Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation,

working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org.

Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Hurst. Now that the Justice Department has released some of the files related

to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, questions are emerging about what hasn't been

released. And Pierre Stephen Fowler has more. Only a small fraction of the Epstein files released

Friday is information that was not made public before in court filings, open records request,

or turned over to Congress by Epstein's estate. Even in the new records, many people and pages

are heavily redacted. And lawmakers who push for the law to force disclosure of the documents say

the DOJ is not complying with their intention by planning to release more later.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massey and Democrat Rocahanna are among those who argue there's missing information, including about powerful people near Epstein, also accused of crimes.

Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have left for their holiday break without addressing premium subsidies for Obamacare.

As Empire Selena Simmons-Duffin reports, open enrollment runs until January 15th.

On average, premium costs are doubling in Affordable Care Act plans.

Congressional Democrats have been pushing for months to extend enhanced subsidies that helped keep

premiums low, but Republicans have blocked those efforts, offering alternative health bills

that are not likely to become law instead. However, a bipartisan effort called a discharge

petition reached the required number of signatures this week. That process can force the House to consider a bill

that would extend the subsidies for three years, but it likely won't be voted on until January.

Millions of enrollees are expected to become uninsured.

Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington.

A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to NPR that the Coast Guard was in the process of seizing a tanker in international waters off Venezuela today. This is tensions mount between the Trump administration and the government of Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduro.

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