Good afternoon everyone. I am closely tracking the special election in Tennessee and will have a full update for you later this evening once results come in. This afternoon, I am following major developments in the first formal complaint filed against the United States over the killing of a Colombian fisherman in the administration’s unlawful Caribbean boat strikes. At the same time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to deflect responsibility for actions that may constitute war crimes, saying he was acting in the “fog of war.”
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According to the Guardian, the family of Colombian citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina has filed a detailed petition with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights alleging that the United States unlawfully killed Carranza in a September 15 airstrike. The filing states that the U.S. military bombed his fishing boat off the Colombian coast without knowing who was on board and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered such strikes while acknowledging he did not know the identities of those targeted.
The complaint also asserts that President Donald Trump endorsed these actions. Carranza, a 42 year old fisherman, was reportedly killed in the second strike of the Trump administration’s campaign against suspected drug boats, a campaign that has included 21 publicly disclosed attacks. The family contests the administration’s claim that the victims were Venezuelan narcoterrorists and seeks both redress and an order halting further strikes.
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said he watched the initial September 2nd strike on an alleged drug boat off Venezuela but left before the follow up decision, adding that Admiral Frank Bradley had full authority and made the right call.
Trump said countries producing or selling drugs to the United States are subject to attack and that future strikes will move from sea targets to land targets.
Democrats condemned the administration after the second boat strike, with Chuck Schumer calling Hegseth spineless and demanding release of the full unedited strike footage.
Trump faced ridicule for falling asleep during the cabinet meeting today after Kristi Noem suggested that Trump is the reason no hurricanes hit America:
Trump said that Minnesota’s Somali community “contribute nothing” and that he does not want them in the country.
Donald Trump called affordability a Democratic scam despite previously championing affordability.
Trump said the national guard will deploy to New Orleans at the request of Louisiana governor Jeff Landry.
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45 year U.S. sentence for drug trafficking and weapons crimes, was released from prison after Donald Trump issued a pardon, with Trump saying he acted because people in Honduras told him Hernández had been set up.
Trump said he will announce a new Federal Reserve chair early next year and noted that treasury secretary Scott Bessent declined interest in the job.
According to NBC News, the Pentagon inspector general has completed its eight month investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sharing of sensitive operational details in a Signal group chat, delivering the report to him Tuesday, with public release expected soon and continued scrutiny from Congress over whether classified strike information was improperly moved to an unclassified platform.
Illinois officials warned major rental car companies that immigration agents have been illegally swapping license plates on rented vehicles during large scale deportation operations, issuing cease and desist letters and revoking at least one plate while telling companies they could face penalties if the practice continues.
Vladimir Putin accused European governments of blocking progress on ending the Ukraine war and warned that Russia was prepared for a conflict with Europe as Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow to present a revised US peace proposal. Before meeting the delegation, Putin said European demands for ending the war were unacceptable and claimed Europe was preventing the United States from achieving peace.
Venezuela said it will continue accepting twice weekly U.S. deportation flights despite Trump’s claim that its airspace should be considered closed, with officials confirming the flights are proceeding at the Trump administration’s request even as U.S. drug strike operations escalate and Trump warns that countries producing cocaine or fentanyl, including Colombia and Venezuela, are “subject to attack.”
Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion to fund 25 million additional “Trump Accounts” with $250 each for children who missed the federal newborn program, prioritizing families in ZIP codes under $150,000 median income and expanding access to investment accounts created under the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The Pentagon said all 2,375 national guard troops deployed in Washington DC are now armed with live weapons and patrolling with local police, a major escalation that follows the fatal ambush of two guard members near the White House and has prompted the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules after identifying the suspect as an Afghan national.
San Francisco sued 10 major food companies, alleging they knowingly designed and marketed ultraprocessed foods to be addictive and harmful, contributing to rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases and imposing heavy health care costs on cities. The suit targets brands including Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Kellogg and General Mills, arguing they used deceptive tactics despite clear scientific evidence of health risks, while experts compared the case to past tobacco litigation and cited research showing ultraprocessed foods dominate most Americans’ diets.
See you in a little bit.
— Aaron
