont Hill: The lyrics are as clear and lyrical a depiction “as a Gordon Parks photograph or a Langston Hughes poem.” Report card: A student at the University of Oklahoma cited the Bible in an essay for her psychology class and wrote that the “lie that there are multiple genders” is “demonic.” Her professor gave that work a grade of zero. The student filed a claim of religious discrimination. The university conducted a formal grade appeal, which “resulted in steps to ensure no academic harm to the student from the graded assignment,” according to the school. The instructor has been placed on administrative leave. Sydney beaches: Australia uses shark nets in the ocean to keep them away from swimmers. But do they work? Iran-contra affair: Eugene Hasenfus was thrust into the national spotlight when, on a covert mission sponsored by the C.I.A., his gunrunning cargo plane was shot down over Nicaragua, setting off what would become known as the Iran-contra affair. He died at 84, TODAY’S NUMBER 1,120 — That is about the number of crews the Ohio Department of Transportation had on state roads yesterday, working to improve driving conditions as a major winter storm dumped snow and ice across the Midwest. SPORTS Tennis: Serena Williams took a step toward returning to tennis by re-entering the sport’s anti-doping testing pool. But she insists she’s not coming back. N.F.L.: The former Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles made $42 million in football. Fifteen years after retirement, he will soon become a police officer in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. RECIPE OF THE DAY Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Here it is, Cooking’s most popular recipe of 2025: Zaynab Issa’s smashed beef kebab with cucumber yogurt. It’s a lovely midweek meal that wears its Persian heritage proudly, with warmly spiced, seared ground beef served over the creamy coolness of the sauce. After you’ve cooked the meat, toast walnuts and raisins in the leftover fat in the pan to add crunch and sweetness. Serve with warm pita or steamed rice. Oh, man. See the 25 most popular recipes of the year. THE BEST MOVIES OF 2025 Warner Bros. TIFF; Neon, via Associated Press Our critics Manohla Dargis and Alissa Wilkinson picked their personal top 10s from cinema’s past 12 months. The choices are reminders, Manohla says, “that what matters to us moviegoers isn’t the industry’s bottom line but the art.” Explore their favorite movies of the year. More on culture 2025 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Take some time today to focus on “The Two Fridas” by Frida Kahlo. A 10-minute investment will pay dividends, I promise. Can a celebrity be a conservative? In Trump’s America the answer is yes and no. The “Popcast" team reached out to the Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat to talk about that, and about what a right-wing-coded alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show might look like. Have a listen. Late night hosts joked about Trump on social media. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Try a shoe that resembles a potato. Really. Get your Birks on. Jacob Gallagher, who covers men’s style for The Times, says the comfortable shape is having a moment. Consider a trip to Paris. Our Travel team put together un sacré guide de poche, a great pocket guide, for the City of Light. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was chalked. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

📱 Teen phone crackdown goes global Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios French President Emmanuel Macron last week endorsed the idea of cellphone bans in high schools, becoming the latest world leader to back restrictions on teen tech and social media use, Sara Fischer writes in Axios Media Trends. Why it matters: Data continue to suggest a correlation between children's smartphone use and poor mental and physical health. 🌐 Zoom in: Australia this month will become the first major democratic nation to ban children under 16 from popular apps such as TikTok and Instagram. South Korea passed a measure earlier this year to ban cellphones in schools. Denmark's government announced plans to ban access to social media for minors under 15. Brazil will soon require children under 16 to link their social media accounts to a guardian who can impose restrictions. New Zealand's parliament banned cellphones in schools in 2024. Keep reading.

Science funding squeeze Data: The New York Times. Chart: Axios Visuals Trump administration policies have pushed the NIH and NSF to "make far fewer competitive awards" to fund medical and science research than in past years, according to a New York Times review of over 300,000 grants. Why it matters: Fewer grants means less research was funded "in areas such as aging, diabetes, strokes, cancer and mental health." The NIH, the world's largest funder of biomedical research, has quietly started to pay more money upfront — meaning its research funds are divided into fewer projects, instead of a larger number of diversified scientific bets. Keep reading (gift link — no subscription required).

💰 Billionaires bankroll Trump's presidency Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Private wealth has become an operational arm of the Trump presidency, bankrolling pet projects and policies on a scale unmatched by any previous administration, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: The generosity of America's billionaires can't be divorced from the tax incentives and privileged access that come from orbiting — or serving in — the wealthiest administration in U.S. history. While some donations are earmarked for the public good — like Michael Dell's historic $6.25 billion gift yesterday for "Trump accounts" for kids — many flow into the president's personal ecosystem. 🔎 Zoom in: Like any private philanthropy, Dell's massive donation — which will seed 25 million child investment accounts with $250 — is ultimately dwarfed by the $7 trillion federal budget. But its power lies in its ability to bypass congressional gridlock, allowing Trump to broaden a popular benefit — $1,000 for newborns starting next year — far beyond what lawmakers were willing or able to authorize. The same dynamic applied to GOP megadonor Timothy Mellon's $130 million contribution to backstop troop salaries during the government shutdown, which worked out to about $100 per service member. 🔭 Zoom out: Many wealthy donors have chosen to support projects insulated from the federal balance sheet. In Trump's world, that often means financing the spaces and spectacles he values most. Inauguration: Unburdened by campaign-finance limits, Trump's 2025 inaugural committee raised a record-shattering $245 million — nearly triple his 2017 total and four times President Biden's 2021 haul. Military parade: Sponsors of Trump's 250th-anniversary Army parade in June included corporations with deep financial or political ties to the president, including Palantir, Coinbase and Oracle. White House ballroom: Trump has broken ground on a 90,000-square-foot ballroom replacing part of the East Wing. So far, the White House has disclosed a list of 37 corporate and individual contributors, including major tech companies, defense contractors, crypto firms and longtime Trump allies. Some have remained anonymous. White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai told Axios in a statement: "Thanks to President Trump's leadership, America's richest billionaires are giving away their money to Make America Great Again — from investing in Trump Accounts for our children's future to supporting our troops." Keep reading.

The power of real reporting Photo illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios; Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images President Trump came into office promising to decapitate mainstream media. He bullied and sued media companies, blocked or curtailed access for reporters, and elevated nontraditional news sources. Yet mainstream media ends the year as dominant as ever in capturing Trump's attention and setting Washington's agenda, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Why it matters: Trump remains a voracious consumer of so-called legacy news and takes more calls from more reporters than any president in our lifetime. His days are often filled with responses — not to MAGA media or X influencers, but to conventional stories from conventional reporters at conventional media publications. Trump administration efforts to restrict the proximity of some White House reporters, or boot them from Pentagon workspace, have done little to slow the flow of leaks to legacy media from inside those buildings. Yes, his lawsuits against the big networks and others have a chilling effect on coverage, reporters at those networks tell us. And, yes, some legacy voices — notably the opinion section of The Washington Post — are drifting rightward in the age of Trump. And what the Pentagon calls its "brand new" press corps of Trump-friendly outlets (including MAGA provocateur Laura Loomer) was welcomed into the building this week for exclusive briefings after traditional news organizations refused to sign a new press policy. But it's hard to argue legacy media has been defanged when the president himself spends his days engaging with it and reacting to deeply reported stories that clearly hit a nerve. 🖼️ The big picture: The era of Big News is over — the days of networks and newspapers and traditional media alone setting the agenda are long past. Influencers, podcasters, social media stars and independent thinkers and journalists are often just as powerful as old-line media in shaping how most people see reality day to day. But these newer players often feast on old-fashioned reporting to provide their daily buffet of content on new platforms. The media dynamic in Washington has changed less than we expected in 2025. At the beginning of the year, both X and MAGA media were ascendant, even dominant, in shaping the national conversation. X remains a force, especially for Republicans, the tech world and the media. But MAGA has been mired in months of infighting, often about personality or identity disputes. That said, we're clearly in the post-news era, in which people are forming views and realities based on numerous inputs. Yet even in this post-news era, news still matters. A lot. Case in point: Look at how The Washington Post drove days of coverage and social-media posts — and sent the Trump administration scrambling — with last week's report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered commanders to kill those aboard alleged drug-smuggling boats off South America. The reporting kicked even Trump-friendly Republican committee chairs into oversight action. (Hegseth said yesterday he "did not personally see survivors" and cited the "fog of war" in defending the follow-on strike in a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.) Or look at how the most powerful people in technology rallied to defend White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks after The New York Times this week ran a five-byline investigation into his holdings in realms where he shapes policies. If The New York Times is unreliable and irrelevant, why did Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Marc Benioff and other big-name execs feel obligated to publicly defend Sacks? Or look at the way a beat reporter, Axios global affairs correspondent Barak Ravid, has dominated coverage of Israel and Middle East peace talks. Trump himself has been doing interviews with Ravid to discuss his views. The bottom line: For all his anti-media rhetoric, Trump remains the most accessible president of modern times to many mainstream reporters. We're not diminishing the damage Trump has done with lawsuits and constant claims of "fake news." It's real. Lawsuits drain money, time and attention. But as we've seen at Axios this past year, interest in clinical, serious, credible reporting has never been higher — including inside this White House.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 03 1947 “A Streetcar Named Desire” opens on Broadway On December 3, 1947, Marlon Brando’s famous cry of “STELLA!” first booms across a Broadway stage, electrifying the audience at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre during the first-ever performance of Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. The 23-year-old Brando played the rough, working-class... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1818 Illinois becomes the 21st state 1980s 1984 Explosion kills thousands at pesticide plant In Bhopal, India Arts & Entertainment 1979 Eleven people killed in a stampede outside Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio Cold War 1989 Bush and Gorbachev suggest Cold War is coming to an end Crime 1989 Five-year-old disappears—abductor is later ID’d by clothing fibers Inventions & Science 1967 First human heart transplant 1979 Last AMC Pacer rolls off assembly line 1992 First SMS text message is sent World War I 1912 Armistice signed in First Balkan War

> Samsung debuts its first trifold smartphone with 10-inch display, available in South Korea this month and in the US next year; Chinese company Huawei released trifold phones last year, and Apple is expected to debut a foldable iPhone next year (More) > Researchers find shingles vaccine may slow progression of dementia, building on an earlier study that linked the vaccine to a lower risk of developing dementia (More) > Terminally ill baby ants emit a chemical signal that prompts adult ants to kill them, helping protect the rest of the colony from infection (More)

Hong Kong Fire Probe Hong Kong is establishing an independent committee to investigate last week's apartment complex fire that killed 156 people and to initiate reforms in the construction industry. Over a dozen people affiliated with the complex's renovation have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after netting around a high-rise building caught fire last Wednesday. The blaze spread to six other buildings (see visualization). A preliminary probe found seven of 20 netting samples didn't meet safety codes, prompting authorities to accuse contractors of misleading inspectors to cut costs. The labor department had conducted 16 project inspections since July 2024—including one a week before the fire—and told residents who raised safety concerns that a fire was relatively unlikely. Authorities declined to comment on reports that civilians were arrested over the weekend after demanding government accountability for the fire. In reaction to 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations, Beijing has passed down national security laws that can effectively criminalize free speech and protests in Hong Kong.

German chocolate cake was invented in Texas. It was named for a person, Sam German, who created a type of baking chocolate for Baker’s in 1852. James

Trump-backed Republican Matt Van Epps wins US House special election in Tennessee NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Matt Van Epps won a nationally watched special election in Tennessee for a U.S. House seat Tuesday, maintaining his party’s grip on the conservative district with help from President Donald 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. https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-special-election-congress-van-epps-behn-246e101692e3dd002d43a4cdb467164b?

Which states contribute the most and least to federal revenue? In 2024, Californians paid about $275.6 billion more to the federal government than they received. https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-contribute-the-most-and-least-to-federal-revenue/? What’s in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”? From tax reform to shifts in healthcare, immigration, and SNAP, this legislation will likely affect you. https://usafacts.org/articles/whats-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill/? One last fact Cashier jobs are expected to disappear more than any other job by 2034. Find out which jobs are expected to be the fastest-growing. 

🌊 Parting shot! Photo: Van Taylor A beautiful shot of Sugar Lake in Midway, Ala. — snapped last week by Finish Line reader Van Taylor of Plano, Texas, with an iPhone.

🚀 First look: Isaacman's encore testimony Jared Isaacman performs at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., on July 22. Photo: Austin DeSisto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Trump's nominee to lead NASA will tell senators tomorrow that he is "not here for personal gain," is committed to returning Americans to the Moon, and wants to push even deeper into space, according to remarks we've obtained. Why it matters: Jared Isaacman — a private astronaut and billionaire entrepreneur — wants to convince senators that his approach to NASA will be determined, but not disruptive. "If confirmed, I am here to bring urgency and extreme focus to the mission — to work with the best and brightest at NASA to lead humanity's effort to unlock the secrets of the universe and ensure American leadership across the last great frontier," Isaacman plans to say. Driving the news: This will be Isaacman's second appearance before the Commerce Committee. He testified in April, but Trump withdrew his nomination in June before renominating him in November. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will praise Isaacman in his opening remarks: "Mr. Isaacman will prioritize stability, accountability and respect for the men and women who make the agency's missions possible." "Jared, I know you are as committed as I am to American supremacy in the final frontier. The United States must remain the unquestioned leader in space exploration, and this imperative is why we must confirm your nomination as expeditiously as possible." — Hans Nichols

🥷🏻 Johnson vs. Stefanik Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is publicly feuding with House Speaker Mike Johnson and accusing him of siding with Democratic Rep. "Jamie Raskin against Trump Republicans." Stefanik is a member of Johnson's leadership team, even as she runs for governor of New York. Zoom in: Stefanik is now threatening to tank the National Defense Authorization Act vote over the omission of her provision that would require the FBI to notify Congress when opening a counterintelligence investigation into candidates for federal office. "I don't exactly know why Elise won't just call me," Johnson said. "I texted her last night and said I would help figure out what happened." He added he supports her provision but argued it was removed because "the two chairs and the two rankers in both chambers did not agree." "I had nothing to do with it, so I don't know why she's frustrated with me." Stefanik quickly shot back, posting on X: "Just more lies from the Speaker. ... This is his preferred tactic to tell Members when he gets caught torpedoing the Republican agenda." Between the lines: Today's eruption is an escalation of their problems that date back to earlier this year. Stefanik has reportedly blamed Johnson for delaying and ultimately killing her nomination as UN ambassador to keep his narrow GOP House majority from further dwindling, which Johnson has denied. Johnson subsequently gave her a largely symbolic role as chair of House GOP leadership. The bottom line: The rift widened further today when Stefanik signed onto Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's (R-Fla.) discharge petition to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks. — Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender

🔥 Dems rage over briefings Key Senate Democrats say they weren't briefed on the second strike against survivors of the September attack on a suspected drug trafficking boat off the coast of Venezuela. "The DoD owes the entire committee, the House and the Senate answers to this," Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told us. Why it matters: Lawmakers have battled with the White House for months about the administration's sharing of information about military activities — with Democrats complaining they've been iced out. The congressional backlash had gotten to the point that President Trump ordered more briefings, saying he kept "getting calls about this from congressmen," as we scooped in November. Zoom in: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), an Armed Services Committee member who is also the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, said she didn't know about a second strike "until it was reported." Administration officials "certainly didn't tell us" there were survivors who were hit with a second strike, Kelly said today. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told us, "We have not seen the videos, we have not been briefed on any of that." Between the lines: The White House said yesterday that U.S. Special Operations Command head Adm. Frank Bradley, and not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, directed the strike. "I don't remember them sharing those details that [White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt] shared at the podium," Kelly told us. What's next: Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the top lawmakers on the Armed Services panel, will meet with Bradley this week and have publicly pledged to investigate the situation. Rosen said it was "her understanding, per Jack Reed, that we will be having an investigation ... so that means that we have the subpoena power to call people there." — Stephen Neukam

The Last Avenue View in browser Even today, nearly five years later, listening to Donald Trump’s call is shocking. “So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes,” he told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and a few aides on January 2, 2021. Trump warned Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, that if he didn’t act, he would face prosecution: “That’s a criminal, that’s a criminal offense. And you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer.” And to underscore that he was asking Raffensperger to subvert the election results, he added, “So what are we going to do here, folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break.” The Washington Post obtained the call and published it on January 3. Three days later, a crowd of Trump supporters, whipped into a frenzy by the president, marched on the Capitol, attacked police, and sacked the building in an attempt to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. In the days, weeks, and years to follow, much more would be revealed: a long-running campaign, as dedicated as it was sloppy, to steal the 2020 election. Trump and several associates were charged for their roles in the scheme in a splashy Georgia indictment, but the case’s dismissal last week, on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, received less attention. A judge acted at the request of Peter Skandalakis, the prosecutor appointed to handle the case after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who obtained the indictment, was disqualified from overseeing it. Skandalakis made both legal and practical arguments against the racketeering case, deeming the charges against some of the defendants weak. (The racketeering law allowed Willis to charge many people at once but created a sprawling case.) As for Trump, Skandalakis wrote, “There is no realistic prospect that a sitting President will be compelled to appear in Georgia to stand trial on the allegations in this indictment.” By the time he leaves office, “eight years will have elapsed since the phone call at issue.” The Georgia case was the last remaining criminal case against Trump, and the last legal or political avenue to hold him accountable for the 2020-election plot. (It was also important because Trump cannot pardon himself or others if convicted in state court.) A federal election-subversion case against him was dismissed after he won reelection last November. State prosecutions against fake electors have not made much headway. And last month, Trump issued pardons to dozens of people implicated in the attempted subversion. In short, Trump has gotten away with his attempt to subvert the election: If the criminal-justice system is incapable of prosecuting attempts to steal an election, then stealing an election is de facto legal. Each of these cases had its own wrinkles and reasons for failing. In the Georgia case, for example, Willis made grievous errors in judgment, intertwining her personal life and work by hiring a dubiously qualified special prosecutor with whom she was in a romantic relationship. Her racketeering charge was also ambitious but risky, as Skandalakis argued; the collapse of her case against the rapper Young Thug’s YSL group shows how such cases can go wrong. The federal prosecution was set up for failure by Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to slow-walk prosecuting Trump to appear nonpartisan; the result was that by the time Special Counsel Jack Smith took over, he had little time to work. The Supreme Court used much of that time deliberating a challenge from Trump before issuing a startling opinion that gives presidents immunity for a huge range of “official” acts. Political remedies haven’t worked either. The House voted to impeach Trump for his actions, but the Senate, under the influence of the GOP leader Mitch McConnell, failed to convict him. Republicans fell back on both legalistic claims—they argued that they couldn’t convict Trump once he was no longer president—and a misplaced belief that Trump would never be able to mount a political comeback. And when states tried to disqualify Trump from appearing on the 2024 ballot under the Fourteenth Amendment (a legally questionable approach), the Supreme Court blocked them. All that remains are a few cases against the fake electors who allegedly formed alternative pro-Trump slates. A case in Michigan was dismissed. Wisconsin’s case is creeping forward. A case in Nevada was quashed by a trial judge on procedural grounds but resuscitated by the state supreme court; something similar happened in Arizona, where the attorney general has asked the state supreme court to revive a case. (That one also involves a few Trump allies.) Even if some of these cases succeed, though, they will punish the lowest-level participants while allowing the big fish—Trump chief among them—to swim free. Trump’s pardon order guarantees that some of the high-profile figures will never face federal charges related to the 2020 election, including the lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Boris Epshteyn, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, and Jenna Ellis, as well as former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. (Trump’s order explicitly ruled himself out; he has previously said that he has the power to self-pardon, but many legal scholars disagree.) Giuliani and Eastman have lost their law license, and Clark may as well, but that’s hardly proportional punishment. Notwithstanding the various prosecutors’ miscalculations that led to this point, it is possible that no effective legal path existed to hold Trump and his minions accountable. Despite their bumbling, their scheme was vague and diffuse enough that prosecuting them was tricky. This does not make election-subversion attempts acceptable, though; it means that lawmakers should write laws that would allow authorities to punish the kind of behavior that occurred after the 2020 election. Unfortunately, there is little prospect of that at the federal level or in potential key states. And as I wrote in The Atlantic’s December cover story, the president and his allies are already working to interfere in the 2026 election. When moving to dismiss the Georgia charges, Skandalakis lamented the sordid aftermath of the election: “Never before, and hopefully never again, will our country face circumstances such as these.” The failure to punish the major figures, however, all but guarantees a repeat. Related: Donald Trump’s plan to subvert the midterms is already under way. North Carolina is the canary in the election coal mine.