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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

'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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …