Tarana Burke tells Marc Lamont Hill on Epstein, Trump and how widespread sexual violence is in the United States.

In 2017, a reckoning over sexual violence called “#MeToo” swept the globe. Eight years later, has the movement done enough for survivors? And what will it take for some of the world’s most powerful men accused of sexual misconduct to face consequences?

This week on UpFront Marc Lamont Hill speaks to founder of the Me Too movement, Tarana Burke.

The Department of Justice has released files related to the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein after mounting pressure led President Donald Trump to sign the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month. Trump, who himself has been accused dozens of times of sexual assault and misconduct, has already appeared in photos, emails and other documents in connection with Epstein, causing a rift in his base. Other business elites, academics, politicians and world leaders have also been named in connection to Epstein. While some have faced minor consequences, only Ghislaine Maxwell has been criminally convicted as part of Epstein’s sex trafficking of minors. Will newly released documents lead to new convictions and genuine accountability for survivors?

Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025

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A spokesperson for Bill Clinton accused the White House late on Friday of using him as a scapegoat after pictures of the former president with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as with a young woman in a pool, were included as part of congressionally ordered release of government files.

“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” the spokesperson said in a statement on X.

“This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be,” the statement added.

It continued: “Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton,” it said, referring to comments made by White House chief of staff to Vanity Fair in which Wiles acknowledged that Clinton had not been on Epstein’s Caribbean island despite repeated claims by Trump to the contrary.

Clinton has long maintained that he cut ties with Epstein around 2005, before the disgraced financier plead guilty to solicitation of a minor in Florida.

In the statement, Clinton’s spokesperson Angel Ureña said: “There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that. Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.”

The photographs released on Friday show Clinton in an underground swimming pool with Maxwell and a woman whose facial features have been redacted, as well as on a plane with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, and at a dinner with Mick Jagger, Epstein and other public figures.

The picture of Clinton in a swimming pool was later posted on X by the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, with the caption “Oh my!” and a red-faced emoji.

“Slick Willy! @BillClinton just chillin, without a care in the world. Little did he know… ,” Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, posted to X.

Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times during the early years of Clinton’s presidency, according to White House visitor records cited in news reports. He later travelled with Epstein on the financier’s private jet in the years after he left office in 2001, including to Asia and Africa, on trips related the Clinton Global Initiative. Clinton has never been formally accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

But Trump has repeatedly made insinuations about the relationship between Clinton and Epstein. Last month, he called for the justice department and the FBI to “investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton”, part of a long-running campaign to characterize the Epstein scandal as an issue uniquely connected to Democrats.

The justice department photo dump comes as both Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and presidential candidate, are scheduled to give depositions to the House oversight committee over their ties to Epstein.

The depositions, originally scheduled for last week, have been pushed to 13 and 14 January. The committee’s chair, James Comer, has threatened to hold contempt proceedings if the couple do not sit for depositions on those dates, Politico reported.

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Watch: Images, cassettes and high-profile figures – What’s in the latest Epstein files?

The release of thousands of pages of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse has left some who were anxiously awaiting the files disappointed.

The documents’ release was prompted by an act of Congress that directed the US Justice Department (DOJ) to make materials related to Epstein’s crimes public. But some documents have numerous redactions, and others have not been shared publicly at all.

The lawmakers who pushed for these documents to see the light of day have said the release is incomplete and described the Justice Department’s efforts as insincere.

Some legal experts also warned that the breadth of redaction may only fuel ongoing conspiracy theories.

But Deputy US Attorney Todd Blanche said on Friday – the day the materials were released – that the department identified more than 1,200 Epstein victims or their relatives, and withheld material that could identify them.

Among the latest released information is a photo of Epstein confidante Ghislane Maxwell outside Downing Street, a document that claims Epstein introduced a 14-year-old girl to US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and multiple images of former President Bill Clinton.

Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has not been accused of any crimes by Epstein’s victims. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse, and has denied knowledge of his sex offending.

Other released photos show the interiors of Epstein’s homes, his overseas travels, as well as celebrities, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Peter Mandelson.

Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Many of those identified in the files or in previous releases related to Epstein have denied any wrongdoing.

US Department of Justice

Epstein poses with Michael Jackson

But many of the documents are also heavily redacted.

The Justice Department said it would comply with the congressional request to release documents, with some stipulations.

It redacted personally identifiable information about Epstein’s victims, materials depicting child sexual abuse, materials depicting physical abuse, any records that “would jeopardize an active federal investigation” or any classified documents that must stay secret to protect “national defense or foreign policy”.

In a post on X, the DOJ said it was “not redacting the names of any politicians”, and added a quote they attributed to Blanche, saying: “The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law – full stop.

“Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim.”

John Day, a criminal defence attorney, told the BBC he was surprised by the amount of information that was redacted.

“This is just going to feed the fire if you are a conspiracy theorist,” he said. “I don’t think anyone anticipated there would be this many redactions. It certainly raises questions about how faithfully the DOJ is following the law.”

Mr Day also noted that the justice department is required to provide a log of what was being redacted to Congress within 15 days of the files’ release.

“Until you know what’s being redacted you don’t know what’s being withheld,” he said.

In a letter to the judges overseeing the Epstein and Maxwell cases, US attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, said: “Victim privacy interests counsel in favour of redacting the faces of women in photographs with Epstein even where not all the women are known to be victims because it is not practicable for the department to identify every person in a photo.”

Clayton added that “this approach to photographs could be viewed by some as an over-redaction” – but that “the department believes it should, in the compressed time frame, err on the side of redacting to protect victims.”

Reuters

Epstein survivor Liz Stein has called for all of the files to be released

Survivors of Epstein’s abuses, are among those most frustrated by the release.

Marina Lacerda, who was 14 when she was abused by Epstein, told the BBC she and other survivors have long waited for the files to be released.

“We are a little disappointed that they’re now still lingering on and distracting us with other things,” she said.

“Some of the survivors are still nervous and sceptical about how they are going to release the rest of the files. We are very worried that it will still be redacted in the same way that it was today.”

Epstein survivor Liz Stein told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she thinks the Justice Department is “really brazenly going against the Epstein Files Transparency Act”, which is the law that requires all the documents to be released.

Survivors are really worried about the possibility of a “slow roll-out of incomplete information without any context”, she noted.

“We just want all of the evidence of these crimes out there.”

Baroness Helena Kennedy, a human rights lawyer and Labour peer in the House of Lords in the UK, said she was told the redactions in the documents were there to protect the victims.

“Authorities always have a worry” about “exposing people to yet further denigration in the public mind”, she told the BBC’s Today programme.

Many Epstein survivors seem “very keen” to have the material exposed, she said, but added that they “might not be so keen if they knew exactly what was in there”.

Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna, who led the charge along with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie to release the files, said the release was “incomplete” and added that he is looking at options like impeachment, contempt or referral to prosecution.

“Our law requires them to explain redactions,” Khanna said. “There is not a single explanation.”

Massie seconded Khanna’s statement and posted on social media that Attorney General Pam Bondi and other justice department officials could be prosecuted by future justice departments for not complying with the document requirements.

He said the document release “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law” of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

After the release, the White House called the Trump Administration the most “transparent in history”, adding that it has “done more for the victims than Democrats ever have”.

Blanche was asked in an interview with ABC News whether all documents mentioning Trump in the so-called Epstein files will be released in the coming weeks.

“Assuming it’s consistent with the law, yes,” Blanche said. “So there’s no effort to hold anything back because there’s the name Donald J Trump or anybody else’s name, Bill Clinton’s name, Reid Hoffman’s name.

“There’s no effort to hold back or not hold back because of that.”

“We’re not redacting the names of famous men and women that are associated with Epstein,” he added.

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Preparations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan are underway, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. The announcement comes after representatives from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey participated in high-level U.S.-led talks in Miami.

“In our discussions regarding phase two, we emphasized enabling a governing body in Gaza under a unified Gazan authority to protect civilians and maintain public order,” Witkoff wrote on X. “We also discussed regional integration measures, including trade facilitation, infrastructure development, and cooperation on energy, water, and other shared resources, as essential to Gaza’s recovery, regional stability, and long-term prosperity.

“We reviewed next steps in the phased implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza, underscoring the importance of sequencing, coordination, and effective monitoring in partnership with local Gazan institutions and international partners.”

NETANYAHU ADVISOR EXPRESSES ‘DEEP FAITH’ IN TRUMP’S GAZA CEASEFIRE PLAN FRAMEWORK APPROACH

A drone view shows Palestinians walking past the rubble after Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the area amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza City Oct. 11, 2025.  (Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo/Reuters)

In addition to looking forward to the next phase, the group reflected on the implementation of the first part of the ceasefire, which Witkoff said “yielded progress.”

During the first phase, humanitarian aid went into the Gaza Strip, hostilities were reduced and there was a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces. Additionally, all living hostages and most deceased hostages were released. The last remaining hostage is Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer who was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Israeli soldiers watch the northern Gaza Strip from southern Israel July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

1 HOSTAGE REMAINS WITH HAMAS AFTER LATEST BODY IS ID’D

The U.S.-led talks on the second phase of the plan were proceeded by a similar meeting in Cairo, which reportedly included Turkey and Egypt’s intelligence chiefs, as well as Qatar’s prime minister.

“During the meeting, [they] also agreed to continue strengthening coordination and cooperation with the Civil Military Coordination Center to eliminate all obstacles to ensure the continuity of the ceasefire and to prevent further violations,” a Turkish source told Reuters, adding that they also discussed countering alleged Israeli ceasefire violations.

Palestinians walk on a street with rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Feb. 17, 2025 (Reuters/Mahmoud Issa)

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The second phase of the deal involves the deployment of an international stabilization force and the development of an international body to govern Gaza. It also includes the disarmament of Hamas. Additionally, Israel will move further from the so-called “yellow line” ahead of the international force taking over, according to The Times of Israel.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

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An Australian state is moving to ban public displays of Islamic State group flags and extremist symbols after the Bondi Beach mass shooting driven by antisemitism killed 15 people.

Under draft laws to be debated by the of New South Wales Parliament, publicly displaying the IS flag or symbols from other extremist groups will be offenses punishable by up to two years in prison and fines.

The state’s premier, Chris Minns, also said chants of “globalize the intifada” will be banned and police would be given greater powers to demand protesters remove face coverings at demonstrations.

“Hate speech or incitement of hatred has no place in our society,” Minns said Saturday.

The Arabic word intifada is generally translated as “uprising.”

A member of the Jewish community stands at a floral memorial in honour of the victims of the mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jeremy Piper (REUTERS/Jeremy Piper)

While pro-Palestinian demonstrators say the slogan describes the worldwide protests against the war in Gaza, Jewish leaders say it inflames tensions and encourages attacks on Jews.

“Horrific, recent events have shown that the chant ‘globalize the intifada’ is hate speech and encourages violence in our community,” Minns told reporters. “You’re running a very risky racket if you’re thinking of using that phrase.”

New South Wales politicians are expected to debate the reforms on Monday after the premier recalled parliament.

Police said Sunday’s attack, targeting a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s most famous beach, was “a terrorist attack inspired by (the) Islamic State ” group. Police said they found two homemade IS flags in the vehicle used by the two suspects.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to introduce measures to curb radicalization and hate, including broadening the definition of hate speech offenses for preachers and leaders who promote violence, and toughening punishments for such crimes. The proposals would also designate some groups as hateful, and allow judges to consider hate as an aggravating factor in cases of online threats and harassment.

Albanese has also announced plans to tighten Australia’s already strict gun laws.

The attack has raised questions about whether Australian Jews are sufficiently protected from rising antisemitism.

Australia has 28 million people, including about 117,000 who are Jewish. Antisemitic incidents, including assaults, vandalism, threats and intimidation, surged more than threefold in the country during the year after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel launched a war on Hamas in Gaza in response, the government’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal reported in July.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Ralph Macchio has ideas about how the Karate Kid can live on forever
• Macchio, 64, spoke to PEOPLE about his hopes for the future of Karake Kid at the 24 Hour Plays Annual Gala
• “I just think there’s needs to be a reset” he says of the franchise post-Cobra Kai

Karate Kid can live forever — at least according to Ralph Macchio, if it gets a “reset.” 

Macchio, 64, spoke to PEOPLE about his hopes for the future of Karate Kid at the 24 Hour Plays Annual Gala on Dec. 12 in Brooklyn, NY. 

When asked about the future of the Karate Kid franchise, Macchio says, “There’s been discussions.” 

“I think there came between the series and the movie with Jackie Chan all that colliding the same time. I just think there needs to be a reset. Finding the perfect way to launch, because the fan base — it’s never gone away. It hasn’t gone away since 1984. But, you want to service and be organic and be true to the integrity of the characters. So that’s always a challenge once you are on the long game.”

The Karate Kid.

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock 

However, he shares that there is “nothing set in discussions all the time.”

“Me and the guys who write that show and other actors involved, we’re all open to communicating. But something isn’t coming tomorrow. I don’t have that secret yet, but maybe we do a few other things. And Cobra Kai never dies. Karate Kid lives forever.” 

The 24 Hour Plays Annual Gala is a charity event that features actors racing against the clock to write, rehearse and perform new plays in 24 hours. Proceeds from the event support its non-profit activities throughout the year, including education programming with students from middle school to college, professional development for emerging artists through The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and its partner productions worldwide. 

Ralph Macchio in Season 1 of ‘Cobra Kai’.

Courtesy of Netflix

After Kobra Kai, Macchio was happy to take part in the 24-hour challenge of rehearsing and performing in the play. 

“I’m feeling great. I’m not gonna necessarily say it’s a bucket lister, but I’d like to challenge myself. Coming off of the last seven years of what I’ve had with the Cobra Kai series and the Karate Legends movie and all that high-end kind of stuff, it was just like, let’s get my hands dirty and let’s cross over without a net. That’s how it felt. But a lot of love in the room and live theater and not everything’s perfect, but it was perfect for that moment.” 

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Bonnie Blue revealed how she managed to sway her father’s view of Andrew Tate when she joined him on a podcast

Bonnie Blue has no regrets about meeting Andrew Tate(Image: bonnie_blue_xox/Instagram )

Bonnie Blue has revealed how she changed her father’s opinion about controversial influencer Andrew Tate. The pair caused a stir when they appeared on the Disruptors podcast earlier this year, with Tate making typically outrageous comments.

He described Blue as the “end result of feminism” and claimed women would be happy to sleep with the enemy if World War Three broke out. Blue then dropped a bombshell of her own, saying: “I would have f***** Hitler to survive.”

She also took a swipe at stay-at-home mums who criticise her marathon sex stunts, telling Tate that her actions were empowering women. Despite Tate’s notorious misogynistic views, Blue insisted she had no regrets about joining him on the podcast.

She also shared how she managed to sway her father’s negative perception of Tate. She told the Daily Star: “When I first told my dad I was going to do an interview with Andrew Tate, he was like, ‘Oh you’re not doing an interview with that guy, I’ve seen him online, I’ve seen his clips and what the news say about him.’

“And I said, ‘Dad, imagine if you didn’t know me and you saw all the press around me and someone said they were coming to meet me, you’d probably say the exact same.’

READ MORE: Andrew Tate’s vile Ariana Grande remark that left fans furious and saw him branded ‘gross’READ MORE: Andrew Tate’s surprisingly small net worth after his inflated claims don’t add up

“‘But you know me so you know those things aren’t true, you know I’m not what I’m made out to be online.'” Her father responded: “That makes sense.”

Blue added: “The one thing I’ve learned about what you read online, it doesn’t mean they’re like that in person, it doesn’t mean what’s in the press is always true.”

She had nothing but praise for Tate’s behaviour before and during the podcast, saying: “I actually don’t regret doing the podcast at all.

Blue made a shocking comment about Adolf Hitler(Image: YouTube/Disruptors Podcast)

“I know everybody has different experiences with people but for me, he turned up early for the podcast, he shook my hand, offered me a drink.

“He said, ‘Let me know if there’s anything I ask which you don’t want or don’t feel comfortable with,’ and to me, he was nothing but respectful. My encounter with him was nothing but positive.”

Tate, a former world champion kickboxer, is set to face Misfits heavyweight boxing champion Chase DeMoor in Dubai on Saturday night.

Tate made degrading comments about women on the podcast(Image: YouTube/Disruptors Podcast)

The bout is slated for six three-minute rounds, a rule set DeMoor claimed Tate insisted upon. Knockouts are permitted and if the fight goes the distance, it will be scored by three ringside judges.

DeMoor has far more experience in the boxing ring than Tate with 14 fights to his name. This will be his seventh outing of the year alone as he puts his title on the line.

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Sealing of deal postponed despite decades of preparation.

European farmers are protesting against the EU-Mercosur deal.

That is as signing has been postponed until January, due to disagreements in Europe.

The European-South American deal, planned for more than 25 years, would create the world’s largest free-trade zone.

So, why is there division?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Pieter Cleppe – Editor-in-chief at BrusselsReport.eu
Ciaran Mullooly – Member of the European Parliament for the Independent Ireland group
Gustavo Ribeiro – Founder and editor-in-chief of the Brazilian Report online newspaper

Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025

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Watch: Moment German engineer becomes world’s first wheelchair user to go into space

An engineer from Germany has become the world’s first wheelchair user to go into space.

Michaela Benthaus, who suffered a spinal cord injury in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, had reached out to a retired space engineer online to see if her dream of being an astronaut was still possible.

He then helped organise the historic 10-minute flight with Blue Origin, the space tourism company founded by Jeff Bezos.

Ms Benthaus and five others blasted off from Texas on Saturday and reached a point just above the so-called “boundary” of space, known as the Kármán line.

“It was the coolest experience!” she said after landing in a video shared by Blue Origin.

“I didn’t only like the view and the micro-gravity, but I also liked going up. That was so cool, every stage of going up.”

New Shepard, Blue Origin’s reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle, took off from the company’s Texas launch pad at 14:15 GMT.

Ms Benthaus, who works at the European Space Agency, said she had “really, really figured out how inaccessible our world still is” for people with disabilities following her accident.

She made her own way from her wheelchair into the capsule, using a bench extending from the hatch.

Hans Koenigsmann, the retired SpaceX manager who helped organise the trip, was strapped in nearby to offer assistance during the flight if needed.

“I met Hans the first time online,” Ms Benthaus said. “I just asked him, like, you know, you worked for so long for SpaceX, do you think that people like me can be astronauts?”

Koenigsmann said Ms Benthaus “basically inspired me to do this. “It’s her drive that kind of convinced me I should do that, too, and to just experience something that I’ve seen from the outside for a long time,” he said.

Blue Origin said ground support equipment was added to help Ms Benthaus enter and exit the capsule.

“Michi’s flight is particularly meaningful, demonstrating that space is for everyone, and we are proud to help her achieve this dream,” Phil Joyce, senior vice-president of New Shepard, said.

The cost of the mission, which is the 16th suborbital space tourism launch carried out by Blue Origin, has not been revealed.

The company has taken dozens of tourists to space. In April, pop star Katy Perry, Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sánchez and CBS presenter Gayle King were among six women blasted into space aboard a Blue Origin rocket for a flight that lasted about 11 minutes.

The high-profile flights come at a time when private space companies are fiercely competing for dominance in space tourism.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvo on Saturday warned against US military action in Venezuela, saying such a move would spark a “humanitarian catastrophe.”

He made the comments at a summit for the five-member South American economic bloc Mercosur, which was taking place at the Iguacu Falls in southern Brazil.

At the same summit, Argentine President Javier Milei hailed Washington’s attempts to exert pressure on Caracas.

Venezuela was suspended from the bloc in 2016.

Both Argentina and Brazil are full members of the five-country Mercosur bloc, whose leaders met at the Igaucu FallsImage: Evaristo Sa/AFP

What did Lula and Milei say about US intervention in Venezuela?

Brazil’s left-wing president warned of negative consequences for the Americas if the US was to engage in military operations in Venezuela.

“An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world,” Lula said in opening comments to the Mercosur summit.

Meanwhile, Milei, who is a close ally of US President Donald Trump and a fierce advocate of austerity and free market reforms, hailed Washington’s approach to Caracas.

“Argentina welcomes the pressure from the United States and Donald Trump to free the Venezuelan people. The time for a timid approach on this matter has run out,” said the Argentine president, who also attended the summit.

US ups pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro — but what’s the goal?

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What is the US campaign against Venezuela?

The United States has been engaging in a months-long campaign to destroy Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean it accuses of trafficking drugs.

The strikes have killed at least 90 people.

The US government has accused, without providing evidence, the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of having links to the Cartel de los Soles criminal organization.

Earlier this week, Trump ordered a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. He has also suggested he could begin targeting sites in Venezuela in air strikes.

European farmers have warned of unfair competition from global agricultural powerhouse Brazil and other South American states [FILE: March 2014]Image: picture alliance/dpa

Lula urges EU to sign Mercosur deal

In his comments at the Mercosur summit, Lula also called on the European Union to show “courage” and sign a trade deal with the South American bloc.

“Without political will and courage on the part of leaders, it will not be possible to conclude negotiations that have dragged on for 26 years,” Lula said.

“We have in our hands the opportunity to send the world an important message in defense of multilateralism, and to reinforce our strategic position in a global environment that is more and more competitive,” he added.

The deal has been opposed by groups representing European farmers, especially in France and Italy, which argue that the bloc’s agricultural sector would be exposed to unfair competition.

On Thursday, the EU delayed the signing of the free trade deal with Mercosur to January.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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