Today's Headlines: In Announcing Pardon of Drug Trafficker While Threatening Venezuela, Trump Displays Contradictions

November 30, 2025, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

World

Fed Up With the Taliban, Pakistan Expels Masses of Afghans

Labeling Afghans a national security threat, Pakistan has forced out about a million this year, depriving them of a haven from Afghanistan’s turmoil.

The Ex-President Whom Trump Plans to Pardon Flooded America With Cocaine

Juan Orlando Hernández, whom Mr. Trump called a victim of persecution, helped orchestrate a decades-long trafficking conspiracy. It ravaged his Central American country.

Mourners Line Up to Honor Victims of Hong Kong’s Deadliest Fire in Decades

The police said they expected the death toll of 128 to rise as the authorities began combing through the charred apartment towers.

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U.S.

How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch

Prosecutors say members of the Somali diaspora, a group with growing political power, were largely responsible. President Trump has drawn national attention to the scandal amid his crackdown on immigration.

4 Dead After Shooting at Banquet Hall in California

The shooting in Stockton, a city in California’s Central Valley, left 10 others wounded. The authorities said they were looking for a suspect.

Utah Hiker Rescued With His Children Faces Abuse and Torture Charges

The man was initially hailed for his efforts to protect his daughter, 8, and two sons, 4 and 2, but the authorities concluded that he put them at risk by taking them on perilous terrain.

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Politics

Top Trump Aides to Meet With Ukrainians in Florida on Sunday

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to discuss peace terms again after an uproar over a 28-point proposal drafted with Russian input.

Afghans Who Assisted U.S. During the War Underwent Rigorous Vetting

Former officials said the C.I.A. diligently assessed those who partnered with its forces, like the man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington.

Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace Closed

President Trump said days earlier that the United States could “very soon” expand its campaign of killing people at sea suspected of drug trafficking to attacking Venezuelan territory.

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Business

Shoppers, Drawn by Steep Discounts, Power Through Black Friday

Data on spending this week shows that consumers are shopping big for the holidays despite inflation and economic worries.

Meet the Millionaire Masters of Early Decision at Colleges

The enrollment chiefs at Tulane and the University of Chicago attracted many early applicants. Now both of them earn a lot of money.

N.Y. Law Could Set Stage for A.I. Regulation’s Next ‘Big Battleground’

The new law seeks to prevent retailers from ripping off consumers by using artificial intelligence and their personal data to charge them higher prices.

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New York

Several Arrested as Protesters Block Federal Agents in Manhattan Garage

The confrontation appeared to foil a possible ICE raid nearby, underscoring the numerous challenges the federal government faces in trying to stage raids in a dense city like New York.

How the Fortunes of a Struggling Village Became Tied to a Weed Company

Sidney, N.Y., in the Catskill Mountains, hoped to attract job-creating businesses. But there was some unease when the recreational cannabis company Stiiizy moved in.