WEEKLY POINTS
This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes
EDITORS NOTE: Wishing you a warm and happy holiday season. ASP will return to your inbox on Monday, January 5.
I JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RELEASES SOME, NOT ALL, EPSTEIN FILE
The Justice Department released a portion of its files related to Jeffrey Epstein by a congressionally mandated Friday deadline, but did not make all of the documents public. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration is releasing “several hundred thousand documents” now and plans to release “several hundred thousand more” in the coming weeks. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) announced they were drafting a resolution to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt for failing to release all files as required by law. The Department of Justice says that the files amount to “about a million or so pages of documents.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the administration will redact information about victims but that it is “not redacting information around President Trump.” The files include a photo of former President Bill Clinton in a hot tub with one of Epstein’s victims, notes from investigators describing how Epstein sought underage victims, including a statement from a witness describing Epstein requesting to see a girl’s identification to make sure that she was underage.
>> Find out more about the Epstein files here.
I U.S. SUSPENDS GREEN CARD LOTTERY
The U.S. has paused the Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery, which awards green cards granting legal residency. The move follows a deadly shooting involving a man who obtained legal residency through the program, which authorities say left an MIT physics professor and two Brown University students dead. The program, created by Congress in 1990, grants up to 55,000 visas annually to applicants from countries with low immigration rates. Immigrant advocacy groups are expected to challenge the suspension.
>> Lawmakers discuss protecting students from mass shootings here.
I TIKTOK HAS AGREED TO SELL U.S. OPERATIONS
TikTok’s parent company, Chinese-owned ByteDance, has signed a deal to sell the U.S. division to a joint venture controlled by American investors, with the deal expected to close on January 22. Oracle, Silver Lake, and the Abu Dhabi-based MGX will collectively own 45% of the U.S. business, while existing ByteDance investors will hold about one-third. ByteDance will retain a 20% stake. The deal is valued at around $14 billion. President Trump first ordered ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations in 2020, and Congress passed legislation in 2024 that would effectively ban the app without a sale.
>> Find out how TikTok ended up here.
I NINE DRUG COMPANIES JOIN “MOST FAVORED NATION” DEAL
President Trump announced Friday that nine additional pharmaceutical companies have agreed to voluntary “most favored nation” pricing, pledging to sell drugs in the U.S. at prices comparable to the lowest paid in peer countries. The companies, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi, join five others already participating. Together, they produce medications used by hundreds of millions of Americans to treat conditions including cancer and diabetes.
>> Lawmakers talk about lowering prescription drug costs here.
I U.S. STRIKES MORE THAN 70 ISIS TARGETS IN SYRIA
The U.S. military struck more than 70 targets across central Syria last week. The strikes came as retaliation for an attack by a gunman linked to ISIS that killed two U.S. servicemembers and one civilian. The two soldiers killed in the attack were members of the Iowa National Guard. The U.S. civilian killed was working as an interpreter. U.S. officials say that strikes are expected to continue for up to a month, with the goal of preventing ISIS from reconstituting its forces and destroying key locations and assets on a large scale.
>> Learn about the latest shifts in U.S. policy towards Syria here.
13 Investment Errors You Should Avoid
Successful investing is often less about making the right moves and more about avoiding the wrong ones. With our guide, 13 Retirement Investment Blunders to Avoid, you can learn ways to steer clear of common errors to help get the most from your $1M+ portfolio—and enjoy the retirement you deserve.
TALKING POINTS
Stay ahead of the stories driving national conversations
I EXPLORES
STUDENT ATHLETE NIL
Understand the debate about compensating student athletes for their name, image, and likeness
I EXPLAINER
CANNABIS EXECUTIVE ORDER
Inhale the facts on the recent cannabis executive order
Help Us Grow
We started this newsletter to demystify information and make engaging with elected officials super accessible. But we can’t do it alone. If you believe in our mission, help us spread the word. When you invite someone to join, you're fueling our growth and helping us keep creating the kind of content you love. If you know anyone who would enjoy what we’re building, send them our way.
