NPR News: 12-19-2025 12PM EST
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What deadline has the Justice Department set for releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein?
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Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Herbst. Today's the deadline for the Justice Department to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Last month, President Trump signed a law ordering the records be released. But Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch tells Fox News they will only release a partial batch of the files today, hundreds of thousands of them, and more over the next couple of weeks. He says that's to give them more time to redact names and identifying information about the victims. And Pierre-Steven Fowler has more on the files.
Hundreds of gigabytes of digital and physical evidence that the FBI has, grand jury files, and other things that have already been made public otherwise. It's also worth pointing out the law gives this deadline of 30 days after Trump signed it as a deadline, but there is no enforcement mechanism or penalties or consequences written into the law for this time not being met or any improper redaction of information.
What are the implications of TikTok's sale to American investors?
And Pierre-Steven Fowler reporting. Online video sharing app TikTok has reached a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a group of investors. That includes the big tech company Oracle, run by billionaire Larry Ellison, who is a longtime ally of President Trump. And Pierre's Bobby Allen reports.
After more than five years of intense debate, TikTok's US operations have been sold to a consortium of investors. That group includes software and data center company Oracle, private equity firm Silverlake, and MGC, an investment company backed by the United Arab Emirates. Under the terms of the deal, which were confirmed by NPR, current ByteDance investors will keep about a third of the entity, and Beijing-based ByteDance will hold a minority stake. Backers don't expect American users of TikTok to notice any major changes. China hawks in Washington have been worried about Beijing using TikTok to influence the political views of the 170 million Americans on the app.
How did existing home sales perform last month?
Yet under the deal, ByteDance will still own the app's algorithm with audits by the new American-led entity. Bobby Allen, NPR News.
And Oracle is a financial supporter of NPR. Existing home sales rose slightly last month, and Pierre Scott Newman has more.
In its monthly report on existing home sales, the National Association of Realtors said in November home sales increased 0.5% for a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.13 million homes. Sales increased in the Northeast and South, but showed no change in the West and actually fell a bit in the Midwest. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yoon said the increase in sales could be explained by lower mortgage rates, while a decrease in the number of unsold units could was likely due to homeowners holding off listing their homes for sale during the winter. The NAR says the median home price in the U.S. is at just under $410,000.
What controversy surrounds the new social study standards in Oklahoma?
Scott Newman, NPR News, Washington.
And the home sales rose slightly from November from the month before October. You're listening to NPR News. The Oklahoma State Supreme Court says students won't be learning from new social study standards. Those standards featured 2020 election denialism. Beth Wallace has more from Tulsa.
The standards were voted on in February, garnering national headlines for questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. The court says the State Board of Education violated Oklahoma's Open Meeting Act when it approved them after they were revised at the 11th hour before the board's meeting. Former State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who championed the standards, took to social media.
This is outrageous to see this kind of left-wing judicial activism in the state where every county voted for President Trump.
What can we learn from the flyby of the three-eye atlas comet?
Walters resigned from his post in September. For NPR News, I'm Beth Wallace in Tulsa.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What deadline has the Justice Department set for releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein?
0:00–1:14
2
What are the implications of TikTok's sale to American investors?
1:14–2:10
3
How did existing home sales perform last month?
2:10–3:06
4
What controversy surrounds the new social study standards in Oklahoma?
3:06–4:01
5
What can we learn from the flyby of the three-eye atlas comet?
4:01–4:53
6
How is the stock market performing today?
4:53–4:56