AI Summary
5 min readThis is NPR News Now for December 21, 2025. The episode covers a mix of domestic and international developments, including a mysterious document removal from the Epstein files repository, a major immigration warning from Apple and Google to their visa-holding employees, and a significant power outage in San Francisco.
Epstein Files Removed After Trump Photo Appears
The Justice Department posted two more batches of documents to its online "Epstein Library" on Friday, but at least sixteen of those files were removed by Saturday, including a photograph of President Trump. NPR was able to access the files when they were first made public, but by the next day they were no longer available for viewing or download. It remains unclear whether the removal was due to a technical error, a formal decision by DOJ officials, or another cause. The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment. The incident raises questions about the transparency and stability of the government's ongoing release of materials related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Tech Giants Warn Visa-Holding Employees Not to Travel
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:28) **DOJ Releases Epstein Files, Then Removes Some** - The Justice Department posts two more batches of Epstein files but questions arise after at least sixteen files released Friday, including a photo of President Trump, are no longer available.
- 2 (01:22) **Australia Holds National Day of Reflection After Mass Shooting** - A large crowd on Sydney's Bondi Beach lights candles and observes a minute of silence for the 15 people killed in last weekend's mass shooting.
- 3 (01:37) **Apple and Google Advise Visa-Holding Employees Not to Leave U.S.** - Internal memos reviewed by NPR warn employees on visas to avoid international travel due to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
- 4 (02:43) **Secretary Rubio on Ukraine-Russia Negotiations** - Rubio says the U.S. is trying to negotiate a deal both sides can accept, but won't detail timelines to end what he calls a "bloody nasty conflict."
- 5 (03:24) **Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Piracy After Second Oil Tanker Stopped** - Venezuela calls the U.S. military's boarding of a second oil tanker off its coast a "serious act of international piracy."
- 6 (03:41) **Power Restored in San Francisco After Major Blackout** - A large part of the city was hit by a major power outage Saturday, affecting about 130,000 customers (nearly a third of the city), according to Pacific Gas and Electric.
- 7 (04:01) **Powerball Jackpot Grows to $1.6 Billion After No Winner** - No big jackpot winner last night; the prize is now an estimated $1.6 billion, the fourth largest in Powerball history.
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