Tuesday, December 23 | By Cate Martel |
|
|
Happy Tuesday of Christmas week! This should be a quiet week, but we just got another batch of Epstein files. Let's get into it: |
Top revelations in today's Epstein file dump Hundreds of Trump mentions in new files Alleged Epstein jailhouse letter to Larry Nassar Pulled CBS '60 Minutes' episode revealed U.S. economy accelerates in third quarter
|
Programming note: The Hill's 12:30 Report will not publish for the holidays. We will return on Monday, Jan. 5. Happy holidays! 🎄 |
New Epstein files just dropped: |
Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press file |
The Justice Department (DOJ) released another big batch of files this morning in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Today's files include nearly 33,000 additional pages of documents, including hundreds of references to President Trump. The DOJ says some of the documents "contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election." 🔎 Read the statement Journalists have been sifting through the trove of new documents this morning. Here are the new revelations that have been uncovered so far: 🔷 A document alleges Trump flew on Epstein's plane multiple times: An email included in the new files claim that Trump flew on Epstein's plane at least eight times in the 1990s, according to flight logs. One of those flights was allegedly with a 20-year-old woman, per NBC News. 🔷 An alleged jailhouse letter to Larry Nassar: Epstein allegedly wrote a letter to Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who was convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts, saying in part, "Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls." The letter was postmarked Aug. 13, 2019, several days after Epstein's death. 📸 Photo of the letter 🔷 Mar-a-Lago was subpoenaed in 2021: According to the documents, Manhattan prosecutors subpoenaed Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in 2021 as part of the case against Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, per The Washington Post. 📸 See the document 🔷 Epstein's almost cellmate: A document shows that prison officials planned to put Epstein in a cell with "Cesar Sayoc, a fanatical supporter of Trump's who in 2019 was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he mailed explosive devices to prominent Democrats and media figures," also according to The Washington Post. Tidbit: A trove of documents briefly appeared on the Justice Department's website on Monday before disappearing hours later, according to Politico. Plus: Trump today called The New York Times a "serious threat" to national security over its reporting on his past ties to Epstein. 💬 Follow today's live blog |
➤ TRUMP ISN'T HAPPY ABOUT THE RELEASED PHOTOS: |
The president was asked on Monday what he thinks about the Epstein file photos of former President Clinton. "I don't like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don't like the pictures of other people being shown," Trump said. "I think it's a terrible thing." Trump elaborated: "I think Bill Clinton's a big boy. He can handle it. But you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago, and they're, you know, highly respected bankers and lawyers and others." |
The economy got an early Christmas present: |
The U.S. economy grew by a whopping 4.3 percent through September, despite economic uncertainty, according to new data from the Commerce Department. Trump credits his tariff war: Trump touted the economic data this morning, arguing the "TARIFFS are responsible for the GREAT USA Economic Numbers." 🔎 Read Trump's full post That's not all, folks!: Trump followed up by detailing his reasoning for the strong economic numbers. ^ Excerpt: "60 of 61 Bloomberg Economists got it WRONG, but 'TRUMP,' and some other Geniuses, got it right. The SUCCESS is due to Good Government, and TARIFFS. Consumer spending is STRONG, Net Exports are WAY UP, Imports and Trade Deficits are WAY DOWN, and there is NO INFLATION!" 🔎 Read Trump's full post |
So, who has seen the leaked '60 Minutes' segment ...?: | CBS News decided to abruptly yank a promoted "60 Minutes" deportation segment hours before it aired in the U.S., creating an uproar. Well, the segment aired to some viewers in Canada. Clips then leaked across the internet. The segment depicted brutal conditions at a notorious prison in El Salvador where deported Venezuelan men have been sent. CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss argued the segment was not ready for publication. She's been receiving widespread blowback, but has defended the decision. What we know about the pulled segment: "CBS News had sought—and received—responses from the Department of Homeland Security, the White House and the State Department, according to people familiar with the matter. The segment, which was available to some viewers in Canada and seen by the Journal, didn't include the fresh comments those agencies provided." (The Wall Street Journal) More from The Atlantic: 'What Bari Weiss got right' |
The days before Christmas, when all through the House (and the Senate), not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse: |
It's a quiet day on Capitol Hill. The House and Senate are both gone until the new year. That means ObamaCare subsidies will expire at the end of the year, sending health care premiums skyrocketing for millions of Americans come January. To put a face to these health care premiums, The Washington Post reports on one family living in Wyoming. Excerpt: "To continue health coverage for themselves and their two teenage children, the Newtons would have to pay an annual premium of $43,000 — about a third of their gross income. It is the price of the cheapest plan available to the family from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, the only ACA insurer left in Teton County." Read: 'A middle-class family's only option: A $43,000 health insurance premium' Bipartisan Senate negotiators have tried to keep hope alive for a possible January deal focused on the premiums. And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) predicted earlier this week the House will pass the subsidies in the new year. |
➤ NEWS YOU CAN USE — TAX RETURNS MAY BE HIGH NEXT YEAR: |
Trump administration officials expect 2026 tax returns to be one of the largest ever. That's because of the changes to the tax code under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. However, it'll depend on your tax situation. Here's what you need to know |
The New York Times: Inside the Deportation Machine: How ICE has moved thousands of people through detention and out of the country. The Wall Street Journal: Car Payments Now Average More Than $750 a Month. Enter the 100-Month Car Loan. |
|
|
The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Palm Beach, Fla. (All times EST) |
3 p.m. The U.N. Security Council meets in New York to discuss Venezuela. 💻 Livestream 8 p.m. Trump hosts the Kennedy Center Honors. Monday, Jan. 5: The Senate returns from its holiday recess. 📆 The Senate's agenda Tuesday, Jan. 6: The House returns from its holiday recess. |
|
|
🍪 Celebrate: Today is National Pfeffernüsse Day. ❄️ Whoa: There's a rare weather phenomenon where snow rolls itself into tubes. It's impossible to replicate and only happens under the right conditions. Well, dozens of snow rollers appeared in Michigan. 📸 Photos 👔 Ralph Lauren is cool among Gen Z: The Wall Street Journal reports that Gen Z collectively finds Ralph Lauren clothes cool. That's in part because Ralph Lauren adjusted its strategy to appeal to younger customers. 🦖 Thousands of dino footprints were found: Thousands of dinosaur footprints were found in the Italian Alps near where the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held. 📸 See the footprints |
Don't miss a beat: Sign up for The Hill's News Alerts emails to stay informed of breaking news and major stories over the holidays. Click here to sign up. |
|
|
400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 |
© 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment