1 White House Confirms Second Strike On Alleged Drug Boat, Denies Hegseth Gave The Order
The White House confirmed yesterday that the US carried out more than one strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean in September, but denied that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the second attack to kill survivors. The Washington Post reported last week that Hegseth gave a verbal order to leave no survivors before the September 2nd attack. Several lawmakers from both parties have called for investigations, with some saying targeting survivors could be a war crime. The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman said he plans to talk with everyone involved and expects to see all the audio and video from the operation.
2 Russia Says It's Taken Control Of Two Ukrainian Cities, Ukraine Denies It
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly claimed that Russian forces have taken control of two Ukrainian cities, Pokrovsk and Vovchansk, but Ukraine's military denied the claims and soldiers on the front lines said they were false. Putin made the claims the night before meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow to talk about a peace deal to end the war. The claims appear meant to influence that meeting by making it seem like Russia is winning and doesn't need to compromise. Putin and Russia's military have repeatedly made false claims about capturing Ukrainian cities before they actually did. Ukrainian forces said they continue to hold back Russian attacks in Pokrovsk, a city Russia has been trying to take for over a year and a half. In Vovchansk, Ukrainian troops still hold positions in the southern part of the city, though much of it is destroyed.
3 Sen. Chuck Schumer Says Three Of His New York Offices Received Bomb Threats
Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday that three of his New York offices were targeted with bomb threats sent by email. The emails came from an address that claimed the 2020 election was rigged and had the subject line "MAGA." The threats were sent to Schumer's offices in Rochester, Binghamton, and Long Island. Local and federal law enforcement responded right away and did full security checks, and Schumer said these kinds of violent threats have no place in politics. President Trump lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden but has falsely claimed since then that it was rigged or stolen, though courts dismissed the lawsuits and election officials in all 50 states certified the votes.