Tuesday morning news: November 25, 2025

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Pentagon investigating Sen. Mark Kelly » The Pentagon is weighing whether to pull retired Navy captain — and Arizona U.S. Senator — Mark Kelly back onto active duty to face a court-martial.

Kelly was one of six Democratic lawmakers—all former military or intelligence— who appeared in a video, calling the Trump administration a threat to the Constitution. And in that video Kelly added:

KELLY: Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders.

That came as Democrats criticized lethal military strikes against drug cartel vessels in international waters, calling them illegal.

Sen. Kelly insists he was simply citing what the law already says.

But the White House says the message went much further. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt argued the intent was unmistakable:

LEAVITT: To try and give a wink and a nod to the 1.3 million active-duty service members who serve in our United States Armed Forces and essentially encourage them to defy the orders of their commander in chief.

Kelly responded to news of the Pentagon probe, with a lengthy statement listing his combat missions, his years as a NASA astronaut, and his wife Gabby Giffords’ survival of a gunshot wound — accusing the administration of trying to intimidate him, and adding that it will not work.

Ukraine latest » U.S. officials say they’re optimistic that negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine are moving in the right direction.

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Geneva Sunday were “substantive.”

But he also stresses that any peace plan must uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty.

ZELENSKYY:  Putin wants legal recognition for what he has stolen to break the principle of territorial integrity and sovereign.

Washington’s 28-point framework peace proposal reportedly presses Ukraine to hand over some territory to Russia and reduce the size of its army.

President Zelenskyy reportedly may make another trip to Washington as soon as this week to map out the next steps in peace talks.

Comey and L. James cases dismissed » A federal judge has tossed out the criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan ruled that the prosecutor who brought the cases, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed, and therefore, the cases she brought against Comey and James cannot stand.

Comey reacted, saying the ruling sent a message:

COMEY:  The president of the United States cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies.

Both defendants claimed the separate cases were purely political, because of their past involvement in investigations of or cases against Donald Trump.

But Attorney General Pam Bondi insisted Halligan was lawfully appointed and both cases were fully warranted.

BONDI:  We'll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal to hold. Leticia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled — but possibly not in Comey’s case due to the statute of limitations.

The judge’s decision doesn’t address the merits of the allegations — it focuses solely on what he said were the procedural flaws in Halligan’s appointment.

U.N. meeting on Israel » Israel is again drawing criticism from the United Nations.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called out the Jewish state on Monday over a weekend airstrike in Lebanon.

DUJARRIC: We are seriously concerned about the deadly Israeli strike on a residential area in southern Beirut yesterday. We urge all actors to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation.

Israel says the airstrike was targeting Haytham Ali Tabtabai, a top official with the Hezbollah terror group, and that they successfully took him out.

Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian:

BEDROSIAN: The IDF attacked the Hezbollah Chief of Staff in the heart of Beirut, who led the strengthening and arming of the terrorist organization. Israel is determined to act and achieve its goals anywhere and at all times.

Lebanon's health ministry says a total of five people were killed in the airstrike and more than two dozen were injured. It was the Israeli military's first such attack on Beirut in months.

Boeing space capsule won’t carry astronauts on next flight » Boeing’s troubled space capsule will not be carrying astronauts on its next flight. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more.

BENJAMIN EICHER: NASA and Boeing and have agreed that the next Starliner flight will be a trial run, carrying only cargo, no people.

The company will work to prove that the capsule is safe eight months after the first and only Starliner crew had to be brought home months later in a SpaceX vessel. That was due to technical problems and safety concerns with the Starliner.

Engineers have since been poring over its thruster and other issues.

The cargo run will happen no earlier than April, pending more tests and certification.

NASA is also slashing the planned number of Starliner flights, from six to four.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Thanksgiving travel » A record is expected to fall this week, with a whopping 82 million people projected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.

AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz says, if you’re flying, you should probably make plans to show up early at the airport. And if possible, it’s best to fly on off-peak days.

DIAZ: Tuesday and Wednesday are notorious for being crowded at the airports, as well as the Sunday coming back. We are advising give yourself extra time…. we're expecting that people need to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight.

The highways will also be packed. AAA says nearly 90% of holiday travelers are planning to drive.

Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a U.S. backed Thanksgiving deadline for Ukraine: Is it a realistic roadmap for peace or a shortcut likely to fail? Plus, grief, collectibles, and saying goodbye.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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