Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.
Chapter 2: What recent developments are there in the Epstein files case?
The Department of Justice is defending its partial release of the Epstein files. It's arguing that it is following the Epstein Transparency Act, but the sponsors of that law disagree. NPR's Luke Garrett reports.
Congress passed a law requiring the DOJ release its files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by this past Friday, but the partial release included heavy redactions and was mostly already public.
Chapter 3: How did the Turning Point USA convention address immigration issues?
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch told NBC News privacy laws required redactions to protect Epstein victims.
Redacting information very much trumps some deadline in the statute.
But Republican Representative Thomas Massey of Kentucky told CBS News Blanch is not protecting victims and is breaking the law.
Our law trumps the prior law. That's just common sense.
Chapter 4: What progress is being made in the U.S.-Ukraine-Russia peace talks?
Law School 101. Yet Todd Blanch is using a different theory that wouldn't survive first contact with any court.
Massey says he hopes to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington.
The annual convention of Turning Point USA is wrapped up in Phoenix. It was the first convention since the assassination of its founder, the conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Chapter 5: What weather warnings are currently affecting California?
Vice President J.D. Vance spoke at the meeting Sunday afternoon and promised to speed up migrant deportations throughout the country.
We're building an army of patriots and we need good people who care about the country to help us secure the border and do it even faster.
Rapper Nicki Minaj, meanwhile, made a surprise appearance at the event on Sunday, offering her support for President Trump she had condemned Trump in the past. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff says peace talks in Miami over the weekend between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia have been productive.
The talks were aimed at ending Russia's almost four-year-old war in Ukraine, but as NPR's Joannika Kicis reports, several barriers to a peace deal remain.
Writing on social media, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said talks are moving at a fairly rapid pace and that his team is working with Trump envoys. Speaking to reporters via voice message, Zelensky talked about the most difficult issues in negotiations.
He said the issue of Ukraine's territories remains the hardest, followed by the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, funding for recovery, and technical issues about security guarantees. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual press conference last week that Russia was open to negotiations, but that Russia's goals in this war remain unchanged. Joanna Kekesis, NPR News, Kyiv.
The National Weather Service says a flash flood warning remains in effect for the southern part of Shasta County, California at this hour. Evacuations have been ordered in some areas as water continues to rise in the Yuba River. Along Colorado's Front Range, meanwhile, a fire warning is in effect. Hurricane force winds and tender dry conditions there have increased the threat of wildfires.
This is NPR News. In the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship, ninth-ranked Texas A&M took advantage of its first trip to the Final Four and won the national title with an upset over second-ranked Kentucky. Greg Eklund has more from Kansas City.
The most outstanding player was Texas A&M sophomore Kendall Stowers. She didn't play volleyball last year because of four concussions within a year, but credits her teammates with helping her through the season.
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Chapter 6: How did Texas A&M win the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship?
And so they were with me every single day, regardless of the highs and lows. And genuinely, I feel like the joy that I'm feeling in this moment genuinely is just a testament to everybody around me.
It was the first time in championship history that two Southeastern Conference schools met for the championship. The Aggies finished with a record of 29-4. For NPR News, I'm Greg Eklund in Kansas City.
The Coast Guard has ships in active pursuit of another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. Government officials say the ship is operating under a false flag and is under a judicial seizure order. The U.S. has already seized two other ships, it says, for violating U.S. sanctions.
Chapter 7: What are the implications of recent U.S. actions against sanctioned oil tankers?
Many legal experts, though, say the seizures violate international law. Thousands of people gathered at Stonehenge in England on Sunday to celebrate the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. They cheered and danced as the sun rose over the prehistoric stone circle.
The ancient monument was built to align with the sun's movement on both the summer and winter solstice. Many people celebrate the day as a time of renewal. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.