Hegseth boat strike orders; National Guard shooting : NPR

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President Trump and his advisers met yesterday evening to discuss next steps with Venezuela as tensions continue to deepen with the US The Trump administration has faced scrutiny over its attacks against drug boats headed to the US from Venezuela. Dozens of people have been killed in these attacks. on friday, Washington Post Reports said US forces attacked a boat on September 2, killing some survivors. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered the execution of those survivors. Some Congress members believe this may constitute a war crime.

• Press secretary Caroline Levitt did not deny yesterday that Hegseth had ordered the second attack.But he said he authorized U.S. Navy Admiral Frank M. Bradley to take these actions, reports NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben first upNPR’s Tom Bowman spoke yesterday with a U,S, official who was not authorized to speak publicly, This official disputed the White House statement, saying that Hegseth had ordered “two kills” and two additional strikes to “sink the boat”,
• Venezuelan exiles in the US are stepping up a pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Many of those deported live in Doral, Florida, where an estimated 2 in 5 are Venezuelans and have stories of persecution.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will join White House envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today For talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will discuss a US peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

• Kushner participated in talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida over the weekend. NPR’s Charles Maines says his role is greatly enhanced by his involvement in the discussions in Russia. Maines noted that this situation is reminiscent of Kushner’s involvement in the Gaza talks. With both Witkoff and Kushner in the Kremlin, European leaders are worried that the US and Russia will somehow cut their deal.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members last week in Washington, D.C., was experiencing a personal crisis — not radicalization. – In the years before the attack. This insight comes from a refugee resettlement volunteer who worked closely with Lakanwal and his family for several years in Bellingham, Washington. The volunteers agreed to speak to NPR on condition of anonymity because they fear for their safety and the safety of others working with the Afghan refugee community.

• By 2023, Lakanwal struggled to find permanent work and faced cultural alienationNPR’s Brian Mann says the volunteer described him as becoming withdrawn, more isolated and having increasingly erratic behavior. The volunteer says he never saw or felt any threat to the community or America from Lakanwal. In Afghanistan, Lakanwal was a member of a paramilitary group called Zero Unit that would pursue Taliban fighters. The volunteer’s biggest concern was that he was a danger to himself. Mann says the man’s description of Lakanwal’s behavior is supported by emails he shared, which show he raised concerns about her mental health in January 2024.

An NPR investigation into Trajector, a Florida-based company originally founded to help disabled veterans, reveals Trajector prioritizes aggressive debt recovery and profit maximization. The company is charging military veterans up to $20,000 for assistance with disability claims, despite the VA saying the action may be illegal and that such services should be provided free.

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The organization Independent Center believes that artificial intelligence could be the key to disrupting the two-party system in American politics. Its goal is to elect several independent candidates to the House of Representatives in 2026. Using AI, it aims to identify districts where independent candidates have the best chance of success and highlight promising candidates. If they can win even a few seats, it could prevent any party from gaining a majority and reverse the way the House is currently run.

• ➡️ The Independent Center aims to field about 10 candidates by the spring, aiming to win at least half the races. Adam Brandon, a senior adviser to the organization, speculates that this could encourage liberals in the House to change affiliations.
• ➡️ AI also provides a great opportunity to get a snapshot of the main issues and concerns of voters by monitoring what people are talking about in real time.
• ➡️ One criticism the organization has received is that non-winning candidates on the ballot influence which candidate wins – an idea referred to as “spoilers”. But Brett Loyd, who runs the nonpartisan polling and data firm that oversees polling and research at the Independent Center, argues that critics of independent candidates entering the race have a vested interest in the current system.

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White House tours are scheduled to resume today, just in time for the holiday season. The tours were on a three-month hiatus due to Trump’s estimated $300 million ballroom project, which included the removal of the East Wing. In previous years, tourism began in the East Wing, which was decorated during the holidays for the enjoyment of its many visitors. Tours will now enter and exit through the North Portico. Yesterday, reporters previewed the decorations chosen by First Lady Melania Trump to “honor the heart of America,” according to the White House. The “Home is Where the Heart Is” themed decorations included 75 wreaths with red bows, 51 Christmas trees and more than 2,000 strings of lights. Get this look inside the White House Holiday Tour.

3 things to know before you go

1. This week, at the annual Art Basel fair in Florida, a new exhibition at Miami’s Museum of Graffiti explores the origins and evolution of street art.
2. Three octogenarian nuns achieved international fame after escaping from their care home and breaking into their former convent. He has attracted more than 185,000 Instagram followers, but his superiors say he can only stop if he gives up social media – an offer he has rejected.
3. The 2025 Oxford Word of the Year is “rage bat”, which beat fellow shortlist nominees “aura farming” and “biohack” after three days of online voting. Here’s how the term is defined.

Who edited this newspaper? Suzanne Nuyen,