By Priscilla Alvarez, Jennifer Hansler, CNN

(CNN) — The South African government briefly held, then released, two US government employees on assignment in South Africa as part of the Trump administration’s bid to admit Afrikaners to the United States, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

The incident appeared to mark an escalation in the already-tenuous relationship between the United States and South Africa, which has rejected the premise of the Trump administration’s push to admit White South Africans as refugees. It also revealed some of the hiccups and hurdles US personnel have faced in the administration’s unprecedented focus on Afrikaners.

It isn’t clear why the US employees were questioned.

The US government is “seeking immediate clarification from the South African government” and it expects “full cooperation and accountability,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told CNN on Tuesday.

“We’ll have more to say once all the facts are confirmed, but the Trump Administration will always stand up for US interests, US personnel, and the rule of law,” he said. “Interfering in our refugee operations is unacceptable.”

CNN reached out to USCIS, which referred questions to the State Department. CNN also reached out to South Africa Home Affairs for comment.

President Donald Trump has justified the administration’s decision to resettle Afrikaners in the US by citing claims that “a genocide is taking place” in South Africa, adding that “White farmers are being brutally killed and their land confiscated.”

South African authorities have strongly denied such claims. CNN has investigated the claims of White “genocide” in South Africa and found no evidence to back them up.

Over the course of the year, the Trump administration has been conducting what are known as circuit rides to South Africa to interview Afrikaners for possible admission to the United States. That is done by US Citizenship and Immigration Services personnel who specialize in refugees.

This year, the US set an annual limit of 7,500 refugees—the majority of whom are White South Africans—slashing last year’s ceiling of 125,000 and excluding some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Almost all refugees have been blocked from entering the US, with the exception of White South Africans, during Trump’s second term.

This week, South African immigration officials visited an office in the country where the US was conducting refugee interviews of Afrikaner applicants. The South African officials briefly questioned two US government employees and briefly detained Kenyan nationals working with the State Department, sources said. All were released. The US is working with partners on the ground as part of the admissions process.

The Amerikaners, an organization that partners with the US to facilitate the admission of Afrikaners, Read more

By Daniel Wine, CNN

Welcome to 5 Things PM! Merriam-Webster just became the latest dictionary to choose a word of the year based on our relationship with technology. This one takes aim at all those absurd videos and talking cats.

Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day.

5 things

1⃣ Tiny cars

President Donald Trump thinks he has an easy solution to a big problem. He wants US factories to manufacture very small cars, like the ones found in Asia and Europe, to help drive down soaring prices. It’s not that simple.

2⃣ ‘You’re a missing person’

Michelle “Shelley” Newton was allegedly abducted by her mother more than 40 years ago, when she was just a toddler. Thanks to the help of a courageous tipster, she was recently reunited with her family in Kentucky.

3⃣ Dressed for success

Tight, revealing uniforms can cause girls and young women to feel awkward and self-conscious, and some quit sports as a result. Elite female athletes are speaking up and insisting on changes.

4⃣ No-man’s land

The Green Belt — an 860-mile corridor along the former border between West Germany and communist East Germany — was once one of the most dangerous places in Europe. Now it’s a haven for wildlife.

5⃣ Unlikely allies

Some dolphins off the coast of British Columbia appear to have become friends with orcas — a traditional enemy. Scientists think they know why.

Watch this

Water rescue: A man was stranded on top of his car as floodwaters rose near Seattle. A drone flew in and dropped him a safety vest, giving him a lifeline until a helicopter arrived.

Top headlines

• Rob and Michele Reiner’s son will be charged with murder in their deaths
• Search for person of interest in Brown University shooting continues as FBI releases new video timeline
• Full video showing follow-up strike on alleged drug boat won’t be released to the public, Hegseth says

Check this out

Underground fashion: Glamour and New York City’s subway rarely go hand in hand, but Chanel transformed the grungy setting for a runway show. Take a look.

For CNN subscribers

• Tensions are rising in an Appalachian town over a growing White suprem

By Devan Cole, Betsy Klein, CNN

(CNN) — A federal judge indicated Tuesday that he won’t order President Donald Trump to immediately stop work on the massive new White House ballroom.

But US District Judge Richard Leon left open the possibility that he could intervene in the high-stakes legal fight over the project at a later time.

For now, Leon said, the nation’s top historic preservation group that sued over the project hadn’t shown how it was being irreparably harmed by the construction in a way that required immediate court intervention.

But Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, warned that that underground work set to be completed in coming months must not dictate the ballroom’s eventual size or shape.

If it does, he said, it would have to be taken down.

Justice Department lawyer Adam Gustafson was unable to say if it was possible or likely that pouring concrete below ground would dictate the building’s eventual height or width.

“I’m not an engineer,” Gustafson said, adding that nothing suggested it would be impossible to change. He said repeatedly that the ballroom’s design is still “in progress” and the plans have “not been finalized.”

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued last week over the sprawling, privately funded project, claiming the White House has been unlawfully carrying out the construction because Trump hasn’t gotten approval from Congress or submitted his plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts for review, which would give the public a chance to weigh in.

The group asked Leon to issue an emergency court order that would pause any further work on the ballroom until Congress authorizes it, the commissions review it and relevant environmental assessments are completed.

Leon on Tuesday affirmed that the court would hold the Trump administration accountable to its assertion that officials would be holding a meeting with the National Capital Planning Commission, which it agreed to do by the end of December.

“Let me assure you of something, the court will hold them to that,” the judge said.

There have already been some clashes over the project. Earlier this month, Trump hired a new architect amid disputes over the scope and size of the ballroom with the original architect.

Trump, according to a memorandum from the Justice Department, has been “has been intimately engaged in the implementation phase.”

The president has maintained the White House project wasn’t subject to any oversight and should be able to continue with it without any serious scrutiny.

Yet the lawsuit, coming weeks after crews finished tearing down the historic East Wing, quickly put the president on the defense and forced officials to reveal in court papers more about what was being done behind the scenes.

In court on Tuesday, Ted Heuer, an attorney for the preservation group, told the judge it was worried that absent his intervention now, the “location, size and shape” of the ballroom would be “locked in” given the ongoing below-ground work and said their case was all about ensuring the president followed federal law governing construction projects in Washington, DC.

”It’s not about the need for a ballroom, it’s about the need to follow the law,” Heuer said, adding that had the group seen the assessments that w

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KEYT) – On Tuesday, Los Angeles District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, announces charges against Nick Reiner, the son of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele.

Two days after the couple was found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home, their son Nick has been charged with two counts of first degree murder with special circumstances.

On the evening of December 14th, LAPD officers responded to a death investigation at the 200 block of South Chadbourne Ave in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles – there, the bodies of 78-year-old Rob Reiner and 68-year-old Michele Singer Reiner were found.

Nick Reiner was located the Exposition Park area near USC, and was "arrested without incident."

Nick Reiner will remain in custody without bail.

The post WATCH: Nick Reiner Officially Charged with First Degree Murder appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Haley Britzky, CNN

(CNN) — The Pentagon has launched a new “official Command” phase of its investigation into whether Sen. Mark Kelly will be punished for his involvement in a video that reminded members of the military they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, with a decision likely to be made in about 30 days.

A Pentagon official confirmed that preliminary review of the Arizona Democrat was being escalated “to an official Command Investigation” regarding “serious allegations of misconduct.”

Kelly, a retired Navy captain, and five other Democratic lawmakers told service members in a video that they must “refuse illegal orders,” provoking fierce criticism from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump, and other officials. Trump called the remarks “seditious” and “treason.” Hegseth called it Kelly’s “sedition video” in a social media post last month.

In a statement posted to social media, Hegseth said Kelly “is still subject to the [Uniform Code of Military Justice],” given he is a retired Naval officer.

“The video made by the ‘Seditious Six’ was despicable, reckless, and false,” Hegseth said. “Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’ Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger.”

A command investigation is a formal probe that typically runs for 30 days, though the Pentagon could request it to be faster or completed more quickly, Rachel VanLandingham, a former Air Force judge advocate and current law professor at Southwestern Law School, told CNN. The investigation is conducted by an officer senior in rank to the individual under investigation, meaning at least a one-star Naval officer in Kelly’s case.

Hegseth confronted Kelly directly on Tuesday, sources told CNN.

During a classified briefing for senators about the US military’s strikes on suspected drug boats, Kelly asked a question about the operations and Hegseth pivoted to accusing Kelly of hurting unit cohesion and undermining the chain of command, according to two people who heard his remarks. Kelly, who was sitting in the front row of the briefing, repeated his question about the operations several times, but Hegseth spoke over him and continued to harp on the video, the people said. Other senators had to intervene to try to get the briefing back on track