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‘Tis the season to be wary. You can blame a glitch in the North Pole’s AI or a stocking full of data breaches, but this holiday season, our inboxes are getting stuffed with more phishing emails and texts more often than ever before. Scammers are getting smarter, too. Not only are they crafting more suspicious links, but they’re making their schemes harder to call out than ever. Putting a stop to these digital Grinches is a full-time job all its own. According to the the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, phishing and spoofing scams stole more than $70 million in holiday joy (and funds) in 2024.

Unfortunately, these criminals are good at what they do. Several scammy links do actually include standard “https” encryption and domains similar to legitimate websites in order to trick everyday people. 

If you unwrap a scam link, you risk more than just a lump of coal. You could suffer major financial loss, hand over your credit card details to a “Secret Santa” you definitely don’t know, or accidentally download malware that freezes your device faster than a winter storm. Here’s how you can freeze scammers in their tracks this holiday season and protect yourself. 

How to identify scam links

Scam links are regularly found in phishing emails, text messages or other communications sent by cybercriminals. They’re designed to fool you into downloading malware or bringing you to a fake website to steal your personal identifying information. Some examples of popular phishing scams include unpaid toll, gold bar, and employment scams. 

Criminals typically send these links out en masse — often aided by artificial intelligence. Enough people fall victim to phishing scams every year that con artists find it worth their while to follow the same playbook.

Here’s how to avoid taking the bait.

Check the URL

“Smartphones do their best to block scam links, so attackers use tricks to make their links clickable,” said Joshua McKenty, CEO of Polyguard.ai, a cybersecurity company that helps businesses protect mobile phones and call centers from AI-driven phishing scams.

For example, you’ll want to watch for an “@” sign in the URL, or you might have two different URLs “glued together” by a question mark, he added. Especially if the first URL is a Google.com or an Apple.com link.

Dave Meister, a cybersecurity spokesman for global cybersecurity company Check Point, added that you may be able to hover over the URL to reveal the actual destination. People should also look out for “typo-squatting,” when the URL looks authentic, but it has “PayPa1” instead of “PayPal.” That should tip you off that it’s a bad link.

Remember the URLs you frequently visit

It would behoove everyone to pay attention to the URLs they visit often.

“Major brands, especially banks and retailers, don’t often change up their domain names,” McKenty said. “If the link says Chase.com, it’s likely safe. If it says, Chase-Banking-App.com, stay away.”

Be suspicious of short links

Short links are often in texts and on social media. “Sadly, there’s no safe way to check a shortened URL,” McKenty said. He recommended not clicking on them.

“Bit.ly” or “shorturl” links often have standard “https://” encryption, which makes them appear trustworthy. In these cases, it’s best to read the message itself and pay attention to any threatening language or pressure to act immediately to identify the scam.

How are scam links sent to victims? 

Text scams

Ironically, these don’t always rely on website links. In fact, phone numbers are a frequent vehicle used in scammers’ phishing attempts, according to McKenty. 

“People get tricked into clicking a phone number that’s not actually their bank or the IRS, and then surrendering identity information on the phone,” he said.

If you think you got a message from a scammer, as tempting as it is to mess with them, do your best to resist. If you interact with the scammer, they may want to circle back, knowing that you’re reachable. 

Email scams

Emails can also have scam links.

McKenty said that while clicking on phone numbers and links in texts is happening more frequently, “the biggest dollar losses are still the classic email scams.”

He suggests copying any link you see into a notes app so that you can properly inspect it before clicking.

QR code scams

Sometimes, scams can even be embedded into a QR code.

“QR codes have become the new stealth weapon, used everywhere from restaurant menus to parking meters,” said Meister.

“Scammers are known to slap fake codes on top of real ones in public, or embed them in phishing emails, linking to cloned websites or malware downloads,” he said.

Before you scan, make sure the QR code makes sense. If it’s on the side of a gas pump, on a random park bench or in an unrecognized email, it’s better to avoid it.

Social media direct messages

Chances are, you’ve run into these scam links. Sometimes social media accounts get compromised by cybercriminals posing as people you know. 

If your “uncle” sends you a direct message while sounding like a pushy timeshare salesman, telling you to check out this investment opportunity by clicking on a link, call your uncle first.

What if I already clicked a link?

If you clicked on a scam link, a number of things could happen. If you have software protecting your device, the firewall probably blocked it. If you don’t have software protecting you from computer viruses and malware, then you might have a problem.

Try these tips if you think you might’ve clicked on a phishing link:

• Get anti-virus software.

• If you don’t already have anti-virus software that can help rid your laptop or desktop of viruses, you should get one. There are plenty of free and paid options to choose from

• Be aware of malware. Your phone isn’t immune to malware. Scam links are often designed to trick somebody into downloading malware, which can then give the scammer access to your phone. If your phone is infected with malware, do not access any financial apps. Instead, clear your browser cache, remove any apps you don’t recognize, or try a factory reset. If you’re really stuck, you could also call your phone’s tech support. Your phone might be slow or unresponsive, and you may see increased pop-up ads if it’s infected.

• Contact your bank or credit card issuer.

• If you’ve been visiting your bank website or app on a compromised device, to be safe, let your financial institution know.

• Contact the authorities. If you clicked on a spam link and were scammed out of money, report it to the Federal Trade Commission so they can spread the word about the scam. You’ll also want to call your police department and anyone else you can think of. The more people are aware of a scam, the less likely they’ll fall for it.

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You should never be clicking unexpected links sent to you via text.  Getty/Karl Tapales

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Where Things Stand

• James indictment: A grand jury declined to reindict Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, rejecting efforts to revive a criminal case that had been sought by President Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. The unsuccessful attempt to revive the case against Ms. James does not necessarily end the administration’s efforts to put her on trial. Read more ›

• Boat attack video: Top military officers showed senior members of Congress video of a Sept. 2 attack on a boat suspected of carrying drugs, and defended the follow-up strike that killed two survivors. Lawmakers left the closed-door meetings with starkly different conclusions: Democrats said the video deepened their concerns about the legality of the Trump administration’s military campaign, while several Republicans said they were satisfied it was lawful. Read more ›

• Pipe bomb inquiry: A Virginia man was charged with placing two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of both Democratic and Republican headquarters buildings on the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, did not offer a motive, and falsely accused the Biden administration of allowing the investigation to languish. Read more ›

Trump switches architects for his White House ballroom project.

President Trump has hired a new architecture firm to oversee the design of his new ballroom, the White House said on Thursday, a move that comes after he had multiple disagreements with his original designer.

The president chose Shalom Baranes Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that has designed other government buildings, to oversee the next phase of the project, a White House spokesman, Davis R. Ingle,​ said in a statement. He added that the firm would join​ “a team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Offic​e.”

Tim Walz calls Trump’s tirade against Somalis in Minnesota ‘vile.’

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota on Thursday called President Trump’s recent tirades against Somalis in the state “vile,” warning that xenophobic rhetoric could lead to bloodshed.

“This creates danger,” Mr. Walz, a Democrat, told reporters during a news conference. “We know how these things go, they start with taunts, they turn to violence.”

The Trump administration cuts the length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees.

The Trump administration said it would reduce how long work permits are valid for refugees and asylum seekers, intensifying a sweeping crackdown on legal immigration after an Afghan national was charged with the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.

The federal government will now require some migrants to renew their work permits every 18 months instead of every five years, according to a statement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Thursday. The agency said the change would help it screen and vet migrants more often, allowing it to identify people with “potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal.”

The Supreme Court clears the way for Republican-friendly Texas voting maps.

The Supreme Court cleared the way on Thursday for Texas lawmakers to use newly redrawn congressional maps favoring Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.

The decision overturns, at least for now, a lower-court ruling that the new maps were likely an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. That decision had blocked lawmakers from using the maps in the midterms.

Grand jury is said to decline to re-indict Letitia James, New York State’s attorney general.

A grand jury in Norfolk, Va., declined on Thursday to re-indict Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, rejecting efforts to revive a criminal case that had been sought by President Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

The unsuccessful attempt to revive the case against Ms. James does not necessarily end the administration’s efforts to put her on trial, even after a federal judge dismissed an earlier indictment last month in ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was unlawfully appointed by Mr. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

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Letitia James, the New York attorney general, outside a courthouse in Norfolk, Va., in October.Credit…Allison Robbert for The New York Times

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Editor’s note: Retire Early in 2026 is part of a series on how to retire early and the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Part one is How to Retire Early in Six Steps.

It’s said that waiting for the right moment is just procrastination in disguise. So, what if 2026 is the year you finally prepare for early retirement and start living it by December 31?

Retiring before 62, or even by 55, is an exciting but daunting goal, as many traditional benefits aren’t yet available to you. How do you access retirement accounts without penalties? Will you have enough income without Social Security? What’s your plan for health coverage?

Retire early in 2026 (or at least by year’s end)

There’s no Goldilocks moment in this story. You have to trust the work you’ve already done — whether it’s saving half your income, living modestly, or building multiple streams of income. As self-help author Napoleon Hill put it: “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”

If you’re done waiting but aren’t sure what the final steps are, this monthly early retirement checklist is for you. By December 31, 2026, you can ceremoniously update your LinkedIn profile headline to include one very satisfying word: “former.”

January: review your retirement readiness

Since this year’s resolution is greater than dropping a few pounds, there’s no time to waste. Brett Spencer, CFP® and founder of Impact Financial, advises, “Retirement planning can be overwhelming, especially dealing with the nuances of early retirement. Just like a new year’s workout program, getting started is key.”

Here’s what to tackle first so your goal doesn’t collect dust like an unused gym membership.

Assess your target: How much do you need? The Rule of 25 is a simple formula: multiply your estimated annual retirement expenses by 25. This provides a target number that could allow you to withdraw 4% annually while preserving your nest egg. For greater accuracy, try our retirement calculator.

Build a budget: Include essentials like housing and food, as well as fun stuff like travel. Recognizing many high-income workers in the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement, WorthPointe partner and CFP® John Chapman says, “High earners may not need to budget while working, but in early retirement, it’s a must.”

Get a plan and run projections: A financial adviser can stress-test your plan for worst-case scenarios, ensuring your money outlasts you — not the other way around.

February: build a healthcare plan

Instead of your sweetheart, focus on your own heart this year — literally. Medicare doesn’t kick in until 65, so healthcare is often a major planning hurdle for early retirees.

Explore options: Look into COBRA, ACA marketplace plans or joining a spouse’s plan. Among these, enrolling in a spouse’s plan often proves most cost-effective, providing a bridge to Medicare eligibility. Chapman notes, “Premiums depend on income, so understanding coverage is critical.” Remember that you can also use funds in a health savings account (HSA) when you retire.

Schedule checkups: Knock out physicals, dental visits and specialist appointments while you’ve got coverage.

March: organize your financial accounts

Madness is for basketball, not your finances. This month, simplify.

Consider consolidating accounts: It may make sense to combine investment and retirement accounts for easier management. Make sure you know which financial and tax documents to keep and how to store them safely.

Pay off high-interest debt: “Eliminating debt, including your mortgage, lowers fixed costs and adds peace of mind,” Chapman says. Try some of our tips for how to pay off credit card debt.

Build cash reserves: Save 6-12 months of expenses in a high-yield savings account or money market account. “Since early retirees may not access retirement accounts without penalties, it’s important to hold at least a year’s worth of expenses in cash reserves,” Chapman adds. “Also, build up significant non-retirement investments to fund spending before tapping into retirement accounts.”

April: maximize tax opportunities

This is the rare year when tax season brings joy. Spencer says, “Beyond filing, it’s a great time to take advantage of any tax benefits and plan for the year ahead.”

Boost retirement accounts: For instance, you can max out 2025 IRA contributions by April 15, 2026. Spencer also recommends “maximizing 401(k) contributions and considering contributing to an HSA or FSA for additional tax deductions.”

Consider Roth conversions: “Once you retire early, your taxable income may drop significantly,” Chapman says. This creates a great opportunity for Roth conversions — transferring funds from pre-tax (“traditional”) IRAs or 401(k)s to Roth IRAs at potentially lower tax rates. He suggests consulting a tax adviser to determine the right amount to convert without triggering unintended tax consequences.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Their dissatisfaction is indicative of a broader splintering of a restive group of G.O.P. lawmakers who are perpetually unhappy with their leaders, but appear to be reaching a breaking point with the current man at the top.

“Rarely have things been completely harmonious in the conference, but it does seem like there is an unusually high level of discontent,” said Representative Kevin Kiley, a California Republican who has been at odds with Mr. Johnson over the redistricting battles that will likely put him out of a job next year.

He added: “The overriding issue is the House has not been at the forefront of driving policymaking, or the agenda in Washington. That is naturally going to be frustrating to members who ran for Congress to make an impact on issues they care about.”

The rifts have opened as Republicans preparing to face voters in next year’s elections are increasingly worried that they have squandered a year in which their party had total control of government.

Many G.O.P. lawmakers are unhappy with the passive role the speaker has played in the redistricting arms race that has spread across the country and upended districts they know how to win. Even more are angry at his decision to send the House home for nearly eight weeks before and during the government shutdown, limiting what they have been able to accomplish. Members in competitive districts are desperate for a vote on extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, which Mr. Johnson is resisting.

Ms. Stefanik told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that Mr. Johnson would not have the support to remain speaker if a vote were held tomorrow, adding that disaffection with him among Republicans was “that widespread.”

Ms. Stefanik declined to speak on the record for this article.

Mr. Johnson declined to comment, as well. But a senior Republican congressional aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of prolonging an intraparty feud, said that after Mr. Johnson had provided Ms. Stefanik with office space and a budget for what the aide described as “a fake job and a fake title,” he would have expected her to be more gracious.

(After President Trump asked Ms. Stefanik earlier this year to withdraw as his nominee to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Johnson created a new post for her called “chairwoman of House Republican Leadership,” although their relationship had collapsed.)

But Ms. Stefanik is not alone among Republican women in feeling aggrieved by Mr. Johnson. Some of them said privately that the speaker had failed to listen to them or engage in direct conversations on major political and policy issues, suggesting that doing so was a cultural challenge for Mr. Johnson — an evangelical Christian who has often voiced firm views about the distinct roles men and women should play in society.

In a recent podcast interview, for instance, he said that women were not able to compartmentalize their thoughts, and that the member whom he would trust most to cook him Thanksgiving dinner was Representative Lisa McClain of Michigan.

Ms. McClain, the No. 4 Republican, said that the notion of any gender divide in the conference was “an absurd suggestion” that reeked of Democratic bias. Mr. Johnson, she said, “has treated me with nothing less than respect. He values my opinion, not as a woman, but as a trusted colleague.”

But some House Republican women are privately predicting that Mr. Johnson’s speakership will end this term, either as a result of Republicans losing their slim majority before Election Day, or because Mr. Johnson is ousted by his own members, like his predecessor.

“I stand with Elise,” Ms. Mace, who is running for governor in South Carolina, said in a text message on Wednesday morning, a day after Ms. Stefanik’s enmity boiled over into a public feud with Mr. Johnson over a provision she wanted included in the annual defense policy bill.

Ms. Stefanik announced on social media on Wednesday that Mr. Trump had intervened, and that she had prevailed. After a three-way phone call, she said, Mr. Johnson had agreed to include the measure she was demanding that would require disclosure when the F.B.I. opens investigations into political candidates.

That was after she had written on social media that she was receiving “just more lies from the Speaker,” and that Mr. Johnson often falsely claimed to know nothing about an issue. She called it “his preferred tactic to tell Members when he gets caught torpedoing the Republican agenda.”

Some Republicans said the flap was more a personal feud than an institutional problem with Mr. Johnson.

“I’m disappointed that Elise chose this path,” Representative Claudia Tenney, Republican of New York, said in an interview. Ms. Tenney, a close ally of Mr. Johnson’s, said that taking public shots at the speaker was “very unprofessional, and would not be tolerated in any other professional setting.” She suggested that Ms. Stefanik was still bitter over the handling of her cabinet nomination.

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Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

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It’s not normal for public health to be so partisan.

The current administration has slashed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) programs that protect Americans from cancer, heart disease, stroke, birth defects and workplace harms. It has derailed lifesaving programs created by President George W. Bush that protect children from malaria and prevent the spread of HIV, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. The scientist selected by this administration to lead the CDC was fired after less than a month. Most of CDC’s top leaders have been fired or resigned, as have more than one quarter of CDC staff. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., replaced the advisory group that issues vaccine guidance with people who know little about vaccines and have made recommendations that don’t reflect evidence. This partisanship is unhealthy, and it’s poisoning our societal immune system.

When public health succeeds, we don’t notice—water, air, and food don’t make us sick, and our kids don’t get hit by cars, start smoking or get preventable infections. But when public health fails, we suffer.

Fewer people are getting COVID shots and other lifesaving vaccines, government is slower to respond to outbreaks, and smokers have a harder time quitting because of cuts to the quit-smoking hotlines and antismoking campaigns. More dangerous damage will be less visible: ending systems that track risks to mothers and infants and other systems that track and stop health risks. When we can’t find threats as fast or respond as rapidly, the next health disaster is likely to be more deadly than it would otherwise be.

Scientists, health professionals, community leaders and all who care about facts and fairness must protect what keeps us safe, patch what’s broken and lay the groundwork for faster, more effective health and public health systems.

To do this, we must first stop the bleeding, starting with the disease of disinformation. Distrust drives avoidable illness and death; a real-time “health beacon” could counter today’s firehose of falsehoods. Artificial intelligence can detect emerging rumors and draft initial responses for specialist review; experts can curate evidence-based, nonpartisan, verifiable responses that pre-bunk predictable myths and debunk new viral claims. Fact-based messages—shared through short, engaging videos and trusted channels—can help truth move as fast as falsehood.

One particularly urgent area is vaccines. Misinformation profiteers spread the false claim that vaccines cause autism, sell unproven “detox” therapies and undermine trust. Secretary Kennedy’s team seeks to make autism compensable under vaccine-injury rules, turning diagnoses into groundless lawsuits while draining resources from real causes and care. Scientists, clinicians and informed citizens should challenge false claims publicly, support credible sources of evidence and press policy makers to base decisions on facts.

Only the national government can coordinate disease surveillance across borders, fund specialized laboratories, safeguard vaccine safety, manage stockpiles and emergency response, and support health departments nationwide. All of us should demand that Congress—and hope that the courts—halt staff and program cuts that Congress didn’t approve and restore essential protections that keep people safe. Congress must also require HHS to spend and account for the funds it has authorized.

But when the federal system falters, others must protect people from avoidable harm. States, cities and professional societies can’t replace national capacity, but they can keep essential protections from collapsing. The newly launched Northeast Health Collaborative, linking 10 states and cities, shares data, laboratory resources and outbreak expertise to preserve core functions and test practical innovations. Northwestern states are also organizing, and a nationwide 15-state network now coordinates responses to emerging threats.

Professional societies can also fill gaps. When official COVID-19 vaccine guidance weakened, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians issued clear, evidence-based recommendations for children, pregnant women and adults. Other organizations must follow.

Universities and state governments must step up to preserve and gather data. CDC and other health datasets should be preserved; ongoing data collection should continue through states, universities and researchers. Without data, we can’t see risks and progress, fix failures and defend successes.

We must build a system that works faster and operates transparently. The 7-1-7 target—find disease outbreaks within seven days, report them within one and mount essential control measures within seven more—is one such system and shows what faster response can achieve. Developed by my organization and used in nearly 50 countries, the approach sets measurable goals that accelerate progress and strengthen accountability. In Uganda, during a recent cholera outbreak near a border area, disease detectives met 7-1-7 targets, showing that faster action can stop outbreaks. In the U.S., few jurisdictions measure response speed—and those that do often find they fall short but improve once they track results. When every outbreak becomes a way to improve, systems improve more quickly, and the openness of results builds confidence—both among the public and among those who decide how to fund health protection systems.

Results build trust. When air quality improves and asthma attacks drop, people notice. When contaminated water is cleaned, communities feel safer. When outbreaks are stopped early, confidence grows.We must stop partisanship from interfering with the basic systems that keep us safe. Every year we fail to strengthen our health defenses, lives are lost and costs rise. Every month we allow distrust to spread, the next outbreak gets harder to stop.

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President Donald Trump’s Venezuela regime change adventure is in danger of degenerating into a strategic, political and legal morass.

Trump gathered top national security officials and aides at an Oval Office meeting Monday evening, seeking to define next steps in a showdown now slipping out of his control, both inside the impoverished oil-rich nation and in Washington.

Before the talks, President Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan dictator, defiantly danced before a huge crowd of supporters in Caracas in a Trump-style open-air rally, shattering previous rumors he’d bowed to US calls to leave the country. “We do not want peace of slaves, nor do we want peace of colonies,” Maduro said.

The thin domestic political underpinnings of Trump’s campaign are growing more fragile as the White House fails to quell a growing controversy over a follow-up US strike that reportedly killed surviving crew members of an alleged drugs trafficking boat in the Caribbean. Trump’s Democratic critics on Capitol Hill are warning of a potential war crime. And several powerful Republicans are shaken and are signaling a rare willingness to rigorously investigate the administration.

The US standoff with Venezuela is now beginning to consume Washington after more than four months of escalating political, economic, and military pressure, epitomized by the hulking presence of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald. R. Ford and an armada of US ships in the waters off Venezuela.

There is increasing scrutiny of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s role in the boat strikes. The former Fox News anchor was a controversial pick to run the Pentagon, and his lack of experience, abrasive manner, and rejection of some the military’s ethical and legal safeguards is threatening to make him a political burden for the president as Democrats demand his resignation.

But more broadly, Maduro’s defiance is presenting Trump, Hegseth, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other top officials expected at the Oval Office meeting with a deepening strategic dilemma.

Trump is talking a big game.

On Thursday, he threatened attacks on drug cartel targets on land in Venezuela would begin “very soon.” He declared on Saturday the country’s airspace should be considered closed. But Maduro went nowhere. The US president — who has been sensitive in the past to any suggestion he “chickens out” after making threats — must now consider whether his saber rattling is beginning to lack credibility without a demonstration of military force that would draw him into an overseas conflict.

Maduro defying US ‘options’ to leave

Washington hopes that its military build-up so rattles Maduro that he accepts exile overseas or that inner circle generals topple him. Trump confirmed Sunday he spoke to Maduro by phone recently — but the Venezuelan strongman stayed put. Venezuelan opposition politician David Smolansky told Jim Sciutto on “The Brief” on CNN International Monday that Maduro had previously been given “options” by the United States to leave the country.

But the failure of the regime to crack so far will test Trump’s willingness to live up to his threat to do things the “hard way” as Maduro characteristically drags out negotiations and crises to weaken the will of his adversaries.

Maduro’s obduracy also raises the question of whether any level of US pressure short of military action would begin to fray his regime. One possibility is that the administration underestimated the staying power of the Maduro power base — a regular failing for US governments over the years that hoped to see the collapse of totalitarian rivals in enemy nations. Maduro will be hoping that Trump loses patience, starts looking for culprits in his inner circle and seeks his own way out.

If the president does pick military action, the idea of a full-scale invasion of Venezuela still seems unthinkable. So, does he have options that would so rattle Maduro’s security that it could change the political equation in Caracas? Or would attacks on alleged drugs trafficking sites or military bases embolden Maduro, unify public opinion around him, and make him believe he can tough it out?

The choices facing Trump are especially stark because a largely peaceful ouster of Maduro that delivered freedom to millions of Venezuelans after two decades of dictatorial rule and a restored democracy would be a foreign policy triumph. It would also send a message of US power and intent to other US foes in the region, including Cuba, and show China and Russia, which try to create regional influence and disruption, that Trump rules his geopolitical backyard. A successful Venezuela strategy could confound establishment foreign policy critics just as Trump did by bombing Iran’s nuclear plants earlier this year, a gamble that was more successful and triggered fewer dangerous consequences than many experts had feared.

But if Maduro survives the US troop buildup and intense pressure, he’d deliver a devastating statement of his own to Trump. The president’s authority would ebb. Autocrats in Beijing and Moscow, who he loves to impress, would take note. Presidents who recall aircraft carrier battlegroups from Europe and station them off Latin America amid belligerent rhetoric tend to create such credibility tests for themselves.

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According to five U.S. officials, who spoke separately and on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter that is under investigation, Mr. Hegseth, ahead of the Sept. 2 attack, ordered a strike that would kill the people on the boat and destroy the vessel and its purported cargo of drugs.

But, each official said, Mr. Hegseth’s directive did not specifically address what should happen if a first missile turned out not to fully accomplish all of those things. And, the officials said, his order was not a response to surveillance footage showing that at least two people on the boat survived the first blast.

Admiral Bradley ordered the initial missile strike and then several follow-up strikes that killed the initial survivors and sank the disabled boat. As that operation unfolded, they said, Mr. Hegseth did not give any further orders to him.

The officials clarified the sequence of events amid the political and legal uproar that has followed a report in The Washington Post last week. It said that Admiral Bradley ordered the second strike to fulfill a directive by Mr. Hegseth to kill everyone. The reaction has included questions about whether Mr. Hegseth specifically ordered an execution of shipwrecked sailors in violation of the laws of war.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, Mr. Trump said that Mr. Hegseth had denied ordering a second strike to kill two people who were wounded but still alive after the first one, saying, “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men.”

Mr. Trump also sought to distance himself from the follow-up strike, saying he “wouldn’t have wanted that, not a second strike,” although he said the first one was “fine.” He defended his broader policy of having the military use lethal force against people suspected of smuggling drugs. Starting with the Sept. 2 attack, his administration has said it has carried out 21 such strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 83 people.

Mr. Hegseth called The Post’s reporting “fabricated” and “inflammatory.” “As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,’” he wrote on social media.

In another social media statement, on Monday, Mr. Hegseth said he stood by Admiral Bradley and what he called the admiral’s “combat decisions” in the strike. “Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support,” he wrote. “I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.”

Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said on Monday that he had spoken with Mr. Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the strikes and that his committee would conduct a congressional investigation into the matter.

The defense secretary also spoke with Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, according to a U.S. official.

In interviews on Monday, two U.S. officials — both of whom were supportive of the administration’s boat strikes — described a meeting before the attack at which Mr. Hegseth had briefed Special Operations Forces commanders on his execute order to engage the boat with lethal force.

That written order, they said, did not address what should happen if people survived the first strike.

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The suggestion that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or his officials targeted shipwrecked survivors has been galvanizing because that would apparently be a war crime even if one accepts Trump officials’ broader argument for the strike campaign.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

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A long-quiet volcano in Ethiopia spewed ash nine miles into the sky on Sunday, marking the first known major eruption from this volcano for more than 12,000 years.

Under-studied and situated in Ethiopia’s arid, rural northeast, volcano Hayli Gubbi’s towering ash column may be a clue to other, undetected eruptions in that period, says Juliet Biggs, an earth scientist at the University of Bristol in England.

“I would be really surprised if [more than 12,000 years ago] really is the last eruption date,” Biggs says. While there have been no confirmed eruptions in that time span, satellite images hint that the volcano may have recently burped out lava, she says.

Either way, this eruption is highly unusual. Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano, like Hawaii’s Mauna Loa. These volcanoes are known for oozing lava flows, not expelling giant columns of ash.

“To see a big eruption column, like a big umbrella cloud, is really rare in this area,” Biggs says.

Hayli Gubbi sits in the East African Rift Zone, a region where the African and Arabian plates are pulling apart at a rate of about 0.4 to 0.6 inches a year, says Arianna Soldati, a volcanologist at North Carolina State University. If the two plates keep moving apart, then eventually the Arabian Sea and rift valley will become a new ocean.

As the Earth’s crust pulls apart, it stretches and thins, and hot rocks rise up from the mantle, melting into magma toward the surface.

“So long as there are still the conditions for magma to form, a volcano can still have an eruption even if it hasn’t had one in 1,000 years, 10,000 years,” Soldati says.

Researchers had some idea an eruption at Hayli Gubbi was possible, Biggs says. In July, another active volcano nearby called Erta Ale erupted in a shower of ash. At the same time, satellite data revealed ground movement showing that an intrusion of magma from Erta Ale had pushed more than 18 miles below the surface, under Hayli Gubbi and beyond. Biggs and her collaborators had also recorded white puffy clouds at its summit, and the ground at the volcano had risen a few centimeters.

Sunday’s eruption, which poses little danger to people given its remote location, has kicked off a scientific scramble. Derek Keir, an earth scientist at the University of Southampton in England, happened to be in Ethiopia when the volcano blew; on Monday, he collected samples of the new ash. These will help reveal what kind of magma caused the eruption, Biggs says. Lava flows from the volcano could also reveal if Hayli Gubbi truly was quiet for 12,000 years.

“It really just shows how understudied this region is,” Biggs says.

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Think of it as an opportunity rather than a burden. If you’re like many people, you get tech support calls from frustrated parents or grandparents all year long. This is your chance to make sure things are set up so that, when you do get that call in a month or two, you can more easily fix things — or help your parents fix it themselves.

Make sure everything is updated

It’s important to keep computers, phones, and apps updated — but your parents may not have automatic updates turned on, or they may distrust the pleas from their tech to install an update. Here’s how to make sure that their computers and phones are set for automatic updates so that you, and they, don’t have to worry about it.

For a macOS computer

• Go to System Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates
• Select either Install macOS updates or Install Security Responses and system files to have those install automatically
• If you’d prefer to give your parents the choice, you can also select Download new updates when available.

For an iOS device

• Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates.
• If you toggle on Automatically Install, it will install software and system updates as they’re available. Toggle it off, and software updates and system files will Automatically Download but need to be installed manually. You can also choose Automatically Install for just system files.

For a Windows 11 computer

• Select the Start menu and choose Settings.

• If you don’t immediately see Windows Update, type it in the search box.
• Toggle the box on that reads Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.
• You can also go to Advanced options if you want your parents to get updates for any other Microsoft products, have the system notify them when a restart is required, or choose the hours when the computer is active (so they won’t be surprised by a sudden restart).

For an Android device

• Most system updates will occur automatically — but not always. To check to see if the system has updated on a Pixel (or many other Android phones), go to Settings > System > Software updates. You can also check for App updates here.
• If you want your parents’ apps to update automatically, open the Play Store app, select the personal icon in the upper right corner, then go to Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps. You may want to stick with Update over Wi-Fi only.
• The process is similar for Samsung phones. If you’re using the Galaxy Store, go to Settings > Auto update apps and select Using Wi-Fi only.

Talk to them about scams

One of the most frightening things for many adult children is the thought that their elderly relatives may be vulnerable to the many scams circulating. Calls from “Microsoft” about a virus that was “detected,” or from the “IRS” about a tax debt that is about to trigger an arrest, or from a bank that needs their help foiling a con game — they are still out there. (Just the other day, a friend told me that her mother got a call that she believed was from her bank and that instructed her to withdraw her entire account and put it on a gift card. Luckily, an alert bank teller prevented a disaster.)

There are a variety of resources available to educate yourself and your parents about avoiding becoming a victim of fraud — and what to do if it happens. One resource for older adults is the AARP Scams & Fraud page, which has a number of resources for older adults and their children, such as a weekday phone helpline, an article about holiday-related scams, and specific examples of people who were hit by various types of cons.

You should be prepared to act if your parents have already become victims (or if you have!). Tasks include putting a fraud alert or security freeze on credit reports, contacting banks and credit card companies, and changing passwords.

It helps to have on hand the contact information for the three main credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), and a list of all your parents’ bank and credit card accounts. If your parents are okay with it, you can contact those companies and have them grant you access to your parents’ accounts (some let you do it online; most require you to do it on the phone with your parent present). That way, you won’t have to talk your panicked parents through the process; you can do it yourself.

Finally, install a password manager and make sure that your parents aren’t using a single password for all of their accounts. That’s just asking for trouble.

Teach them how to reboot and/or disconnect

When I was helping my 90-something-year-old mother with her tech, I found that one of the easiest ways to fix many problems was to simply teach her how to disconnect and reconnect her computer, her router, and other devices. While there may be other ways to fix, say, a misbehaving app or hardware, a soft reset like this can fix many bugs. I can’t tell you how often I got a proud call from my mom saying she had fixed her computer that way.

Set them up for remote control

Sometimes, especially if things get really complex, it’s better to fix things yourself. While you’re home, set up your parents for remote control so you can take over when necessary. That includes installing the apps and ensuring your parents understand how they work.

Remote control on Windows 11

Windows comes with a Quick Assist app that lets you take over somebody else’s screen.

• On your computer, hold down Windows key + Ctrl + Q. Over the phone, instruct your parents to do the same.
• On both ends, you’ll see a pop-out window with Get help and Help someone on it. On your end, select Help someone.
• You’ll get a security code. Have your parents type in the code where it says Get help. and select Submit.

Remote control on a Mac

The simplest way to help your parents remotely is to use Apple’s Screen Sharing app.

• On your parents’ Mac, go to Settings > General > Screen Sharing. (If you have trouble enabling Screen Sharing, make sure Remote Management is disabled.)
• Under Allow access for select Only these users, and make sure your ID (and anyone else’s you want them to be able to call on) is selected.
• On your end, make sure you have your parents’ Apple ID (you can find it when you turn their Screen Sharing on, listed just under the Screen Sharing On heading).
• If your parents need help, open your Screen Sharing app, select the plus button, and add your parents’ ID. Note t

hat they must grant permission before you can access their screen.

If you need more sophisticated access, you can use Remote Management instead. You can find instructions here.

Remote control via Chrome Remote Desktop

If you and your parents use the Chrome browser, you can use Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop app to help troubleshoot their computer. You can either install the app on both computers or you can run it directly from the browsers.

• Go to https://remotedesktop.google.com/support/.
• You’ll see two boxes: Share this screen and Connect to another computer. Have your parents select the button in the top box that says Generate Code.
• They’ll get a 12-digit code that they should read to you. Enter it in the Connect to another computer field.

Set them up for emergency contact

If you don’t live near your parents — or even if you do — at some point, you may want to set them up so that you’ll be automatically contacted in an emergency.

Using an iPhone

You can set up your parents’ iPhones so that if they need to call 911 or other emergency services, you will automatically be notified.

• Open the Health app and select Medical ID. (You can put in any necessary medical information here.)

• Look for Emergency Contacts and select Add (or Edit). Put in your contact info.
• You can also set up your parents’ phones to call emergency services if they simultaneously press the side and volume buttons, or if they press the side button five times. However, keep in mind that if your parents are not comfortable with phones, it may be easier to have them simply call 911.

Using an Android phone

To add emergency contact information:

• Go to Settings > Safety & emergency > Emergency contacts.
• Add your contact information.
• Use the Change settings link at the bottom of the page to open the Emergency info access page. Here, you can allow the emergency contacts to be visible without unlocking the device or share the info with first responders when an emergency call is made.
• From there, select the Emergency Location Service link to enable the phone to automatically send out its location when emergency services are contacted.
• Go back to the Safety & emergency page to use features such as Emergency SOS (which will contact emergency responders after pressing the Power button five times) and to register medical information.

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Photo by Craig F. Walker / The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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