USS Lincoln finally heads home; Navy may replace Black war hero’s name with Trump on carrier

Finally, heading home. After a record 272 straight days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln is on its way back

But its replacement leaves a new gap in the Pacific. Plus, sent somewhere else, the U.S. begins deporting people to Liberia, even when it's not their home country

And start your engines. IndyCar takes over the streets of Washington this weekend

with drivers flying through the capital at nearly 190 miles an hour

The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

This morning, the USS Abraham Lincoln is finally heading home after spending a record 272 straight days at sea without a port call

and after recent reports raised concerns about conditions aboard the carrier. The Lincoln and its roughly 5,000 crew members left San Diego November 21st

and the Pentagon extended the deployment in February after the war with Iran began

By the time the carrier started its journey home Thursday, the crew had spent 272 consecutive days at sea without pulling into port

The long deployment has drawn attention on Capitol Hill, with reports of dwindling food and supplies

strain on sailors' mental health, and at least one man overboard. The Trump administration disputes most of those claims and says the sailor who went overboard was rescued

President Trump also dismissed concerns about the length of the deployment a few days ago, saying it was, quote, not nearly long enough

That was a CNN fake report. The Lincoln has been out there for a period of time, good period of time

But over the years, we've had him out there much longer. I was at a group meeting and an admiral came up to see me over the weekend

And it was at a big group and he happened to be an admiral retired. He said, I've been on ships that are out there much longer than that, sir

And I know people on the Lincoln, they say it's beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of

And other people went out and they found out to be true. It was fake news reporting from CNN

The Lincoln is being replaced by the Japan-based USS George Washington, which arrived in the Middle East Wednesday

But that move creates another issue. With the George Washington now in the Middle East

there is no U.S. aircraft carrier in the Pacific. And the Pentagon has not said how long that will last

or how long the George Washington will remain in the Middle East

The Trump administration has sent its first group of so third country deportees to Liberia meaning people deported to a country that is not their own About 20 people from different countries landed outside Liberia capital Monrovia on Thursday

CBS News reports a small group refused to get off the plane and had to be escorted off by American officials

They later returned to the plane, and CBS says their whereabouts were not immediately known

Liberia has agreed to take up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S. over the next year

including people from Africa, North and South America, and the Caribbean. They will also be allowed to apply for asylum in Liberia

Liberia is also where the Trump administration is trying to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia

who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador last year, then returned to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges

A federal judge has blocked that deportation for now. In a separate immigration move Thursday, the U.S. deported more than 160 people to Haiti

They are the first group sent back since the Trump administration won its legal fight to end temporary protected status for some 350,000 Haitians

The group included people who had been protected under TPS, along with other Haitian nationals, including some who had served prison sentences

Back in this country, federal agents have seized former Congressman Eric Swalwell's phone

and laptop and searched his Washington home as a federal investigation to sexual assault allegations

against him expands. The former California Democrat has denied the allegations, but CNN reports four women have now been contacted by the FBI as part of the investigation

Federal agents with a search warrant confronted Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport

last Saturday night. Court records reported on by the New York Times show they seized his iPhone

and MacBook. The next day, agents searched his home in Washington. The Daily Mail first reported

the searches on Thursday. The San Francisco Standard obtained the warrant, which was filed

last week, and cites a federal civil rights law that prohibits public officials from using their

authority to deprive someone of constitutional rights. It is not yet clear how prosecutors

believe that law may apply here. Swalwell resigned from Congress and dropped out of the California

governor's race in April after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. One former

staffer accused him of raping her in 2024 when she was too intoxicated to consent

Swalwell has repeatedly denied the allegations. A White House aide who was barely known outside

Washington a week ago is now becoming something of a headache for the White House. Natalie Harp

one of President Trump closest and most constant aides is back in the spotlight after new reporting about her security clearance Harp is the president executive assistant and is frequently at his side

traveling with him, handling information he sees, and helping with his social media posts

Earlier this week, MSNOW reported that Harp repeatedly declined to complete the process for a routine security clearance for more than a year

The outlet says she eventually finished the paperwork after concerns were raised inside the White House

She has since received a clearance. The White House is pushing back, though its response does not directly address whether Harp went without a clearance before receiving one

In a statement, Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said, quote, Natalie Harp has a security clearance like everyone else, and she is a loyal and hardworking member of President Trump's team

Harp's name was already getting attention this week after Democratic Senator John Ossoff of Georgia took shots at Trump during a campaign speech last weekend

saying the president would rather build his ballroom and travel with Natalie than do his job

The remarks set off a response from the White House with the president referring to Ossoff as Pee Wee Herman

And there's now been speculation about Harp's relationship with Trump. On Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump made her first public appearance in more than a month

and had a little fun with the attention surrounding her own absence

I heard you missed me. Here I am. The Navy is considering a name change for one of its future aircraft carriers

replacing the name of a black World War II hero, Doris Miller, possibly with President Trump's

The Ford-class carrier is already under construction and has been set to become the USS Doris Miller since the Navy announced the name during Trump's first term in 2020

But Navy leaders have been discussing a possible name change for months

NBC News and CNN report Trump is among the names being considered

If the ship keeps Miller's name, it will become the first U.S. aircraft carrier named for a black American and the first name for an enlisted sailor

Miller was a mess attendant aboard the USS West Virginia when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor

at a time when black sailors were largely restricted to service roles

Despite having no training on the anti-aircraft gun he took over, Miller opened fire on Japanese planes and helped move wounded sailors to safety

He later became the first black service member to receive the Navy Cross

Miller was killed in 1943 when enemy forces torpedoed his ship during World War II

CNN reports one option under discussion would put Miller name on another warship and recommend him for the Medal of Honor He has previously been nominated for that award but it has never been approved And naming the carrier for Trump would make history of a different kind No U aircraft

carrier has ever been named for a sitting president. Finally this morning, start your engines

IndyCar is taking over the streets of Washington this weekend with drivers racing past some of the

country's most famous landmarks at super fast speeds. It's called the Freedom 250 Grand Prix

part of the celebration of America's 250th birthday. The chorus winds through seven turns along the National Mall, 147 laps and 250 miles in all

making this the first ever IndyCar race in Washington, D.C. And get this, drivers will go flying up Pennsylvania Avenue at speeds approaching 190 miles an hour

Organizers expect about 140,000 people to line the streets for Sunday's race

President Trump will be there, too, taking a ceremonial ride in advance of the main event

Before the engines even start, people in Washington are already split over whether this is a great way to celebrate America's birthday

I personally don't think it's a good idea. I think it's a waste of taxpayer dollars at a time when we aren't adequately funding education and health care and so many other things

And I think it's kind of a tacky way to celebrate our country's history and our 250th anniversary

There's many more ways that could do that in a more patriotic, celebratory way

It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. So for us to complain about traffic for a couple of days, to be able to have a full-blown racetrack right in the heart of the city that we all live and love

it's going to be really exciting, and I can't wait to see it. But, yeah, I think it's going to be a really cool celebration

practice and qualifying on Saturday with the main event Sunday afternoon starting near the

capital reflecting pool the price tag about 35 million dollars Roger Penske the Penske Corporation

and corporate sponsors are helping foot the bill I think I'll tune into the national news on

Sunday night to see if everything went off without a hitch unbiased updates is the fastest

fairest few minutes of news you can watch us anytime at san.com or on the app or join our

growing audience on Spotify. We thank you for making us part of your morning routine. Those

here on biased updates for this Friday, a quick note today. This is the last time I will wish all

of you a wonderful weekend. Next week, I will be departing from straight arrow after two years of

bringing you the news each morning on unbiased updates. It has been my honor. In September

I am returning to my television roots as an anchor and reporter for a news station here in Omaha

Nebraska, a place my wife and I call home. I'll see you next week and at that time I'll say goodbye