In the Caribbean, the U.S. military buildup continues with the arrival of the world's largest aircraft carrier, the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford. It comes as President Trump weighed in on possible next steps in Venezuela, saying, "we may be having some discussions" with Venezuelan President Maduro.

Caracas

President Trump has expressed openness to discussions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, while the administration plans to designate the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization and link it to Maduro. Meanwhile, the U.S. military presence in the region has increased, with the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford and additional military aircraft and ships in St. Croix. 

Local officials and residents have noted heightened military activity and expressed concern about the situation's escalation. The Trump administration maintains that the buildup is part of Operation Southern Sphere, a drug interdiction mission, but acknowledges that the expanded military presence offers a range of operational options.

Trump weighs next steps in Venezuela

President Trump weighed in last night on possible next steps in Venezuela. We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we'll see how that turns out. They would like to talk. It's unclear what those discussions could include as the Trump administration plans to designate Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization and associate it with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This comes as the Pentagon announces yet another boat strike Saturday, killing three people. And the weekend arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's most advanced warship, marks a sharp escalation. So we just landed in St. Croix, and we found something unexpected on the runway here. Two U.S. military transport planes. A powerful addition to the heavy firepower in this region we've witnessed ourselves. It's completely surreal. Those planes have caught the attention of resident Tony Lance, too. These huge planes were coming in and going and coming and going. Military planes. Yes. What's that all about? Adding to the uncertainty. That is the USS Lake Erie. It's a guided missile cruiser. It arrived here a few days ago. Monitoring the buildup here closely is Samuel Sainz, a Navy veteran and a government administrator in St. Croix. Does it change the temperature here if there are airstrikes in Venezuela? Yes. We are a little bit nervous, for the most part. We are watching the news on a daily basis. So as far as the Trump administration is concerned, this is still a drug interdiction mission called Operation Southern Sphere. But with all this military hardware in the neighborhood, there are plenty of options to expand that operation. Gail? Charlie Daggett, reporting. Thank you very much.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state, a day before the UN Security Council will vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu insists there can be no Palestinian state ahead of UN vote

A Bangladesh court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity on Monday (November 17), concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.

Dhaka

Bangladesh's ousted PM sentenced to death for protest crackdown

President Donald Trump now appears to support the release of all Jeffrey Epstein files as the House of Representatives readies for a vote on the matter. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.

Washington

House vote on Epstein files expected Tuesday

In the latest round of the Trump administration's sweeping immigration raids, federal agents arrested 81 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday alone. In videos posted online, some who were detained said they do have legal status.

Charlotte

ICE detains dozens in Charlotte

If the bill passes, the U.S. Justice Department would be required to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as details about the investigation into his death in federal prison.

Trump calls on House Republicans to vote to release Epstein files

Chile heads to a December runoff after Sunday's presidential vote left no clear winner. Leftist Jeannette Jara and far-right José Antonio Kast will now face off in a race dominated by concerns over crime and migration.

Santiago

Chile leftists advance to next month's presidential runoff

Construction work of a concrete wall continued on the Israeli side of southern border with Lebanon, despite the Lebanese presidency's threat to complain to the U.N. Security Council over the wall's extension into Lebanese territory.

Israel constructs wall along Lebanon border

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed planned joint military exercises by the United States and its ally Trinidad and Tobago as "irresponsible," with Washington increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean.

Maduro denounces US military exercises

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to kill the effort to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, House Republican leaders are planning to hold a vote this week on legislation to force the issue.

Claims Epstein emails mentioning Trump were 'selectively leaked'

President Trump says he has "sort of made up my mind" on whether to take military action in Venezuela. The comments come as America's largest aircraft carrier, the Ford, and other U.S. forces move within striking distance of the country. Charlie D'Agata has new details.

Trump says he's "sort of made up my mind" on Venezuela military action

President Trump says he will no longer support onetime close ally and Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene amid the ongoing fallout over the Epstein files. Willie James Inman reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene 'threatened' by Trump supporters amid Epstein fallout

Flash flood warnings expanded on Saturday as rain hit wide swaths of California amid fears that the atmospheric river will intensify. Andres Gutierrez has the latest details.

Pacific Palisades

Rainstorm pummels California, triggering flash flood warnings

Large-scale protests at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, have drawn attention to environmental concerns and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Inside the summit, negotiations have been complicated by the absence of the United States.

Belém

Protesters block entrance to COP30 climate talks in Brazil

The UN climate talks in Brazil are facing increasing disruption from protesters. Thousands joined the "Great People's March" outside the conference venue to demand action on global warming instead of empty promises.

Thousands join protest at COP30 climate talks in Brazil

Air travel and other government services, including SNAP benefits, are returning to normal following the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Los Angeles International Airport

Flights begin to get back on track as shutdown ends

The U.S. military is expanding operations in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico amid its deadly boat strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, while the Trump administration weighs military action against Venezuela.

Trump administration weighs U.S military action in Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced "Operation Southern Spear" in the Western Hemisphere as U.S. strikes continue in the region near Colombia and Venezuela. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.

Hegseth announces 'Operation Southern Spear'

The U.S. has approved the sale of $330 million worth of weapons to Taiwan as tensions rise in the region with China. CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports.

Taipei City

U.S. approves massive sale of weapons to Taiwan

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday with NASA twin spacecraft destined for Mars aboard, and in a breakthrough nailed the landing of its booster.

Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket deploys Mars satellites

A three-person crew stranded at China’s space station after their spacecraft was apparently hit by space debris are to return Friday using the craft that brought their replacement crew.

Chinese astronauts return to earth after spacecraft damaged

The AI firm Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its artificial intelligence tools to spy on tech companies, financial institutions and government agencies in what it believes is the first documented case of a worldwide cyberattack with minimal human involvement.

Rise of AI

Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its AI chatbot in cyberattack

Senior U.S. military officials have presented President Donald Trump with options for potential military operations inside Venezuela, including strikes on land, sources tell CBS News. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Trump weighs military plans against Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump is ducking press questions about newly released emails connecting him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities ahead of an expected vote on releasing all Epstein case files by the U.S. House of Representatives as early as next week.

Trump avoids media’s Epstein email questions

The U.S. government lumbered back to life on Thursday (November 13) after the longest shutdown in U.S. history snarled air traffic, cut food assistance to low-income Americans and forced more than 1 million workers to go unpaid for more than a month. But the deep political divisions that caused the 43-day shutdown in the first place remain unresolved.

U.S. government opens up again but deep political divisions remain

China's factory output and retail sales grew at their weakest pace in over a year in October, piling pressure on policymakers to revamp the $19 trillion export-driven economy as mounting supply and demand strains threaten to further curtail growth.

Beijing

China's factory output, retail sales growth worst in over a year

Germany's government plans to bring back military service, to boost troop numbers to deal with the perceived threat from Russia. But voluntary conscription could become compulsory, if not enough recruits come forward.

Berlin

Germany outlines potential shift to compulsory conscription

As F-35 stealth fighter jets fly missions from a reopened naval base in Puerto Rico and Marines practice beach landings, sources tell CBS News the Pentagon is preparing for possible military action in Venezuela. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Pentagon preparing for possible military action in Venezuela

President Trump's name appears hundreds of times in the newly-released batch of 23,000 pages of records and messages from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about their relationship. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has called the scandal a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats.

Trump named hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files

A federal judge has ruled that hundreds of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area must be released. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more.

Chicago

Judge finds ICE illegally arrested hundreds of people in Chicago

For the first time in six weeks, the U.S. government is open. President Trump signed a bill last night to fund the government through the end of January.

Breakdown