News from the Note…
A round up of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.
This is an OPEN THREAD, folks. Chat about any of the stories listed, share links to stories that caught your eye today, and generally have a good time discussing whatever you want.
The DOJ released a new tranche of Epstein files on Saturday that include grand jury materials though appear to offer little revelatory information.
— Politico (@politico.com) December 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM
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An NPR analysis of the Epstein files shows some documents, originally available on Friday, are no longer on the Department of Justice's "Epstein Library" website as the DOJ releases more files. n.pr/4pO8hXB
— NPR (@npr.org) December 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
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The Associated Press has tracked 145 cases of sabotage and disruption that Western officials blame on Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. They say Moscow wants to drain Europe’s investigative resources.
— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) December 20, 2025 at 7:15 AM
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BREAKING: U.S. forces begin strike against ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed three Americans.
— NBC News (@nbcnews.com) December 19, 2025 at 6:07 PM
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BREAKING: U.S. forces stop a second sanctioned merchant vessel off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, U.S. officials say.
— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) December 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
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Congress is poised to leave for a scheduled holiday recess without a solution for addressing the expiration of enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.
— NPR (@npr.org) December 20, 2025 at 1:44 PM
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Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik dropped out of the New York governor's race Friday, concluding that a potentially fractious GOP primary could hurt Republicans' chances in an uphill statewide contest, as President Trump signaled he would not make an endorsement at this stage.
— CBS News (@cbsnews.com) December 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM
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A yearlong campaign by the far-right Alternative for Germany party to court Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is beginning to bear fruit.
— Bloomberg News (@bloomberg.com) December 20, 2025 at 3:00 AM
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Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 years ago. https://to.pbs.org/3KUcGsH
— PBS News (@pbsnews.org) December 20, 2025 at 12:01 PM
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Michaela Benthaus, a German aerospace engineer who suffered a spinal cord injury in a 2018 mountain biking accident, joined a retired SpaceX manager and four entrepreneurs for the up-and-down flight to a point just above the so-called "boundary" of space.
— CBS News (@cbsnews.com) December 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Forecasters said a parade of storms from the Pacific Ocean will pull in a river of moisture this weekend. Over the next week, parts of Northern California could get seven to 10 inches of rain.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) December 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM
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