Political Developments
President Trump made statements regarding Minnesota's Somali community for two consecutive days. These remarks included comments about Somalis as a group and referenced the potential deportation of Somali-American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The statements followed a reporter's inquiry about a fraud investigation in Minnesota, where some individuals, including Somalis, were convicted of defrauding social service programs.
According to NPR's Mara Liasson, making remarks about an entire group has been a recurring tactic for President Trump in his political career, often generating attention and appealing to some voters. These comments were made ahead of scheduled meetings between the president and African leaders from Somalia, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul defended the Somali community and addressed reports of increased immigration enforcement targeting the community by the Trump administration. Minnesota hosts the largest Somali population in the United States.
Defense Department Investigation
A Pentagon watchdog has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked the safety of U.S. servicemembers by sharing sensitive military plans via the Signal messaging app prior to an attack on Yemen. An inspector general report, expected to be released, criticizes Hegseth's method of sharing information about airstrikes against Yemen in March. The encrypted group chat reportedly included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic.
NPR's Greg Myre reported that anonymous sources who have reviewed the internal report indicate it concludes Hegseth violated Pentagon regulations by using a personal cellphone for official business. Hegseth's messages reportedly included precise times for the launch of F-18 warplanes, drones, and Tomahawk missiles targeting Yemen. The defense secretary denied sharing classified information within the report and stated he has the authority to declassify it, though the report does not specify if declassification occurred before the information was shared.
Public Health Advisory
Vaccine advisers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are scheduled for a two-day meeting to discuss vaccine safety and consider potential adjustments to the U.S. vaccine schedule. A vote is anticipated today on whether to retract the existing recommendation for administering the hepatitis B vaccine to infants at birth.
This recommendation for the Hepatitis B vaccine has been in place for over 30 years. Independent researchers have indicated that delaying its administration by even a few months could result in hundreds of preventable deaths annually, according to NPR's Pien Huang. The advisers also plan to investigate whether vaccines contribute to conditions such as asthma, eczema, and other autoimmune diseases in children, as stated by new committee chair Dr. Kirk Milhoan to The Washington Post. Dr. Sean O'Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics noted that each vaccine on the schedule undergoes vetting and is scheduled based on the optimal age for a child's immune system to achieve protection.