Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary but refused to answer repeated questions at a hotly combative congressional hearing Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations. Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee repeatedly got into heated exchanges with Hegseth, with some of the toughest lines of questioning coming from military veterans as many demanded yes or no answers and he tried to avoid direct responses about his actions as Pentagon chief. In one back-and-forth, Hegseth did provide an eyebrow-raising answer. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., asked whether the Pentagon has developed plans to take Greenland or Panama by force if necessary.

TRUMP: 15k people have joined the TRUMP CARD waiting list. That’s $75B to help balance the budget.

DHS Sec. Kristi Noem announces the Trump administration has put the IRS on the task of hunting down who’s funding the LA riots.

The crash of a Boeing 787 passenger jet in India minutes after takeoff on Thursday is putting the spotlight back on a beleaguered manufacturer though it was not immediately clear why the plane crashed. The Air India 787 went down in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad with more than 240 people aboard shortly after takeoff, authorities said. It was the first fatal crash since the plane, also known as the Dreamliner, went into service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing shares fell more than 5% in pre-market trading. The 787 was the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium ion batteries, which are lighter, recharge faster and can hold more energy than other types of batteries.

President Donald Trump issued a stark assessment on Thursday regarding Israel’s stance toward Iran, stating that a strike on Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure “could very well happen,” as international concern continues to mount over Iran’s atomic ambitions.
Speaking to reporters during a White House appearance, Trump commented, “Well, I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen.”
Trump made clear that his preference is to steer clear of hostilities. “I’d love to avoid the conflict,” he said. “Iran’s going to have to negotiate a little bit tougher, meaning they’re going to have to give us something they’re not willing to give us right now.”

A man from the United Kingdom appears to have miraculously made it out alive from the catastrophic Air India crash on Thursday that took over 200 lives. Local authorities and video footage confirm that the passenger was seen walking away from the wreckage with only minor injuries.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who had been seated in 11A aboard the Boeing 787-8, is currently hospitalized, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said in a statement to ANI news.
According to the Hindustan Times, Ramesh was spotted hobbling along the road, dazed but conscious, amid the aftermath of the crash, which occurred shortly after the plane departed from Ahmedabad airport and slammed into a residential area.