The Latest: Trump administration halts immigration applications from 19 countries

The Pentagon’s watchdog found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday.

Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the information. CNN first reported the initial findings.

The review by the Pentagon inspector general’s office was delivered to lawmakers, who were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol. A partially redacted version of the report was expected to be released publicly later this week.

Here’s the latest:

MyPillow founder Mike Lindell files paperwork to run for governor of Minnesota

Lindell, a prominent backer of President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, filed the paperwork with the Minnesota campaign board Wednesday.

But Lindell told The Associated Press that it’s “not 100%” sure yet he will run. He said he filed because the person who would run his campaign told him they needed to get things going now so he could hit the ground running.

Lindell said he’ll make his announcement on Dec. 11 at MyPillow headquarters in the Minneapolis suburbs. He noted that he previously said he was 99% sure and added that that hasn’t changed.

NVIDIA CEO visits Capitol Hill for meeting with Senate Republicans

Jensen Huang, chief executive of the world’s most valuable company, joined Republicans from the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday to discuss bills that could regulate where his company’s chips may be allowed to be sold around the world.

Huang has advocated for more relaxed export regulations on the chips, which are key to powering artificial intelligence systems.

The White House has expressed support for some of Huang’s position, but congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle are concerned about exporting high-end AI hardware to China and other potential rivals.

Huang emphasized the need for the U.S. to maintain top technology but said his company must compete globally.

“The one thing we can’t do is we can’t degrade chips that we sell to China. They won’t accept that,” he said.

Hegseth was previously pressed by lawmakers about how he’d respond to the investigation

Hegseth told Fox News Channel in April that what he shared over Signal was “informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things.”

During a congressional hearing in June, Hegseth was pressed multiple times by lawmakers over whether he shared classified information and if he should face accountability if he did.

Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Marine veteran, asked Hegseth whether he would hold himself accountable if the inspector general found that he placed classified information on Signal.

Hegseth would not directly say, only noting that he serves “at the pleasure of the president.”

Lawmakers had called for the inspector general investigation in Hegseth’s Signal use

The revelations of the administration’s use of Signal sparked intense scrutiny, with Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans saying Hegseth posting the information to the chats before the military jets had reached their targets, potentially put those pilots’ lives at risk.

They said lower-ranking members of the military would have been fired for such a lapse.

The inspector general opened its investigation into Hegseth at the request of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

Some veterans and military families also raised concerns, citing the strict security protocols they must follow to protect sensitive information.

New name on the US Institute of Peace

The U.S. Institute of Peace, initially targeted by an executive order by the president and the Department of Government Efficiency, has a new name on its former headquarters: Donald J. Trump.

The president’s name is now above “The Institute of Peace” on the building.

In March, the president fired the board and the staff was dismissed. The building was handed to the General Services Administration. A federal district court overturned the action in May, but a federal appeals court reversed it weeks later. Employees have been fired twice, and the building is back with the GSA.

It is unclear when the president’s name appeared. Attempts to reach a spokesperson for the former employees were not immediately answered.

A refresher on Signalgate

In at least two separate Signal chats, Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women carrying out those attacks on behalf of the United States were airborne.

Hegseth’s use of the app came to light when a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal text chain by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz.

It included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss March 15 military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.

Hegseth had created another Signal chat with 13 people that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of the same strike, The Associated Press reported.

Pentagon watchdog says Hegseth’s use of Signal posed risk to US personnel

The Pentagon’s watchdog found that Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday.

Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the information. CNN first reported the initial findings.

The review by the Pentagon inspector general’s office was delivered to lawmakers, who were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol.

— Lisa Mascaro

Top immigration officials tout arrival of federal agents to New Orleans

As the immigration enforcement operation launched in the New Orleans area Wednesday, some of the nation’s top immigration officials chimed in on social media.

“We are here arresting criminals who should not be here,” Bovino posted on X. The Border Patrol commander, who has led aggressive operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, described Louisiana’s state and local law enforcement as “excellent partners.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that agents will remove “the worst of the worst” from New Orleans.

Lawmakers reviewing report on Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal

The inspector general of the Department of Defense has delivered a report reviewing the defense secretary’s use of a Signal chat in March to discuss pending military strikes in Yemen.

Senators were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol and a partially redacted version of the report was expected to be released publicly later this week.

The report’s findings are not known, but its arrival on Capitol Hill adds to the scrutiny on Hegseth. Another congressional investigation is examining whether an operation in international waters near Venezuela violated military code of conduct by firing on the survivors of an initial strike that destroyed a boat allegedly carrying drugs.

Louisiana’s Republican governor welcomes federal police

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is a close Trump ally who has moved to align state policy with the White House’s enforcement agenda.

He said Wednesday that the crackdown will target the “worst of the worst, criminal illegal aliens that have broken the law.”

“It started today and it’s going to run until we get them all off the street,” Landry said during an interview on the Walton & Johnson radio show.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is expected to lead New Orleans enforcement, which aims to arrest 5,000 people.

Trump plans to weaken vehicle mileage rules that limit air pollution

The plan, to be announced later Wednesday, would ease pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks. It would significantly reduce fuel economy requirements through the 2031 model year.

The move would be the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles. The Republican administration says the new rules would increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can afford.

Word about Trump’s impending action comes from several people familiar with the White House plans. They’re not authorized to discuss the matter publicly because the proposal hasn’t been announced.

▶ Read more about weakening vehicle mileage rules

Louisiana immigrant rights group challenges new law in court

A Louisiana immigrant rights group asked a judge Wednesday to declare the new state law unconstitutional, with critics arguing that the legislation could be used to punish protesters or silence opponents of the Trump administration’s federal immigration crackdown that ramped up Wednesday.

The law took, which took effect in August, expands the crime of obstruction of justice to include anyone who “knowingly” commits “any act intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart” federal immigration enforcement efforts.

In that lawsuit filed in a Louisiana federal court, New Orleans-based nonprofit Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy called the law vague. Out of fear of violating the law, they’ve stopped hosting “Know Your Rights” workshops.

Treasury secretary says China on track to meet soybean purchase commitments

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says China is on track to buy millions of tons of American soybeans even though the purchases so far are much lower than promised.

The White House has said China committed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans by January and at least 25 million tons per year for each of the next three years.

“They are in a perfect cadence to complete that goal,” Bessent said Wednesday at the DealBook Summit.

But reports from the Agriculture Department show that China has only bought 2.251 million tons of soybeans so far.

Bessent said he thinks China’s immediate purchase commitment of 12 million metric tons should be completed by the end of February. Chinese officials have not confirmed the specific purchase promises.

Trump administration takes aim at the New Orleans’ immigration policies

Attorney General Pam Bondi has accused New Orleans of undermining federal immigration enforcement. The Department of Justice includes New Orleans in a list of 18 cities it considers to be providing sanctuary to immigrants without legal status.

New Orleans officials deny the city’s policies thwart federal immigration enforcement. City police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has said she considers immigration enforcement to be a civil matter outside her jurisdiction.

House Democrats release photos and videos of Epstein’s private island

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are releasing 14 photos and videos of Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, showing empty courtyards, a bedroom and other rooms from his villa.

Congress is pressing the Trump administration to release all of its case files on the sex trafficking investigation into the late financier. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight panel, said he was releasing the images “to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”

The Department of Justice has until mid-December to comply with legislation passed by Congress and signed by Trump to publicly release many of its documents on Epstein.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to meet Trump face-to-face for first time

It will happen when she travels to Washington on Friday for the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw meet.

Sheinbaum said Wednesday that she’ll be at the draw with Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

When asked if she would also hold a private meeting with Trump, Sheinbaum said that hasn’t been determined and if a meeting is scheduled, it would be “very brief.”

Sheinbaum and Trump were scheduled to meet during the G7 summit in Canada in June, but the bilateral meeting was canceled after Trump had to travel back to Washington to address tensions between Israel and Iran.

The U.S. is co-hosting next year’s tournament — which for the first time will feature 48 national teams, up from 32 — with Canada and Mexico. The draw event will determine the World Cup’s groups and the games each team plays in the opening round.

Republican victory in Tennessee special election fails to dispel 2026 midterm concerns

Republicans held onto a reliably conservative U.S. House district in Tennessee’s special election, but only after a late burst of national spending and high-profile campaigning helped them secure a margin less than half of last year’s race.

Even with that victory, the outcome contributed to a gloomy outlook for the party going into the 2026 contests that will determine control of Congress. Republicans will need to defend much more vulnerable seats if they have any hope of keeping their House majority, while Democrats are capitalizing on Trump’s unpopularity and the public’s persistent frustration with the economy.

“This is one of the biggest flashing red light warning signs we’ve seen yet for Republicans,” Matt Whitlock, a Republican strategist, wrote on social media. If there were similar numbers across the country next year, “we would be looking at a blue wave far worse than 2018.”

Republican Matt Van Epps, a military veteran and former state general services commissioner, defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn by 9 percentage points Tuesday for the seat vacated by Republican Mark Green, who retired over the summer. Green had won reelection in 2024 by 21 percentage points.

▶ Read more about Republican concerns for 2026

Trump pardons Democratic congressman and his wife

Trump has pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system.

Trump, who’s argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media Wednesday that the congressman and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because Henry Cuellar had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Trump, a Republican, said Cuellar “bravely spoke out against Open Borders” and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife “simply for speaking the TRUTH.”

Federal authorities had charged Cuellar, 70, and his wife with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.

Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent.

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This item has corrected the age of Rep. Henry Cuellar. He is 70, not 69.

▶ Read more about Trump pardoning Rep. Henry Cuellar

Bessent tight-lipped on the choice for Fed chair

When asked about the next possible Fed chair, Bessent demurred on whether the job would be offered to Kevin Hassett, who’s currently director of the National Economic Council and a top Trump adviser.

“I think the important thing to remember here is that it’s a board and then several other voters from the regional banks” Bessent said. “So the chair of the Federal Reserve has the ability to move and start the discussion. But at the end of the day, he or she is one vote.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says some sectors of the economy have weakened

At the New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Bessent said some sectors of the U.S. economy are weakening, including housing, which he said justifies the need for additional interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

“Maybe it goes back to the reason we need interest rate cuts,” Bessent told host Andrew Ross Sorkin. Citing the two rate cuts in 2025, occurring at the September and October meetings, Bessent said “I am very optimistic about the economy.”

Trump targets Minnesota’s Somali community with harsh words and policies

Recent statements by Trump and top administration officials disparaging Minnesota’s large Somali community have focused renewed attention on the immigrants from the war-torn east African country and their descendants.

Trump on Tuesday said he didn’t want Somalis in the U.S. because “they contribute nothing.” The president spoke soon after a person familiar with the planning said federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S.

Federal agents launch immigration crackdown in New Orleans

The crackdown began Wednesday in New Orleans under an operation that a Homeland Security official said would target violent criminals, expanding the Trump administration’s sweeps that have unfolded in other U.S. cities.

The aim of the operation is to capture immigrants who were released after their arrests for crimes such as home invasion, armed robbery and rape, Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

She didn’t say how many agents would be deployed under the operation. Louisiana has been preparing for weeks for an immigration crackdown that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has said he would welcome.

“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets,” McLaughlin said. “

▶ Read more about the immigration crackdown in New Orleans