Epstein Victims Upset About Lack of Transparency in Newly Released Files  —  Several victims said they were frustrated by the heavy redactions of photos and documents that the Justice Department released on Friday.  —  Disappointed.  Frustrated.  Suspicious.

U.S. boards un-sanctioned tanker with Venezuelan oil to tighten blockade  —  The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil in hopes of escaping a blockade imposed by President Trump, according to two sources familiar with the action.

Witkoff's Other Backer in His Unlikely Diplomatic Ascent: Putin  —  The Kremlin release of an American prisoner and a Saudi backchannel bolstered the rise of Trump's longtime friend. … Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real-estate developer and longtime golfing partner of Donald Trump …

LSU nursing grad, detained by ICE for 6 months, may self-deport: ‘I feel hopeless all the time’  —  Vilma Palacios had just graduated from the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing and accepted a job with Touro Infirmary when she was arrested by ICE agents and sent to the processing center in Basile …

Candace Owens Is the Conservative Movement's Frankenstein Monster  —  This week, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, traveled to Nashville to meet with Candace Owens, a podcaster who has become the premier purveyor of conspiracy theories about her husband's murder.

Trump talks about neuroses, selecting chairs and his wife's underwear drawer in latest affordability speech  —  President Donald Trump came to North Carolina on Friday to talk about the economy.  —  He ended up explaining how his wife organizes her lingerie drawer.

Netanyahu plans to brief Trump on possible new Iran strikes  —  Israeli officials believe Iran is expanding its ballistic missile program.  They are preparing to make the case during an upcoming meeting with Trump that it poses a new threat.  —  WASHINGTON — Israeli officials …

12/20/25 📝 The Readback … Our weekend digest features the best of Punchbowl News this week, including a roundup of our scoops, analysis and Capitol Hill insight you won't find anywhere else.  We've also included a few of our favorite outside reads from the week.

This Indiana Democrat wants a redistricting ceasefire … While Indiana's attempt at mid-decade redistricting is now in the rearview mirror, other states have not ruled it out.  The GOP-controlled Florida legislature is now exploring new maps, but so are the Democratic majorities in Maryland and Virginia.

Ramaswamy Challenges Conservatives on Surging Bigotry on the Right  —  The leading Republican candidate for Ohio governor is calling out his party for rising intolerance, including against Indian American immigrants and their children, like him.  —  Vivek Ramaswamy, the front-running Republican candidate …

Man accused of towing ICE SUV during LA immigration operation found not guilty … A Los Angeles tow truck driver accused of towing a federal SUV during an immigration enforcement operation was found not guilty by a federal jury Friday.  —  Bobby Nuñez, 33, was arrested and charged …

White House Made Bizarre Demands for Trump's Bogus Peace Prize  —  THE BIGGER THE BETTER  —  A report has outlined how the White House dictated FIFA's Peace Prize ceremony to Donald Trump.  —  President Donald Trump's aides demanded that FIFA's made-up “peace prize” awarded to him be literally as big as the World Cup.

How Democrats Used One Word to Turn the Tide Against Trump  —  Both parties are now preparing for “affordability” to play a major role in the midterm elections next year.  How did it emerge so quickly?  —  On President Trump's first day back in office, Representative Mikie Sherrill …

Marco Rubio Is Winning the Trump Era  —  You are watching the 2016 Republican primary campaign, trying to figure out if Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio can stop Donald Trump from winning the Republican nomination.  A man from the future steps out of a shimmering portal and informs you that the winner …

RFK Jr. wants states to ban junk food.  No one knows what counts. … “It's just a classic government operation where they've thrown this out there, and well-meaning though they may be, it's caused mass confusion, and it's making some retailers question whether they're going to stay with the program or not …

December 19, 2025  —  This past week feels like the final, chaotic days of a political era.  —  Last weekend was marred by horrific incidents of violence that drew attention even in a nation sadly accustomed to violence: a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island …

Lou Cannon, Post reporter and preeminent Reagan biographer, dies at 92  —  His books on Reagan “have never been transcended,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley.  —  Just now … Lou Cannon, a Washington Post reporter who became the preeminent biographer of Ronald Reagan …

The Fight Over the Next Fed Chair Is Spilling Out Across D.C. and Wall Street  —  Industry titans, Trump allies weigh in during the final days of a sharp-elbowed campaign to succeed Jerome Powell  —  President Trump told aides and allies in early December that he wasn't sold …