Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. military on Sept. 2 to kill all 11 people on a suspected drug-smuggling boat because they were on an internal list of narco-terrorists who U.S. intelligence and military officials determined could be lethally targeted, the commander overseeing the operation told lawmakers in briefings, according to two U.S. officials and one person familiar.
An order to kill people on a list of targets is not forbidden under U.S. and international law, unlike a “no quarter order,” which is an illegal military directive to kill all enemy combatants and show no mercy, even if they surrender or are gravely injured.
During the Reagan National Defense forum Saturday, Hegseth defended the action, saying he had left the room after the first strike and before the order for the second strike was given but that he would have made the same decision.
The following day on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also defended the strikes because the initial survivors “were not incapacitated.”
Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether he was comfortable with the U.S. targeting a boat when he has not seen evidence that it was heading to the U.S. or was an imminent threat, Cotton said he wanted the strikes to continue.
“Any boat loaded with drugs that is crewed by associates and members of foreign terrorist organizations that are trying to kill American kids, I think, is a valid target,” the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said. “I’m not just comfortable with it, I want to continue it.”
But not everyone in Washington is comfortable with the Trump administration’s actions.
In a separate interview on “Meet the Press,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., urged the administration to release the video, saying, “If the Pentagon and our defense secretary is so proud of what they’re doing, let the American people see that video.”
‘People aren’t dumb’: Republicans worry they’re not doing enough on affordability
Congressional Republicans are starting to publicly and privately sound the alarm about their party’s disjointed strategy to address Americans’ affordability concerns, with some growing increasingly frustrated with President Donald Trump’s sometimes cavalier attitude toward the subject.
While Republicans say the high cost of living is a problem they inherited from President Joe Biden, many GOP lawmakers still think their party needs to sharpen its own message and platform ahead of the midterms — or else it could cost them their tenuous majorities in Congress.
Even some of the most MAGA Republicans are calling for a pivot.
“People aren’t dumb,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “They know when they go to the grocery store what it costs and what it doesn’t. They know what their rent costs. They know what their prescription drugs cost. And all of that stuff is too high. And they can’t afford it. And they know that. So we’ve got to deliver.”
‘Meet the Press’
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., criticized the nationwide redistricting fight in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” arguing that the country is going through “a repeat of a history that led to some catastrophic consequences in our previous history.”
Clyburn pointed to the emergence of Jim Crow after Reconstruction, saying those racist laws and Supreme Court decisions like Plessy v. Ferguson “made a mockery of democracy.”
Politics in brief
- Unease in the Big Easy: New Orleans’ sanctuary city policies are being tested in a state that supports federal immigration enforcement.
- ‘No more Mr. Nice guy’: President Donald Trump criticized Rep. Henry Cuellar for a “lack of loyalty” for running as a Democrat after receiving a presidential pardon.
- National park changes: The Trump administration changed which days Americans can visit national parks for free next year, removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth and adding the birthdays of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Donald Trump, the latter of which falls on Flag Day.
- Last (Florida) man standing: The Sunshine State could be the last GOP stronghold the White House can count on as part of the rare mid-decade redistricting cycle it has pushed ahead of the midterm elections.
Missing campers and pleas for helicopters: 911 calls from the Camp Mystic flood in Texas
As catastrophic flooding inundated parts of Texas Hill Country on July 4, dispatchers received multiple frantic 911 calls from Camp Mystic, a Christian sleepaway camp for girls.
One man called about a missing 7-year-old girl.
“Maybe potentially she’s drowned,” he told dispatch. “They said they’re at Camp Mystic at the Guadalupe River.”
A director at Camp Mystic called 911 asking for search and rescue.
“We’re missing as many as 20 to 40 people,” he said.
These are some of nearly 600 calls released this week by the Kerrville Police Department from the catastrophic flash flooding that killed more than 130 people, including 28 at Camp Mystic.
Lando Norris wins Formula 1 title in the final race of 2025
Lando Norris captured his first ever Formula 1 world championship in the final race of 2025, completing a comeback in a captivating and unpredictable season.
The 26-year-old McLaren racer finished ahead of rivals Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Oscar Piastri of McLaren in the standings after all three entered the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a chance of becoming the world champion.
Norris played the long game in the race, knowing he only needed a podium finish to clinch the trophy regardless of where his rivals finished. He kept his composure despite an early threat from the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and a few close calls in wheel-to-wheel racing after pitting for fresh tires and coming out in traffic.
- College Football Playoff set: Alabama and Miami are in, while Notre Dame misses out in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Indiana, on the back of its 13-10 win over Ohio State, earned the top seed in the 12-team field.
- Messi’s newest trophy: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the MLS Cup final for the club’s first league championship. The superstar delivered two assists.
- ‘Sunday Night Football’: One of the most consequential days of the 2025 NFL season will be capped by the Houston Texans visiting the Kansas City Chiefs. NBC News is covering all the action.
Notable quote
I know their kids. We’ve gone camping together. We have Christmases together. And it hurts. There’s tears on both sides.
Lacie Carroll-Marsh, a small-business owner who had to lay off 17 of her 31 employees this year
High inflation, wavering consumer spending, tariffs and broader economic uncertainty have all contributed to the pressure on smaller businesses. As many owners weigh layoffs to keep the lights on, they’re also agonizing over how to do right by employees they care deeply about.
In case you missed it
- The Tower of London was briefly closed after activists smeared food on a display case containing one of Britain’s crown jewels.
- After months of silence, Sydney Sweeney addressed her controversial American Eagle ad, saying she has come to realize her “silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.”
- More than a third of the roughly 220,000 people arrested by ICE officers between Jan. 20 and Oct. 15 had no criminal histories, according to new data.
- Benin’s interior minister said a coup attempt was foiled after a group of soldiers appeared on state TV and announced the removal of the president and all state institutions.