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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stephens. Some members of Congress have been briefed on the killings of two survivors of a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean. Navy Admiral Frank Bradley showed lawmakers a video of two people being killed in a second U.S. attack on their damaged boat. NPR's Franco Ordonez explains Bradley's role in the controversy.
Bradley is the admiral who was named first by the press secretary in a carefully worded statement, by the way, and then by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as the one who specifically ordered that second strike that killed the survivors. And now he is the one facing scrutiny from lawmakers, and he's basically delivering just the latest version of how these strikes happen.
And Piers Franco Ordonez. Dozens of people have been killed in U.S. strikes on boats that the Trump administration insists were hauling drugs across the Caribbean and East Pacific en route to the U.S. The Supreme Court has cleared the way for Texas to use a newly redrawn congressional map that President Trump requested.
As the Texas newsroom's Blaze Ganey reports, that decision boosts chances that Republicans may retain control of the U.S. House in 2026.
The battle over which map Texans will use for the 2026 midterm elections had an impact that spread nationwide. Republicans came out victorious with this ruling. Their new map will likely give the GOP five additional seats. Texas House Democratic Leader Gene Wu led a quorum break with lawmakers staying out of state to delay the map's passage.
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Chapter 2: What recent events have occurred involving U.S. military strikes?
He says the move sends a message. The Supreme Court allowing the maps to stand essentially means that what protections we have for voting, for communities, for people without as much power and without as much voice is over. The ruling will also shake up which candidates decide to run in Texas. Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett has said he won't run again if these maps were in place.
He is yet to make that official. For NPR News, I'm Blaise Gainey in Austin.
Some Democratic lawmakers are quizzing businesses that reportedly have made donations to President Trump's planned ballrooms. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, lawmakers want to know if the companies got anything in return.
Lawmakers have written to more than half a dozen big companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Union Pacific Railroad, asking how much they donated to the ballroom and whether there was any discussion of a quid pro quo. All the companies that received letters have antitrust matters pending with the administration.
which the lawmakers say raises questions about the possibility of influence peddling. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says his company chose not to make a donation to avoid the appearance of buying favors. So far, there's been little oversight of the giant White House ballroom or its price tag, which has grown to $300 million. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR. A British investigation finds that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered the 2018 poisoning of a double agent in Salisbury, England. As NPR's Lauren Frayer reports, Britain is imposing new sanctions in response.
New sanctions target Russia's entire military intelligence agency, plus 11 Russian agents the British government accuses of, quote, carrying out Putin's bidding. in Ukraine and across Europe. It's also summoned the Russian ambassador. This is in response to findings from an attack seven years ago on Sergei Skripal, a former Soviet agent who defected to England.
British investigators say Russian assassins tried to poison him with Novichok. Russia denies it. Skripal, his daughter, a police officer, and another bystander were hurt but survived. But another bystander, Don Sturgis, died. Novichok is the same nerve agent used against Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London.
Former South African President Jacob Zuma was back in court Thursday seeking the dismissal of corruption charges against him. Zuma faces 18 counts, including money laundering and fraud, linked to nearly 800 alleged illegal payments. he received from a French arms manufacturer in 1999. In 2021, he was found in contempt by the South African Constitutional Court after surrendering to police.
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