Chapter 1: What recent military actions are being scrutinized by lawmakers?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Some top lawmakers from both parties got new details yesterday about a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean last September. They want to know more about a second strike on the boat that killed survivors of the first attack. Navy Admiral Frank Bradley testified, saying he did not receive orders to kill everyone on board.
Here's Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton.
Admiral Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order to give no quarter or to kill them all. He was given an order that, of course, was written down in great detail, as our military always does.
Chapter 2: How does Texas' new congressional map impact the upcoming elections?
But Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coon says he wants to know more about the role of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Secretary Hegseth is responsible for all of these strikes because he's responsible for the campaign. and for the rules of engagement and for how it's being carried out.
Some Democrats want more video of this boat strike released, and President Trump says he is willing to do that. The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Texas to use its newly redrawn congressional map in next year's midterm elections. The decision boosts the Republican Party's chances of keeping control of the House of Representatives. NPR's Hansi Lo Wong has more.
This final Supreme Court decision means that next year's midterm election in Texas will be held using a congressional map that could help Republicans pick up five more House seats. The ruling comes after President Trump pushed Texas and other Republican-led states to draw new voting districts to help the GOP win.
Chapter 3: What questions are lawmakers asking about Trump's ballroom donations?
A lower court blocked Texas' redrawn map after finding its challengers are likely to prove in a trial that the map violates the Constitution by discriminating against voters based on their race. That's because multiple top Republican lawmakers made public statements suggesting they passed it to get rid of existing districts where Black and Latino voters together make up the majority.
The congressional gerrymandering fight now continues in other states. A federal court hearing on California's new map is set for this month. Anzhi Luang, NPR News.
Democratic lawmakers are quizzing businesses that reportedly have made donations to President Trump's planned ballroom. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, lawmakers want to know if the company's got anything in return from the government.
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.
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Chapter 4: What are the latest developments regarding the FIFA World Cup draw?
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.
Today's the draw for next year's FIFA World Cup men's soccer tournament. The 48 teams, including the U.S., will learn the other countries they'll initially face. The U.S. is co-hosting the tournament, along with Canada and Mexico. This is NPR. The FBI has arrested a suspect accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. nearly five years ago.
Chapter 5: What cybersecurity threats are linked to China?
The suspect is a 30-year-old Virginia man. The bombs were left in front of the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters, but they did not explode. Cybersecurity experts from the federal government and the private sector are sounding the alarm about a digital spying campaign. This activity has been linked to China. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports it's just been discovered.
The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a new advisory about a strain of malicious code or malware being used to burrow into critical infrastructure.
They say the hackers are tied to the People's Republic of China and use sophisticated techniques like deploying layers of encryption and stealing legitimate credentials to hide their activities.
Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike also published a blog post about the campaign, concluding the hackers use their access to spy on an Asia-Pacific government entity, as well as email accounts of employees who work on topics of interest to the Chinese government. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News.
Federal prosecutors in Virginia have failed to win a new indictment against New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James.
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Chapter 6: What legal challenges is Attorney General Letitia James currently facing?
This comes more than a week after a federal judge dismissed a different federal indictment against James on the same matter. She released a statement yesterday. James says the mortgage fraud charges were baseless. The New York Democratic Attorney General also says the justice system is being weaponized. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.