Thursday morning news: December 4, 2025

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

Drugboat latest: Trump okay w/releasing video of second strike » President Trump says he’s willing to release video of the U.S. military’s controversial second strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat from Venezuela, after the initial strike failed to kill everyone on board.

TRUMP: I don't know what they have, but whatever they have, we’d certainly release, no problem.

The president, talking to reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday.

Admiral Frank Bradley, who ordered the second strike back in September, is holding a classified briefing on the matter before Congress today. The White House says the strike was a lawful act of self defense, while critics say taking out survivors at sea is a war crime.

Speaking at the Pentagon Christmas Tree lighting Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referenced the White House’s tactics to stop drug smuggling from countries like Venezuela, to the U.S.

HEGSETH: We remember the ones that are fighting to protect all of us, to bring peace on earth and goodwill toward men, except narco terrorists.

Hegseth’s level of involvement in the double strike is unclear. He claims he didn’t know anyone had survived the initial hit, and didn’t order the second strike.

Pentagon IG: Hegseth use of Signal app endangered mission » Meanwhile, Hegseth is facing renewed scrutiny on another front: his use of the Signal app. A new report from the Pentagon inspector general finds Hegseth endangered U.S. personnel and their mission earlier this year, when he used Signal to share sensitive information about a strike on Houthi militants in Yemen.

That’s according to two sources familiar with the findings who spoke to the Associated Press.

Democrats say the findings show Hegseth isn’t qualified for the job he holds. House Armed Services Committee member Maggie Goodlander:

GOODLANDER: It is absolutely baffling to me how a person in such an extraordinary position of public trust could be so reckless, I think this is one example of, unfortunately, many that show that this is a person who is not fit to serve as our secretary of defense.

Despite the inspector general’s conclusions that Hegseth’s actions could’ve put U.S. personnel at risk, Hegseth does have the ability to declassify material, and the report found he did not do so improperly.

A Pentagon spokesperson calls the report a ‘total exoneration’ of Hegseth.

Ukraine negotiator to meet w/Witkoff, Kushner » Ukraine’s top negotiator is scheduled to meet for peace talks with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami today.

It comes just a couple days after Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, for talks aimed at ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The president isn’t predicting next steps, but says the U.S. team left Moscow with the sense Putin wants the war to end.

TRUMP: I think he’d like to get back to dealing a more normal life. I think he’d like to be trading with the United States of America, frankly, instead of, you know, losing thousands of soldiers a week.

Ukraine and its European allies are more skeptical. They accused Putin of feigning interest in peace efforts after his meeting with the U.S. diplomats.

Ukraine’s foreign minister urged Putin to -quote- “stop wasting the world’s time.”

Gaza: Israel upset over remains sent, trades attacks w/Hamas » The ceasefire in Gaza is strained, but still holding, after limited back-and-forth attacks between Hamas and Israel Wednesday.

A Hamas attack wounded five Israeli soldiers, prompting a retaliatory airstrike by Israel on a Hamas militant in southern Gaza later in the day.

Also Wednesday, Israel received what could be the remains of one of the last Hamas-held hostages. But forensics experts need to verify that, after remains handed over Tuesday turned out not to match either of the final two hostages. Israeli spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian:

BEDROSIAN: Hamas publicly said they were committed to the ceasefire more than 51 days ago now. Lie! Hamas repeatedly violated the terms by not only attacking our soldiers, but by not releasing all of our hostages, the living hostages and our deceased hostages.

Hamas claims it had trouble accessing the remains because of Israel’s destruction of Gaza.

One sign of progress: Israel is reopening the long-closed Rafah Crossing for medical evacuations and travel to and from Gaza. That’s a key term of the ceasefire.

ICE crackdown in NOLA, MN » Federal agents hit the streets of New Orleans Wednesday.

SOUND: Agents in New Orleans

Those agents were part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown across the U.S. -- with the latest phase focused largely on Louisiana.

The Department of Homeland Security says it's all about rounding up illegal migrants who've already been detained and released, despite being charged with violent crimes.

GOP Senator Markwayne Mullin told Fox Business's Kudlow:

MULLIN: It's the Democrat-ran, blue cities that are doing this. And keep in mind, the Democrats always want to scream that we're anti-immigrant. We're not anti-immigrant. In fact we want immigrants to come over here in a lawful way.

Trump administration officials say New Orleans was chosen for the next crackdown because of its status as a so-called sanctuary city.

Also, NBC News reports raids targeting Somali migrants have begun in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Trump rolling back Biden fuel economy standards » The White House is rolling back Biden-era fuel economy standards.

The government says the new standard would cut average fuel economy requirements for light duty vehicles from 50 miles per gallon by 2031, down to 34 and a half.

The Trump Administration says this move will make cars more affordable. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett says the Biden-era standard was aimed at moving away from the internal combustion engine.

HASSETT: There’s basically no car anywhere in the U.S. that’s being made that would meet that standard. So otherwise, what they’re doing is they’re trying to make everybody buy electric cars.

The new mileage standards still have to be finalized next year before they can take effect.

I'm Mark Mellinger.

Straight ahead: accounts of Christian persecution in Nigeria and why the stories aren’t getting wider coverage. Plus, strengthening the American family.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.