News Wrap: Acting FEMA head stepping down after 6 months

Geoff Bennett:

In the day's other headlines: The acting head of FEMA is stepping down after just six months in the role. David Richardson took over as the agency's acting administrator in May after the previous leader was pushed out of the job.

He was widely criticized for the slow federal response to the floods in Texas that killed at least 136 people this summer. FEMA has been in limbo since the start of this Trump administration, with both the president and Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem calling for a major overhaul of the agency. Richardson will be replaced by FEMA Chief of Staff Karen Evans starting December 1.

President Trump says he's open to military strikes on Mexico if it would help his broader crackdown on drug trafficking. Mr. Trump's comments came in response to a reporter's question during that Oval Office event this afternoon.

President Donald Trump:

Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It's OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs, Mexico is — look, I looked at Mexico City over the weekend. There's some big problems over there.

Geoff Bennett:

The president also said he'd be proud to take out cocaine factories in Colombia, saying it would save millions of lives, but he stopped short of announcing any immediate action.

Today's comments come as the Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific.

The U.S. Supreme Court said today it will hear arguments on whether the government can control the number of asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border. At issue is a practice called metering, which allows border officials to stop asylum seekers from setting foot on American soil until space opens up to process their claims.

It's been used by both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Biden administration formally ended the practice, but the Trump administration has signaled it may seek to reinstate it. The court will hear arguments early next year.

A federal judge says the Justice Department may have committed misconduct in its handling of its criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick cited what he called profound investigative missteps, which included fundamental misstatements of the law, plus the use of potentially privileged communications and unexplained irregularities in the grand jury transcripts.

The judge is ordering the DOJ to turn over grand jury materials to Comey's defense team. Mr. Comey is charged with lying to Congress in 2020 over whether he had authorized FBI leaks to the media, which he denies.

The knock-on effects of the longest-ever government shutdown are easing, including today in the skies. The FAA lifted the last of its flight restrictions at 40 airports from this morning, citing a steady decline in staffing concerns as air traffic controllers return to work.

They are just some of the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are back on the job. Many should be getting the rest of their back pay this week, though timing will vary by agency. And SNAP, or food stamp benefits, have resumed for low-income families, rolling out this week on a state-by-state basis. And all remaining Smithsonian museums were set to reopen by today.

The U.N. Security Council has voted to approve a U.S.-backed cease-fire plan for Gaza, which includes an international stabilization for the territory. It's a crucial step in the fragile cease-fire that took effect last month. And it comes as displaced Palestinians endure the first bout of heavy rains of the winter season.

This weekend, locals salvaged their few belongings from makeshift shelters, as seen in this footage from our producer in Gaza Shams Odeh. For this displaced mother, the rainy weather and winds only deepened the suffering she and her children were already facing.

Amal Jundiyeh, Displaced Palestinian (through interpreter):

Since the first day of rain, we have been living like this, me and my kids all night like this. Some are even sick or injured. We haven't slept all night. Now we're going to sleep soaked like this.

Geoff Bennett:

Meantime, a report by a human rights group says at least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since the start of the war in Gaza. The report by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel found that systematic torture and the denial of access to medical care contributed to many of the deaths. It adds that the actual death toll is likely higher. But Israel has said it's taken steps to improve the treatment of Palestinian detainees.

In Nigeria, officials say gunmen attacked a high school today, abducting 25 girls and killing a member of staff. The assault took place at a government school in Kebbi State. Police say the girls were taken from their dorms before dawn this morning. So far, no group has claimed responsibility.

Nigeria has faced a surge in mass kidnappings in recent years, often carried out by armed gangs seeking ransom payments. In 2014, the Islamist militant group Boko Haram kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls. Some have yet to return home.

On Wall Street today, stocks sank to start the week. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 500 points. The Nasdaq dropped nearly 200 points on the day. The S&P 500 ended firmly in negative territory.