It is rare that a U.S. president would announce covert action publicly. But that is what President Trump did Monday when he acknowledged a strike on a port facility in Venezuela. Media outlets reported it was the CIA that launched the drone strike. It comes as the administration is targeting not only drug smugglers, but Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro himself. Nick Schifrin reports.

In our news wrap Tuesday, more artists are cancelling shows at the Kennedy Center after President Trump's name was added to the arts facility, the UAE is pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia attacked an Emirati shipment in a Yemeni port and travelers were left stranded after Eurostar suspended train service due to a power failure in the Channel Tunnel.

This week, the Trump administration dispatched federal officers to Minnesota amid concerns over fraud. The deployment comes after a right-wing influencer posted a video claiming, without proof, that daycare centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had misappropriated more than $100 million. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Jeff Meitrodt of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The U.S. has pledged $2 billion in humanitarian aid to the United Nations, as part of a deal that will also overhaul how the U.S. funds foreign aid work going forward. The move comes after the U.S. paused nearly all of its contributions earlier this year, leaving the UN and other aid organizations scrambling. William Brangham discussed more with Jeremy Konyndyk of Refugees International.

The end of 2025 brings us to the beginning of a midterm election year. That means questions about whether power will shift in Washington. Dozens of members of Congress are heading toward the exit and a handful of states are shaking up their political maps to try to lock in partisan gains. Lisa Desjardins breaks down the numbers.