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Today is Wednesday, December 24th. We're talking about the largest batch of Epstein files released so far. They include many more mentions of President Trump, though the White House says some are fake. Also, what the US Supreme Court decided about efforts to send the National Guard into an American city. Plus how some people are now watching the controversial 60 Minute segment that was taken out of last weekend's show. Who's most likely to get a holiday bonus from their employer this year and where Americans are expected to see a white Christmas. Those stories and even more news coming up. Welcome to the Newsworthy. All the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. The US Justice Department has now released nearly 30,000 pages of documents, all related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They include copies of Epstein's will, a fake Australian passport, and hundreds of references to President Trump. As we've told you, Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection to Epstein's crimes. But these documents do include tips to the FBI involving Trump's relationship with Epstein. It's not clear if those tips were followed up on or corroborated, but the current Justice Department says the claims were untrue anyway. Submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election, the files also included a letter that seems to be from Epstein sent to disgraced former USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. It says, quote, our president also shares our love of young nubile girls. But the DOJ says that letter was fake, noting how it was postmarked in Virginia three days after Epstein died in a New York jail. The new files also include a fake video that claimed to show Epstein's suicide. But the clip was only part of the case file because it was sent to the FBI by someone asking investigators whether it was real. Another notable file includes an email from someone who's widely assumed to be the former Prince Andrew, in which he writes in part, have you found me some new inappropriate friends? Andrew has also insisted he never committed any crimes. Another thing we learned from the new batch of documents, federal agents had a list of Epstein's potential co conspirators they were investigating. They were trying to contact them in 2019 before Epstein's death, but most were never charged with a crime. At this point, only Epstein and his confidant Ghislaine Maxwell have faced charges. Critics say the newest batch of files, much like the last one, included too many unnecessary redactions. But the Justice Department says the blackouts are purely to protect the privacy of Epstein's survivors and comply with legal requirements even more. Epstein files are expected to be released soon. The U.S. supreme Court told President Trump he cannot send National Guard troops to the Chicago area, at least not yet. The justices were considering a lower courts order blocking the deployment over objections from officials in Illinois, and in a 6 to 3 decision, they let the ruling stand. Remember, Trump sent hundreds of Guard troops to Chicago back in October on a mission to help a crackdown on crime and immigration, and he still says they're necessary to keep the city safe. But their deployment was put on hold when the state of Illinois sued, saying the troops aren't necessary and would only heighten fear's intentions. While the high court's ruling means things can stay that way while the case works its way through the legal system, now there are questions about similar deployments in other cities and whether they could also be put on hold. Just yesterday, the Trump administration sent 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans. At the same time, an immigration crackdown is underway there. The National Guard has also been deployed in other cities like Washington, D.C. and Memphis, Tennessee. A nursing home near Philadelphia was affected by two catastrophic explosions that caused part of the building to collapse while it was on fire. At least two people died, 20 others were hurt. It's believed many lives were saved though, by police officers and firefighters who rescued people who were trapped inside. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says it was, quote, what real heroism is all about. It all happened while crews from the local energy company were on site looking into a strong odor of gas. So now officials suspect a gas leak was to blame. It's also worth noting just this month the facility took on new ownership and there was a plan in place for the new owners to upgrade building standards to keep everyone safe. Now they say they're working with authorities and an investigation is underway. This Christmas Eve, the weather is expected to be calm across most of the except California, especially Southern California, where there could be an 18 hour long downpour bringing life threatening flooding. Up to 9 inches of rain could even fall in some areas that typically only get two and a half inches. This whole month people are being warned not just about flooding, but strong winds that could knock down trees and power lines, plus mudslides and rock slides. Evacuation warnings are even in effect for parts of Los Angeles county and those traveling for the holiday might have to contend with road closures and flight delays that could have a ripple effect throughout the country. This all continues on Christmas Day when another round of rain is expected for the same part of the country. Much of the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area is also under a flood watch and high wind warning through tomorrow. Meanwhile, millions of Americans from the Midwest to the south are in for a Christmas of record high temperatures, so not a lot of people should expect a white Christmas at this point. Forecasts show one of the only parts of the country that has a good chance for snow is inland New England as well as some mountainous areas in the Western U.S. more news is still coming up, but first a quick break for our sponsor. I've become more aware of how I feel these days, my energy, my sleep, my overall wellness, and I love exploring things that support long term health in a meaningful science backed way. That's why I'm excited about fatty 15 fatty 15 is built around C15, the first essential fatty acid discovered in over 90 years, which is a breakthrough for aging and longevity. It was Originally identified by Dr. Stephanie Van Watson while working with the US Navy to help aging dolphins stay healthier longer. And now that research is helping humans too. Based on more than 100 studies, C15 strengthens our cells. In fact, when our cells don't have enough C15, they can become fragile and age faster. And when our cells age, our bodies age too. In fact, fatty 15 is said to have three times more cellular benefits than omega 3 or fish oil, all without a fishy aftertaste or any aftertaste at all. And I really appreciate that part. Fatty 15 is on a mission to optimize your C15 levels to help you live healthier longer. You can get an additional 15% off their 90 day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.comnewsworthy and using the code Newsworthy at checkout. Now back to the news. As we've mentioned, today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas. Millions of Christians around the world will be celebrating with traditions like gift giving, baking, decorating and gathering with family. It also means running errands today and tomorrow might not be as easy as usual because many businesses are giving their workers time off for the holidays. Today on Christmas Eve most grocery stores are still open but with limited hours. Then tomorrow most will be closed. But if you still need something on Christmas Day, Walgreens will be Open and some CVS 711 and Albertsons stores will have modified hours. If you want a bite to eat on Christmas Day. Most national restaurant chains are closed, but certain locations of Starbucks, McDonald's, Wendy's, IHOP, Red Lobster, Waffle House and a few others will be open at least for a few hours. As always, many Chinese food restaurants are open on Christmas Day as well as and so are movie theaters. If you're looking for something to do, then on Saturday, expect all the crowds to return as the After Christmas sales begin, the average price of gas has dropped to its lowest level in four years, just in time for millions of Americans to set out on holiday road trips. As of this morning, the nationwide average is about 286 for a gallon of unleaded. That's down 7% from last month and down 43% from the peak in 2022. It comes as good news to the 110 million Americans expected to travel more than 50 miles from home this holiday week, mostly by driving. But air travelers aren't getting the same kind of luck. Airfare is costing about 7% more this year than last. It doesn't seem to be keeping people from flying, though. Major airports in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Dallas Fort Worth are all expecting more passengers this holiday season. As compared to last year, the American economy seems to be growing faster than expected. When the Wall Street Journal surveyed experts, they projected the GDP would increase by about 3.2%. Instead, it grew 4.3%, at least according to government data released yesterday. And that's the fastest growth rate in two years. Most of the credit goes to exports and the wealthiest Americans and businesses who keep spending lower and middle income Americans, though, have been more cautious. In fact, a second report that came out this week showed consumer confidence fell for the fifth month in a row, with Americans citing things like inflation, tariffs and politics for their negative outlook. You know how yesterday we told you about the controversy over a segment that was blocked from airing on 60 Minutes as scheduled? It's the one about a notorious Salvadoran prison where the Trump administration has sent some migrants accused of being linked to gangs. Well, people are now watching a bootlegged version, as it was originally put together, that has surfaced online. It's made the rounds because at the time the segment was pulled, CBS had already sent a version of Sunday's episode to the global TV network that airs 60 Minutes in Canada. And even though global TV ran the updated version of the show, not including that story, it briefly posted the original one on its streaming app with the controversial story included. It was taken down quickly, but copies had already been downloaded and widely shared on social media. CBS's parent company, Paramount, has now sent cease and desist notices to platforms like YouTube, citing copyright infringement. But now it's not clear what CBS News is going to do next. Remember, the reason the network's editor in chief put the story on hold was she said it needed more of the Trump administration's perspective before it would be ready to air. Well, now the Trump administration has responded to say that instead of spending time reporting on the Salvadoran prison, 60 Minutes should amplify the stories of people who have lost loved ones to violence committed by undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, the correspondent behind the piece still says it should air for the full 60 minutes audience as is, and she's accused her boss of only pulling it for political reasons. Of course, now that the original has been circulating online, any changes that get made at this point are likely to be highly scrutinized. To be continued. A beloved Christmas tradition is turning 70 years old. Today, we're talking about NORAD's Santa Tracker. NORAD, which stands for North American Aerospace Defense Command, is usually in charge of detecting attacks by aircraft, missiles and spacecraft. But every Christmas Eve, it keeps tabs on Santa, too, as he makes his way around the globe to deliver presents. Typically, Santa's journey begins this morning, starting at around 6am Eastern, when children on the other side of the world start getting gifts. He stops by the South Pacific and New Zealand, followed by Australia, Asia, Africa, Western Europe, and finally the Americas. Last year, the call center received about 380,000 calls from people asking where Santa was, and NORAD's website saw about 32 million visitors. This year, those numbers could multiply since NORAD now has a virtual translation service, so you can understand where Santa is in more than 200 languages. If you want to check on Santa's progress yourself, just call 1-877-Hi- NORAD or we've posted a link to the online tracker in today's episode notes on our website. Well, that's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Work Wednesday when we break down one interesting career or work related news story. Every Wednesday, it seems fewer workers will be getting holiday bonuses this year. Bonuses have actually been shrinking both in size and frequency since 2021, and earlier this month, the private payroll software company ADP confirmed that trend continues. It analyzed payroll data from 12 million workers and employers with 50 or more people. It found that last December, fewer than 40% of employees received a bonus payment, and those who did get bonuses were typically the most senior and highest earning employees. That's expected to happen again this year, too. A recent study from resume.org found 82% of companies still plan to give their executives bonuses, even if they don't have them in the budget for lower level employees. Of course, it also depends a lot on the industry. People who work in construction and retail trade are most likely to get bonuses as gestures of appreciation and goodwill. But no matter where you work, financial advisors pretty much agree that it's best not to actually count on a bonus, since it's never guaranteed. Just ask Clark Griswold from Christmas Vacation thank you so much for listening today. A quick note we are taking the next couple of days off for the holidays, so we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and happy Holiday season. If you need a reminder about how to handle any political disagreements among friends and family as you may be gathering this week, go back to listen to our Saturday episode from November 22, how to disagree this holiday season. Or if you or a loved one are grieving, our episode from December 6 provides a grief therapist guide to the holidays after loss. And coming up this Saturday, we'll be back to share some of the most popular good news from the year to hopefully keep your spirits high and inspire you. Then we'll have another news roundup on Monday next week to catch you up on all the news you may have missed. And please don't be shy about telling your friends and family about the Newsworthy Podcast while you're gathering this week. It can be a great conversation starter about how you get your news and why. We so appreciate you helping us spread the word and grow this community of listeners so we can keep you informed on a daily basis in the new year. Thank you as always, for being here, for listening and for sharing the show. And thank you to those of you who are insiders. We appreciate you all. Again, join us this Saturday for some good news and again next Monday for the latest happenings. Until then, Happy Holidays.