Jan. 6 bombs; Pete Hegseth; Texas redistricting : NPR
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Today’s best stories
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced scrutiny on two fronts yesterday. As lawmakers watched video of the deadly September strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, he was also accused of using Signal to discuss a U.S. attack on Yemen. In a closed-door meeting, lawmakers addressed questions about the second round of strikes against the alleged drug boat, which killed two survivors.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) speaks alongside President Trump during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, December 2, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 Navy Admiral Frank M. Bradley, who oversaw the operation with the alleged drug boat, defended the second strike. to lawmakers yesterday, NPR’s Tom Bowman told First. He justified this action by claiming that the survivors were actively chatting with their comrades by radio and trying to recover drugs from the nearly destroyed boat, leading to the ordering of a second round of strikes. While Republicans continue to support attacks on alleged drug boats, Democrats are demanding the public release of the full video and holding Hegseth ultimately responsible.
The FBI said yesterday it has arrested a man it believes is responsible for planting pipe bombs near the U.S. Capitol complex on January 6, 2021. The man suspected of planting the devices is Brian J. Cole Jr., 30, who was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia. He is charged with transportation of an explosive device through interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of an explosive device, according to an arrest warrant filed in his case.
- 🎧 The FBI affidavit shows financial evidence that Cole purchased items matching those used to make the pipe bombs. that authorities discovered, according to NPR’s Ryan Lucas. Cell phone location data showed that on the night the bombs were placed, the suspect’s phone was ringing on cell towers in the area where the pipe bombs were left. Answers to questions surrounding the motivations behind the pipe bombs are expected to emerge in courts over the coming months as the Justice Department prosecutes the case.
The Supreme Court allowed Texas to use a new congressional map this could help the Republican Party win five additional seats in the House of Representatives. This gives President Trump and the Republican Party a big boost in the ongoing fight against gerrymandering. The Court overturned a lower court’s ruling that the card posed a risk of racial discrimination.
- 🎧 The high court’s conservative majority essentially sided with Texas state lawmakers.says NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang. Lawmakers said their motivation for drawing new districts was not about race, but that they were motivated to increase the chances of electing Republicans. The Supreme Court isn’t done with redistricting cases, as it still has to rule on a major voting rights case involving Louisiana’s congressional map. Depending on how and when the court decides this case, there could be a new wave of congressional gerrymandering in Southern states.
Image exhibition
Ariana Grande as Glinda in Villain: For good.
Lara Cornell/Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
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Lara Cornell/Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Villain: for good recently arrived on the big screen, captivating viewers with its music, magical story, and costumes. Costume designer Paul Tazewell’s work on the first Wicked The film made him the first black man to win an Academy Award for costume design. He used iconic outfits, including Glinda’s iridescent blue and lavender dress and Elphaba’s weathered trench coat, to convey the women’s journeys without words. Check out some of the costumes he designed for the new film. You can also listen to him talk about his journey with textiles in his interview with Fresh airor read the transcript here.
Weekend Picks
Artistic director Alicia Graf Mack with members of the company
Andrew Eccles
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Andrew Eccles
Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
🍿 Movies: Feeling festive and ready to dive into some of this year’s biggest holiday movies? Well, you’re lucky because Pop Culture Happy Hour has the perfect guide.
📚 Books: Aquatics tells the story of a politician’s wife in a fictional African country. She is caught between her ambitious husband and her artist best friend, whose unorthodox life and political criticism put him in the crosshairs of the ruling regime.
🎵 Music: Today marks the final 2025 episode of New Music Friday. By Dove Ellis’ Blizzard to TEED Always with mehere are highlights of the new music released today and a playlist to accompany it.
🎭 Theater: This week, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater launched its first season under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack, the company’s former principal dancer. The season will feature five world premieres, including Maija García’s Jazz Island.
🎮 Games: All things considered Producer Vincent Acovino describes Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as “confusing.” While praising the game’s sound design and graphics, Acovino criticized the lack of puzzle solving and annoying companions.
❓Quizzes: I got a solid nine out of 11 this week, which apparently puts me on the “nice list.” Now it’s your turn to see if you’re also on the list.
3 things to know before you leave
Spotify Wrapped tells users their “listening age” this year, based on the era of music they listened to more than their peers.
Spotify
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Spotify
- This year’s Spotify Wrapped squarely attacks its users’ “listening age,” which is based on the era of the music they listen to. Many users discover that this calculated age is several decades older or younger than their actual age.
- Pantone has announced the color of the year 2026, and for the first time, it’s a shade of white. The company says it “serves as a symbol of calming influence.”
- Researchers at the Canadian Museum of Nature have identified a new species of rhino that once roamed Canada’s High Arctic 23 million years ago. This discovery changes the understanding of when many ancient animals dispersed across continents.
This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.
