🎧 Based on photos and videos from Venezuela, the damage appears to be quite extensive, reporter John Otis tells Up First. The images show massive clouds of dust rising from collapsed buildings, with rescue workers pulling survivors out of the rubble on stretchers. People rushed for cover under restaurant tables and hurried out of their homes into the streets. Models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that an earthquake of this magnitude could result in tens of thousands of casualties. Many people are already posting online to look for their missing loved ones. President Trump said on social media that he has ordered U.S. agencies to prepare for a prompt response. The U.S. State Department says it has mobilized a disaster assistance team and task force to support Venezuela. They will also send search-and-rescue teams, along with medical and humanitarian supplies.

🎧 Trump appears to be more focused on having Republicans loyal to him than on ensuring a majority that can pass his legislation, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez says. The president criticized senators yesterday over their stance on the conflict in Iran. Trump's decision to cancel the signing could possibly alienate Republicans who were hoping to present this legislative victory to voters ahead of the midterm elections. Many Republicans have urged him to shift his focus from Iran to domestic issues, particularly the economy. The bill could have potentially improved his standing in the polls, Ordoñez says.

➡️ Trump has said for months that he won't sign any bill until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. He believes it would ensure that Republicans never lose another election for at least 50 years. Here's what's actually in the bill.

🎧 NPR’s Quil Lawrence says that no one he has talked to seems to know exactly why Donahue is abruptly retiring. On social media, some trolls are focusing on the fact that Donahue was in charge of the evacuation efforts at Kabul airport. Many blame him for the debacle that marked the chaotic end of 20 years of military involvement. A suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate entry point of Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 Afghans. Donahue arrived after Kabul fell and he wasn't in charge of Abbey Gate. He stepped in to oversee the withdrawal and coordinated hundreds of flights, which likely saved thousands of lives. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been reducing the ranks, and more than half of those cut have been women and Black officers. Donahue, being a white man, doesn't align with Hegseth's trims but instead is more closely aligned with the secretary’s narrow vision of a "war-fighter," Lawrence says. He adds that this situation appears more like when Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George with no explanation.