“The order was basically: Destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat,” said Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. The Washington Post had reported that Bradley ordered the follow-on attack on the survivors. At the time of the attack, Bradley was the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, overseeing coordinated operations between the military’s elite special operations units out of Fort Bragg in North Carolina. About a month after the strike, he was promoted to commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. Republican lawmakers who are close to Trump have largely stood by Hegseth and the administration’s decision to conduct the strikes.

“We never accept any kind of pressure,” Tomoko Akane, a judge from Japan and the ICC’s president, said during the ongoing summit. Critics of the warrants often cite doubts about Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor who requested and secured them. This year, the court has rejected an Israeli request to quash the warrants, then an Israeli appeal against that rejection. The U.S. and many of Israel’s other allies, for instance, have previously welcomed an ICC warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over accusations of war crimes in Ukraine. Additionally, the ICC judges cited Israeli attacks that appeared directed at civilians, another potential war crime.

This Holiday Tells A StoryThis year, the holidays don’t feel celebratory for many Americans who’ve been negatively affected by the Trump administration’s decisions. We’re here to make sure those people do not go unheard. Help us hold the administration accountable. Already a member? Log in to hide these messages.

The 27-year-old is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, in the back at point-blank range exactly one year ago. The brazen shooting launched a massive manhunt that ended five days later with Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Several of Mangione’s supporters told HuffPost they even planned to brave this Friday’s potentially record-breaking cold snap in their tents. Initially, Mangione gave the officers a false name along with a New Jersey driver’s license. Mangione gave his real name after the warning.

DJ AG performs in a care home and encourages residents to sing and dance along. A North London-based DJ is bringing cheer to UK care homes this winter with his charm and toe-tapping beats. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAnd now, as Christmas draws near, the DJ is turning his efforts to Britain’s care homes, where he’s on a mission to bring joy and music to the nation’s elders. “The reason I started performing in care homes goes back to my grandmother,” he told HuffPost UK. Performing in care homes is my way of reminding them that they’re not forgotten.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGJimmy Kimmel’s wife had a few pointed words for President Donald Trump. “It is a fragile time for freedom.”Molly McNearney attends the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment breakfast Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California. Michael Kovac via Getty ImagesMcNearney went on, “Freedom of speech is the foundation on which this great country was built. Fear is contagious, but the good news is, so is bravery.”Jimmy Kimmel and McNearney attend the Hollywood Reporter's annual Women in Entertainment event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California. We got knocked down, and with all of you, you helped us get back up,” she told the audience.

Wrap Up The Year With PurposeThis newsroom tells stories that reflect real lives and real stakes. Your support ensures that work continues. Join as a member today and close the year by strengthening independent reporting for all. Already a member? Log in to hide these messages.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked endangering U.S. military personnel when he used the commercial messaging app Signal to discuss real-time war plans, a report by the Pentagon’s acting inspector general released Thursday has found. Hegseth “holds the authority to determine the required classification level” of the information he communicates, it stated. In a statement on X on Wednesday, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the report “is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along - no classified information was shared. This matter is resolved, and the case is closed.”AdvertisementHegseth also took to social media to call the review a “total exoneration,” writing: “No classified information. Total exoneration.

I find her embarrassing and pathetic honestly.”Campins, a Fox Business contributor and host, spun Ball’s outrage into a gush over Sweeney and the GOP. “They’re like, ‘She is so Republican.’ She gets hotter by the minute, right. NBC via Getty ImagesRose said she was once attached to play Christy Martin’s girlfriend in “Christy.”“Everyone had experience with the core material. “None of ‘the people’ want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us.”Pivoting to a rebuke directly at Sweeney, Rose added, “You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Christy deserved better.”Sydney Sweeney at a New York screening of her new movie "The Housemaid" on Dec. 2, 2025.

The lawsuit, which also names Hegseth and Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell as defendants, argues the Pentagon’s media policy is unlawful and unconstitutional. The Times is seeking a court order requiring the Pentagon to reinstate Times reporters’ badges and stop the department from implementing and enforcing its restrictive press policy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by The New York Times on Thursday. “We are aware of the New York Times lawsuit and look forward to addressing these arguments in court,” Parnell said in a statement to HuffPost. Major news organizations, including HuffPost, the Times and conservative outlets Fox News and Newsmax, refused to sign on to Hegseth’s demands.

The Trump administration says all 11 people aboard were killed. The questions are expected to emerge Thursday during a classified congressional briefing with the commander that the Trump administration says ordered the second strike, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley. The Pentagon did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment about the reported new details about the Sept. 2 attack. Some legal experts and lawmakers say that strike would have violated peacetime laws and those governing armed conflict. AdvertisementThe information about the follow-on strike was not presented to lawmakers during a classified briefing in September, in the days after the incident.

H-1B visas, which allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty fields, are crucial for U.S. tech companies which recruit heavily from countries including India and China. Many of those companies’ leaders threw their support behind Trump in the last presidential election. Details on the enhanced vetting for H-1B visas, including the focus on censorship and free speech, have not been previously reported. The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a focus of its foreign policy. As part of his wide-ranging crackdown on immigration, Trump in September imposed new fees on H-1B visas.

This Holiday Tells A StoryThis year, the holidays don’t feel celebratory for many Americans who’ve been negatively affected by the Trump administration’s decisions. We’re here to make sure those people do not go unheard. Help us hold the administration accountable. Already a member? Log in to hide these messages.

Given that Friday night football and wrestling were at the heart of the community, I felt like I belonged. I sat with that moment for a week before texting him: “What happened the other night really messed with me and it still bothers me. At one point, my back hit the mat and all I could feel was what I’d felt that night. Procedurally, it felt like justice, but nothing about my life felt normal anymore. I didn’t tell any of my teammates or my friends or family what had happened — my parents finally just found out this year.

Brian Cole, a 30-year-old from Virginia, has been identified as the suspect, according to multiple reports. The pipe bombs were placed outside the headquarters of the DNC and the RNC on Jan. 5, 2021, the eve of the Capitol insurrection. In the ensuing chaos, police resources were diverted to responding to the pipe bombs and away from the Capitol attack as it was unfolding. “We were dealing with two pipe bombs that were specifically set right off the edge of our perimeter to, what I suspect, draw resources away,” Sund told lawmakers. But the language included in the pardon did not seem to apply to the person responsible for the pipe bombs, according to NBC News.