Live updates: Lawmakers to hear from Navy admiral who ordered attack that killed boat strike survivors

The Navy admiral who reportedly issued orders for the U.S. military to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat is expected Thursday on Capitol Hill to provide a classified briefing to top congressional lawmakers overseeing national security.

The information from Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who is now the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, comes at a potentially crucial moment in the unfolding congressional investigation into how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth handled the military operation in international waters near Venezuela. There are mounting questions over whether the strike may have violated the law.

Other news we’re following:

• Pentagon knew boat attack left survivors but still launched a follow-on strike: That’s according to two people familiar with the matter. What remains unclear was who ordered the strikes and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was involved, one of the people said. The details are becoming crucial as lawmakers have launched investigations and are seeking to determine whether the U.S. acted lawfully during its military operations.
• Trump pardons Texas Democratic Rep. Cuellar: Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case on Wednesday, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system. Trump, who has argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
• Trump’s contempt shocks the country’s largest Somali community: Trump has called Somali immigrants living in the United States “garbage” and wants them to leave, claiming without evidence that “they contribute nothing.” Even for a president who has long made clear he’s no fan of Somalia, the latest round of White House contempt was a shock in the country’s largest Somali community.