New Epstein Photos Showing Trump, Clinton Surface As DOJ Faces File-Release Deadline

Written By Guest User

Plus: Are The College Kids Alright?

Good afternoon,

Before we get to today’s headlines, here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend in our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section.

What We’re Watching:

What We’re Reading:

What We’re Eating:

  • Mosh: Swedish fish 🐟 🍬

  • Jill: Felice 64 ~NYC

  • Sam: Latkes for Hanukkah! 🕎

  • Our whole team: A holiday lunch at Quality Bistro ~NYC

And now, onto the news.

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

House Dems Release New Epstein Estate Photos Showing Trump, Clinton, And Others

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released two batches of never-before-seen photos from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s estate on Friday, including images featuring President Trump and former President Clinton.

  • Other figures appearing in the photos include: former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, billionaire Bill Gates, Trump ally Steve Bannon, and filmmaker Woody Allen.

  • None of the released images show illegal activity, though some appear to include sexual paraphernalia.

    • One image shows a cartoon depiction of Trump with the words “I’m HUUUUGE!” alongside a chalk sign reading “Trump condom $4.50.”

Trump administration’s response: A White House spokesperson accused Democrats of “selectively releasing cherry-picked photos,” calling the move a political attack on Trump.

The Justice Department is legally required to release all remaining Epstein-related files by December 19 — next Friday — under a law overwhelmingly passed by Congress and signed by Trump last month.

WILL WE GET MORE?
The photos are part of a larger trove of roughly 95,000 images that Epstein’s estate provided to the House committee.

  • Courts say more releases: Federal judges in New York on Wednesday directed the release of more information from Epstein’s 2019 sex-trafficking case. On Tuesday, another federal judge made a similar ruling covering records related to his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Before signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to specifically investigate high-profile figures in the Democratic Party and their ties to Epstein. She quickly ordered a federal prosecutor to do so.

Why that could delay the release: Even under the signed law, the DOJ can say that they cannot release the files because of an ongoing investigation. As of Friday, they have not said as much.

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🚨 ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT

Inside The New Academic Divide On College Campuses

A new Atlantic report finds that disability accommodations — such as extra test time and distraction-free rooms — are increasingly concentrated among students at elite universities and from wealthier families.

  • At Stanford, nearly 40% of undergraduates are now registered as disabled, with Brown and Harvard around 20%. Community colleges have seen no comparable rise, with about 3-4% of students receiving accommodations.

    • Nationwide, about 25% of Americans of all ages report having a disability.

  • Researchers say roughly half of four-year college students seeking accommodations had no prior diagnosis before arriving on campus.

At the same time, academic readiness appears to be slipping. A recent analysis of freshmen at the University of California, San Diego (ranked sixth among public universities by U.S. News & World Report) found that about one in eight freshmen lack basic high school math skills.

BEHIND THE ACCOMMODATIONS
ADHD diagnoses are climbing among children, even those far too young to be concerned with extended test time.

  • At the same time, there are reports of some families hiring private evaluators or exaggerating symptoms to secure academic advantages.

    • It echoes concerns raised during the 2019 “Varsity Blues” scandal, which included prosecutors uncovering that parents sought doctors to diagnose their children with learning disabilities (when they did not have one) to obtain test accommodations.

Disability advocates caution that fraud is rare, adding that many students with genuine disabilities still don’t receive the accommodations they need — especially students from low-income families, as testing can be thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Critics on the other hand fear the system designed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) to ensure equal access is being misused in ways that may widen inequality.

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT
It comes as students score higher than ever on AP exams, even as the data suggests they may not be learning more. Standardized exams have gotten easier over time, boosting pass rates and fueling grade inflation that continues into college. Critics warn the trend is eroding the nation’s long-term human capital.

  • Back at UC San Diego, the university added a middle- and elementary-school level math course to support struggling students — even though 94% of those enrolled had taken advanced high-school math and earned an average A-.

During COVID-era school closures, many universities scrapped standardized testing requirements. Some are now beginning to bring them back as colleges confront growing numbers of admitted students who lack basic academic skills, raising a more difficult question: do today’s measures still reflect students’ true abilities?

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Preservation group sues Trump administration to stop White House ballroom construction (FOX)

  • California home explosion caught on doorbell camera (FOX)

  • Commander overseeing U.S. forces in Caribbean relinquishes command early amid U.S. buildup near Venezuela (CBS)

  • Illinois becomes 12th state to provide medical aid in dying for the terminally ill (AP)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Thai and Cambodian leaders renew a ceasefire after deadly clashes, Trump says (AP)

  • King says he can ‘share the good news’ his cancer treatment will be reduced (BBC)

  • Iran arrests Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, supporters say (CNN)

  • Zelensky debunks Russia’s claim it occupied Kupyansk with in-person visit (EURO NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • FDA intends to put its most serious warning on Covid vaccines, sources say (CNN)

  • Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald to step down (FOX)

  • Average US long-term mortgage rate ticks up to 6.22%, but remains close to its low for the year (AP)

  • Trump signs order to block state AI laws in bid to beat China (MO NEWS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Fired Michigan coach Sherrone Moore charged with three crimes (ESPN)

  • ‘Heated Rivalry,’ hit Canadian gay hockey show, is getting a 2nd season (CBC)

  • FIFA blasted for ‘extortionate’ World Cup ticket prices in latest lottery phase (YAHOO SPORTS)

  • Dick Van Dyke prepares to turn 100: ‘I’m so lucky’ (ABC)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… The language-learning company ‘Babbel’ came out with a list of the most mispronounced words of 2025, keeping track of words and names that U.S. TV anchors, politicians, and media figures most often pronounced incorrectly.

Commonly flubbed terms include….

  • New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (it’s zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee)

  • The Louvre (it’s LOOV-ruh, with a very slight “ruh”)

  • Acetaminophen (ponnounced “uh-SEE-tuh-MIH-nuh-fen”) — it’s the drug most commonly known as Tylenol that President Trump has falsely tied to autism in children (see clip above)

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