A Christmas of Trial and Truth

While Trump Tightens Control at Home and Retreats Abroad, Ordinary People Light the Darkness in Ukraine

Today, December 19, 2025, marks the court-ordered deadline for the release of Epstein-related DOJ records. What the public will receive is not full disclosure—it’s a heavily redacted, carefully curated portion designed to create the appearance of compliance while shielding powerful names and networks. On December 17, 2025, Donald Trump delivered an 18-minute prime-time address to the nation, filled with specific, faux-factual claims delivered with indifference to truth and the goal of exhausting critics while reassuring supporters. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, ordinary people are doing what governments won’t: bringing real light and warmth to churches turned into vital shelters during a freezing wartime Christmas. Here’s what matters right now.

Domestic Challenges: Truth, Corruption, and Moral Confusion at Home

• The Epstein Files: A Redaction Operation, Not Transparency Look beyond the black bars: entire categories missing, broken timelines, references to documents that never appear, “summaries” without primary evidence, and consistent protection of the same names, time periods, or financial connections. These are deliberate design choices meant to exhaust public attention and allow the narrative to shift to “nothing new was found.”

• DOJ Confirms Phased Epstein Release, Citing Victim Privacy The Justice Department has confirmed it will not release all non-exempt Epstein records by today’s deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced an initial tranche of “several hundred thousand” records, with more phased releases expected in coming weeks, citing victim privacy and review needs. Internal DOJ strain is reported as attorneys rush redactions, with work shifted to the National Security Division amid concerns about backlash from rushed processing.

• Putin Is Holding Trump Hostage Putin is deliberately using Trump as leverage to keep the war in Ukraine going. The Epstein files—containing compromising material—are a key piece of that leverage. Through back-channel pressure, false promises, and endless “talks” in places like Miami, Putin prevents decisive action while Trump remains entangled in the diplomatic charade. The war could end much faster if the U.S. stepped back and allowed Ukraine to fight with full support—but Putin’s refusal to discuss serious terms on Russian state TV shows this is about prolonging the conflict for strategic and personal gain.

• Trump’s National Address: A Pattern of Exaggeration and Repetition Trump says whatever serves his immediate purpose, repeating exaggerated claims endlessly across rallies, interviews, and social media to overwhelm critics and normalize falsehoods. His December 17 address was rushed and bellicose—far from his usual confidence—and no amount of repetition will hide reality if economic pressures continue to rise.

• Erika Kirk’s endorsing JD Vance Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, is a rising voice in MAGA. At AmericaFest in Phoenix on Thursday, she praised Usha Vance for supporting her after her husband’s murder and declared: “We will make sure my husband’s friend JD Vance is elected the 48th President of the United States in the most convincing way possible.” This signals growing GOP support for Vance as the 2028 nominee, while Trump’s third-term speculation is largely dismissed due to constitutional limits.

• CBP’s Coercive “Advisal” to Unaccompanied Migrant Children A federal “advisal” form used by Customs and Border Protection warns unaccompanied children that if they ask for an immigration judge or express fear of return, they can expect to be detained “for a prolonged period of time”—and that their sponsor “may be arrested, prosecuted and deported.” Sen. Ron Wyden calls it “shockingly coercive” and demands it end. This is intimidation dressed up as paperwork.

• Trump Administration Suspends Diversity Visa Lottery After Brown University Shooting Authorities confirmed Claudio Neves Valente acted alone in killing two people at Brown University, then MIT professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro, before dying by suicide. The Trump administration responded by suspending the diversity visa lottery program, claiming it was the pathway to his permanent residency.

• Trump Announces Pricing Deals With Nine Drugmakers President Trump announced voluntary agreements with nine pharmaceutical companies (Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi) to sell many drugs to Medicaid at prices comparable to those in European countries and to offer direct-to-consumer sales via manufacturer websites. A new government site, TrumpRx.gov, is planned to launch next month to direct patients to these options. In exchange, the companies receive three-year exemptions from potential tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals. These deals cover 14 of 17 targeted companies so far, but do not address most drugs covered by private insurance or Medicare.

• Trump Fires Kennedy Center Board and Takes Control President Trump has fired the entire board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and appointed himself chairman, replacing the bipartisan board with loyalists and allies. This move, described as a “hostile takeover,” allows Trump to control programming and events at the federally funded cultural institution, raising concerns about politicization of the arts and potential use for MAGA messaging. Critics call it an unprecedented power grab over a nonpartisan cultural landmark.

NATO: U.S. Troop Withdrawal Threatens European Security

• Trump Plans to Pull 20,000 Troops from Europe President Trump is reportedly planning to reduce U.S. troop presence in Europe by about 20,000 (roughly 20 percent of the current 100,000), according to a European diplomatic source cited by Italian news agency ANSA. Trump also intends to demand financial contributions from NATO allies for maintaining the remaining troops, arguing they serve as a deterrent and costs should not be borne solely by American taxpayers. This move raises alarm among NATO allies amid heightened tensions with Russia.

• Trump Administration Pulls Troops from Romania’s Eastern Flank The U.S. will not replace approximately 1,000 to 1,200 troops that rotated out of Romania last month, part of a rotational brigade on NATO’s eastern flank in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia. This reflects a shift in priorities under President Trump toward U.S. borders and the Indo-Pacific region, with an emphasis on European allies taking more responsibility for their security. Romanian officials accept the move, noting that about 1,000 U.S. troops remain as part of a 3,500-strong NATO presence, which they consider sufficient. However, some U.S. lawmakers strongly oppose it, and NATO is in close contact on deployments amid heightened tensions with Russia.

Gaza: A Humanitarian Crisis Amid Endless War

• The Hostage Release Brings Relief, But the War Continues In late 2025, the last remaining hostages held by Hamas were finally returned to Israel—some alive, others for dignified burial. This long-awaited moment offered a brief sense of relief and humanity after years of suffering. Yet the conflict shows no sign of ending. Gaza remains in ruins, with massive civilian suffering and no clear path to peace.

• The Mask Slips Here Too The Gaza war has exposed deep divisions in the West: rising antisemitism that has gone from fringe to mainstream, often cloaked as anti-Zionism, and a willingness to tolerate or even excuse terrorism. A society that allows open Jew-hatred is a society that has lost its moral compass and is vulnerable to all forms of extremism.

• Israel’s Right to Defend Itself Is Our Fight Too Supporting Israel’s right to exist and defend itself is not only about Israel—it is about defending the values of freedom and security that we share. The same pattern of moral confusion that weakens our response to Ukraine also appears here: appeasement and reluctance to confront terror only embolden those who seek to destroy free societies.

Ukraine: Real Help vs. Empty Promises

• A Church in Odessa Receives a Miracle Massive Russian strikes plunged Odessa into darkness, leaving a small church—bombed, windows shattered, and filled with families seeking shelter—without power in the freezing winter. Four days earlier, the pastor and congregation prayed for help, poured a concrete pad in the backyard, and trusted that God would provide a generator. Thanks to donations through the GoFundMe Help The People Of Odessa Survive The Winter Blackout, we delivered that very last generator. When it arrived, the pastor broke down in tears, calling it a miracle from God. In a season when families gather to celebrate Christmas, this was real light and warmth brought to people who needed it most.

• Containers (Modular Battery Storage Units) Are Smarter for Ukraine Traditional generators are noisy, fuel-dependent, and vulnerable to attack. Modular battery storage containers are a better solution: portable, quiet, and capable of creating decentralized microgrids—self-sufficient power islands that are much harder to disrupt. These standalone systems can be charged from available sources and run independently for days, reducing reliance on vulnerable fuel deliveries and minimizing blackouts during relentless bombardment.

• Why Churches Need Containers In Ukraine’s winter, bombed churches have become vital shelters for hundreds of displaced families, elderly, and children—especially during the Christmas season when warmth and light mean everything. Traditional generators require dangerous fuel deliveries that Russian drones often target. Modular battery storage containers create self-sufficient power islands that can run for days without resupply, keeping families warm, safe, and able to gather in peace even as blackouts continue.

Venezuela: Escalating Tensions and Threats of War

• U.S. Drug Boat Strikes Surpass 100 Deaths The U.S. military reported additional lethal strikes on alleged drug smuggling vessels in the eastern Pacific, bringing the known death toll to at least 104 across dozens of strikes. The campaign faces growing congressional scrutiny and legal debate about target designation and rules of engagement. Internal military concerns have reached senior levels, with guidance issued for officers to seek counsel if they believe orders may be unlawful.

• Trump Floats War with Venezuela Trump stated he is not ruling out military action against Venezuela as the U.S. escalates pressure on the Maduro government, including measures targeting Venezuelan oil shipments. This comes amid ongoing regional tensions and U.S. efforts to isolate the regime.

There comes a moment in every investigation when the evidence stops mattering. The pattern becomes the evidence.

Today’s Epstein files “release” is not transparency. It is theater.
Maxwell’s trial didn’t expose the network.
Redactions didn’t sever it.
Delays didn’t break it.

The architecture was never local. What people call “corruption” is actually extraterritorial governance. It operates across borders through back channels, offshore accounts, intelligence partnerships, sovereign havens, and private leverage. It treats American institutions like an occupying force treats an inherited building—for cover, for leverage, for theater.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!