Colombia earthquake toll tops 260 as U.S. faces widespread flood alerts amid ongoing storms, while Defense Secretary disputes shipboard morale reports

Colombia’s president said the confirmed death toll from this week’s earthquake has risen to more than 260, according to a Thursday news wrap. The announcement came as officials continued assessments in areas affected by the quake, with search and rescue efforts ongoing and authorities warning that the final number could continue to change as additional information is verified.

In the United States, severe storms kept up pressure across parts of the Midwest, prompting flood alerts for nearly 20 million people, the wrap reported. The scale of the warnings underscored the breadth of flooding risk, with the weather system persisting even as forecasts and local emergency management efforts aimed to reduce harm to residents and protect critical infrastructure.

The news wrap also addressed a dispute within the U.S. defense community over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disputed reports described as linking poor conditions onboard the aircraft carrier to low morale and to suicide attempts, challenging claims circulating about the well-being of sailors and the adequacy of support and living conditions at sea.

Hegseth’s comments were presented as a direct response to the reporting that had raised concerns about shipboard circumstances and the mental health environment for service members. The dispute has institutional implications because the chain of command, oversight, and standards for safety and readiness can affect how such allegations are investigated and corrected.

Across the three developments, the common thread is the pressure on public institutions to respond quickly and credibly to emergencies and allegations, whether the issue is natural disaster impacts or claims about service-member welfare. For the Colombia quake, the immediate next steps are continued casualty verification and coordination of relief operations, while for U.S. weather, officials must continue monitoring rivers, storm totals, and local evacuation and response measures.

For the Navy and the Pentagon, the next step is the handling of the underlying claims that were contested by Hegseth, including how concerns are assessed through internal processes and what information, if any, is made public as investigations proceed.

The Thursday wrap reflected an ongoing situation in which officials are still building full pictures, with emergency outcomes in Colombia and the United States remaining fluid and with the U.S. defense controversy requiring follow-through on scrutiny, accountability, and service-member protections.