Trump tells Democrats to “enjoy what may be your last Merry Christmas” while deflecting Epstein scrutiny by claiming he dropped the financier “before it became fashionable.”
Coast Guard deploys elite boarding team to intercept fleeing oil tanker Bella 1 after five-day chase, third vessel targeted in Venezuelan blockade this month.
Federal judge blocks detention of anti-hate researcher Imran Ahmed, one of five visa holders targeted this month, after permanent resident with American family sued Rubio and Bondi.
National Capital Planning Commission schedules January review of Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom after federal judge ordered administration to undergo review process.
US forces bomb ISIS targets in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day at Trump’s orders, marking sixth country American military has attacked this year.
ACLU says DHS appeals bond orders in “hundreds of cases” to keep asylum seekers with pending claims detained, citing Wisconsin man held 200 days despite no criminal record.
Energy Department orders two Indiana utilities to keep coal plants running to “prevent blackouts,” overriding closure plans as residential electric bills spiked 17.5% this year.
Palau agrees to accept 75 migrants from U.S. in exchange for $7.5 million, adding to existing military and financial dependency on Washington.
Leaked ICE proposal seeks seven industrial warehouses to hold up to 80,000 migrants in new “feeder” detention system as current facilities overflow.
American Academy of Pediatrics sues Trump administration claiming $12 million in grant cuts retaliated against its criticism of Kennedy’s vaccine policy changes.
Justice Department says it has “over a million more” Epstein documents to release weeks after deadline, hours after co-author of transparency law threatened contempt proceedings.
ICE agents shoot driver in Maryland claiming he tried to run them over, the same justification contradicted by video evidence in September’s fatal Chicago-area shooting.
Trump falsely tells child on NORAD Santa call he won Pennsylvania “three times,” promotes “clean, beautiful coal,” and warns of “bad Santa” infiltrating the country.
Jazz musician cancels 19-year Christmas Eve concert tradition at Kennedy Center days after Trump’s handpicked board added president’s name to JFK memorial.
Trump administration quietly bans VA from providing abortion services or counseling, including for veterans pregnant from rape or incest, effective immediately via internal memo.
Trump declares networks airing negative coverage should lose broadcast licenses, calls Stephen Colbert “dead man walking” CBS should “put to sleep.”
Social Security phone wait times nearly four times higher than publicly reported metric, inspector general finds, as agency counts callback requests as zero wait time.
New Jersey man files second lawsuit seeking NYPD records from Bloomberg-era Muslim surveillance program that infiltrated mosques and student groups but never generated a single terrorism lead.
Federally indicted Rep. McIver and two House colleagues visit Newark migrant jail after detainee death, find 950 held with sick inmates waiting weeks for care.
Justice Department’s Epstein file redactions can be defeated by copying and pasting text into new document, revealing details meant to be hidden from public.
Trump administration weighing deal to give SpaceX 775 acres of federal wildlife refuge to expand rocket launch site, trading habitat for two endangered wild cats.
Trump administration will begin garnishing wages of defaulted student loan borrowers in January, first seizures since pandemic pause began nearly six years ago.
U.S. deploys special operations aircraft and troops to Caribbean this week, bringing military force near Venezuela to more than 15,000 personnel as Trump promises land operations “soon.”
Trump appoints Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as Greenland envoy with explicit mission “to make Greenland a part of the U.S.,” drawing sharp rebukes from Denmark and Sweden.
Louisiana deploys 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans through February after Gov. Landry requested support Trump first floated in October over crime concerns.
Supreme Court rules against Trump’s National Guard deployment in Illinois, finding he failed to show military couldn’t execute federal law, with Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch dissenting.
Justice Department releases 30,000 more pages of Epstein files showing Trump took at least eight flights on Epstein’s jet between 1993 and 1996, four with Maxwell aboard.
University of Oklahoma removes graduate teaching assistant who failed student’s Bible-based essay responding to gender research article, citing “arbitrary” grading.
Oregon leads 19 states and DC in suing HHS over Kennedy’s declaration threatening to exclude gender-affirming care providers from Medicare and Medicaid.
Federal judge upholds Trump’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, rejecting U.S. Chamber of Commerce lawsuit challenging the September proclamation.
Trump-appointed federal judge orders administration to restore $233 million in disaster funding after 12 attorneys general sued over cuts tied to immigration enforcement.
Judge extends order blocking ICE from arresting Kilmar Abrego Garcia through New Year, tells DOJ the emergency leading to her restraining order was “of your own making.”
Former CIA Director John Brennan asks chief judge to block DOJ from steering his case to Fort Pierce division, where Aileen Cannon, who dismissed Trump’s classified documents case, is the only judge.
Fifteen Heritage Foundation employees flee to Mike Pence’s nonprofit after Project 2025 architect’s leader defended Tucker Carlson’s interview with white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) demands answers from unlisted White House ballroom donors including Roblox CEO who allegedly gave $5 million while company faces child safety lawsuits.
Second trove of Epstein files briefly appears on DOJ website then vanishes without explanation, including references to memos on co-conspirators prosecutors considered charging.
Interior Department suspends five East Coast offshore wind projects citing classified national security concerns weeks after Trump said “wind is the worst” and “we don’t approve windmills.”
Four Illinois representatives tour Broadview ICE facility with court order after being denied entry in June, find two detainees where 150 were held at peak in building with 125 capacity.
Twenty-one states and DC sue to block Trump from defunding Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has returned $21 billion to consumers since 2011.
Trump announces Golden Fleet of nuclear-armed battleships named after himself, third namesake this month after U.S. Institute of Peace and Kennedy Center.
Judge orders Trump administration to return 137 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador’s CECOT prison or give them hearings, ruling that U.S. denied their due process rights.
DOJ sues District of Columbia over AR-15 restrictions months after deploying National Guard to fight crime, naming no individual plaintiffs claiming their rights were violated.
Military kills one more person in 29th boat attack since September, releasing video of vessel engulfed in flames but no evidence target was drug trafficking.
White House rebuffs eight Florida Catholic bishops asking for Christmas pause on immigration enforcement, responding only that Trump is keeping his deportation promise.
CDC funds $1.6 million study in Guinea-Bissau to withhold hepatitis B vaccine from newborns after RFK Jr. changed US guidance without evidence, with experts calling it “neocolonialist.”
Senator Lindsey Graham calls from Tel Aviv for US to “unleash Israel” on Hamas and join air strikes against Hezbollah, says no Republican can win 2028 without strong Israel support.
Six CISA career staffers suspended after acting director failed polygraph he pushed to take despite being told he didn’t need the access.
Khanna and Massie threaten Attorney General Bondi with impeachment and inherent contempt after DOJ’s partial Epstein files release violates law they co-sponsored.
Judge orders release of immigration activist Jeanette Vizguerra on $5,000 bond after ruling DHS failed to justify nine months of detention.
DOJ restores Trump photo to Epstein files after bipartisan outcry, claiming it was removed “to protect victims” before admitting no victims were depicted.
