Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, it’s Christmas Day, we have some very intriguing stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
President Joe Biden signs a massive bill aimed at protecting our country, the proposed sale of a crucial U.S. steel manufacturer arrives on his desk for approval, and a judge issues a new court date for the trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump.
Also, the incoming commander-in-chief issues a stern warning impacting both illegal drugs and our nation’s border, and the medical condition of a former president changes for the better and just in time for Christmas Day.
Biden Signs $895 Billion Defense Authorization Bill
Biden just signed an $895 billion military spending authorization measure called the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), making it legal despite saying that certain provisions in the Act provide cause for concern.The outgoing president said that he supports what he calls “the critical objectives” of the act; however, he signaled reservations about several provisions in the bill that he says constrained the authority of the presidency to oversee international negotiations.
He also said there are other provisions in the NDAA that require the president to report to Congress in a manner that could force any commander-in-chief to divulge sensitive intelligence information or military planning procedures.
Biden also objected to parts of the act that bar the U.S. Department of Defense from using any of their allotted funds to transfer detainees out of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and into the custody of certain foreign nations.
In case you missed it, earlier this month, both the House and Senate passed the annual budget authorization bill by significant margins. However, a number of Democrats raised objections to one provision in the bill that bars the Defense Department’s medical plan from covering certain transgender procedures for the children of military members.
The NDAA provides for the continued operations of a number of U.S. military organizations and weapons development projects. It also provides substantial pay raises for U.S. service members, including a 14.5 percent increase for junior enlisted troops.
For the record, however, a separate defense appropriations act is needed to fully fund these authorized programs, and lawmakers still have to pass a new annual budget if the provisions in the NDAA are to be completely financed.
Decision on Sale of US Steel Referred to President
Nippon Steel’s proposed $15 billion takeover of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel has just been referred to Biden for final approval, after a key decision-making body failed to reach a consensus regarding the issue.The president now has 15 days to decide whether to either block or approve the deal. So you know, Biden said previously that he opposes the deal, and if he takes no action in the next two weeks, then the merger will move forward.
We should also point out that the referral paves the way for a decision before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month, and that he has publicly opposed the deal ever since it was announced last year.
So you know, a federal agency called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is responsible for reviewing foreign investments in our country for national security risks. The committee was unable to decide on the deal, which prompted the referral to Biden.
Meanwhile, Nippon Steel says it has gone to great lengths to address those national security concerns, including by appointing American citizens to top management roles at U.S. Steel. Additionally, if the deal falls through, Nippon Steel must pay U.S. Steel a $565 million penalty and could pursue legal measures against the U.S. government.
With the purchase, Nippon Steel aims to significantly increase its global steel production capacity. Furthermore, some financiers say the United States is the only developed nation in which domestic steel demand is increasing, making the purchase a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for Nippon Steel.
For their part, U.S. Steel says it hopes Biden will “do the right thing” and “adhere to the law” by approving the transaction. They say it forges an alliance in steel to combat the competitive threat from China, and is the best way to ensure that its employees, communities, and customers will thrive well into the future.
Judge Delays Trump Assassination Attempt Trial to September 2025
Florida Judge Aileen Cannon has just delayed the trial for Ryan Routh—the man suspected of attempting to assassinate Trump on his golf course earlier this year—until Sept. 8, 2025.So you know, the trial was originally set to begin in just a couple of months, and in issuing her decision, the judge cited what’s known as “substantial discovery,” or the amount of evidence that attorneys must review before the trial.
However, earlier this month during a pre-trial hearing, the defense team signaled that Routh might try to use an insanity defense.
This latest order sets a deadline of Feb. 3 for his lawyers to give the judge any notice of such a defense, including alerting the court to any expert evidence regarding their client’s mental condition and a desired motion for a mental competency hearing.
Meanwhile, the prosecuting attorney for the Southern District of Florida argued that too much time is being given to the defense team to review the discovery material. He says that 17 out of 18 cell phones that must be examined belong to their client.
They also say that the bulk of the contents have little relevance to their client’s defense.
As a reminder, the 58-year-old suspect has been charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, along with a number of additional related counts, which include assaulting a Secret Service agent. If convicted, the U.S. Department of Justice says he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Trump Announces Anti-Drug Ad Blitz
Trump says that as soon as he takes office next month, he’s going to immediately designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations before launching a substantial anti-drug advertising campaign inside the United States.Earlier this week, the president-elect previewed his new initiative, which he said would provide information about the harmful effects of drug use. He also said that his administration will show people how bad drugs are for them, including how they ruin your looks, face, teeth, and even skin.
While this appears to be the first time Trump has made reference to a comprehensive anti-drug campaign, during his first term in office, he had plans to apply the terrorist designation to Mexican cartels. Ultimately, he decided against making the move following a request from Mexico’s president at that time.
Meanwhile, Trump has said that when he returns to the White House, he’ll direct the Department of Defense to use special forces, cyber warfare, and any necessary actions to inflict maximum damage on cartel leadership, infrastructure, and operations.
We should mention that over the past several years, hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from overdoses of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. The drug is extremely fatal, 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and often trafficked into the United States by drug cartels based in Mexico.
Next month, Trump returns to the White House after winning the popular vote and following a successful campaign that leaned heavily into messaging around stopping both the fentanyl epidemic and illegal immigration into the United States.
Clinton Discharged From Hospital
Yesterday, the 42nd U.S. president checked out of a Washington hospital after being treated for both a fever and the flu.Clinton’s deputy chief of staff says that both he and his family are grateful to the medical team at the Georgetown University hospital for taking such good care of him. They’re also touched by the kind messages and well wishes he received from a number of people and he’ll spend the holidays surrounded by family and friends.
In case you missed it, a couple of days ago, the 78-year-old former president was admitted to the hospital for testing and observation after coming down with a fever.
By the way, Clinton has a history of significant medical issues, and you may recall that he successfully underwent quadruple bypass surgery just over 20 years ago.
The former president is a Democrat who served in our nation’s highest office from 1993 to 2001.
Additionally, he spoke several months ago at this year’s Democratic National Convention, and more recently, he told CBS News that the Democratic Party needs to increase their appeal to non-college-educated Americans if they’re going to have success in future elections.
Clinton’s aide went on to say that the former president sends his warmest wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season to all of his fellow Americans.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition (the Christmas Day edition) of the Epoch Times News Brief.
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And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Charlie Brown, who said:
“I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”
Charlie Brown said that in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the animated television special from 1965.
Large or small, we all need a Christmas tree.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Christmas Day and we’ll see you right back next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
For now, it’s imperative that we all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, everyone. Bye for now.
