An 18-year-old high school senior named Aundre Matthews has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his 16-year-old classmate, Andrew Meismer, during a fight at their school in Baytown, Texas. The incident reportedly started over a disagreement about a stolen vape pen, and Matthews is being held with a bond set at $3 million. The prosecution has requested a hearing to argue for denying bond.
Key Facts
Aundre Matthews, 18, is charged with the murder of his classmate, Andrew Meismer, 16.
The incident took place at Ross S. Sterling High School in Baytown, Texas.
The argument reportedly started over a $21 THC vape pen.
Matthews' bond was set at $3 million; the defense wanted $500,000.
The judge scheduled a hearing to decide on the request to deny bond completely.
Witnesses reported seeing a fight and Meismer being stabbed with scissors.
Matthews claimed Meismer hit him first and that he found the scissors in Meismer's pocket.
The school district emphasized its commitment to student safety and due process.
On Friday, the Kennedy Center changed its name to include President Donald Trump alongside John F. Kennedy after the center's board, chosen by Trump, voted for the change. The center is now called The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
Key Facts
The Kennedy Center's name now includes both Donald Trump and John F. Kennedy.
The change was made after a vote by the board of trustees.
The vote by the board of trustees was unanimous.
President Donald Trump selected the members of the board.
This decision was made to honor both Trump and Kennedy, former U.S. presidents.
Workers used blue tarps to hide the scaffolding as they put up the new name.
The name change was completed in Washington, D.C., on December 19, 2025.
The Trump administration reacted after the Department of Justice released a large number of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, following the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act. President Trump had previously promised to release these files despite initial opposition. The files reveal connections with many high-profile individuals, although no evidence ties President Trump to Epstein's crimes.
Key Facts
The Department of Justice released many files about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The release happened because of a bipartisan law called the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The law was passed with strong support in both the House and Senate.
President Trump initially opposed the release but later called for more investigations.
Files show Epstein's connections with various famous people, but President Trump is not linked to any illegal activities.
Many of the documents and photos released were heavily edited to hide certain details.
Prior releases included photos involving well-known figures, though none were accused of crimes related to Epstein.
The U.S. Department of Justice released many files about Jeffrey Epstein, following a law signed by President Trump. The release happened near a legal deadline, but not all files were shared. More files will be made public soon.
Key Facts
The Justice Department released many files about Epstein due to the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
This law was signed by President Donald Trump in November and set a deadline for the files to be made public.
The files include court documents, photographs, and other records related to Epstein's case.
The public can access the documents on a special website, but high traffic has caused technical issues.
Some information remains hidden for privacy reasons, like personal details of victims.
A government official, Pam Bondi, is overseeing this document release process.
Additional files will be released in the coming weeks as necessary privacy edits continue.
A judge in Wisconsin was found guilty of helping a Mexican man avoid arrest by immigration agents. The judge could face up to five years in prison for this obstruction. The Trump administration views the conviction as a successful example of enforcing immigration laws.
Key Facts
Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of obstruction in Wisconsin.
She helped a Mexican national, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade immigration arrest during a court appearance.
Flores-Ruiz was facing minor battery charges and had a warrant for immigration arrest.
Judge Dugan directed him to use a side exit, but immigration agents later caught him.
Flores-Ruiz was eventually deported.
Judge Dugan was not found guilty on charges of hiding a person from arrest.
She could face a prison sentence of up to five years.
The Trump administration has strengthened efforts against illegal immigration.
Representative Elise Stefanik from New York has decided to stop her campaign for governor and will not run for re-election to Congress. She made this decision to focus more on her family, especially her young son.
Key Facts
Elise Stefanik is a Republican representative from New York.
She announced she is stopping her run for governor of New York.
Stefanik will also not seek re-election for her current Congress seat.
She decided to prioritize her family, particularly her young son.
Stefanik expressed concerns about spending resources on a lengthy primary in New York.
She views her role as a parent as highly important.
Stefanik shared her decision in an email statement on a Friday afternoon.
The Justice Department began releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. The release includes photos, call logs, and other documents, with many already available to the public. Some files may contain sensitive information that should have been hidden.
Key Facts
The Justice Department started releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein, fulfilling a congressional mandate.
President Donald Trump had previously tried to keep these files sealed.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche mentioned the release involves several hundred thousand records.
The release includes photos, call logs, and grand jury testimony.
Access to the files was managed through a waiting room system on the DOJ website.
Some of the materials had been publicly available before the release.
The files include content related to Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted for her involvement with Epstein.
A notice warned the public that some sensitive information might have been missed in redactions.
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to release some files related to Jeffrey Epstein, as required by a new law. The initial release will include several hundred thousand pages, but not all documents will be available right away. The law requiring this release was signed by President Trump, and aims to provide transparency about investigations into Epstein.
Key Facts
The Department of Justice will release files about Jeffrey Epstein due to a new law.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that several hundred thousand pages will be released first.
The files are likely to be heavily redacted, meaning parts will be blacked out for privacy or security reasons.
The release is required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed into law.
The law mandates releasing all unclassified records related to Epstein’s investigations.
Congress members have been analyzing a large number of documents and photos from Epstein's estate.
High-profile figures, including President Trump and others, appear in some documents, but this does not imply wrongdoing.
A Turning Point USA event highlighted conflicts within the conservative movement during President Donald Trump's second term. Ben Shapiro criticized prominent conservatives, including Candace Owens and others, for spreading false information and causing division. He emphasized the need for conservatives to reject deception and uphold core values.
Key Facts
Turning Point USA held its largest event since the death of founder Charlie Kirk.
Ben Shapiro criticized certain conservatives for spreading conspiracy theories and dishonesty.
Shapiro specifically named and criticized Candace Owens for promoting baseless theories about Kirk's death.
Shapiro also addressed criticisms toward Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly for their responses to Owens.
Prominent conservatives are divided over these issues, with some supporting Shapiro's stance.
The event showed ongoing tensions within the conservative movement during Trump's second term.
The U.S. government has paused the diversity lottery immigrant visa program after Claudio Neves Valente, a suspect in a mass shooting, entered the United States through this program. Data indicates that immigrants are not more likely to commit mass shootings than natural-born U.S. citizens. The move has stirred debate about the connection between immigration and violence.
Key Facts
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a pause in the diversity lottery visa program.
Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, entered the U.S. through this program in 2017.
Valente was a suspect in fatal shootings at Brown University and was found dead in New Hampshire.
President Trump previously attempted to end the diversity lottery program.
The diversity visa lottery allows up to 55,000 visas annually for people from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.
A Cato Institute study shows 85.6% of mass shooters in the U.S. from 1966 to 2024 were natural-born citizens.
Criminologists say there is no strong link between immigration status and committing mass shootings.
The approval rate for Social Security disability benefits in the United States fell to 31% in 2023, marking a 13-year low. This means that 69 out of every 100 applications were denied, which experts link to stricter medical criteria and other factors. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has seen an increase in applications amid economic challenges and high denial rates.
Key Facts
The approval rate for disability benefits in 2023 was 31%.
This is the lowest approval rate seen in over a decade.
About 69 out of every 100 applications for benefits were denied.
The decrease in approvals is partly due to stricter eligibility criteria.
Economic conditions, like higher unemployment, can lead to more applications.
Denials are more common in initial application stages than in appeals.
Factors such as staffing shortages and case backlogs also contribute to low approval rates.
Some experts express concern that current practices may prioritize trust fund protection over helping vulnerable individuals.
Bernie Sanders was the most searched U.S. senator in 2025, according to Google Trends data. Searches for him increased due to his vocal protests against President Trump and his national tour. Other popular senators included Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, and Ted Cruz.
Key Facts
Bernie Sanders was the top-searched senator in 2025.
Sanders protested against President Trump and toured with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Cory Booker ranked second for search interest, influenced by his record-breaking long speech.
Searches for Chuck Schumer spiked around government shutdown deadlines in March and September.
Ted Cruz was the most-searched Republican senator, mainly after a heated interview with Tucker Carlson.
Supporters of President Donald Trump are eager for the release of documents related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. The Department of Justice must release these documents by December 19. President Trump, initially against disclosure, now supports making the files public.
Key Facts
President Trump's supporters gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, to discuss the potential release of Jeffrey Epstein documents.
December 19 is the deadline for the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files.
Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender and financier.
There has been significant pressure on the Trump administration for transparency regarding Epstein investigations.
President Trump has shifted his stance and now supports releasing the documents to the public.
Pressure for disclosure also came from within Trump's Republican Party.
President Donald Trump announced that nine major drug companies will follow his new policy to lower drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid. Prices will be reduced to match costs in other countries through a system called TrumpRx, set to start in January.
Key Facts
President Trump announced a new plan to lower drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid.
Nine major pharmaceutical companies joined the plan.
The companies include Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, and others.
Drug prices will align with those in other countries.
The new pricing will be available through the TrumpRx platform, launching in January.
Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer will provide the drug Eliquis for free to Medicare patients.
President Donald Trump's lawyers asked a federal judge to grant him immunity from lawsuits claiming he encouraged the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The judge has not yet made a decision after listening to arguments from both sides.
Key Facts
President Trump's lawyers are seeking presidential immunity for him.
The lawsuits claim Trump encouraged the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
The attack happened during the process of certifying the 2020 election results.
Democratic members of Congress filed the lawsuits against Trump.
Judge Amit Mehta is the federal judge handling this case.
The judge did not make an immediate decision following the court arguments.
Kamala Harris discussed a phone call she made to President Donald Trump after an assassination attempt on him during the 2024 presidential campaign. During the call, she said she could hear Trump promoting his book. The person responsible for the assassination attempt was convicted in September 2024.
Key Facts
Kamala Harris shared details about a phone call with President Trump after an assassination attempt on him.
The attempt occurred at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Ryan Wesley Routh was convicted of attempted assassination and other charges related to this incident.
Routh did not fire his weapon because a U.S. Secret Service agent spotted him and intervened.
There was another assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Harris was the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2024 election and promoted her book discussing her campaign.
Jack Smith, a former special counsel, asked to testify openly in front of the House Judiciary Committee. He wants this public hearing to explain his investigations into President Trump's actions. Smith's team says he followed laws and procedures during his investigations.
Key Facts
Jack Smith asked for a public hearing in a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan.
Smith's investigations were into President Trump’s alleged criminal activities.
Smith claims he followed all legal rules during his investigations.
House Republicans subpoenaed Smith, accusing him of legal misconduct.
Smith previously testified behind closed doors to the House Judiciary Committee.
His investigations led to charges against Trump but did not go to trial.
Smith’s lawyers want the public to hear his previous testimony directly.
Republican lawmakers called for Smith to lose his law license.
President Donald Trump stated that his administration reduced prescription drug prices by up to 600 percent. However, this claim raised questions because mathematically, such reductions would mean drug companies are paying people to use their products. Experts and news reports challenge these figures as impossible.
Key Facts
President Trump claimed drug prices were reduced by up to 600 percent.
A 600 percent reduction would mean drug companies pay consumers to take the drugs.
Experts have called Trump's claims mathematically impossible.
Trump also mentioned reducing some drug prices by up to 1,500 percent in the past.
The White House has been working with drug companies to lower prescription costs.
Trump signed an executive order to push drug companies to reduce prices or face limits.
An online platform, TrumpRx, is planned to offer discounted drug rates.
President Donald Trump is set to announce new agreements aimed at reducing the cost of drugs. The announcement is part of ongoing efforts to lower medication prices through deals with drug companies like AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Key Facts
President Trump will make an announcement about lowering drug prices.
The announcement is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST.
Deals have been made with drug companies such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
The focus is on reducing prescription drug prices for Medicaid.
The White House press secretary shared information about the announcement on social media.
President Donald Trump's approval rating rose to 50% in a recent RMG Research poll. This increase provides a boost to his administration as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Different polls give varied results on his approval, with some showing more disapproval than approval.
Key Facts
President Trump's approval rating reached 50% in a recent poll by RMG Research.
The poll surveyed 3,000 registered voters from December 10 to 18, with a margin of error of ±1.8 percentage points.
A week earlier, the same poll showed a 47% approval rate for Trump.
More people strongly disapprove (38%) of Trump than strongly approve (27%).
Emerson College Polling reported a 41% approval and 50% disapproval for Trump.
Morning Consult found Trump's net approval positive in 22 states, up slightly from his first term.
A Fox News poll showed a 44% approval and 56% disapproval for Trump, focusing on economic management.
Public opinion may change before the 2026 midterm elections.
