Today is Thursday, December 4th. We're talking about growing pressure on defense secretary Pete

Hegsef, and it's not only about that controversial boat strike, there's a new report about that

signal chat scandal, too. Also, what's shown in newly released photos and videos from Jeffrey

Epstein's private island. Plus, many Americans may have already gotten a vaccine without knowing

it could slow dementia.

Gas-powered vehicles could be getting a new boost. And Spotify revealed the top podcasts and artists of 2025. Those stories and even more news to know next.

Welcome, welcome to The Newsworthy. All the day's news in around 10 minutes. Fast, fair, fun, and on the go.

I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. You ready? Let's do this.

Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth is once again answering for his signal group chat. Remember, the messages

included details about when warplanes were being

launched and when bombs would drop over Yemen, and it became public after an editor from the Atlantic

was added by mistake. While this week, a Pentagon watchdog wrapped up its eight-month investigation

into Hegset's use of the messaging app and gave the report to Congress to review, the findings

reportedly say Hexsetth put American

troops and their mission at risk when he wrote about the war plans. The report mentions how

Hegseth does have the authority to declassify intelligence based on his judgment, but it didn't

address whether he took the proper steps to do so for the information shared in the chat. Either

way, the inclusion of Hegseh's

authority on classified information suggests he did not break the law. So Hegseh responded to the

report to say, quote, no classified information, total exoneration, case closed. The report also apparently

found Hexseth violated Pentagon policy by using his personal device for official

business, so it recommended better training for all Pentagon officials. This release actually comes

...