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In the news today: New revelations about the Trump administration’s boat strikes; Thailand’s government confirms the identity of the remains of a Gaza hostage; and Mexico’s fight against drug cartels. Also, a sperm bank that might be the key to saving cheetahs.

A quick hello before we dive in: I’m Bridget, international editor for AP's live blogs. Most days you’ll find me juggling breaking updates or editing video for our socials, but every now and then, I get to help you start your day by writing this newsletter.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

POLITICS

Pentagon knew boat attack left survivors but still launched a follow-on strike, AP sources say

The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike, according to two people familiar with the matter. Read more.

What to know:

• 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. The Pentagon did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment about the reported new details about the Sept. 2 attack.
  
  

• The rationale for the second strike was that it was needed to sink the vessel, according to the people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
  
  

• Hegseth is under growing scrutiny over the department’s strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, and in particular the follow-on strike that reportedly killed survivors. Some legal experts and lawmakers say that the strike would have violated peacetime laws and those governing armed conflict.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Pentagon watchdog finds Hegseth’s use of Signal posed risk to US personnel, AP sources say
  
  
• Lawmakers to hear from Navy admiral who ordered attack that killed boat strike survivors
  
  
• A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records
  
  
• Affordable Care Act premiums are set to spike. A new poll shows enrollees are already struggling
  
  
• A dozen former FDA leaders lambaste claims by the agency’s current vaccine chief
  
  
• Safety volunteer charged in the fatal shooting of a Utah ‘No Kings’ protester
  
  
• Bessent says Federal Reserve Board could ‘veto’ future regional presidents
  
  
• Longest US government shutdown cost Delta Air Lines $200 million
  
  
• Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building
  
  
• Ex-Honduras president Hernández thanks Trump in first message since release
  
  
• Arkansas attorney general says pardoned nursing home operator should serve state sentence
  
  
• NY attorney general challenges authority of acting US attorney investigating her Trump lawsuits
  
  
• Wisconsin Supreme Court to decide whether local jails can hold immigrants for ICE
  
  
• WATCH: Can tariffs eventually replace federal income taxes, as Trump claims?
  
  
• White House tours resume in time for Christmas, but they’re different than before

WORLD NEWS

ID of Thai hostage’s remains leaves 1 hostage in Gaza

Remains that militants in Gaza handed to Israel as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal were those of a Thai agricultural worker, Israeli and Thai officials said Thursday. The return of Sudthisak Rinthalak’s remains leaves just one more hostage to be returned under the agreement. Read more.

What to know:

• Sudthisak was an agricultural worker who had been employed at Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit communities in the attack. Israeli officials said the 42-year-old Thai was killed on Oct. 7, 2023 during the Hamas-led attack in Israel that triggered the Israel-Hamas war.
  
  

• Israeli Ran Gvili is now the last hostage whose remains have yet to be returned. Gvili was an Israeli police officer who helped people escape from the Nova music festival during the Oct. 7 attack and was killed fighting at another location.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Israel launches airstrike in southern Gaza after earlier attack by militants wounded 5 soldiers

   

• Lebanon ‘far from’ diplomatic normalization or economic relations with Israel, prime minister says

WORLD NEWS

How 2 killings exposed the depths of cartels’ grip in Mexico

Two recent killings in Mexico's western Michoacan state have sent a clear message that organized crime controls much of the region, something residents have known for years. Now, as President Donald Trump has launched military attacks against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific and has offered to send the U.S. military to Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum faces increased pressure. But years of failed tactics have left residents skeptical that the government will offer a solution. Read more.

What to know:

• Michoacan has stymied presidents before, and has become one of Sheinbaum's biggest challenges. All strategies to pacify the state over the last 20 years have failed, while criminal groups have multiplied and renewed their tactics.

   

• The U.S. government is watching because Michoacan is a key importer of chemical precursors for synthetic drugs. In the last two months, 17 drug laboratories were dismantled by Mexican authorities.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• WATCH: Community police in Michoacan defend their land from cartels

   

• WATCH: Victims of cartel violence speak out

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Contaminated formula: