Posted by Matt Kiser
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/12/22/day-1798/
Today in one sentence: On Friday, the Justice Department released a limited batch of records from its Jeffrey Epstein investigations, conceding it didn’t meet the legal deadline to disclose the full file as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act; on Saturday, the Justice Department temporarily removed at least 15 files from its public “Epstein files” site, including an image that showed a photo of Trump with Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell, before later restoring that Trump-related image; on Sunday, JD Vance refused to condemn antisemitism in the conservative movement, saying there should be no “purity tests” beyond "love America"; the U.S. military launched retaliatory strikes on more than 70 suspected Islamic State targets in Syria; CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss pulled a fully produced “60 Minutes” investigation into alleged abuses at El Salvador’s CECOT prison hours before it was set to air; and the Trump administration on stopped federal leases for five offshore wind projects already under construction along the East Coast, citing unspecified national security risks.
1/ On Friday, the Justice Department released a limited batch of records from its Jeffrey Epstein investigations, conceding it didn’t meet the legal deadline to disclose the full file as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The material included photos, phone logs, and interview records, many heavily redacted Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the department needed more time, writing that “the volume of materials to be reviewed” made full compliance impossible by the deadline. Lawmakers from both parties, meanwhile, rejected that explanation, calling the disclosure “disappointing” and warning that Congress was weighing legal options to force compliance. Nevertheless, the White House defended the partial rollout as evidence of transparency, claiming it was doing more than prior administrations to make the files public. (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg)
2/ On Saturday, the Justice Department temporarily removed at least 15 files from its public “Epstein files” site, including an image that showed a photo of Trump with Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell, before later restoring that Trump-related image. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche claimed the removal “has nothing to do with President Trump” and said the department removed images after victim advocates raised concerns about unredacted women. The Justice Department said it reposted the image after deciding there was “no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph,” but it hasn’t fully explained why the files vanished without a public notice in the first place. Lawmakers, meanwhile, accused the Justice Department of “selective concealment” and “covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public.” Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna said they’re drafting a measure to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt for what Massie called “flouting the spirit and the letter of the law.” (Associated Press / NBC News / CNBC / Politico / Axios / Washington Post / Associated Press)
3/ On Sunday, JD Vance refused to condemn antisemitism in the conservative movement, saying there should be no “purity tests” beyond “love America.” In his closing speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, Vance said Republicans “have far more important work to do than canceling each other,” declining to set any boundaries as activists debated whether to exclude figures such as Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist and Holocaust denier. The comments followed days of public infighting, including Ben Shapiro accusing Tucker Carlson of elevating antisemitic conspiracy theorists, and Steve Bannon calling Shapiro a “cancer” on the movement. Turning Point USA leader Erika Kirk, meanwhile, publicly endorsed Vance for president, even though he hasn’t declared, Trump is still in office, and no primary field exists yet. (Associated Press / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
4/ The U.S. military launched retaliatory strikes on more than 70 suspected Islamic State targets in Syria. The Dec. 19 strikes follow the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra that killed two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter, and wounded three other soldiers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the mission as punishment, saying, “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance.” (Reuters / ABC News / CNN / Politico / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal)
5/ CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss pulled a fully produced “60 Minutes” investigation into alleged abuses at El Salvador’s CECOT prison hours before it was set to air, saying the story needed additional reporting and on-the-record participation from Trump administration officials. The segment, which focused on the deportation of Venezuelan men under Trump’s immigration policy, had already cleared legal, standards, and multiple editorial reviews. In an internal email, the program’s correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, condemned the decision as political, writing, “If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient.” Weiss, meanwhile, told staff she pulled the piece because it “was not ready” and lacked sufficient on-the-record participation, saying it would air at a later date after more reporting. (NPR / Washington Post / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico)
6/ The Trump administration on stopped federal leases for five offshore wind projects already under construction along the East Coast, citing unspecified national security risks. The Interior Department said the suspension blocks projects in Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Connecticut that together represent about $25 billion in investment and were expected to power millions of homes. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed the action was necessary because “the prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” adding that offshore wind near population centers created security vulnerabilities. (Associated Press / New York Times)
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We had our annual Pottery Smash on Sunday, before the Market opened. It's a charity auction to benefit Market's Kareng/Caring Fund, an emergency relief fund for artists in need. Four long tables of donations, mostly pottery, but also some glass, prayer flags, duck and beaver and frog flappy kids toys, canned albacore. We always bring a few completely unsalable pieces, for the joy of smashing. When the bidders starting getting drowsy, a little Crash! wakes 'em right up. And then there's the vendor who bids on pots specifically to break them. When Nome is bidding against someone, it tends to run up the price.
I sold a tyrannosaurus bank to a paleontologist on Saturday.
I've always complained about how long my poticas take to rise. Four, five hours, sitting on a heating pad, or in a post-firing warm studio; my house doesn't feel that cold!