The Justice Department faces a Friday deadline to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and wealthy financier known for his connections to some of the world's most influential people, including President Donald Trump, who had tried to keep the files sealed. The records could contain the most detailed look yet at decades of investigations into Epstein's sexual abuse of young women and underage girls.
Ahead of Trump's Friday evening visit to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, some residents say they can't escape an economic squeeze. Trump is visiting presidential battleground states to champion his economic policies ahead of next year's consequential midterm elections.
And Trump's "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela's coast is raising new questions about the legality of his military campaign in Latin America, while fueling concerns that the U.S. could be edging closer to war.
The Latest:
Syria welcomes the permanent repeal of sweeping US sanctions
The most draconian sanctions imposed on Syria in decades are finally lifted. The U.S. Congress imposed the so-called Caesar Act sanctions on Syria’s government and financial system in 2019 to punish then-President Bashar Assad for human rights abuses during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war that began in 2011.
After Assad was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024, advocates — including some who had previously lobbied for the imposition of the sanctions — argued that the sanctions were preventing international investors from launching reconstruction projects and blocking Syria from rebuilding its battered economy and infrastructure.
Trump had temporarily lifted the penalties by executive order and signed off on the final repeal late Thursday after Congress passed it as part of the annual defense spending bill.
▶ Read more about the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria
Canada and the US will review their free trade agreement
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed to provincial leaders that the Canadian point person, Dominic LeBlanc, "will meet with U.S. counterparts in mid-January to launch formal discussions," Carney's office said in a statement.
The United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, or USMCA, is up for review. Trump negotiated the deal in his first term and included a clause to possibly renegotiate it in 2026. More than 75% of Canada's exports go to its southern neighbor, most of them currently exempted by USMCA.
Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon wants for national security. Carney said Canada can sell those critical minerals elsewhere, and access to them “is not an assured opportunity for the United States.”
▶ Read more about trade talks between the U.S. and Canada
Immigration worries this year rise slightly among Democrats, decline among Republicans
Many Americans want the government to prioritize immigration in 2026, according to that same AP-NORC poll that asked people what they want government to focus on year.
About 44% mentioned immigration, which is in line with last year. What has changed is that Democrats have grown increasingly concerned about the issue, while Republicans and independents have grown less likely to mention it.
About 4 in 10 Democrats listed it as a concern this year, an apparent increase from 32% last year. Majorities of Republicans still consider it a priority — about 6 in 10 mentioned it, but that’s down from about 7 in 10 last year.
Cost and inflation concerns remain pressing for Americans
Inflation and the high cost of living have been a top priority for many Americans since the end of 2021, according to an AP-NORC poll that asked U.S. adults what issues they want the government to focus on in 2026. About one-third mentioned concerns related to inflation or the cost of living, in line with the last couple of years.
Increased prices aren’t the only financial worry that emerged. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults want the government to focus on housing costs next year. That issue has been rising in recent years, with young adults being especially likely to mention it. About one-quarter of adults under age 30 want the government to focus on housing expenses, compared with about 1 in 10 of those 60 or older.
Kennedy Center begins work to add Trump’s name to building
Several blue tarps have been hung outside the institution to block views of the work that’s apparently underway. A photographer saw the letter “D” on an exterior wall before the final tarps were hung.
The Kennedy Center’s board voted on Thursday to give the venue a new name: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Democratic members of Congress and others insist that a name change requires action by Congress.
The Kennedy Center is the latest building to have Trump's name added to it. The president recently added his name to the building for the U.S. Institute of Peace.
▶ Read more about Trump's moves to put his name on federal buildings
Trump administration to appeal order reversing funding cuts at Harvard
The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal late on Thursday in a pair of consolidated lawsuits brought by Harvard and the American Association of University Professors, extending a standoff over White House demands for reforms at the Ivy League school.
A federal judge ordered the reversal of billions of dollars in funding cuts to the nation's oldest and wealthiest university. The case has tested the government's power over higher education.
Harvard said in a statement that university officials remain confident in their legal position.
“The federal district court ruled in Harvard’s favor in September, reinstating critical research funding that advances science and life-saving medical breakthroughs, strengthens national security, and enhances our nation’s competitiveness and economic priorities,” Harvard said.
▶ Read more about Trump's pressure campaign targeting elite colleges
YouTuber’s livestream mysteriously appears on White House website
The White House says it’s looking into how a YouTube creator’s livestream appeared to take over a White House website.
The livestream sharing commentary on investing appeared for at least eight minutes late Thursday on whitehouse.gov/live, where the White House usually streams live video of the president speaking.
It’s unclear if the White House website was hacked or if the video was linked accidentally by someone in the government.
Matt Farley, who posts as @RealMattMoney, said in an email to The Associated Press that he had no idea what happened.
“If I had known my stream was going to go super public like that I would be dressed a bit nicer and had a few more pointed topics! And it likely wouldn’t have been about personal finance,” Farley wrote.
4 months in, activists say Trump’s operation in DC continues to target immigrants
One-third of the more than 7,500 arrests made during the operation were immigration-related, according to official figures reviewed by The Associated Press.
Activists and immigrants say arrests are frequent and frightening. A lawsuit alleges they are often unlawful. And with no end in sight to the surge in law enforcement in the city, there is no indication the immigration arrests will end.
A federal judge recently blocked widespread immigration arrests without warrants. Trump’s Republican administration says the D.C. mission is intended to fight crime and calls it a resounding success.
Healthcare rises sharply as a priority for Americans
Health care is a much higher concern for Americans than it was a year ago, according to a new AP-NORC poll: About 4 in 10 U.S. adults named health care or health issues, up from about one-third in last December's poll.
Older adults were more likely to name health care as a top issue, particularly people between the ages of 45 and 59, who may have higher health care costs but aren’t yet eligible for Medicare.
The changes could return health care to center stage in next year’s midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress, and could put Republicans on the defensive on a key issue. Health care costs are set to rise for millions of Americans in the new year, after a series of cuts.
Trump to make announcement on drug prices
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that the president’s announcement scheduled for 1 p.m. will be “more incredible deals that will lower prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals.”
Trump has already announced deals with several drug makers, including AtraZeneca and Pfizer, to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid.
A battle for the future of Trump’s movement explodes on the Turning Point stage
A simmering battle over the future of Trump's political movement exploded on one of the right's biggest stages as prominent conservative influencers used Turning Point USA's annual youth conference to attack each other and their competing visions.
The feuding threatened to eclipse efforts to memorialize Charlie Kirk, the charismatic Turning Point founder who was assassinated in September.
First up Thursday night was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Shapiro sharply criticized the former Fox News host for interviewing outspoken antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast, calling it “an act of moral imbecility.”
Barely an hour later, Carlson took the same stage and mocked Shapiro’s attempt to “deplatform and denounce” people who disagree with him: “I watched it,” he said. “I laughed.”
Marco Rubio to take questions on Russia-Ukraine, Gaza and Venezuela at rare formal news conference
The U.S. Secretary of State plans to take reporters’ questions Friday in the State Department briefing room, with the main topics expected to surround Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas peace efforts, and the Trump administration’s increasing military pressure on Venezuela.
Rubio’s year-end appearance comes amid key meetings on Gaza and Russia-Ukraine in Miami on Friday and Saturday after a tumultuous year in U.S. foreign policy.
Rubio has also assumed the role of national security adviser and emerged as a staunch defender of Trump’s “America First” priorities on issues including visa revocations and restrictions, deportations, a radical overhaul in foreign assistance and a shakeup of the State Department bureaucracy.
What to know about Trump’s order seeking to relax federal drug policies for marijuana
Trump has directed his administration to work as quickly as possible to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. However, the executive order does not legalize marijuana under federal law, and it's not the final word. The proposed change still requires federal regulatory approval.
But the change could make the marijuana industry more profitable, facilitate new research on medicinal uses and nudge federal policy closer to a more tolerant approach already in place in many states.
Possessing marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and prison time. Selling or cultivating marijuana is a more serious offense, punishable by prison sentences of five years to life, depending on the quantity of the drug. That would not change.
Rather, Trump is proposing to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less dangerous Schedule III substance. Changing marijuana to a Schedule III drug could save hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes for businesses licensed to sell marijuana in states where it is legal, said Rachel Gillette, a Denver attorney who leads the firm’s cannabis industry practice.
▶ Read more about the proposed reclassification
Where Americans want the government to focus in 2026, according to a new AP-NORC poll
Health care is a growing concern for Americans, according to a new AP-NORC poll that asked people to share their top priorities for the government to address in 2026.
The uptick on health care was much sharper than on other commonly mentioned issues. It comes after Trump's administration reduced spending on Medicaid, a safety net program for poor people, and decided to end coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, essentially guaranteeing that millions of people will see a steep rise in costs early next year.
Despite the spike in health care concerns, immigration and broader worries about rising costs remain pressing issues, according to the December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
But Americans are also less confident that the government will be able to make progress on the important problems facing the country in 2026. About 66% of U.S. adults say they are “slightly” or “not at all confident,” down from 58% last year.
▶ Read more about the poll's findings
Justice Department faces deadline to release Epstein files investigation
The release of the Epstein files by the Justice Department has long been demanded by a public hungry to learn whether any of Epstein's rich and powerful associates knew about — or participated in — the abuse. Epstein's accusers have also long sought answers about why federal authorities shut down their initial investigation into the allegations in 2008.
Bowing to political pressure from fellow Republicans, Trump on Nov. 19 signed a bill giving the Justice Department 30 days to release most of its files and communications related to Epstein, including information about the investigation into Epstein's death in a federal jail.
The Justice Department hasn’t said exactly when during the day it intends to make the records public.
Adding to the anticipation, House Democrats released several dozen more photos Thursday from among more than 95,000 that the House Oversight Committee received after issuing a subpoena for images Epstein possessed before he died in a New York jail cell in 2019.
▶ Read more about the files