U.S. Expands Boat Strikes to Pacific, and Trump Tears Down East Wing

0:02From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Thursday, October 23rd. Here's what we're covering.

0:13Well, they had one today in the Pacific. And the way I look at it every time I look is it is violent. And it is very, it's amazing that the weaponry. President Trump has expanded the U.S.'s deadly attacks on boats he says are smuggling drugs, now striking vessels in the Pacific Ocean. Late yesterday, the administration said that special forces have carried out two strikes in two days against boats in the Pacific. That adds to the total of seven boats the U.S. says it's hit in the Caribbean Sea since September. It's in international waters. If we don't do it, we're going to lose hundreds of thousands of people.

0:52President Trump has claimed that the strikes against the boats are a matter of self-defense and that the military is stopping deadly drugs that can kill Americans from entering the U.S. So now they'll come in by land to a lesser extent, and they will be hit on land also. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Trump suggested he would escalate the operations even further and soon order strikes against targets on land, though he didn't say where those might happen. So far, the administration has offered no evidence that the people on the boats were smuggling drugs. And a broad range of legal experts say that even if that is the case, the administration doesn't have the authority to kill the people on the boats rather than arrest them.

1:37Every year in the U.S., there are more than 100 ,000 overdose deaths, though the administration's attacks on the alleged drug boats from South America are unlikely to bring that number down, since most of those deaths are caused by fentanyl, which is produced by drug labs in Mexico.

2:00Now, three more updates on the Trump administration. Mr. President, can you tell us a little bit about why you're elevating sanctions against Russia right now? I just felt it was time. We've waited a long time. President Trump announced yesterday that the U.S. will impose new sanctions on Russian oil companies, the first significant penalty that Trump has put on Russia since returning to office. Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations and then they don't go anywhere. They just don't go anywhere. The president has grown increasingly frustrated with Vladimir Putin recently over his continued assault on Ukraine and his refusal to negotiate an end to the war despite Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal.

2:43The new penalties target two Russian oil giants, which could help cut off crucial oil revenue that the White House says is helping fund Russia's war effort. But analysts say the sanctions are only as strong as their enforcement. And in recent years, Russia has managed to get around existing sanctions against thousands of Russian companies and individuals. Also, the Trump administration is now sending federal agents to San Francisco as it plans for an immigration crackdown there. San Francisco is the latest Democratic-run city where they've sent agents for this kind of operation. And local leaders are already pushing back.

3:21If federal officials come to incite chaos on the streets of San Francisco, the way to support our communities and keep everyone in our city safe is to make our voices heard peacefully. The mayor of San Francisco accused the administration of trying to use immigration raids to spark protests, which it could then use as pretext to send in the National Guard. Meanwhile, the city's district attorney, along with the Democratic lawmakers who represent the city, warned that if federal agents break California law while conducting raids, then local police could arrest them. However, legal experts tell The Times there's little precedent for state law enforcement arresting federal officers.

4:05And at the White House, the entire East Wing will be demolished as soon as this weekend to make way for President Trump's enormous new ballroom. Trump had originally said that the wing wouldn't be touched at all during construction. But a senior administration official told The Times that the White House determined it's cheaper and more structurally sound to level that part of the complex, then add onto it. The 90 ,000-square-foot ballroom is just one of many construction projects Trump has ordered in Washington since returning to office, including massive new flagpoles at the White House and a giant Arc de Triomphe-style arch in front of Arlington National Cemetery that he's planning to have built.

4:46Trump was recently asked who the arch is for. He responded, quote, Me. It's going to be beautiful.

5:00Looking over to the Capitol now. He should just be really honest with us and say, I don't want to swear her in and I'm not going to. Just be honest. A recently elected representative has filed a lawsuit demanding that House Speaker Mike Johnson swear her into Congress. And until he does his job, I can't do mine. Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat, won a special election in Arizona a month ago. But Johnson has kept the House in recess during the government shutdown and has not sworn her in, despite having had multiple opportunities to do so. Grijalva's lawsuit notes that earlier this year, Johnson swore in two Republicans within 24 hours of them winning special elections, even when the House was not in session.

5:42If or when Grijalva's able to take her seat, she will narrow the already slim majority Republicans hold in the House, making it harder for Johnson to pass bills. She's also expected to provide the last signature needed on a bipartisan effort to push the Trump administration to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson has denied that his refusal to seek Grijalva is connected to that. His office didn't respond to a request for comment. The attorney general of Arizona, who joined Grijalva's suit, said in a statement that Johnson is, quote, actively stripping the people of Arizona of one of their seats in Congress.

6:19Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans and Democrats seem no closer to any kind of deal to reopen the government. They remain at an impasse over Democrats' demands to extend health care subsidies. Today, though, the lawmakers are expected to consider legislation that would get some government workers paid.

6:40In Paris, the Louvre reopened yesterday after being shut down following Sunday's shocking daylight jewel heist. The specific gallery where the jewels used to be, however, remains closed. And the museum's director has been facing intense criticism about the state of the Louvre's security system.

7:03She spoke publicly yesterday for the first time since the theft and acknowledged that much of the system is badly outdated and that the only exterior surveillance camera near where the thieves broke in was facing away from them. At the moment, more than 100 investigators are racing to find the culprits, who may be planning to break down the artifacts and resell the stones and metals separately. The items, including tiaras, necklaces, and earrings, were potentially worth more than$100 million. But they were not insured. According to France's culture ministry, that's not uncommon for state collections because of the high cost to cover them.

7:49And finally, in Iceland, the country's Natural Science Institute announced a kind of milestone that no one really wants to celebrate. Iceland has had its first ever recorded sighting of mosquitoes in the wild. The country used to be one of the only mosquito-free places in the world, though it's had a spike of other insect life over the last few decades. That's happened as there's been more and more traffic to the island. Planes, cruise ships, cargo boats. More ways for critters to hitch a ride. Climate change has also transformed the region, and insect numbers can go up with higher temperatures.

8:26The landmark mosquito sighting was made by a backyard bug enthusiast, who regularly puts out a piece of rope dipped in sugary red wine as a lure for insects so he can examine them. Last week, he noticed something unusual take the bait. Three mosquitoes. It's unclear if they're just accidental tourists or the beginning of a new native population. Before this, only one mosquito had ever been caught in Iceland, and that happened in the 80s on a plane that had just touched down at the airport. For now, an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute is stashing the mosquitoes in his freezer.

9:10Those are the headlines. Today on The Daily, the view from Venezuela, as top Trump aides have pushed for the administration to topple the country's leader. You can listen to that in the New York Times app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest and the Friday news quiz.