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1:45 PM ET, December 21, 2025

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
December 20, 2025  —  On November 19, 2025, Congress passed H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and although there was none of the usual publicity and fanfare President Donald Trump enjoys around a bill signing, the White House said that Trump signed it the same day, making it a law.
Discussion: The Hill
RELATED:
Alexandra Marquez / NBC News:
Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie say they're considering inherent contempt charges against Pam Bondi  —  Khanna and Massie's remarks came after Sen. Tim Kaine said that Congress has other mechanisms to force the release of additional Epstein files.  — Add NBC News to Google
Alexandra Marquez / NBC News:
Deputy AG says removing photos from Epstein files release has ‘nothing to do’ with Trump
Cheyanne M. Daniels / Politico:
Rep. Jamie Raskin blasts DOJ for redacting so much in Epstein files
Associated Press:
Epstein files offer scant new insight into his crimes or how he avoided serious prosecution
New York Times:
Epstein Files Photos Disappear From Government Website, Including One of Trump
Bloomberg:
US Still in Pursuit of Third Oil Tanker in Venezuela Blockade  —  The US is still in pursuit of a third oil tanker near Venezuela, according to a US official, as President Donald Trump intensifies an oil blockade on Nicolás Maduro's government.  —  The Bella 1 tanker …
RELATED:
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Trump faces narrowing options on Venezuela action
Discussion: The Gateway Pundit
Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Oil Blockade of Venezuela Pushes Cuba Toward Collapse
Wall Street Journal:
Charlie Kirk's Empire Is Lining Up Behind a JD Vance Presidential Bid  —  The vice president will speak Sunday at TPUSA's premier event, days after Erika Kirk endorsed him for 2028 run  —  PHOENIX—Before Charlie Kirk was fatally shot, he was readying for JD Vance to become the next president of the United States.
RELATED:
Mike Allen / Axios:
MAGA media mess deepens at Turning Point convention … People started lining up at 3 a.m. for the climactic program, featuring Vice President JD Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald Trump Jr.  — Last year's AmFest drew 21,000 to hear President-elect Trump.
New York Times:
Turning Point's Annual Gathering Turns Into a Gripefest
Discussion: Fox News and France 24
Kelsey Ables / Washington Post:
White House threatens Smithsonian funds in sweeping content review  —  “American people will have no patience” for any museum that is “uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history,” read a letter from Trump aides.  —  The Trump administration escalated pressure on the Smithsonian this week …
Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:
Lankford: Americans will decide whether to blame GOP for lapsed Obamacare subsidies  —  Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said he would leave it to the American people to decide whether they blame Republicans for the lapse in their enhanced Obamacare subsidies at the end of the year …
RELATED:
Peter Whoriskey / Washington Post:   As insurers retreat from Obamacare, a working family is caught in the squeeze
Washington Post:
The year Trump broke the federal government  —  How DOGE and the White House carried out a once-unthinkable transformation of the nation's sprawling bureaucracy.  —  Government reporters Hannah Natanson and Meryl Kornfield can be reached securely on Signal at (202) 580-5477 and (301) 821-2013, respectively.
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump Takes America's ‘Imperial Presidency’ to a New Level  —  In his first year back in the White House, President Trump has greatly expanded executive power while embracing the trappings of royalty in ways not seen in the modern era.  —  When President Trump hosted the crown prince …
The Harvard Crimson:
Racial Slurs and Nazi Symbols: Inside the Complaint That Shut Down The Harvard Salient  —  Screenshots and message logs obtained by The Crimson appear to show Salient leaders casually using racial slurs, defending extremist rhetoric, and dismissing internal concerns — conversations …
Joe Rivano Barros / Mission Local:
Waymo halts service during massive S.F. blackout after causing traffic jams  — Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email  —  Love what you read?  Love that it was free?  —  Mission Local will never have a paywall.  All our articles are free for everyone, always.
New York Times:
'It's Just Us': The Firefighter, His Son and a Treacherous Choice  —  For two decades, Luis Martinez has fought wildfires for the U.S. government.  Now he's facing down cancer, debt and the threat of separation from his 11-year-old.  —  Luis Martinez was still trying to figure out how to tell …
Laura Kayali / Politico:
Too Early, Too Alone: France Prepares for Russia as U.S. Withdraws … PARIS — The military recruitment center across from the Eiffel Tower, in the posh 7th district's historic École Militaire, is filled with promotional posters for the armed forces.
Discussion: Eurasia Review
New York Times:
How the Supreme Court's Mail-In Ballot Ruling Could Affect Voters  —  Hundreds of thousands of Americans in rural and urban areas alike could see their votes rejected if the court decides that ballots must arrive by Election Day.  —  The Supreme Court is set to decide this term whether states …
Jonathan Rauch / The UnPopulist:
Let's Not Grant the Postliberal Critique of Market Liberalism  —  Discontents with liberal modernity are perennial and a spiritual awakening won't cure them  —  Nineteen-seventy was a banner year for American cultural criticism.  Blockbusters like Charles A. Reich's The Greening of America …
CBS News:
Transcript: Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Dec. 21, 2025  —  The following is the transcript of the interview with Reps. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Dec. 21, 2025.
John Sakellariadis / Politico:
Acting CISA director failed a polygraph.  Career staff are now under investigation. … The incident this July and the subsequent fallout — which has not been reported before — have angered career staff, alarmed fellow Trump administration appointees and raised questions about Gottumukkala's leadership …
Joseph Choi / The Hill:
Trump's base growing impatient on abortion pill action  —  Anti-abortion voices are growing increasingly impatient for the Trump administration to complete a review of the abortion pill mifepristone, potentially altering its approval.  But changing abortion access at the federal level …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Jeremy Tanner / The Hill:
Why ‘very large’ tax refunds are coming in 2026, according to officials
Discussion: NewsMax.com and New York Post
Brian Faler / Politico:
Don't call it a tax hike? Trump's demand for a cut of Nvidia's China profits raises novel questions.
New York Times:
How ‘Turn and Burn’ Immigration Operations Unleash Chaos — and Sweep up U.S. Citizens
Axios:
Behind the Curtain: Universal Basic Investment
Discussion: Forbes
New York Times:
Immigration Crackdown Creates Fault Lines Among Baptists
Eliza Gkritsi / Politico:
Ukraine talks proceeding ‘constructively’ in Miami, Russia's envoy says
 Earlier Items: 
Paul Krugman:
Affordability, Part IV
Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money
Reuters:
Trump set to expand immigration crackdown in 2026 despite brewing backlash
David J. Lynch / Washington Post:
Market-savvy Treasury chief Scott Bessent emerges as unlikely MAGA warrior
Anthony Salvanto / CBS News:
As year ends, Americans weigh in on cost of living, Trump, expectations for 2026 in CBS News poll
Los Angeles Times:
Jury acquits L.A. man who towed immigration agent's car during TikTok influencer's arrest
Discussion: Breitbart and NBC Los Angeles
Reuters:
Exclusive: Trump appointee inspired by conservative media outlet to push for probe of Democratic congressman
Discussion: Raw Story
The Breakdown:
BREAKING: Proof Blanche was involved in the decision to prosecute Abrego
Discussion: All Rise News
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Katie Campione / Deadline:
Nielsen: the most-watched Christmas NFL game was Netflix's Lions-Vikings, with 27.5M live plus same-day US viewers; Prime Video's Chiefs vs. Broncos drew 21.06M

Duke University School of Law:
Books, movies, music, and works of art published in 1930, including William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, and sound recordings from 1925 enter the US public domain

Katherine Rosman / New York Times:
Without disclosure, New York Magazine digitally removed a senior adviser to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani from a December 17 cover photo after she resigned

 
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