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Today is Monday, December 22nd. We'll tell you what is and isn't in the latest big batch of Epstein files and why some lawmakers are now talking about impeachment. Also, we'll recap President Trump's final rally of the year and the Trump administration's latest deal to lower certain drug prices. Plus, what to expect if you're traveling this Christmas week, how the weather will or won't cooperate with holiday plans and when you'll get a chance to win one of the largest jackpots in Powerball history. Those stories and even more news to know 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. As required by a new law, the Justice Department put out thousands more Epstein files. They include FBI documents from cases involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as photographs and other evidence. Some of those files document interviews with witnesses who explained how Epstein lured underage girls into his orbit. And one document confirms the FBI was tipped off about Epstein's crimes nearly a decade before he was first arrested. When it comes to the newly released photos, many feature former President Bill Clinton, like one of him in a hot tub with a woman. Another shows President Trump with a group of women. There was one court document released that said Epstein took a 14 year old girl to Mar a Lago and introduced her to President Trump. The document says Epstein elbowed Trump and asked, this is a good one, right? To which Trump allegedly smiled and nodded. Other newly released photos also show Epstein with celebrities like David Copperfield, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Kevin Spacey and Diana Ross, though none of them, including Clinton and Trump, have actually been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Many photos and documents include redactions as part of what the DOJ says is an effort to protect victims. Well, now critics on both sides of the aisle say far too much information has been redacted. They point out how many crucial FBI interviews with Epstein's accusers and internal DOJ memos on charging decisions were unreadable. In fact, one grand jury document was fully blacked out, the DOJ explained, saying the department is legally allowed to get rid of any references to victims or files that could jeopardize pending investigations as well as child sex abuse material. Even more backlash came later when at least 16 of the files released on Friday disappeared on Saturday that included a picture of President Trump as well as paintings depicting nude women and more. The Justice Department explains that all the materials will keep being reviewed and redacted as the law allows, and that in this case, a victim advocacy group requested it. The one featuring Trump, though, has since gone back up. Still, some lawmakers are now threatening legal action, with a couple even considering impeachment articles against top DOJ officials. Thousands more files are expected to be released in the coming days and weeks. The U.S. coast Guard has seized a second oil tanker linked to Venezuela, and news outlets like Reuters cite officials who say the US Is already pursuing a third. Remember, President Trump last week announced a blockade on all oil tankers under sanctions going into and leaving Venezuela. And the first tanker the US Targeted is now at a port in Texas. Trump accuses the Venezuelan government of using stolen oil to finance drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping. But Venezuela just accuses the US of trying to steal its resources. Tomorrow, the UN Security Council is reportedly set to hold an emergency meeting at Venezuela's request. Stay tuned. The U.S. military says it carried out a massive strike against ISIS in Syria. It was actually the most wide ranging military operation like this in several years, and President Trump says the Syrian government was on board. He explained the strike was retaliation for a deadly attack on American forces in the country earlier this month. The Pentagon says it struck more than 70 targets, including ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites. It's believed at least five members of ISIS were killed, or as Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth put it, quote, we hunted and killed our enemies and we will continue. President Trump gave his third economic speech this month, this time in the swing state of North Carolina. Once again, he touched on tariffs, tax cuts and deregulation, saying they're all good for the economy. And he promised the full effects of his policies have yet to be felt, though Trump did also stray from the economic theme a few times. He spoke about crime, transgender issues and general complaints about the media. Trump criticized many of his political adversaries, including former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, saying he, quote, wouldn't want to go home to her. He also once again disputed the results of the 2020 election he lost to former President Biden. Expect more of this kind of thing in the year ahead. White House advisers told the Washington Post Trump will begin holding near weekly rallies in 2026 in an effort to convince his voters to show up in the midterms. Also over the weekend, the conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk held its big annual convention there. Many right wing media figures took turns criticizing their fellow conservative pundits they've been disagreeing with lately. But Vice President J.D. vance seemed to try to tone things down when he took the stage criticizing conservatives for, quote, canceling each other. And Erica Kirk, who has led Turning Point USA since her husband was killed, announced the organization plans to back Vance for president once Trump's term ends. It's another week of crowded roads and airports this Christmas, and New Year's holiday period is projected to be the busiest on record. More than 122 million people are expected to travel, mostly by car. The analytics company Inrix says the past weekend was likely the busiest on the roads. But the day after Christmas is also expected to be extremely busy. As usual, the least amount of traffic is expected on the holidays themselves. Christmas Day and New Year's Day. When it comes to air travelers, Florida, Southern California and Hawaii are the top domestic destinations for the holiday season. So it seems a lot of people have decided to forget about a white Christmas and instead celebrate with a little Christmas warmth. We have more news for you still ahead. But first, let's take a quick break to thank our sponsor. When I think about the gifts I use all year long, one that always comes to mind is my Quince Carry on suitcase. I've taken it on so many trips now. It's sleek, lightweight, it rolls really smoothly, and it has convenient compression straps that help fit everything I need without feeling bulky. And then there's the beautiful, delicate diamond bracelet from Quince that my friends gifted me this year. I wear it almost every day. And most recently, I got myself a cashmere sweater from Quince that I'm loving. It is so soft. That's what's great about Quince. They have something for everyone. And it all feels intentionally designed and at prices that actually make sense, whether it's their travel pieces, their Mongolian cashmere, their washable silk, tailored denim or outerwear. It's made with premium materials from trusted factories, but without the luxury markup other brands charge. Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quince. Go to quince.comnewsworthy for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada, too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.comnewsworthy to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comnewsworthy now back to the news. The weather could cause some headaches this week, especially in the Western. Storm after storm could bring more flooding to the Pacific Northwest and California by the middle of the week. Storms could even bring drenching rain to Southern California. In fact, conditions could be severe enough to cause airline delays and cancellations in Los Angeles, which could have a ripple effect around the country. Meanwhile, the northern Midwest and Northeast could get some snow today and more tomorrow. But in the middle of the country, like from Texas to Kansas, Missouri and Georgia, it might feel more like springtime than Christmas time. Record high temperatures are expected in at least a dozen states. Even before extreme weather was in the forecast, a massive power outage darkened much of San Francisco over the weekend. The problem went back to a fire at a power facility. The outages started on the west side of the city, then spread block by block until about 140,000 customers lost power. It also caused Waymo self driving vehicles to stall, mostly in intersections, since they didn't seem to work without traffic lights. Of course, that made traffic jams even worse. Waymo was suspended in San Francisco for a while, but is now back up and running and the company says it's going to be taking the lessons learned to make improvements. By the way, as of this morning, it's not clear how the fire started at the power facility, but it's now under investigation. President Trump announced deals with nine of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies to offer new discounts. And with that, the government's Medicaid program and people who pay in cash with will be getting deals on certain medicines. For example, Sanofi is cutting prices on medicines to treat infections, and Merck is offering three diabetes medications for less. All nine companies also promise to keep investing in American manufacturing. In exchange, they're getting a three year grace period from Trump's planned drug tariffs. And the president says, quote, this achievement alone should win us the midterms. Though it is worth noting many of the prescriptions he spoke about have already been available to the public at discounts. And for most Americans who go through private insurance, it won't make a difference. By the way, the president also announced the new TrumpRx.gov website would launch next month in an effort to lower prescription drug prices even more for people who pay cash. Speaking of health care subsidies through the Affordable Care act are set to go up at the start of the new year. Despite all the debate that's been happening in Congress over the last few months, lawmakers left the nation's Capitol for their holiday break without reaching any kind of deal. The penny has been laid to rest. Hundreds of people, along with Abraham Lincoln impersonators, gathered outside the Lincoln memorial in Washington, D.C. to pay tribute to the coin. As we told you, the US Mint discontinued it last month since it cost more to make the penny than it was worth, something the Trump administration called wasteful. Well over the weekend people had a sort of funeral. They placed pennies into caskets on display or made a wish as they threw pennies into a glass bowl of water. They also heard a speech from one of Lincoln's descendants. Some people were in tears already. The final pennies produced last month were bought for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. The third Avatar movie proved to be another hit at the box office over the weekend. Fire and ash brought in $88 million in the US and Canada, topping other new releases like David and the House made. That's not as much money as the Avatar sequel made in 2022, but it's more than the original. Now the real question is, will the third movie have the staying power beyond opening weekend the way other Avatar movies have? And that's crucial since Avatars come with enormous budgets costing at least $350 million to produce and millions more to market. The odds are in the franchise's favor though, since Fire and Ash has an a grade on CinemaScore. Also, Christmas time tends to be the most popular time of the year to go to the movies, but it will also face some big name competition with Anaconda, Marty supreme and Song Tsung Blue on all coming out on Christmas Day. That's it for the Maine News. So now it's time for Money Monday when we talk about one interesting money related news story. And today we're talking about one of the largest lottery prizes the US has ever seen. Tonight, someone could win it. No ticket matched all six winning numbers on Saturday for the 46th drawing in a row. That brought the jackpot for tonight's drawing up to an estimated $1.6 billion. That's the fourth largest in Powerball history. If someone wins it, they'll have the choice to take the full jackpot spread out over 30 years, or they can take an immediate lump sum worth more than 735 million. Either way, they'll have to pay taxes. The odds of winning it are 1 in 292.2 million, though the odds are better for smaller cash prizes. Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states as well as Washington D.C. puerto Rico and the U.S. virgin Islands. They cost $2 each. The next Powerball drawing happens tonight at 11pm Eastern. Before we go, if you're looking for a great last minute gift, I hope you'll consider a newsworthy insider membership. Of course, this is perfect for the people in your life who already listen to the show. It could also be great for anyone you think might like it. Gift them a membership with ad free access to the show. Think anyone who gets overwhelmed by the news or wants to stay more informed in the new year or already is interested in news and would love the quick roundups, Simply go to thenewsworthy.cominsider and look in the upper right hand corner to click Gift a Subscription. Of course, you can always treat yourself to ad free episodes. You even get a seven day free trial and you can submit an Ask me anything question. I'll be looking to put out an Insider only episode answering your questions early next year. So go to thenewsworthy.cominsider to join us or gift a subscription. And thank you to all the insiders already supporting the show. And as always, thanks so much for listening today. We'll be back with with even more news to know tomorrow. For now, have a great day.
