Today marks the deadline for the DOJ to release its files on notorious financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
There are likely tens of thousands of pieces of information in the department’s (metaphorical) vaults, including more photos. We’ll be watching for any new names or faces and for redactions.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a vocal advocate of the release, told us she isn’t confident the department will hand over everything. “I’m concerned about redactions, things being overly redacted,” she said, according to Mica Soellner.
Also of interest will be any more detail on Epstein’s relationship with the president. House Democrats have been releasing a steady drip of photos from their Epstein trove. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly told Vanity Fair that President Donald Trump is mentioned. “We know he’s in the file,” she said. “And he’s not in the file doing anything awful.”
You’ll remember that today’s release is due to congressional legislation, after a rare Republican uprising against the president forced him to do another about-face on a topic he’d campaigned on. (For insights into the FBI and DOJ’s review earlier this year of Epstein files, read this from my colleague Jason Leopold.)
The question, of course, is whether this will quell the conspiracy theories or further fuel them. The one conspiracy I’m harboring is that this document dump will come late: Friday night is a traditional time for releasing news you don’t want many people to see.
See Also: Maxwell Asks to Reverse Conviction as Epstein Deadline Looms
Green Card Lottery Paused
The Trump administration has halted the US green card lottery program in reaction to a Portuguese immigrant being the suspected shooter in a Brown University rampage and the murder of an MIT professor. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X that she’s asking US Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the lottery, officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. Noem said the suspect was granted a green card through the program in 2017. Read More
The announcement came after officials said they found the body of Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national who was a former student at Brown. The suspect took his own life, Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez said. Read More
Also Read: Zuckerberg Cut Ties With Pro-Immigration Organization He Founded
Trump’s Economic Rally Train Rides On
Trump will head to North Carolina tonight for another pep talk about the economy, fresh off his address to the nation Wednesday.
With economic data still catching up from the shutdown, the signals are decidedly mixed. Yesterday’s core inflation read was lower than expected (2.6% vs 3%, with some questions about those numbers), but the unemployment rate hit a four-year high this week. A stagnant labor market likely means another year of limited job opportunities and cooling wage increases.
Today, we’ll get the University of Michigan’s sentiment readout (analysts are expecting a slight tick up) and data on existing home sales.
At least the CFOs are feeling optimistic: a Deloitte survey found 60% of chief financial officers believe now is a good time to take on greater business risks.
See Also: Trump Rolls Out a Flurry of Perks While Political Strains Mount
They Said It
“We need to be Nancy Pelosi on steroids,” Rep. Mace said in an interview yesterday, referring to the former speaker’s legislative push while former President Joe Biden was in office. “Anything short of that, we’re going to lose the House in a bloodbath.” Read More
Also Read: Mace Says She ‘Declined’ to Be Part of a Push to Oust Speaker
Congress Wraps Up 2025
“These are the last votes of the day, week, month, and year.”
That was the message from the House Whip yesterday afternoon as the chamber ended what has been a remarkably unproductive first year of its session.
In a last burst, the House approved legislation expediting environmental reviews for energy and infrastructure, and the Senate blocked a measure aimed at an RFK Jr. policy. The Senate also confirmed a package of more than 90 nominees, including National Labor Relations Board members, key officials across departments, and more than a dozen US attorneys.
Punted until next year will be more ACA votes, a crypto measure and a stock trading ban. And don’t forget the budget, which only runs through Jan. 30, then another shutdown starts. Ken Tran and Zach C. Cohen recount in today’s BGOV Budget how December left lawmakers with a heavy load to lift when they return.
Also Read: Trump’s Aggression Tests Grassley, Senate GOP Oversight Champion
What to Watch Next Week:
- 🎁Trump has closed the federal government for Dec. 24 and 26th this year (in addition to Christmas). Congrats to everyone getting a 5-day weekend! However, private employers aren’t legally mandated to give employees time off for federal holidays.
- JD Vance speaks at Turning Point’s AmericaFest 2025 Sunday
- GDP, consumer confidence, and durable goods data is published on Tuesday
- Merry Christmas on Thursday!🎄
- We all return gifts on Friday.
Speaking of the Holidays
Aside from “Elf,” my favorite holiday viewing is Blackstone’s annual video. Watch the whole 80s-themed thing (with cameos from Ken Burns and the Goldman Sachs CEO) here.
Before You Go
TikTok Says It Signed Agreements for New US Joint Venture
TikTok’s long-delayed plan to separate from Chinese parent
Judge Convicted for Obstructing ICE in Courthouse Migrant Arrest
A federal jury in Milwaukee convicted a Wisconsin state judge of obstructing ICE officers—a first-of-its-kind verdict as courts adjust to President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
Putin Says Russia Ready to End War Even as He Rejects Compromise
President
EU Agrees to Use Joint Bonds to Loan €90 Billion to Ukraine
European Union leaders agreed to loan Ukraine €90 billion ($106 billion) for the next two years in a bid to strengthen Kyiv’s hand at the negotiating table and keep the war-torn country afloat.
Senate’s Wicker Sees ‘No Evidence of War Crimes’ in Boat Strikes
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said his panel had found “no evidence of war crimes” after examining US strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels, potentially relieving congressional pressure on the Trump administration over the controversial military campaign.
EEOC Chair Invites White Men to File Job Discrimination Charges
Republican EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas published a video online encouraging White men who believe they have faced discrimination at work to file charges to the civil rights agency.
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