Defense secretary under fire as lawmakers question admiral about deadly boat strikes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under pressure this week as a Navy admiral faces tough questions from lawmakers about the legality of striking boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean. Tom Bowman
Rep. Jim Himes recounts briefing on U.S. boat strike in the Caribbean NPR's Michel Martins talks with Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., about what he learned in a briefing from the Navy admiral who ordered the second strike on a boat near Venezuela. Michel Martin
Supreme Court lets Texas use gerrymandered map that could give GOP 5 more House seats The Supreme Court has cleared the way for a Texas congressional map that may help the GOP win five more U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterms. A lower court found the map is likely unconstitutional. Hansi Lo Wang
State Department to deny visas to fact checkers and others, citing 'censorship' The order is focused on applicants for H-1B visas, which are frequently used by tech companies and is part of a campaign by the Trump administration against online content moderation. Shannon Bond
Trump administration looks to navigate fallout from controversial boat strike The Trump administration's actions show they are aware of the potential fallout on the kill strike and are working to contain it - despite what they are saying. Franco Ordoñez
Congressional leaders briefed on second strike off the coast of Venezuela NPR's Juana Summers talks with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, after his meeting with Adm. Frank Bradley about the military strike off the coast of Venezuela. Juana Summers
Pentagon watchdog finds Hegseth broke policies by using Signal to discuss airstrikes Inspector General Steven Stebbins says Hegseth's use of the commercially available messaging app to discuss strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen could have jeopardized the safety of U.S. servicemembers. Elena Moore
Europe's left is taking notes on Mamdani's successful campaign for New York mayor The New York mayor-elect's victory has energized the European left, with politicians casting themselves as their country's version of Mamdani, and strategists eager to study how he won. Fatima Al-Kassab
Trump launches fresh attacks from familiar playbook with tirade on Somali immigrants President Trump made racist comments about Somali immigrants and Somalia multiple times this week. It's a common tactic used by the president to get attention from those who share his nativist views. Mara Liasson