Hello — I’m Major Garrett in Washington. Today on The Takeout:
Pentagon briefing on Sept. 2 strikes off Venezuela
Congress watched video and heard military leaders explain U.S. airstrikes on a vessel believed to be carrying drugs. The briefing, prompted by Senator Roger Wicker, included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine and Special Operations Commander Admiral Frank Bradley.
Points of agreement: drugs were on the boat, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not issue a “kill them all” order, and the military commanders answered questions and kept bipartisan support. From the video and answers, lawmakers diverged sharply.
– Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton called the strikes “righteous,” saying survivors appeared to be attempting to recover cargo and that commanders acted lawfully with legal oversight.
– Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes described the footage as troubling. Coons said the videos were difficult to watch and showed multiple strikes that killed survivors. Himes called it one of the most troubling things he’d seen in public service, describing people in distress being attacked by the U.S. military.
Pennsylvania Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, a member of Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said she wants more transparency. She called for full committees and the public to see the video and supporting intelligence. Houlahan argued the administration’s designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and the resulting military approach do not substitute for congressional debate and risk treating drug interdiction as a “war” without congressional authorization. She also defended a recent video by lawmakers urging service members to refuse unlawful orders, calling attacks on that message “gutting” and patriotic to restate the law.
Kati Weis reports: the arrested suspect in the Jan. 6 eve pipe-bomb case
After nearly five years, authorities arrested Brian Cole Jr., 30, living in northern Virginia. FBI sources say the case broke with diligent review of evidence and bank and surveillance records that matched purchases and vehicle locations. Attorney General Pam Bondi stressed there was no new tip, just intensive investigation.
Immigration enforcement operations
Border Patrol agents were deployed to New Orleans — and elsewhere — to arrest and process people suspected of immigration violations. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino led the operation. Multiple U.S. operations are targeting cities away from the southern border, and in Minneapolis ICE targeted immigrants from Somalia with final deportation orders.
CDC vaccine panel on hepatitis B vaccine timing
A CDC Advisory Committee (ACIP) panel — hand-picked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — met to consider changing recommendations about the hepatitis B vaccine newborn dose. ACIP members debated evidence quality and appeared poised to recommend delaying the birth dose. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor, criticized the panel’s process: the group did not consistently follow the evidence-to-recommendation framework. She emphasized the hepatitis B newborn dose recommendation (since 1991) dramatically reduced pediatric infections and that infants are particularly vulnerable. Concerns were raised about involvement of vaccine-safety trial lawyer Aaron Siri and about broader consequences for vaccine manufacturers and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program if policy shifts lead to increased litigation and liability.
Young Americans’ outlook — Harvard youth poll
New polling from Harvard’s Institute of Politics shows young Americans (18–29) are pessimistic. Key findings:
– Only 13% say the United States is headed in the right direction; 57% say the wrong direction.
– Many young people express financial anxiety: 43% say they are struggling or barely getting by.
– Three-to-one margin: young people are more likely to believe AI will take opportunities than create them.
– Trust in institutions is low; doctors and scientists remain among the most trusted for vaccine information.
Jordan Schwartz, student chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, observed that young people feel disillusioned and distrustful across institutions and a lack of clear future economic opportunity.
Politics and public opinion
New surveys show Trump voters uneasy about affordability, a key midterm issue. The administration argues inflation has cooled from peak levels earlier in the prior administration, but voters weigh household cost pressures more directly. Congressional debate continues over expiring health-care subsidies and what packages may be negotiated between Senate moderates and House leadership. House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated a possible plan next week amid pressure to address health-care tax credits and costs.
Congressional music — Spotify Wrapped for lawmakers
As the year closes and Spotify Wrapped arrives for listeners, reporters checked the top artists and songs on lawmakers’ public playlists. Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and classic rock artists feature among members’ top artists. Some members, including a few Republicans, said they don’t use Spotify and still prefer radio. Popular examples: AOC’s Wrapped included Bad Bunny; Sen. Ruben Gallego shared family moments (Little Mermaid “Under the Sea” for his young daughter’s bath time); other members showed eclectic tastes ranging from Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen to electronic dance music.
Other highlights
– A federal arrest in the 2021 DNC and RNC pipe-bomb case tied the suspect’s movements and purchases to the scene; investigators used surveillance, plate readers, bank and card records to build the case.
– The Trump administration continues interior immigration enforcement actions in Democratic-led cities, including New Orleans and Minneapolis, generating local controversy over tactics and targets.
– Programming note: a CBS News town hall on Dec. 13 will feature Erica Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, on political violence, faith, and aftermath.
Closing
That’s The Takeout with Major Garrett — relentlessly curious, reliably civil, occasionally clever.