NPR News: 12-22-2025 7AM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say they're frustrated after the Justice Department released only some of its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Top Democrats argue the move violates the Epstein Transparency Act, but they say it's unlikely Congress will take legal action against the DOJ. NPR's Luke Garrett reports.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin is the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. He tells CNN he can't launch a suit against the DOJ.
It's not clear that we've got standing to do that. Speaker Johnson would clearly have standing to do that on behalf of the whole House of Representatives.
But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells ABC News the DOJ is required by law to explain themselves.
The statute requires the so-called Department of Justice at this moment, within 15 days, to provide a written explanation to Congress and to the American people as to why they've withheld certain documents.
The Justice Department has defended its partial release of the Epstein files and the removal of around a dozen files. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington.
An official has told NPR that the U.S. is tracking another oil tanker suspected of violating sanctions on Venezuela. The pursuit comes as the Trump administration ramps up enforcement against tankers helping Venezuela avoid international sanctions. Congress has left Washington for the holidays without a deal on what to do about Obamacare tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. Republican Senator Rand Paul tells ABC News he opposes extending those credits.
Every time we give more subsidies, the premiums go higher. I have a plan that says everybody in this marketplace should be able to go to Amazon or Costco or Sam's Club and as a group, a large group, millions of people in the group, negotiate with big insurance to bring prices down.
Democrats are pushing for a three-year extension. More than 20 million Americans who buy their health insurance through Affordable Care Act exchanges are facing a steep premium increase in the new year.
What are the latest updates on the Jeffrey Epstein case?
GDP data for the third quarter comes out this week on Wall Street. NPR's Rafael Nam has more.
On Tuesday, the U.S. is set to release an important report card detailing how much the economy grew in the July to September period. It's backwards looking, so it's not going to provide the latest snapshot of the economy. Nonetheless, the GDP report is coming at a time when Americans are not feeling great about the economy. Recent polls have shown the cost of living and affordability are becoming a top concern at many households. That's putting a lot of pressure on President Trump, who's aggressively defending his economic record. And it means this GDP data could attract even more attention in the days leading up to Christmas. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
On Wall Street, Dow futures are trading higher at this hour. This is NPR. A massive power outage left large parts of San Francisco in the dark this weekend, cutting electricity to about 130,000 customers. Officials say some of the outages were caused by a fire that broke out at a PG&E substation. The blackout darkened much of the city's north side, including areas around Golden Gate Park, before spreading to other neighborhoods. Avatar Fire and Ash is falling short of early box office expectations. NPR's Bob Mondello reports the science fiction movie is the third installment of the Avatar franchise.
The Avatar threequel is definitely dominating the weekend at cinemas.
You want to spread your fire across the world, you need me.
But it's not hot enough to be setting records. At $88 million for its first three days in North America and another $257 million overseas, It's running more than 20% behind Avatar Way of Water two years ago.
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