Plus: U.S. Coast Guard Pursuing Third Oil Tanker Off Venezuela Coast

Good evening, Happy Festivus, and an early Merry Christmas!

By this time next year, Santa could be slimming down. Some big news during this holiday week: the FDA approved a pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy.

A JAGGED LITTLE PILL: The pill acts as an alternative to the injectable version of Wegovy for those with an aversion to needles. The injectable version has been approved by the FDA for several years, but this is the first oral GLP-1 drug for weight loss on the market.
ROUGHLY AS EFFECTIVE: Novo Nordisk, the company that makes the drug, published a study saying the pill is roughly as effective as the shot version of the drug. It will be available in the U.S. starting in January next year.
- Eli Lilly, the company that makes the competitor drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro, is expected to release its own weight-loss pill, orforglipron, this spring.
GLP-MANIA: GLP-1 drugs — the term for the key ingredients in weight loss shots like Ozempic and Wegovy — have exploded in popularity over the past few years. Roughly 1 in 8 Americans are taking a GLP-1 drug today, according to a November poll. The drugs were initially designed to treat diabetes, but they can also help with weight loss and manage the risk of serious heart conditions.

Mo News Team

P.S. If you want to keep up with our IG news coverage over the holidays, it’s moving to Mo News Premium. Try it free for a month, and if you stick around, get 15% off an annual plan when you sign up with code '2026' (now–Jan 4). Sign up here.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE GEARING UP FOR

Holiday Travel Set To Break All-Time Records

AAA predicts 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for the holidays this year — the most ever — and about 3 million more than last year. The TSA is expecting a significant increase in holiday travel this year, considered the span from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1. It follows a record-breaking Thanksgiving.

WHERE’S EVERYONE GOING: The most popular destinations are in the western United States, including, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, and Seattle.
THE BUSIEST DAYS: Sunday the 28th is supposed to be the biggest day of travel– after Christmas and before New Year’s. Also pack your patience if you are traveling on Jan. 4.

BY CAR: Most U.S. travelers — 109.5 million — are expected to drive to their holiday destinations. Good news: gas is relatively inexpensive.

AAA says the national average is below $3 per gallon— $2.86— right now.

Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance is attempting a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery — which previously announced a deal with Netflix for a nearly $83 billion merger. On Monday, billionaire Larry Ellison said he would personally guarantee more than $40 billion in Paramount Skydance’s offer, easing concerns from the Warner Bros. board that the company wasn’t financially competitive. Either deal would face intense antitrust scrutiny by the U.S. government and abroad.

❄️ DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS (KEEP DREAMING)
Regardless of where you’re going, don’t expect a white Christmas. A winter heat wave stretching from the South into the Plains and West could break records for the warmest Christmas on record.

Expect highs up to 30 degrees above average, potentially breaking dozens of high temperature records.
In the south and southeast, temperatures on Christmas Day could hit the 70s. In Texas, temperatures could hit the 80s.
And then there’s the West Coast, where another “atmospheric river” is set to drop inches of rain and cause major flooding across California. Over 40 million people are currently under a flood watch.

🎄There are a few spots in the US where there could be a white Christmas— and it’s the usual suspects in the northern part of the country: Upstate NY, Maine, New Hampshire, northern Minnesota and North Dakota.

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🚨 ONE THING WE’RE INVESTIGATING

Letter From Jeffrey Epstein To Convicted Sex Abuser Larry Nassar Included In Latest Epstein Releases Is Fake, Says FBI

The Justice Department dropped hundreds of more files overnight related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The new files contain hundreds of references to President Trump— even though the president has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection to Epstein. They had a well-documented friendship in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

One document getting a lot of attention: A purported prison letter sent from Epstein to another convicted sexual abuser, Larry Nassar. The letter references President Trump.

Hours after releasing the letter as part of the new batch of Epstein documents, the DOJ said it confirmed that the letter is fake.

WHO IS LARRY NASSAR?
Nassar was formerly the head doctor of the U.S.A. national gymnastics team. He was sentenced to multiple life sentences in 2018 for several counts of sexual harassment and possession of child pornography.

Nassar and Epstein had no known relationship.

WHAT DID THE LETTER SAY?
The letter, written by “J. Epstein” to “L.N.,” is dated August 13, 2019, three days after Epstein had died by apparent suicide in his Manhattan jail cell.

"We shared one thing… our love & caring for young ladies and the hope they’d reach their full potential," Epstein writes to Nassar in the letter. Epstein also mentions he has taken “the ‘short route’ home" — an apparent reference to his suicide.

In the message, Epstein also hints that he, Nassar, and Trump share a “love of young, nubile” girls.

The letter was found in the jail's mail room after Epstein's death. It had apparently been returned to sender.

WHY DID IT LOOK SUSPICIOUS?
The DOJ pointed out several inconsistencies in the letter and determined that it is fake based on the following facts:

The writing does not appear to match Jeffrey Epstein’s.
The postmark on the envelope is Virginia, not New York, where Jeffrey Epstein was jailed at the time.
The return address listed the wrong jail where Epstein was held and did not include his inmate number, which is required for outgoing mail.
The envelope was processed three days after Epstein’s death.

“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the DOJ posted.

WHERE ELSE IS TRUMP MENTIONED?
The new batch of files released by the DOJ contains numerous references to President Trump, including a 2020 email from an unidentified federal prosecutor saying that Trump flew on Epstein's private jet in the 1990s.

The DOJ said they are releasing all the documents out of respect for the law, but reiterated that it does not necessarily mean the claims in the files are verified.

"Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election," the Justice Department posted on social media on Tuesday.

“Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims,” the department added.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by Trump into law last month, mandates the release of thousands of files, photos, and documents related to Epstein.

The released files so far have contained redactions, which the DOJ has insisted are not related to mentions of Trump.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Former Sen. Ben Sasse announces he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and is ‘gonna die’ (CNN)
Missing Melodee Buzzard’s body found, girl’s mother taken into custody: report (FOX)
Trump administration investigates Brown’s security after shooting (NBC)
U.S. military hits alleged “low-profile” drug vessel in Pacific, killing 1 (CBS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Russia hits Ukraine with ‘massive’ attack, says Zelensky, after he warned of Christmas strikes (BBC)
Yemen’s sides agree to release 2,900 detainees in war’s largest exchange (AP)
Libya’s military chief and 4 others are killed in a plane crash after takeoff from Turkey (NBC)
Greta Thunberg arrested supporting Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike during London protest (FOX)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

U.S. economy grows by 4.3% in third quarter, much more than expected, delayed report shows (CNBC)
Powerball jackpot rises to $1.7B, fourth-largest in US lottery history (FOX)
Chicago dog tests positive for rabies for 1st time in decades (ABC)
Northern lights may delight this Christmas — here’s what you need to know (SPACE)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Vince Zampella, video game pioneer behind megahit Call of Duty, dies at 55 (AP)
Comedian Russell Brand charged with new offenses of rape and sexual assault (BBC)
Steelers’ DK Metcalf suspended two games for fan altercation (ESPN)
Chiefs announce move from Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri to new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas (YAHOO SPORTS)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… An unexpected TV show from Canada has scored a major win in America, particularly among women. 🏒👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Heated Rivalry, originally on Crave Canada and then acquired by HBO, is an adult drama that follows two arch-nemesis male hockey pros who fall in love. It’s in the top five most popular scripted debuts on HBO Max this year, and its latest episode is tied on IMDB with Breaking Bad for the highest-rated TV episode of all time.

The NFL and NBA have both seen players come out, but the National Hockey League (NHL) remains one of the only major sports leagues with no openly LGBTQ+ players.