Trump confirms Maduro call amid war-crime concerns; Winter storms threaten travel
Washington faces new questions over U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats after a report claimed commanders were instructed to leave no survivors. Lawmakers are demanding answers, and President Donald Trump confirms he recently spoke with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro amid escalating airspace disputes.
Plus, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is sharpening her criticism of how Afghan evacuees were screened, claiming the suspect in last week’s attack near the White House may have been radicalized after arriving in the U.S.
And after record November snow hit the Midwest and snarled holiday travel, a new storm is organizing.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, December 1, 2025.
US strike on alleged drug trafficking boat raises war crime concerns
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are backing a congressional review of U.S. military strikes on boats suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.
It comes after a Washington Post report published Friday said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered all crew members killed during the administration’s first strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in September. According to the report, an initial strike left two survivors, so the commander leading the operation reportedly ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s directive.
Hegseth responded to The Post’s report on social media, saying, “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.”
He added, “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.”
But some lawmakers say if the report is true, it could amount to a war crime.
“I think it’s very possible there was a war crime committed,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told ABC News on Sunday. “Of course, for it to be a war crime, you have to accept the Trump administration’s whole construct here … which is we’re in armed conflict, at war with this particular — with the drug gangs. Of course, they’ve never presented the public with the information they’ve got here. If that theory is wrong, then it’s plain murder.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told CBS News, “If that reporting is true, it’s a clear violation of the DoD’s own laws of war, as well as international laws about the way you treat people who are in that circumstance.”
The Armed Services Committees in both the House and Senate have now opened formal investigations.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance in days on Sunday, ending speculation that he had fled amid escalating tensions with the U.S. Maduro, who usually appears on Venezuelan television multiple times a week, had not been seen in public since Wednesday, sparking rumors and concern.
President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he had recently spoken to Maduro, but did not give any details about the call.
“I don’t want to comment on that – the answer is yes,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”
This weekend, Trump also declared that U.S. airlines should consider all airspace “above and around Venezuela” to be closed, as he weighs possible action against drug traffickers there.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he wrote.
Venezuela’s government called that claim false and denounced it as a “colonial threat” that undermines the country’s sovereignty.
“Such declarations constitute a hostile, unilateral and arbitrary act,” the country’s Foreign Ministry added.
3 children, 1 adult killed in shooting at child’s birthday party
At least four people, three of them children, are dead after a shooting at a child’s birthday party in California Saturday night. Eleven others were wounded.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said as of Sunday afternoon, no suspects are in custody. Withrow believes there may have been multiple shooters behind what he says was a targeted attack.
“We’re confident that this was not a random act,” Withrow said during a news conference Sunday. “They walked into this area, probably looking for someone in particular. This was not somebody who was unacquainted with them.”
Based on evidence collected so far, Withrow said the shooting appears to have started inside the Stockton banquet hall where the party was being held, then worked its way outside. He added that shell casings and rounds from the scene, including firearms discovered on a rooftop, were still being processed for conclusive evidence.
The victims who were killed have not yet been identified, but authorities say they were 8, 9, 14 and 21 years old.
US, Ukraine call Florida talks ‘productive’ as negotiators head to Moscow next
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators are calling their latest peace talks “productive.” On Monday, the diplomacy moves to Moscow.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukraine’s team for more than four hours in Florida on Sunday, discussing everything from possible election timelines to security guarantees to the most sensitive question of all: land swaps.
“We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is, but optimistic, particularly given the fact that as we’ve made progress, I think there’s a shared vision here that this is not just about ending the war, which is very important,” Rubio said. “It is about securing Ukraine’s future, a future that we hope will be more prosperous than it’s ever been.”
Ukraine’s negotiators, now led by Rustem Umerov after Andriy Yermak’s resignation, also called the talks successful.
President Zelenskyy said he received a preliminary briefing Sunday night, and posted this on X:
“It is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues were discussed openly and with a clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests.”
The next step happens Monday, with Witkoff and other U.S. envoys heading to Moscow for meetings that could include Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as this week.
The big question: Is the Kremlin ready to make real concessions?
Ukraine says any deal must protect its sovereignty.
Russia is still demanding Ukrainian troop withdrawals from parts of the Donbas region.
Noem says Guard shooting supsect was radicalized in US, blames Biden-era vetting
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has escalated her criticism of Afghan resettlement, claiming the suspect in last week’s National Guard shooting may have been radicalized after arriving in the U.S.
Now, she’s blaming the vetting process under the Biden administration for the unsuccessful vetting.
Rahmankhan Lakanwal, 29, is accused of ambushing two West Virginia guard members near the White House, killing 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.
“He was brought into the country by the Biden administration through Operation Allies Welcome. And then, maybe vetted after that, but not done well, based on what the guidelines were put forward by President Biden,” Noem said. “And now, since he’s been here, we believe he could have been radicalized in his home community and in his home state.”
Noem has repeatedly called the suspect “unvetted,” but officials familiar with the process dispute that.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Lakanwal passed national counterterrorism checks and that his final asylum approval came this year under the Trump administration, using that same data.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told ABC there’s no evidence the system missed anything and warned against sweeping restrictions based on a single case.
“We should always review our vetting, but in this case, there’s no evidence that there was something that escaped the vetting.
I do think it is outrageous and unfair to try to punish an entire class of people for the evil acts of one person. That is collective punishment. These are individuals who worked side by side with America in the fight against the Taliban. And if they were sent back now, the Taliban may likely kill them.”
— Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
Since the shooting, the administration has paused all asylum decisions and ordered a new review of green card cases from 19 countries.
Lakawal remains hospitalized and will face first-degree murder charges once he’s released.
New Nor’easter takes aim at the Northeast as Midwest storm snarls holiday travel
As millions return home after the holiday, winter weather persists, affecting travel plans.
Over 12,000 flight delays and more than 1,400 cancellations occurred nationwide on Sunday as the Midwest and Great Lakes recovered from the intense weekend storm.
Chicago experienced a record 8.4 inches of snow at O’Hare in a single day — the most ever in November.
That caused over a thousand flight delays and hundreds of cancellations.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 30: Travelers wait in line at a security checkpoint in Terminal 1 at O’Hare International airport on November 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. The Federal Aviation Administration is gearing up for the busy Thanksgiving travel time and is ready to get more than 360,000 flights to their destinations. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) -
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 30: A departure board shows the status of canceled flights in Terminal 3 at O’Hare International airport on November 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. The Federal Aviation Administration is gearing up for the busy Thanksgiving travel time and is ready to get more than 360,000 flights to their destinations. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) -
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 30: Several planes taxi on runways after a winter snow storm affected the area at O’Hare International airport on November 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Close to seven inches of snow were measured at O’Hare as the Federal Aviation Administration is dealing with busy Thanksgiving travel and is expected to have more than 360,000 flights to their destinations. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) -
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 30: FAA air traffic control towers after a winter snow storm affected the area at O’Hare International airport on November 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Close to seven inches of snow were measured at O’Hare as the Federal Aviation Administration is dealing with busy Thanksgiving travel and is expected to have more than 360,000 flights to their destinations. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
The same situation occurred in Detroit, with planes de-iced throughout Sunday. Additionally, a Delta connection flight skidded off an icy runway in Des Moines.
No one was hurt, but a reminder of how slick the conditions are.
Power crews in Wisconsin and Michigan continue working to restore outages after heavy, wet snow caused lines to fall. Some areas near Lake Michigan experienced nearly a foot of snow.
And now, the next system is already taking shape.
Forecasters predict that a new storm will exit the Ohio Valley on Monday and may intensify into a potential nor’easter by Tuesday.
Snow will extend into interior Pennsylvania, upstate New York and northern New England, with some areas receiving between half a foot and a foot of snow.
Along the I-95 corridor — from D.C. to New York to Boston — mostly rain is predicted, with some mixed precipitation at the start.
And right behind that, comes the coldest air of the season so far. Meteorologists have already identified at least two more systems that could occur before mid-December.
Black Friday sales rise despite inflation, shoppers split between splurging and scraping
New data shows retail spending rose about 4% from last year, and online sales hit a record $11.8 billion. However, economists indicate that once inflation is taken into account, that increase might essentially cancel out, resulting in a figure near zero.
And what’s driving the spending? CNN reported that it’s a K-shaped economy. That’s when high-income shoppers — people with stocks and home equity — continue to buy at a significant rate. But low- and middle-income families are tightening their budgets and actively seeking deals.
Consumer experts say people are purchasing fewer items overall but spending more per item.
Tariffs aren’t easing concerns, with 85% of consumers expecting prices to continue increasing, according to the National Retail Federation.
Retailers feel the split too: Walmart, T.J. Maxx and Gap see strong traffic, while Target and Bath & Body Works report customers are cutting back on splurging.
But the holiday rush isn’t finished.
Cyber Monday is projected to hit another record, surpassing $14 billion in online sales.
More from Straight Arrow News:
How holiday shopping sales predictions are masking the strain on family budgets
OMAHA, Neb. — On a cold weekday morning, the door chime at a small boutique rings again and again as shoppers move between displays of candles, ornaments and gift sets. The season looks busy from the outside. But for many stores, the rush tells only part of the story.
At Ashley’s, a locally owned store in Omaha’s Old Market area, manager Rachel Miletto told Straight Arrow News that customers are filling baskets with smaller gifts and quick-add items.
“People are coming in and buying more stuff. So when they see more, they like to buy more, especially just little gadgets and things like that, for gifts and presents,” she said.
Some items, she added, are disappearing sooner than expected. A lot of things “are selling out quicker than last year,” she said.
The local activity mirrors national trends, but only on the surface. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend an average of $890.49 on holiday gifts and related purchases this year. It is the second-highest estimate on record, falling only $12 below last year’s peak. The NRF reported overall holiday sales could rise by 3% to 4%, a pace similar to pre-pandemic years.
Yet those forecasts come at a time when many households face a different economic reality. Recent delays in SNAP benefits, a rise in unemployment and weeks of missed paychecks for federal workers during the government shutdown have left families with tighter budgets heading into December.
“All these uncertainties make consumers hesitant to spend,” said Jane Liu, assistant professor of economics at the University of Nebraska Omaha.Small businesses told SAN they can feel that hesitation almost immediately. Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
