Chapter 1: What are the latest updates on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation?
Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. The Justice Department says it may take a few more weeks to finish releasing the investigative files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Congress had set a deadline for last Friday to release all of the records. NPR's Sam Greenglass reports on what's behind this latest delay.
The Justice Department has released hundreds of thousands of records since Friday and now reports receiving a million more documents potentially related to the Epstein case from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI.
The Justice Department wrote on social media that lawyers are working around the clock to make required redactions and will release the documents as soon as possible. Members of Congress who pushed to make the records public have already complained about the missed December 19th deadline.
So far, the initial batches have not contained any explosive revelations, and some of the remaining records could be duplicates of files already made public. Sam Greenglass, NPR News, Washington.
Chapter 2: How is Congress responding to military actions against drug trafficking in Venezuela?
Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine is among those pushing back on the Trump administration's military strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats off Venezuela.
We're more than 100 days into this set of military actions that's killed nearly 100 people in a couple of dozen strikes. But Congress has yet to have a single public hearing in either the House or the Senate.
about this military action and i think the reason for that is they understand that putting this out in the public light of day would convince the american public that the administration doesn't really have a strategy that would be supported senator kane serves on both the armed services and foreign relations committees he has co-authored a bill banning the use of federal money for a war against venezuela without congressional authorization
The U.S. military has now launched at least 29 strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats that have killed more than 100 people. On one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, people who use wheelchairs tell NPR that they expect to find repeated problems when they check into hotels. NPR's Joseph Shapiro reports.
It's been 35 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law and required hotels to be made accessible for people with disabilities. But 200 wheelchair users responding to an NPR survey say they run into repeated problems.
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Chapter 3: What challenges do wheelchair users face when checking into hotels?
Most common is that they reserve an accessible room, either online or with a phone call. When they show up, the room isn't available. Or they get the room that's called accessible, but it isn't. Maybe the shower is too small or the bed is too tall. These should be easy things to fix, but the problems continue.
An official for the hotel industry told NPR it values disabled travelers and that hotels want to get things right. Joseph Shapiro NPR News.
This is NPR. The European Union is responding to the Trump administration's imposition of visa bans on five European citizens, including a former European commissioner. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the individuals as radical activists and weaponized non-governmental organizations.
Chapter 4: How is the European Union reacting to U.S. visa bans and the Digital Services Act?
From Brussels, Terry Schultz reports the EU says it will do whatever it takes to preserve its right to regulate as it sees fit.
The EU's Digital Services Act, or DSA, has been a long-standing source of tension with the US because it imposes responsibilities on big tech platforms, such as to be transparent about their processes to take down illegal content and to combat disinformation. US officials have often characterized it as targeting American companies.
In announcing he can no longer visit the U.S., the State Department blamed former EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton personally for the legislation, which was enacted last year. A European Commission statement strongly condemns the U.S.
decision, saying the DSA is designed to ensure a fair and safe playing field for all companies and that, if needed, the EU will act to defend its regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.
French prosecutors say a pro-Russian hacking group has claimed responsibility for a cyber attack on France's National Postal Service. The attack knocked the service's central computer systems offline Monday in what's called a denial-of-service attack. Workers could not track packages and online payments were disrupted.
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Chapter 5: What impact did a recent cyber attack have on France's National Postal Service?
France and European allies accuse Russia of waging hybrid warfare to undermine support for Ukraine. This is NPR News.