New Epstein Documents, SCOTUS National Guard, GDP Growth

Summary

---

Up First (NPR) — December 24, 2025

Main Theme:
A fast-paced news roundup covering three of the day’s biggest stories: newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents, the Supreme Court blocking National Guard deployment in Chicago, and strong U.S. GDP growth despite economic anxieties.

---

1. New Jeffrey Epstein Documents Released

Overview:
The Department of Justice (DOJ) continues releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein after a legal deadline, revealing more about Epstein's connections and generating fresh controversy, particularly involving President Trump.

Key Points:

• 30,000 New Pages:
  DOJ's latest release includes flight logs (noting trips by Trump and his family), references to other high-profile individuals, and documents of questionable authenticity.
• Guilt by Association:
  The documents reinforce Epstein’s extensive connections, including with President Trump and former President Clinton. Neither has been accused of wrongdoing, but the files highlight their relationships with Epstein and raise questions about what they may have known.
• Questionable/Fake Documents:
  A letter purportedly from Epstein to Larry Nassar, referencing the President, was flagged as fake by the FBI.
  • The DOJ also spotted other fakes in the collection, such as a supposed video of Epstein's death.
• Political & Public Reaction:
  • President Trump has denounced the scrutiny over these documents as “guilt by association."
  • DOJ issued a statement defending Trump:

    “These files...contain untrue and sensationalist claims against him.” (Sarah McCammon, 05:56)

• Disclosure Compliance:
  DOJ missed its Friday deadline, trickling out files instead, intensifying criticism from both political parties.
  • The ambiguity and sensational contents are largely embarrassing, particularly for the president, but not incriminating.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Zidynick (Economist):

  “Never bet against the American consumer. We're always willing to spend money we don't have on things we don't need.” (12:01)

• Sarah McCammon (on DOJ filings):

  “The contents of the files appear to be, if nothing else, embarrassing for the president and potentially a lot of other people.” (06:30)

Timestamps:

• Jeffrey Epstein updates discussion: 02:49 – 06:37

---

2. Supreme Court Blocks National Guard in Chicago

Overview:
The Supreme Court issued an interim ruling against President Trump's move to deploy federalized National Guard troops in Chicago without the governor’s consent, marking a rare rebuke by the conservative-majority court.

Key Points:

• Ruling Details:
  • Decision was 6–3 against Trump, emphasizing the President’s failure to justify circumventing the Posse Comitatus Act (which prohibits using military for domestic law enforcement).
  • Conservative Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch dissented, focusing on the narrowness of the administration's case.
• Case Background:
  • Stems from Trump federalizing the National Guard in September 2025, against Illinois Governor Pritzker’s wishes, citing immigration enforcement needs.
  • Lower courts blocked the deployment, leading to this Supreme Court emergency appeal.
• Implications:
  • The ruling applies only to Illinois but could sway lower courts on similar cases.
  • Deployments approved by governors, such as Louisiana's, are legally distinct.
  • Raises ongoing questions about executive authority to use federalized troops domestically.

Memorable Moments:

• Expert Legal Analysis:
  Elizabeth Goytin, Brennan Center:

  “It’s difficult to see how any lower courts would be able to uphold a deployment of federalized National Guard forces under this law in the future.” (09:54)

Timestamps:

• SCOTUS ruling and analysis: 06:46 – 10:23

---

3. U.S. GDP Grows Faster Than Expected

Overview:
Despite economic concerns, new Commerce Department data (delayed by the government shutdown) shows robust U.S. economic growth in Q3 2025, powered by continued consumer spending and investments in AI.

Key Points:

• GDP Data:
  • Economy grew at a 4.3% annual rate, among the highest in recent years.
  • Key drivers: Businesses and individuals investing in AI technologies and related hardware.
• “Defying Gravity” Narrative:
  • Growth persists despite low consumer confidence, stock market anxiety, inflation, and tariffs.
  • Consumers continue to spend, though often outpacing their actual income.
• Who is Spending?:
  • Higher-income consumers are driving much of the spending, often relying on savings and credit.
• Economic Concerns:
  • Personal disposable income is stagnant; unemployment is creeping up, and the labor market is softening.
  • Uncertainty about sustainability: Spending continues despite unease and wage stagnation.
• Looking Ahead:
  • The outlook hinges on wage growth and job market stability in the coming year. A soft labor market could limit workers’ power to push for higher wages.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Zidynick:

  “The fact that real spending has outpaced real income so much means that people are drawing down on savings... The people who can do that are the people who have those savings.” (12:32)

• Steve Inskeep:

  “It's almost like two economies: people with higher incomes, people with lower incomes.” (12:20)

Timestamps:

• GDP and economic analysis: 10:31 – 13:52

---

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On fake Epstein letter:
  Sarah McCammon:

  “The FBI has confirmed this alleged letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar is fake.” (04:37)

• On SCOTUS National Guard decision:
  Kat Lonsdorf:

  “It was an unsigned opinion, and it was really technical. But basically, the court wrote that the president failed to explain why the situation in Chicago warranted an exception to what's called the Posse Comitatus Act.” (07:13)

---

Structure & Flow

• Each segment introduces a major headline, dives deeper with reporting or expert analysis, and frames the broader relevance—offering listeners a concise but rich survey of national headlines.
• The tone is matter-of-fact, brisk, and analytical, with moments of dry humor and candid perspective—especially in economic commentary.

---

For further detail, see full episode transcript or listen on the NPR app. Up First delivers a rapid yet comprehensive scan of stories shaping the day's national agenda.

Transcript

[Steve Inskeep]

Happy Christmas Eve.

[Layla Fadel]

Happy Christmas Eve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah. For those who celebrate, those who get a day off.

[Layla Fadel]

That's not me this year.

[Steve Inskeep]

You know what? For those who work.

[Layla Fadel]

For those who work, we're still here.

[Steve Inskeep]

I can think of somebody who's working on Christmas. You're working on Christmas.

[Layla Fadel]

I'm working on Christmas.

[Steve Inskeep]

Thank you for working on Christmas.

[Layla Fadel]

Oh, it's fine.

[Steve Inskeep]

30,000 additional pages show evidence the US gathered about Jeffrey Epstein.

[Layla Fadel]

The latest documents name famous people, including President Trump, who spoke again about guilt by association.

[Steve Inskeep]

Hi, I'm Steve Inskeep with Layla Fodl. And this is up first from NPR News.

[Layla Fadel]

The Supreme Court blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to the Chicago area. The interim ruling said the president failed to cite any law to justify its action.

[Kat Lonsdorf]

It's difficult to see how any lower courts would be able to uphold a deployment under this law in the future.

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, how does the US Economy keep on growing?

[Michael Zidynick]

Never bet against the American consumer. We're always willing to spend money we don't have on things we don't need.

[Steve Inskeep]

Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

[GoodRx/Monarch Announcer]

Support for NPR and the following message come from GoodRx. The holidays are here, but so is cold and flu season. Find relief for less. With GoodRx, you could save an average of $53 on flu treatments, plus save on cold medications, decongestants and more easily. Compare prescription prices and find discounts up to 80%. GoodRx is not insurance, but works with or without it and could beat your copay price. Save on cold and flu [e-mail] upfirst.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

This message comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Record breaking temperatures, extreme floods, wildfires and other natural disasters can be overwhelming. But with your help, NRDC is making a difference. NRDC, backed by 3 million supporters and over 700 lawyers and scientists, is taking on protecting the planet in the courts to help make a difference. [e-mail] first and your gift will be matched five times.

[GoodRx/Monarch Announcer]

This message comes from Monarch. Take control of holiday spending with Monarch, the personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one dashboard. Get a full year for half off with promo code [e-mail] Understand where your money has been and where it's heading in 20, 26 and beyond with their latest AI features built on the collective wisdom of certified financial planners and financial advisors. Get 50% off with code [e-mail] days.

[Steve Inskeep]

After a legal deadline, the Justice Department is still releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

[Layla Fadel]

Yeah, the Trump administration is responding to an act of Congress that required it to make public every possible document about the sex offender who died in 2019. The latest batch includes 30,000 pages, including references to famous people and also a letter that the government says is fake.

[Steve Inskeep]

We're going to talk it through with NPR political Correspondent Sue Sarah McCammon. Sarah, good morning.

[Sarah McCammon]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so let's there's some questionable documents here, but what in this batch appears to be true.

[Sarah McCammon]

These documents continue to reveal just how well connected Epstein was to people from President Trump to former President Bill Clinton. For example, there are flight logs from the 1990s showing Trump and some members of his family taking several trips on Epstein's plane, along with other high profile people. Now, it was already well established that Trump knew Epstein, and we should say Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing here, nor has Clinton, for that matter. But these documents do highlight the relationship between the president and Epstein, and they raise questions about what Trump might have known about Epstein's behavior.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. There's also a letter in this batch of documents that, I mean, it was a real letter. Somebody seems to have actually mailed it. But people have questions about who really wrote it. What is it?

[Sarah McCammon]

Right. Well, I should say it's pretty disturbing. And the Justice Department says it is not real. But the letter was purportedly written in 2019 by Epstein to Dr. Larry Nassar, who was accused of molesting hundreds of gymnasts and convicted on multiple charges. Epstein supposedly wrote, quote, our president shares our love of young, nubile girls. Now, the DOJ addressed this letter in a couple of posts on X yesterday, first saying they were looking into it. And then less than two hours later, the DOJ announced that, quote, the FBI has confirmed this alleged letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar is fake. Now, the FBI declined to comment to npr. And that post from DOJ also pointed out several apparent inconsistencies in this letter, including the fact that it was postmarked three days after Epstein's death in Virginia, even though he'd been jailed in New York. So, you know, these documents were collected by the DOJ over several years. It's not clear what's real and what's not. And I will note there are multiple items the DOJ says are fake, like a video that purports to show Epstein killing himself. It wound up in the files because someone submitted it to the FBI to see if it was real.

[Steve Inskeep]

Now, you mentioned that in some of the more genuine seeming documents, Trump's name comes up again. What is The White House saying about all this?

[Sarah McCammon]

Well, you know, Trump has been trying to distance himself from all of this and complaining about the sense of guilt by association that has hung over some of the people mentioned in these files. Here's Trump speaking to reporters on Monday, hours before these latest files were released.

[Steve Inskeep]

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.

[Sarah McCammon]

And in a statement on X, the Department of justice defended Trump and said these files, quote, contain untrue and sensationalist claims against him.

[Steve Inskeep]

Sarah, how did the Justice Department disclosures so far compare with their legal requirement to release all the files?

[Sarah McCammon]

Well, DOJ has been under a lot of pressure, at least from some members of both parties to disclose more information. They had a deadline to release all of their files on Friday, and they only released an initial batch, which further angered the White House's critics. More documents have been trickling out since then, and there's still a lot to sort through. But the contents of the files appear to be, if nothing else, embarrassing for the president and potentially a lot of other people.

[Steve Inskeep]

And Pierce, Sarah McCammon, thanks so much.

[Sarah McCammon]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

All right. The Supreme Court ruled that National Guard troops need to stay out of Chicago for now.

[Layla Fadel]

It was an interim ruling, the sort of preliminary case in which the court majority has deferred to the Trump administration again and again. This time, the court said the president failed to cite any law that would justify using the Guard under federal control to enforce the law.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's can't lock Hahnsdorf is covering this story. Kat, good morning.

[Kat Lonsdorf]

Hey, good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

What did the decision say?

[Kat Lonsdorf]

So the court ruled 6 to 3 against Trump, which is rare. It's one of only a handful of times the conservative court has ruled against the president and the emergency docket this term. It was an unsigned opinion, and it was really technical. But basically, the court wrote that the president failed to explain why the situation in Chicago warranted an exception to what's called the Posse Comitatus Act. That's the law that prohibits using the military for domestic law enforcement. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch dissented, writing that they, quote, strongly disagreed with the way the court handled this case. They said the court should have remained focused on the narrow question in the administration's appeal, which they said was specifically around using troops to protect federal officers and facilities and not domestic law enforcement.

[Steve Inskeep]

More general, I guess we should remember the basic principle here is that federal troops shouldn't be used on civilians to enforce civilian laws except in certain cases. So how did this particular case end up before the court?

[Kat Lonsdorf]

Right, so this case stems from back in September when President Trump federalized the national guard against Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker's wishes and sent them into Chicago for what Trump said was protection of federal immigration officers and facilities. Remember, Steve, this all happened as the administration launched a new and increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the city. And there were protests. But two lower courts blocked that deployment. So in October, the administration issued an emergency appeal up to the Supreme Court.

[Steve Inskeep]

And the court has now ruled at least, least for now. What is the White House saying?

[Kat Lonsdorf]

Well, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson reiterated to NPR that the president activated the Guard to protect federal law enforcement officers and property. And she said nothing in the ruling, quote, detracts from that core agenda. But this was another in a recent series of legal setbacks for the administration against these deployments. Governor Pritzker called it, quote, a big win for Illinois and American democracy. I'll also note, Steve, minutes after the ruling, Louisiana's Governor Jeff Landry, who's a Republican, announced that he'll be sending hundreds of National Guard troops into New Orleans soon. And this follows a pattern of Republican governors embracing these deployments like we've seen in Tennessee.

[Steve Inskeep]

And it's legally different if the governor is on board and goes for this. So what does this emergency or interim ruling mean for Trump's other National Guard deployments?

[Kat Lonsdorf]

Well, because this is an emergency decision, it's not precedent setting, meaning it only applies to this specific case in Illinois at this specific time, not to the other deployments around the country. But all of those are caught up in litigation now. And lower courts do tend to look, at least look at these emergency decisions for guidance. I talked to Elizabeth Goytin. She directs the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan center for Justice. She told me she thinks this decision will impact lower courts wrestling with these cases. It's difficult to see how any lower courts would be able to uphold a deployment of federalized National Guard forces under this law in the future. And just to be clear, this might not be the last we hear from the Supreme Court on this issue. But at least for now, the president cannot send National Guard troo to Illinois without the governor's permission.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Kat Lonsdorf, thanks for your reporting today. Really appreciate it.

[Kat Lonsdorf]

Thanks so much.

[Steve Inskeep]

In July through September, the US Economy grew faster than economists had predicted.

[Layla Fadel]

That's According to a delayed report from the Commerce Department on GDP, the gross domestic product. The report is nearly two months late because of the government shutdown.

[Steve Inskeep]

But NPR's Alina Selyuk is here, regardless of when it comes out, out to tell us what's going on. She's here in Studio 31. Good morning.

[Alina Selyuk]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

What stood out to you?

[Alina Selyuk]

So the US Economy is chugging along. That was the takeaway. It grew at an annual rate of 4.3%, which is some of the fastest growth we've seen in a couple of years. And, you know, the GDP report takes a bird's eye view of the economy. It's got exports, imports, business investment. But this time, two factors really gave it a boost. One of them was the term of the year, which is AI people and companies spending on computer hardware and other techies.

[Layla Fadel]

Things.

[Steve Inskeep]

All of which gives me a sense of defying gravity because we've seen all of this anxiety about an overvalued stock market, about continued inflation, about tariffs and consumers feeling really bad about things.

[Alina Selyuk]

But. But the consumers are the perpetual motion machine and they are driving this.

[Steve Inskeep]

This GDP report in spite of a new consumer sentiment survey showing that confidence was down. So they're continuing to spend is what's happening here.

[Alina Selyuk]

Yes, you're referring to the conference board, which has a survey showing confidence down for the fifth month in a row. But, you know, I talked to Michael Zidynick. He's an economist with S and P Global Market Intelligence, and he has this line.

[Michael Zidynick]

Never bet against the American consumer. We're always willing to spend money we don't have on things we don't need.

[GoodRx/Monarch Announcer]

Ow.

[Alina Selyuk]

It's tough love, but historically it's true. People will keep spending until things really turn. And right now we're sort of in this suspended state. And for many people, things have started to turn, but not for everyone.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, because there's this divide between. It's almost like two economies. People with higher incomes, people with lower incomes.

[Alina Selyuk]

Exactly. Increasingly, people who are doing most of the spending are wealthier folks. And here's what Zdenik says.

[Michael Zidynick]

The fact that real spending has outpaced real income so much means that people are drawing down on savings. And the people who can do that are the people who have those savings. You know, they're enjoying past wage gains or past wealth gains or, you know.

[Alina Selyuk]

Buying things on credit. Either way, what he's saying is our spending is growing faster than our incomes, which obviously cannot go on forever. So there are big questions about what happens to wages and jobs in the new year.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. What are you watching in the new year when it comes to those?

[Alina Selyuk]

Well, you know, our spending is fully based on what we earn now, what we think we'll earn in the future. Right. So one thing, earnings. Currently, generally speaking, wages are still growing. But prices, so are prices. They're also growing. And even though inflation has cooled, wages and prices have sort of met in the middle with new government data showing that personal disposable income after inflation and taxes was stagnant mid year, not growing much. And then on future earnings, the latest jobs report from November saw a softening market which has many people worried about getting a new job if they lose the one they have. And a soft labor market also chips away at workers power to demand higher wages.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, I suppose that's true. Unemployment is going up, although historically it's still a relatively low level. And it sounds like people are just getting out there and spending anyway.

[Alina Selyuk]

That is correct. People are spending more and more, but, but they are feeling increasingly uneasy about it.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Lena Selyuk. Thanks for coming by.

[Alina Selyuk]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

And that's up first for this Wednesday, December 24th. I'm Steve Inskeep.

[Layla Fadel]

And I'm Layla Faudel. For your next listen, consider Consider this from npr.

[Steve Inskeep]

What I just said. Okay. You said told me to consider it. So consider it. I'll consider it. Please continue.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay. Okay. We here at up first give you the three big stories of the day. Our Consider this colleagues take a different approach. They dive into a single news story and what it means to you in less than 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Steve Inskeep]

Today's UP first was edited by Anna Yukhaninoff, Alina Hartunian, Rafael Nam, Lisa Thompson and Arzu Rezvani. It was produced by Ziad Bach, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from David Greenberg. And our technical director comes from the equally supportive Carly Strange. Supervising producer is Michael Lipkin. Join us tomorrow.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

This message comes from Mint Mobile. At Mint Mobile, their favorite word is no. No contracts, no monthly bills, no hidden fees. Plans start at $15 a month. Make the [e-mail] switch. That's mintmobile.com switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month 5 gigabyte plan required, equivalent to $15 a month. New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. This message comes from Mint Mobile. At Mint Mobile, their favorite word is no. No contracts, no monthly bills, no hidden fees. Plans start at $15 a month. Make the [e-mail] Switch that's mintmobile.com Switch Upfront payment of $45 for 3 month 5GB plan required equivalent to $15 a month New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details.