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In the news today: Cuba says its soldiers killed four people aboard a Florida-registered speedboat; the FBI fires agents who worked on the Trump classified document investigation; and Dr. Casey Means faces sharp questions in her confirmation hearing for surgeon general. Also, a look at new images of our Milky Way galaxy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he boards his plane to return to Washington after meetings with Caribbean Community leaders, at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool photo via AP)

WORLD NEWS

Cuba says 4 killed on Florida-registered speedboat were attempting to infiltrate the country

Cuba’s government said late Wednesday that the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism. Read more.

What to know:

• The announcement came hours after Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a speedboat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, injuring one Cuban officer.
  
  

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he was made aware of the incident and that the U.S. is now gathering its own information to determine if the victims were American citizens or permanent residents. “Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time,” Rubio said.
  
  

• The shooting threatens to increase tensions between the U.S. and Cuba. Following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump and top administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward Cuba, which had been largely kept economically afloat by Venezuela’s oil.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• WATCH: Cuban TV reads government statement on firefight
  
  
• WATCH: Rubio says US is looking into Cuban shootout, will ‘respond appropriately’
  
  
• Photos from Cuba as US speedboat shooting heightens tensions

POLITICS

FBI fires agents who worked on Trump classified document investigation, AP sources say

The employees terminated participated in the probe into the Republican's hoarding of classified documents, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Read more.

Why this matters:

• The firings are part of a broader personnel purge under the leadership of Director Kash Patel, a Trump appointee who, over the last year, has pushed out dozens of employees who either contributed to investigations of the president or who were perceived as not in alignment with the administration’s agenda. The Justice Department has engaged in similarly sweeping firings of prosecutors since Trump took office last year.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• What to know about the LA superintendent whose home was searched by FBI
  
  
• US and Iran are holding a third round of nuclear talks as more American forces deploy
  
  
• Most Americans see Iran as an enemy but doubt Trump’s judgment on military force, AP-NORC poll finds
  
  

• Bill and Hillary Clinton, battle-tested, gear up for another Washington fight
  
  

• Justice Department says it’s reviewing whether any Epstein-related records were mistakenly withheld
  
  

• Trump’s pick to lead new Justice Department unit scrutinized as president declares ‘war on fraud’
  
  

• Trump administration’s ‘third country’ deportation policy is unlawful, judge rules
  
  

• DHS official promises that federal immigration agents won’t be at polling places during the midterms
  
  

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia asks US judge in Tennessee to dismiss his criminal case, saying it’s vindictive
  
  

• Newark mayor says ICE operation caused multi-vehicle crash with injuries
  
  

• Texas grand jury rejects indictments in fatal shooting of US citizen by federal immigration agent
  
  

• Mamdani’s relationship with NYPD gets icy after officers were pelted in a snowball fight
  
  

• Judge orders changes to Columbia and Snake river dam operations to help ‘disappearing’ salmon
  
  

• Judge says he will order Greenpeace to pay an expected $345 million in oil pipeline protest case
  
  

• Prosecutors charge Wisconsin legislator with misdemeanor after blowup over Hispanic resolution
  
  

• Arizona governor’s race will test MAGA future for Republican Party
  
  

• Supreme Court litigator convicted of tax evasion over income from high-stakes poker
  
  

• Hilary Knight wants focus on the US women’s Olympic success, not Trump’s ‘distasteful’ joke

US NEWS

Surgeon general nominee grilled over vaccines and qualifications

Wellness influencer, author and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means on Wednesday shared a vision for addressing the root causes of chronic disease instead of feeding into “reactive sick care” during her confirmation hearing to become the nation's next surgeon general. Read more.

Why this matters: 

• Means faced tough questions from senators about topics that have become divisive in recent years, such as vaccines and hormonal birth control, as well as about her qualifications and potential conflicts. She has no government experience, and her license to practice as a physician is not currently active. “I have very serious questions about the ability of Dr. Means to be the kind of surgeon general this country needs,” Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate health committee, said Wednesday.
  
  

• “Our nation is angry, exhausted and hurting,” the 38-year-old said in Washington before the Senate health committee Wednesday. “If we’re addressing shared root causes, we’re going to be able to stop the whack-a-mole medicine that’s not working for us.” It’s a message that dovetails with that of Means’ ally, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Vance says administration is pausing some Medicaid funding to Minnesota because of fraud concerns

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