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In a Dec. 4 classified briefing with a select group of lawmakers, Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, who has been on the hot seat for weeks due to his role in the attack, said the military deemed the people on board legitimate targets because some had contact with members of drug cartels the Trump administration has declared foreign terrorist organizations, the two people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Bradley did not provide lawmakers with documentation that the boat carried drugs. He also stated that follow-up strikes sank the wreckage of the bombed boat, destroying possible evidence of drug trafficking, the people said.

US military conducts deadly boat strikes against alleged drug traffickers

NBC previously reportedthat the 11 men were on an internal list of "narco-terrorists" who were cleared to be targeted.

Survivors couldn't radio for help

Bradley, the commander of Special Operations Command, has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the Trump administration confirmed that he ordered a second strike on the wreckage of the boat roughly 40 minutes later, killing two people who had survived the first attack. The Washington Postfirst reportedthe strike on the survivors.

In previous briefings with lawmakers, Pentagon officials rationalized that the second strike was necessary because the two men clinging to their demolished ship were trying to radio for backup, or for another vessel to collect the drugs,CNN and other outletshave reported. However, Bradley revealed during the Dec. 4 briefing that the survivors did not have the means to radio for help, one of the people with knowledge of the briefing confirmed.

More:Who is the US killing in its boat attacks? Hegseth won't say, and lawmakers want answers

The Sept. 2 strike was the first of at least 22 known strikes by the Trump administration on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean that have killed at least 87 people. It marked the beginning of a new policy of killing suspected drug traffickers that has come under fire from critics who say it is illegal and needlessly inhumane. Critics say the Trump administration cannot carry out such strikes without formally declaring war.

The strikes have not been approved by Congress. The boats hit were thousands of miles from trafficking routes for fentanyl, which flows into the U.S. from Mexico. Bradley told lawmakers that the vessel struck Sept. 2 was headed to Suriname on South America's east coast, according tonews reports.

"Since the Department of War began striking these vessels, we have consistently said that our intelligence did indeed confirm these boats were trafficking narcotics destined for America," Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to USA TODAY. "That same intelligence also confirms that the individuals involved in these drug operations were narco-terrorists, and we stand by that assessment."

"Every Presidentially directed strike conducted against these Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs) is taken in defense of vital U.S. national interests and to protect the American homeland from narco-terrorism. These strikes send (a clear) message directly to the narco-terrorists: you will find no safe harbor if you continue to poison our people with deadly drugs."

Boat crews were low-level 'foot soldiers'

In decades past, the U.S. treated drug trafficking as a law enforcement issue, and the Coast Guard was assigned to interdict boats carrying drugs, issuing arrests and seizing contraband.

James Saenz, who served as the Pentagon's deputy secretary for counternarcotics and stabilization during the Biden administration, said that during his tenure, the department did not have the intelligence network in place to pick up a detailed profile of the people aboard drug boats like those targeted in recent months.

"If we wanted to know the crew identities, it would take significant effort and a lot of time before we would be able to develop that much information with confidence," he said.

"Leaders (of drug cartels) and people with unique skills are not the ones riding these boats," he said. "It's traditionally low-level foot soldiers" on board.

More:Trump says Venezuela sends US lethal drugs, but data tells different story

The Trump administration has painted its campaign of killing suspected drug traffickers as a new War on Terror, comparing the toll of deadly drugs to the threat posed by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. PresidentDonald Trumpdesignatedeight Latin American cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in February.Experts have told USA TODAYthat designation is primarily an economic tool and does not give the administration additional authority to target affiliated people with military force.

The Pentagon said in a notice to some lawmakers this fall that the president determined the U.S. isin a "non-international armed conflict"with drug cartels, whose actions are an "armed attack" against the country.

Critics, including lawyers and former military officials, have said that the comparison does not hold water.

"This is summary execution," said Wes Bryant, a former senior Pentagon adviser on mitigating civilian harm during military operations. "Somewhere in the chain, someone knows that this is either blatantly illegal or somewhere near illegal."

Bryant formerly headed the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, whichworked to improvethe military's procedures for minimizing and reporting civilian casualties. The Trump administrationdismantled itin the spring.

When the Trump administration launched its bombing campaign againstHouthi forces in Yemensoon after, it became clear that the Pentagon's threshold of tolerance for civilian deaths had been drastically raised, Bryant said. At least 238 civilians, including 24 children, were killed in the less-than-two-month operation, according to theYemen Data Project.

"Everything that the U.S. had been working towards – I had been working towards – in hand with special operations command, a lot of that was thrown out the window," Bryant said.

Bryant, a retired Air Force master sergeant who worked with special operations on counterterrorism missions during the War on Terror, said the boat strikes had further entrenched the administration's disregard of civilian life. It would be hard to confirm the identity of a couple of individuals, let alone 11 people on a boat, he said.

"This is so severe (that) at this point, the Trump administration needs to release the names of every single person," he said.

Building a 'pattern of life'

Mark McCurley, a retired Air Force pilot who flew many drone missions in the Middle East, said the military is likely observing boats traversing the Caribbean or Eastern Pacific using satellites or aircraft to build a "pattern of life." Common routes and travel times for boats that are believed to be carrying drugs could be compiled to "build that picture," he said. The military may be using aircraft to surveil boats as soon as they leave the harbor and then firing on them once they enter international waters, he added.

Establishing a "pattern of life" was essential to building a case that a target was legally justified, said McCurley, who also flew surveillance missions of counternarcotics operations in Latin America in the 1990s.

During the War on Terror, he said, the military would invest significant effort in verifying the "identity and intent" of a potential target.

"The justification is pretty thin," he said. "How is a boat carrying a product to Suriname a direct action against the U.S. or a direct threat to our existence?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Deadly boat strike OK due to cartel ties, commander told lawmakers

New US citizens use handheld fans to take shade from the sun during a naturalization ceremony at George Washington's Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia, US, on Friday, July 4, 2025. Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images Credit - Kent Nishimura—Bloomberg via Getty Images

Jane was one month away from her naturalization ceremony, the day she would swear the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and become a citizen. It would mark the end of her decade-long journey as animmigrantsince arriving from the Republic of Congo in 2015.

Then, out of the blue, she received a letter in the mail informing her that theceremony had been cancelled.

"I followed the rules, paid the full fee, waited years, passed every step; I was at the finish line pretty much," Jane, who is using a pseudonym to protect her identity because she fears speaking out could affect her case, tells TIME. "Having my ceremony canceled at the last minute makes me feel anxious, powerless."

Read more:Trump Has Made Sweeping Changes to Immigration Since the D.C. Shooting. Here's What We Know

Jane is not alone. Lawyers for legal aid groups and individuals seeking citizenship have reported across the country that their naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies have been cancelled, some at the last moment as they waited in line.

These cancellations, at the last stage of a bureaucratic journey that can last for years, have caused chaos and confusion for thousands of immigrants who did everything by the book.

The cancellations stem from sweeping newrestrictions on legal immigrationintroduced by President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the killing of a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., particularly targeting immigrants hailing from the 19 countries listed in aJune White House proclamationthat imposed new travel and visa restrictions on countries "of concern."

Immediately following the shooting, Trump said in a post onTruth Socialthat he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries" and "terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions," and on December 2, USCISannounceda hold and review of all pending immigration benefit requests for applicants born in one of the 19 countries "of concern."

Gail Breslow, Executive Director of Project Citizenship, which provides legal services and assistance to immigrants in Massachusetts, tells TIME that one of her clients turned up to their ceremony on the day of the event only to be disappointed.

"As people were arriving, they were being asked what their country of origin was. And the woman from Haiti was, along with people from Haiti, Venezuela, and other so-called travel ban countries, pulled out of line, and told that their own ceremony for that day was canceled," she says.

"There's a tremendous amount of confusion, there's a tremendous amount of fear, there's a tremendous amount of anxiety," Breslow says. "We've had clients ask us what they did wrong. Why is this happening to them? We, unfortunately, at this time, don't have good answers to give people about what is going to happen next."

Breslow emphasizes that the people whose ceremonies are canceled have already been accepted for citizenship—the ceremony is supposed to be a formality.

Jane and all those whose ceremonies were canceled were within reach of a long-held dream; now they are stuck in limbo, unsure whether they will ever become U.S. citizens.

USCIS told TIME in a statement that it has "paused all adjudications for aliens from high-risk countries while USCIS works to ensure that all aliens from these countries are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."

"The pause will allow for a comprehensive examination of all pending benefit requests for aliens from the designated high-risk countries. The safety of the American people always comes first," the statement added.

The Trump Administration has argued that the new changes are needed to allow extra "vetting" of immigrants, but anyone accepted has already undergone a years-long process. To become a naturalized citizen, applicants must have been lawful permanent residents for three to five years, meet the continuous residence and physical presence requirements, demonstrate "good moral character," and pass the English and U.S. civics tests.

The oath-taking ceremony occurs at the very end of the process, after the applicants' interview and USCIS approves the application. It is often an emotional occasion, as newly declared citizens are given small U.S. flags and take photographs with their families to celebrate a new chapter in their lives.

"It's one step removed from denaturalizing someone. Literally, you receive your naturalization certificate at these ceremonies," Breslow says. "And so the act of pulling the rug out from under people at this point in the process is just unspeakably cruel."

Hasan Shafiqullah, Supervising Attorney at the Legal Aid Society's Immigration Law Unit, says that although this is likely "just a pause" on naturalization, and not a denial of these cases "straight out," the chaos and fear are clear, and it can leave these prospective citizens in "limbo" for an extended period of time.

"The stakes are very high, and what immigrants get from these oath ceremonies are considerable," Shafiqullah says. After the ceremony, citizens can apply for a U.S. passport and for their parents, siblings, and fiancé to come to the United States. It also prevents deportation. Although their cases could be reopened and rescheduled after vetting, or potentially reopened under a "friendlier" Administration, the damage is "incredibly problematic," he adds.

These legal aid groups make clear that this is not an isolated incident that discourages people from becoming citizens, but rather another move in a series of moves from the Trump Administration that targets not just "illegal immigration" that it has claimed to focus its immigration enforcement efforts on, but legal pathways altogether, especially this fall.

As of October, USCIS requires all application fees to be paid via electronic payments, even though,by its own estimates,over 90% of USCIS payments are made by check or money order. USCIS announced in September that the civics exam required for naturalization will bemore complex and more subjective, a month after the Administration introducedmore stringent criteriafor assessing "good moral character" in citizenship applications.

"It's been one thing after the other to discourage people and to thwart their efforts to become U.S. citizens," Breslow says.

Allison Cutler, Supervising Attorney for New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)'s Immigrant Protection Unit, notes that cancellations have been happening for months for their green card applicants, a move that she says leaves her clients in an even more vulnerable position."When you have a naturalization ceremony that's canceled, you're still in the exact situation that you were before, right? You still have your green card and you're eligible to reapply for citizenship in the future," she says. "But for these green card interviews, it's different. It leaves them in a more vulnerable situation legally, where it actually allows ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to more easily reopen your case before the judge."

Shafiqullah says that although the ceremony cancellations have been in direct response to the National Guard shooting, he believes the new restrictions have "nothing to do with the shooting," and more to do with the expressed denaturalization priorities of the Administration:

"I think all these policies were pre-written and sitting on a shelf waiting for the perfect pretext, and the shooting gave them the pretext to roll all these things out."

Contact usatletters@time.com.

But this week, the self-driving taxis are the bearer of happier news after a San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo.

The mother was on her way to the University of California, San Francisco medical center Monday when she delivered inside the robotaxi, said a Waymo spokesperson in a statement Wednesday. The company said its rider support team detected "unusual activity" inside the vehicle and called to check on the rider as well as alert 911.

RELATED STORY |Waymo self-driving car gets pulled over by police for an illegal U-turn

Waymo, which is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet, declined to elaborate on how the vehicle knew something was amiss.

The taxi and its passengers arrived safely at the hospital ahead of emergency services. Jess Berthold, a UCSF spokesperson, confirmed the mother and child were brought to the hospital. She said the mother was not available for interviews.

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Waymo said the vehicle was taken out of service for cleaning after the ride. While still rare, this was not the first baby delivered in one of its taxis, the company said.

RELATED STORY |Viral Waymo crashes put driverless cars in the spotlight

"We're proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years young," the company said.

The driverless taxis have surged in popularity even as they court higher scrutiny. Riders can take them on freeways and interstates around San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

In September, a Waymo pulled a U-turn in front of a sign telling drivers not to do that, and social media users dumped on the San Bruno Police because state law prohibited officers from ticketing the car. In October, a popular tabby cat named Kit Kat known to pad around its Mission District neighborhood was crushed to death by a Waymo.

RELATED STORY |Waymo driverless taxi kills beloved bodega cat, KitKat, in San Francisco

In an attempt to allow football fans to get more sleep, the NFL reportedly reduced time between first-round picks from 10 to 8 minutes. That new mandate will go into effect during the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Two-minute warning: The NFL notified teams today that it will shorten the time between picks in the first round of the draft from 10 to 8 minutes starting with the 2026 draft in Pittsburgh.This will shorten the length of the first round, which had been finishing around 11:45p…pic.twitter.com/yMsym354PY

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)December 10, 2025

The move should wind up being a positive for fans, as the time between the biggest action — the picks — will be much shorter. While the change also means commentators will have less time to talk about every single team when on the clock, that's probably a trade-off most fans will support.

The decision, however, could have a negative impact on one area of the draft. With the shortened time between picks, that puts more pressure on teams to complete trades quickly. It's possible the change will make it tougher to see draft trades in the first round, at least until general managers adjust to losing two minutes between each pick.

While that's a concern, it's probably not significant. Teams were reportedly on board with the decision to shorten time between picks, a sign executives feel they can still make deals and debate picks while on the clock.

It's also not the first time the NFL has cut down on time between picks during the draft. Prior to 2007, teams had 15 minutes to make their first-round selections. That number was dropped to 10 minutes for the 2008 NFL Draft.

It's unclear whether the NFL will look to shorten times in other rounds. NFL teams have seven minutes in between picks in the second round, five minutes in the third through six rounds and four minutes in the seventh round.

The eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback who was in hisfirst year of Hall of Fame eligibilityis back on theIndianapolis Colts' roster for the first time since early 2021. He's back afterColtsstarterDaniel Jonessuffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

Now, Rivers will don the No. 17 for an Indianapolis team that's gone from contending for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs to potentially missing the postseason entirely.

Indianapolis started the year 8-2 and entered their Week 11 bye fresh off a31-25 win over Atlantain Germany. Since then, the Colts have lost three straight toKansas City,HoustonandJacksonville.

Jones suffered his season-ending injury against Jacksonville and his backupRiley Leonardalso suffered a PCL injury after coming into the game for Jones in the loss. Rivers now becomes an option to help the team come good on its promising start.

"When Daniel went down and the nwe found out about Riley's knee, we're kind of like, 'hey, what are we going to do?'"Colts coach Shane Steichen said. "Me and [Colts general manager] Chris [Ballard] were talking and we're like, 'hey, let's call Philip, see what he says.'"

Rivers said yes, threw the ball on Monday (his 44th birthday) and signed to the practice squad days later. Will he start this week againstSeattle? Here's what we know.

Philip Rivers retired following the 2020 NFL season, but five years later, the Colts signed Rivers to their practice squad amid quarterback turmoil on Dec 9, 2025 – a day after Rivers turned 44. As Rivers returns to the field, revisit his 2020-2021 season with the Colts.

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Colts bring back Philip Rivers, 44. See his 2020 season with team.

Will Philip Rivers play vsSeahawks?

Steichen did not confirm whether Rivers will play or not this week amid the injuries to Leonard and Jones. Leonard will be practicing this week as he recovers from a PCL injury. Steichen said Rivers will be evaluated as a potential starting option regardless of how Leonard progresses this week.

"We're going to get through this week of practice, see how it goes," Steichen said. "Then we'll make a decision at the end of the week probably. So we're going to get him through practice."

Steichen did not rule out Leonard potentially starting against one of the best defenses in the NFL. Seattle enters Week 15 second in the league in pressures (159) and fourth in sacks (41).

Despite Rivers going nearly five years since throwing a pass in the NFL, Steichen's confident he can still perform.

"He didn't forget how to throw a football," Steichen said. "He's one of the most passionate players I've ever been around. The obsession for the game is off the charts so I know he's fired up to be back in this building."

Colts QB depth chart

Much has changed in the Colts' quarterback room over the last five days. Here's how things look as of Dec. 10:

• Riley Leonard (injured)

• Brett Rypien

• Philip Rivers (practice squad)

• Daniel Jones (injured reserve)

• Anthony Richardson Sr. (injured reserve)

Indianapolis moved Rypien from the practice squad to the active roster this week. The seven-year veteran could end up as the backup to either Leonard or Rivers against Seattle or the third-string option if both are healthy and available for Week 15.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Will Philip Rivers play? Colts coach explains QB situation

Kenny Pickett, who replaced Smith after he was hurt in a 24-17 home loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday, is reportedly in line to start against his former team.

Smith was injured during the third quarter and later gave way to Pickett at the start of the fourth quarter.

Raiders coach Pete Carroll was concerned afterward but said on Sunday that initial tests "didn't show any damage" to Smith's passing shoulder.

"It's just kind of jammed up right now," Carroll said. "The early indications that they were able to get didn't show any damage. His shoulder's really locked up. So, we'll see what that means."

Smith completed 13 of 21 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown before exiting. Pickett finished 8-of-11 passing for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Carroll said on Tuesday that Pickett has "looked terrific in practice."

"He runs around well. He moves well. He throws the ball on the move well, which he did in the game," Carroll said. "He scrambled for a first down, I believe. I think he might have missed his first three (pass attempts) and hit seven or eight in a row. He came on really strong and finished on a good note."

Pickett, 27, is in his first season with Las Vegas. He was acquired from the Cleveland Browns in late August.

He is 10 of 14 for 105 yards and one touchdown in three games as a reserve this season.

Pickett has completed 481 of 769 passes (62.5%) for 4,870 yards, 16 TDs and 14 picks in 33 games (25 starts) for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2022-23), Eagles (2024) and Raiders. He is 15-10 as a starter.

The Steelers selected him 20th overall in the 2022 draft out of the University of Pittsburgh.

The Raiders (2-11) have lost seven straight games heading into Sunday against the Eagles (8-5).

Smith, 35, has passed for 2,648 yards and 16 touchdowns and is tied for the NFL lead with 14 interceptions. He is in his first season with the Raiders after being acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection (2022, 2023) and 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Smith has thrown for 21,791 yards, 121 touchdowns and 86 interceptions in 12 seasons for the New York Jets (2013-16), New York Giants (2017), Los Angeles Chargers (2018), Seahawks (2020-24) and Raiders.

The Jets selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

--Field Level Media

Asperm donor with a rare genetic mutationlinked to an increased risk of developingcancerfathered at least 197 children across Europe, some of whom have already died from the disease, according to a new investigation.

The donor, who is himself healthy, had a rare mutation in a gene named TP53, which is likely to cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare disorder that increases a person's risk of developing cancer. He was unaware when he made the sperm donations that he was affected by the mutation.

In May, CNN reported that the man had fathered at least 67 children in eight European countries, but a major investigation published by news outlets Wednesday has shown that the number of affected children is in fact far higher than previously thought.

According to theBBC, which is one of 14 European public service broadcasters involved in the investigation, the new figure is the product of freedom of information requests and interviews with doctors and patients.

The man donated to a single private sperm bank in Denmark named the European Sperm Bank (ESB), but his sperm was later used by 67 clinics in 14 different countries. The final number of affected children may be higher still, "as data has not been obtained from all countries," the BBC added.

It is not known how many of these children have inherited the genetic mutation, but only a small proportion of those who have done so will avoid developing some form of cancer in their lifetimes. People with the condition have a 90% chance of developing one or more kinds of cancer by age 60, and around 50% do so before age 40, according to theCleveland Clinic.

Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, identified an initial 67 children during a presentation at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics in May.

At the time, she said 10 of the children had been diagnosed with cancers such as brain tumors and Hodgkin lymphoma, and another 13 were carrying the gene but had not yet developed a cancer.

They will require regular medical examinations due to their increased risk of developing cancer, and have a 50% chance of transmitting it on to their own children, Kasper said back in May.

On Wednesday, Clare Turnbull, professor of cancer genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, told CNN that "Li Fraumeni syndrome is a devastating diagnosis to impart to a family."

"There is a very high risk of cancer throughout the lifetime," she added, "with a sizeable risk of childhood-onset cancers."

The case "represents a highly unfortunate coincidence of two exceptionally unusual events: that the donor's sperm carry mutations for an extremely rare genetic condition affecting fewer than 1 in 10,000 people and that his sperm has been used in the conception of such an extraordinarily large number of children," she added.

Mary Herbert, professor of reproductive biology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said the investigation "highlights an urgent need for more comprehensive genetic screening of sperm donors and for strict cross-border controls on the number of children conceived from a single donor."

"It is staggering that a single donor was used to conceive almost 200 children across a relatively small number of European countries," she told CNN in a statement sent via the Science Media Centre on Wednesday.

Julie Paulli Budtz, a spokeswoman for the European Sperm Bank (ESB), told CNN that the company is "deeply affected by the case and the impact that the rare TP53 mutation has on a number of families, children and the donor."

"They have our deepest sympathy," she added.

"ESB tests and performs an individual medical assessment of all donors in full compliance with recognized and scientific practice and legislation," Budtz said, adding that the ESB supports calls for a limit on the number of children that are allowed to be born using a single donor.

"The legislation on these areas is complex, with many and often conflicting considerations, and the implementation of the regulation differs greatly from country to country," she added. "Hence, there is need for common and transparent European standards."

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