{"id":8152,"date":"2025-12-09T18:25:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T18:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/09\/live-updates-federal-judge-grants-request-to-unseal-ghislaine-maxwell-case-records-ap-news\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T18:25:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T18:25:04","slug":"live-updates-federal-judge-grants-request-to-unseal-ghislaine-maxwell-case-records-ap-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/09\/live-updates-federal-judge-grants-request-to-unseal-ghislaine-maxwell-case-records-ap-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Live Updates: Federal judge grants request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell case records &#8211; AP News"},"content":{"rendered":"<div xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\n<div>\n<p>                 <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=\"1765302125559\" data-recent-thresholdinhours=\"1\">                     <template data-date-tpl>Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]<\/template>                     <span data-date>\u00a0<\/span>                 <\/bsp-timestamp>             <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                <bsp-page-actions>                                 <\/bsp-page-actions>                          <\/div>\n<div id=\"blogBody\">\n<p>A federal judge said Tuesday that the Justice Department can publicly <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/epstein-maxwell-sex-trafficking-case-records-8e3985dd977cb94ef41b9581115ef61b\"><u>release investigative materials from a sex trafficking case<\/u><\/a><\/span> against <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/who-is-ghislaine-maxwell-fa2c504a6dfe30ce1686b857a4123b7b\"><u>Ghislaine Maxwell<\/u><\/a><\/span>, the longtime confidante of <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/jeffrey-epstein\"><u>Jeffrey Epstein<\/u><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled after the Justice Department in November asked two judges in New York to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits, along with investigative materials that could amount to hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased documents.<\/p>\n<p>He is the second judge to allow the Justice Department to publicly disclose previously secret Epstein-related records.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, a judge in Florida granted the department\u2019s request to release transcripts from an abandoned federal grand jury investigation into Epstein in the 2000s.<\/p>\n<p>A request to release records from Epstein\u2019s 2019 sex trafficking case is still pending.<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department said Congress intended the unsealing when it passed the <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/jeffrey-epstein-files-release-justice-department-32cbc21a6ae8189dccd00455dc83d2be\"><u>Epstein Files Transparency Act<\/u><\/a><\/span>, which President Donald Trump signed into law last month.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">                      <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Rubio calls Egyptian, Saudi counterparts to discuss urgent need for peace in Sudan\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0430-d12a-abbb-857df14a0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765302125559\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0430-d12a-abbb-857df14a0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Rubio calls Egyptian, Saudi counterparts to discuss urgent need for peace in Sudan         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Secretary of State Marco Rubio has placed calls to his Egyptian and Saudi counterparts to discuss the urgent need for progress in faltering peace efforts in Sudan, along with other regional matters including the Israel-Hamas conflict and the situation in Yemen.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department said Rubio spoke Tuesday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the issues.<\/p>\n<p>The department said Rubio and Abdelatty discussed the implementation of the President Donald Trump\u2019s peace plan for Gaza as well as \u201congoing engagements to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was no mention of the Gaza plan in the readout of Rubio\u2019s call with the prince, but there was a reference to the outcomes of Trump\u2019s recent meeting in Washington with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at which Gaza was a main topic as well as \u201cdevelopments in Yemen and the urgent need to advance peace efforts in Sudan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fighting between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has surged despite attempts to broker an end to the fighting, which began in 2023 and has killed more than 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and displaced 12 million others. Aid groups warn that the true death toll is likely far higher.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas won\u2019t seek reelection after district was redrawn\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0419-d022-a3db-ec993cc30000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765300420472\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0419-d022-a3db-ec993cc30000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas won\u2019t seek reelection after district was redrawn         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The seven-term congressman says he\u2019ll instead run for local office in Fort Worth, seeking to become Tarrant County judge, the county\u2019s top elected official.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me be clear: I\u2019m not stepping back from the fight. I\u2019m stepping into a new one,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/supreme-court-redistricting-texas-trump-02b07b477b153f23ed5c387f2f9ae0c4\">U.S. Supreme Court this month allowed<\/a><\/span> the challenged Texas congressional redistricting plan to be used in next year\u2019s election, despite a lower-court ruling that the map likely discriminates on the basis of race.<\/p>\n<p><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/texas-redistricting-congressional-map-882eae23a280a68dd6e0fc5a3bf11a0d\">The Texas congressional map<\/a><\/span> enacted last summer at President Donald Trump\u2019s urging was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"US concerned by uptick in Cambodia-Thailand fighting after Trump-mediated peace deal\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03e0-d62c-afdb-3bfb0c860000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765297084941\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03e0-d62c-afdb-3bfb0c860000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             US concerned by uptick in Cambodia-Thailand fighting after Trump-mediated peace deal         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is concerned by an uptick in fighting between Cambodia and Thailand along their contested border less than two months after the two countries signed a peace in Malaysia pushed for by President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe strongly urge the immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and for both sides to return to the de-escalatory measures outlined in the October 26 Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords signed by the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand and witnessed by President Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,\u201d Rubio said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The Cambodia-Thailand deal \u2014 one of several Trump has hailed as evidence of his negotiating abilities \u2014 has been faltering for weeks but took a big hit when fighting broke out following a weekend skirmish in which two Thai soldiers were injured. <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/thailand-cambodia-combat-border-dispute-142145d84a217ad6c6f208769c447615\">Five days of fighting since<\/a><\/span> has left dozens dead on both sides and forced the evacuation of over 100,000 civilians.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Opponents of Trump-backed redistricting in Missouri submit a petition to force a public vote\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03dc-d3e0-abff-cbfcbac20000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765296565138\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03dc-d3e0-abff-cbfcbac20000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Opponents of Trump-backed redistricting in Missouri submit a petition to force a public vote         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Opponents of Missouri\u2019s new congressional map submitted thousands of petition signatures Tuesday calling for a statewide referendum on a <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/missouri-redistricting-trump-republicans-a89de205d535c8a8cd6054ed191b161c\">redistricting plan<\/a><\/span> backed by President Trump as part of his quest to hold on to a slim Republican majority in next year\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n<p>Organizers of the petition drive said they turned in more than 300,000 signatures to the secretary of state\u2019s office \u2014 well more than the roughly 110,000 needed to suspend the new U.S. House districts from taking effect until a public vote can be held next year.<\/p>\n<p>The signatures must still be formally verified by local election authorities and Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who\u2019s argued the referendum is unconstitutional. But if the signatures hold up, the referendum could create a significant obstacle for Republicans who hope the new districts could help them win a currently Democratic-held seat <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/redistricting-gerrymander-missouri-trump-e5b75246cbee8eb674dfdb27381cc8ac\">in the Kansas City area<\/a><\/span> in the November election.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more about <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/missouri-redistricting-referendum-trump-gerrymandering-utah-14312a112b6e32d15e5ef36b83cdc6a7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>redistricting efforts ahead of the 2026 elections<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirms his refusal to cede land to Russia\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03d1-ddb9-a9bf-93fb9c3b0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765296348829\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03d1-ddb9-a9bf-93fb9c3b0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirms his refusal to cede land to Russia         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>It\u2019s a resistance to U.S. pressure for painful concessions to Russia as he moved ahead Tuesday to <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-europe-talks-297fc6a148fdb8dce4defb31b953ce0f\">rally more European support<\/a><\/span> for his country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUndoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don\u2019t want to give up anything. That\u2019s what we are fighting for,\u201d Zelenskyy told reporters in a WhatsApp chat late Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don\u2019t have such right,\u201d he said. \u201cAccording to Ukraine\u2019s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don\u2019t have a moral right either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/donald-trump\">President Trump<\/a><\/span> again pressed Zelenskyy to accept the U.S. proposal that Ukraine cede territory to Russia, arguing that Moscow retains the \u201cupper hand\u201d in its nearly 4-year-old invasion, and that Zelenskyy\u2019s government must \u201cplay ball.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more about <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-trump-putin-cf17d925e21e6d6329fadff7e3efbb90\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>the Russia-Ukraine war<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"JUST IN: Opponents of Trump-backed redistricting in Missouri submit a petition to force a public vote\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03db-d3e0-abff-cbfb1f900000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765296285959\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03db-d3e0-abff-cbfb1f900000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             JUST IN: Opponents of Trump-backed redistricting in Missouri submit a petition to force a public vote         <\/h2>\n<p>                                        <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"US job openings barely budged in October, coming in just below 7.7 million\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03bc-d62c-afdb-3bbffa4c0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765294584775\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03bc-d62c-afdb-3bbffa4c0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             US job openings barely budged in October, coming in just below 7.7 million         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.67 million vacancies in October, close to September\u2019s 7.66 million.<\/p>\n<p>The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which was delayed by the extended government shutdown, also showed the layoffs rose and number of people quitting their jobs \u2014 a sign of confidence in the labor market \u2014 fell in October.<\/p>\n<p>Job openings have come down steadily since peaking at a record 12.1 million in March 2022, when the economy was roaring back from COVID-19 lockdowns. The job market has cooled partly because of the lingering effect of the high interest rates the Federal engineered in 2022 and 2023 to combat an outburst of inflation.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, it\u2019s a puzzling time for the American economy, buffeted by President Trump\u2019s decision to reverse decades of U.S. policy in favor of free trade and instead impose double-digit tariffs on imports from most of the world\u2019s countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more about <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/employment-economy-jobs-inflation-50e7289432a25062824bfb5a8a219113\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>U.S. job openings<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"The government said it was conferring with survivors and their lawyers\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03b8-d3e0-abff-cbb80ec40000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765294269923\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03b8-d3e0-abff-cbb80ec40000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             The government said it was conferring with survivors and their lawyers         <\/h2>\n<p>And it planned to redact records to ensure protection of survivors\u2019 identities and prevent the dissemination of sexualized images.<\/p>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Maxwell\u2019s lawyer said his client took no position about the requested unsealing\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-03b3-dfab-a7bf-57f71cab0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765293945245\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-03b3-dfab-a7bf-57f71cab0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Maxwell\u2019s lawyer said his client took no position about the requested unsealing         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Except to note that her plans to file a habeas petition could be spoiled because the public release of materials \u201cwould create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial\u201d if the habeas request succeeded.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers for the Epstein estate took no position.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Former Democratic congressman begins campaign in red Virginia district vulnerable to gerrymandering\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0392-d62c-afdb-3bbbb8030000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765293139177\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0392-d62c-afdb-3bbbb8030000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Former Democratic congressman begins campaign in red Virginia district vulnerable to gerrymandering         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Former Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello said Tuesday he would challenge Republican U.S. Rep. John McGuire in the midterm elections next year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFamilies can\u2019t afford groceries because Republicans in Congress like John McGuire won\u2019t stand up to Trump\u2019s tariffs,\u201d Perriello said in a video launching his campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Perriello, elected for one term in 2008, was the last Democrat to win Virginia\u2019s 5th Congressional district, which McGuire now represents. It\u2019s a district where President Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris by 12 points, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. McGuire was first elected to the district in 2024 after defeating former Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Good in a <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/good-mcguire-virginia-primary-vote-recount-da1a92329dfbc98877d6ebebe48229e5\">bitter primary<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Democrats who control the statehouse have indicated McGuire\u2019s seat may be vulnerable if they\u2019re successful in their efforts to redraw the state\u2019s Congressional maps ahead of elections next November. The General Assembly in October endorsed a proposed a constitutional amendment <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/virginia-redistricting-spanberger-democrats-congress-40f30039fb97839ce8c50bdfff759bb1\">allowing mid-decade redistricting<\/a><\/span>, though another legislative vote is needed to refer the amendment to a statewide ballot.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Judge grants Justice Department request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell records in sex trafficking case\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-037f-d008-abfb-537f534c0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765290830722\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-037f-d008-abfb-537f534c0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Judge grants Justice Department request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell records in sex trafficking case         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>A federal judge said Tuesday the Justice Department can publicly release investigative materials from a sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime confidant of Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled after the Justice Department in November asked two judges in New York to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from Maxwell and Epstein\u2019s cases, along with investigative materials that could amount to hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased documents.<\/p>\n<p>The ruling, in the wake of the passage last month of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, means the records could be made public within 10 days. The law requires the Justice Department provide Epstein-related records to the public in a searchable format by Dec. 19.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more about <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/epstein-maxwell-sex-trafficking-case-records-8e3985dd977cb94ef41b9581115ef61b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>the Jeffrey Epstein case<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"JUST IN: Federal judge grants Justice Department\u2019s request to unseal records from Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s 2021 sex trafficking case\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-035c-d008-abfb-537d85330000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765290228614\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-035c-d008-abfb-537d85330000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             JUST IN: Federal judge grants Justice Department\u2019s request to unseal records from Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s 2021 sex trafficking case         <\/h2>\n<p>                                        <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump is dismissive of Leo XIV\u2019s criticism of the US immigration agenda, saying he hasn\u2019t seen it\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-034f-d008-abfb-536f08790000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765287393070\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-034f-d008-abfb-536f08790000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump is dismissive of Leo XIV\u2019s criticism of the US immigration agenda, saying he hasn\u2019t seen it         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>President Trump dismissed Pope Leo XIV\u2019s criticisms of his aggressive immigration agenda, saying he\u2019s not seen the pontiff\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n<p>Leo recently <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/pope-bishops-migration-6c2acd2c54d27819804e06a70a95e595\">offered strong support<\/a><\/span> for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops criticizing the \u201cvilification\u201d of migrants and raids that have sown fear in immigrant communities.<\/p>\n<p>Leo said the U.S. should use its justice system to handle immigration violations, \u201ctreating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-230000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV arrives at Beirut's international airport, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo\/Domenico Stinellis)\"   width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/f9f601a\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3966x2644+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fc3%2F84%2F7cda6532734e53f9e85eb4c5196a%2Fc078a50465b34ce795f3777245708d5c\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Pope Leo XIV arrives at Beirut\u2019s international airport, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo\/Domenico Stinellis)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Pope Leo XIV arrives at Beirut\u2019s international airport, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo\/Domenico Stinellis)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>In a Politico interview, Trump responded: \u201cYou know, they didn\u2019t like the wall. The wall turned out to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis, Leo\u2019s predecessor, criticized Trump\u2019s first-term immigration policies, including expanding the U.S-Mexico border wall.<\/p>\n<p>Trump told Politico he\u2019d still be interested in meeting Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, and the president noted without prompting that he especially likes one of Leo\u2019s brothers who\u2019s a Trump supporter. \u201cDo you know his brother is serious MAGA?\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"On health care worries, Trump says \u2018don\u2019t be dramatic\u2019\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0348-dbcd-a9fb-abc8588c0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765287059542\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0348-dbcd-a9fb-abc8588c0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             On health care worries, Trump says \u2018don\u2019t be dramatic\u2019         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Questioned about how Republicans\u2019 delay on addressing Affordable Care Act subsidies might affect U.S. households\u2019 budget, Trump twice told a Politico reporter: \u201cDon\u2019t be dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was the president\u2019s push back to a question about how ACA premium holders might be struggling around the holidays facing steep health insurance premium spikes if the GOP-run Congress doesn\u2019t address expiring subsidies.<\/p>\n<p>Trump loosely explained Republicans\u2019 pitch to steer money directly to policy holders rather than subsidize premiums with tax credits that can be paid directly to insurance companies or claimed on policy holders\u2019 tax returns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m giving them money. I want to give the money to the people to buy their own health care,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThat\u2019s a good thing, not a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump says the economy is \u2018A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus\u2019\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0345-d34b-a9db-fffd260a0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765286625198\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0345-d34b-a9db-fffd260a0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump says the economy is \u2018A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus\u2019         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Ahead of a planned speech on the economy, Trump is giving the U.S. market a sterling grade despite <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/inflation-economy-spending-eaa913f6df77db354019d0d22a4b01fe\">continued inflation<\/a><\/span>, wealth gaps, <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/layoffs-us-economy-job-numbers-cd9d657cb7d7b4429f2c8346e18f8840\">layoffs and consumer angst<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA-plus,\u201d he told Politico when asked how he\u2019d rate the economy, before adding, \u201cA-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Told of concerns even from one of his supporters, Trump shifted blame to his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI inherited a mess. I inherited a total mess,\u201d he said, seemingly brushing off the idea of \u201caffordability\u201d that has become a buzz word ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything is coming down,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n<p>The latest federal analysis, using data from September, found that overall prices rose 2.8% over the previous year, up slightly from 2.7% in August. Core prices also rose 2.8% from a year earlier, a small decline from the previous month\u2019s figure of 2.9%.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump wants Thomas and Alito to stick around on the Supreme Court\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-033c-dbcd-a9fb-abfcb8ec0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765286408692\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-033c-dbcd-a9fb-abfcb8ec0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump wants Thomas and Alito to stick around on the Supreme Court         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The president says he hopes the two eldest members of the Supreme Court, who were nominated by Republican presidents, don\u2019t leave the bench.<\/p>\n<p>He was asked during a Politico interview whether he would want Justices Clarence Thomas, 77, and Sam Alito, 75, to retire so Trump could tap their younger successors.<\/p>\n<p>Trump dismissed the idea.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope they stay \u2019cause I think they\u2019re fantastic, OK?\u201d Trump said in the interview published Tuesday morning. \u201cBoth of those men are fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Catch up on the latest headlines\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0331-d62c-afdb-3bbbb82e0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765285261256\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0331-d62c-afdb-3bbbb82e0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Catch up on the latest headlines         <\/h2>\n<p>                                                      <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump says he\u2019s fixing affordability problems. He\u2019ll test out that message at a rally\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-032e-d62c-afdb-3bbf59e00000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765285139417\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-032e-d62c-afdb-3bbf59e00000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump says he\u2019s fixing affordability problems. He\u2019ll test out that message at a rally         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-7a0000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony at the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute on Thursday, December 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)\"   width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/fc3968e\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F28%2F27%2F87cd506eed4931334ee4b6225a3c%2F71d1128383264f59afec73e6c6e1a81d\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony at the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute on Thursday, December 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony at the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute on Thursday, December 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>Trump will road-test his claims that he\u2019s <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-cost-of-living-affordability-message-republicans-22511695fd763ccdb6461f7d65fc7a06\">tackling Americans\u2019 affordability woes<\/a><\/span> at a Tuesday rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania \u2014 shifting an argument made in Oval Office appearances and social media posts to a campaign-style event.<\/p>\n<p>The trip comes as polling consistently shows that <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-economy-election-democratic-wins-voter-discontent-e8e94eb6f2de702475875c1bbd80a89b\">public trust in Trump\u2019s economic leadership<\/a><\/span> has faltered. Following <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/economy-issues-exit-poll-election-2025-6b72dd7ea327d56235c350e84addc8dc\">dismal results for Republicans<\/a><\/span> in last month\u2019s off-cycle elections, the White House has <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-visits-pennsylvania-e39cd8b6253e521d909370012bf3e7af\">sought to convince voters<\/a><\/span> that the economy will emerge stronger next year and that any anxieties over inflation have nothing to do with Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The president\u2019s reception in the county hosting his Tuesday rally could give a signal of just how much voters trust his claims. Monroe County flipped to Trump in the 2024 election after having backed Biden in 2020, helping the Republican to win the swing state of Pennsylvania and return to the White House after a four-year hiatus.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-affordability-pennsylvania-speech-6a7884b814f448ab6b17b9d924a356ba\"><i>about Trump\u2019s upcoming rally<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Federal Reserve set to cut rate but may signal a pause to come\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0327-d022-a3db-efaf4f3c0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765284925894\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0327-d022-a3db-efaf4f3c0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Federal Reserve set to cut rate but may signal a pause to come         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Federal Reserve faces an <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/economy-jobs-inflation-8a0060c2f52f884ed3489450a66619b8\">unusually contentious<\/a><\/span> meeting this week that will test Chair Jerome Powell\u2019s ability to corral the necessary support from fellow policymakers for a third straight interest rate cut.<\/p>\n<p>The Fed\u2019s 19-member rate-setting committee is <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/economy-jobs-inflation-8a0060c2f52f884ed3489450a66619b8\">sharply divided<\/a><\/span> over whether to lower borrowing costs again. The divisions <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/inflation-trump-economy-federal-reserve-d6f4bbc6c458f73cd230c63e6abb1985\">have been exacerbated<\/a><\/span> by the convoluted nature of the economy: Inflation <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/inflation-economy-spending-eaa913f6df77db354019d0d22a4b01fe\">remains elevated<\/a><\/span>, which would typically lead the Fed to keep its key rate unchanged, while hiring is weak and the <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/jobs-unemployment-economy-trump-tariff-bf603d63e13d6dc1083e9a6616c7ffee\">unemployment rate has risen<\/a><\/span>, which often leads to rate cuts.<\/p>\n<p>Some economists expect three Fed officials could vote against the quarter-point cut that Powell is likely to support at the Dec. 9-10 meeting, which would be the most dissenting votes in six years. Just 12 of the 19 members vote on rate decisions. Several of the non-voting officials have also said they oppose another rate cut.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/inflation-economy-interest-rates-80102bb4e7d740e1fee6be916d1dc830\"><i>about the potential rate cut<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Supreme Court weighs Republican appeal to end limits on party spending in federal elections\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0325-ddb9-a9bf-936f7e260000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765284463720\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0325-ddb9-a9bf-936f7e260000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Supreme Court weighs Republican appeal to end limits on party spending in federal elections         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/us-supreme-court\">The Supreme Court<\/a><\/span> is considering a Republican-led drive, backed by Trump\u2019s administration, to overturn a quarter-century-old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president.<\/p>\n<p>A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting the president\u2019s power to fire independent agency heads, the court is revisiting a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are calling on the court to uphold the law.<\/p>\n<p>The limits stem from a desire to prevent large donors from skirting caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party, with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Election Commission and the GOP argue that the court should cast a skeptical eye on the limits, in line with recent high court decisions. Led by <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/john-roberts\">Chief Justice John Roberts<\/a><\/span>, a conservative majority has upended a variety of congressionally enacted limits on raising and spending money to influence elections.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/supreme-court-campaign-finance-republican-spending-limits-0381e78b1e8a8da0e49f5b55b543894e\"><i>about the decision<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump approves sale of more advanced Nvidia computer chips used in AI to China\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-0324-d53b-ab9f-3fae14410000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765284345359\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-0324-d53b-ab9f-3fae14410000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump approves sale of more advanced Nvidia computer chips used in AI to China         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Trump said Monday that he would allow <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nvidia-trillion-ai-apple-huang-trump-xi-c9bbf5cfa017dadaf248a4d197763cb9\">Nvidia<\/a><\/span> to sell an advanced type of computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to \u201capproved customers\u201d in China.<\/p>\n<p>There have been <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-biden-ai-chip-export-curbs-rescinded-bb05a9760abb8a320a447f58599e2ab6\">concerns about allowing advanced computer chips<\/a><\/span> to be sold to China as it could help the country better compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities, but there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.<\/p>\n<p>Nvidia said in a statement that it applauded Trump\u2019s decision, saying the choice would support domestic manufacturing and that by allowing the Commerce Department to vet commercial customers it would \u201cstrike a thoughtful balance\u201d on economic and national security priorities.<\/p>\n<p>But a group of Democratic senators objected to the chip sales.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-nvidia-china-advanced-chip-4c27557998c21e088a91a067a76b6b8a\"><i>about the sales<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post>               <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] \u00a0 A federal judge said Tuesday that the Justice Department can publicly release investigative materials from a sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime confidante of Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled after the Justice Department in November asked two judges in New York to unseal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}