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The Short List

Mon Dec 22 2025

Phaedra Trethan | National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hi there! I'm Phaedra Trethan, wondering why Girl Scout cookies come out right around the same time New Year's resolutions start to wane. Coincidence? 🤔 🍪

In Monday's news:

•	Victims say the released Epstein files are full of "abnormal" redactions, while some lawmakers consider their next steps.
•	For this couple, deportation might be their best hope for a longed-for reunion.
•	Authorities say a Florida woman shot her ex-husband – and then she allegedly shot her other ex-husband.

But first: As we look forward to 2026, USA TODAY (and yours truly!) will also do a lot of looking back — all the way to 1776 . My colleague Karissa Waddick talks with chefs who are cooking like they did 250 years ago.

'Abnormal and extreme' redactions

The release of the Epstein files was "riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation," several women who were allegedly abused by accused sex trafficker said in a letter to lawmakers demanding transparency and accountability.

The Justice Department is under fire from survivors and some members of Congress for redactions, including all 119 pages of a grand jury document that were blacked out; hundreds of thousands of pages remain unreleased.

•	Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties are considering their next steps.
•	Watch: Lawmakers weigh contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
•	The FBI received a complaint about Epstein in 1996.

Annie Farmer, a victim of late financier Jeffrey Epstein and sister of another victim, Maria Farmer, speaks on the day of a rally in support of Epstein's victims, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 3, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Evelyn Hockstein, REUTERS

Deportation is this couple's best hope

Tatjana Vesiolko, a native of Lithuania, and Al Dallasta of Philadelphia met, fell in love and plan to marry . Then ICE intervened. Now Vesiolko's been in detention for 11 months, the couple is running out of money to plead her case to immigration judges, and they believe her deportation to her home country might be the best hope they have to see each other again.

Why one immigration expert calls this "a symptom of ICE working in overdrive," and how her prolonged detention has affected both Vesiolko and Dallasta.

•	CBS pulled a "60 Minutes" segment on a notorious El Salvador prison where some detainees have been sent by the Trump administration. What the reporter said about the network's actions.
•	The Trump administration says it plans to ramp up immigration enforcement even more in 2026.

Real quick

•	Denmark's leaders reiterated that Greenland is not up for grabs after the latest Trump Administration appointment.
•	The Powerball jackpot is up to $1.6 billion. That'll buy a lot of holiday presents. 🎁 💰 🎁
•	Why are these Black women leaving the U.S. to settle in Mexico City?
•	There might be some unwanted guests this holiday season: the flu, Covid and a stomach bug. 🦠 🤧 🤒

Two dead, one ex-wife accused

Investigators say when they showed up to ask Susan Erica Avalon about her ex-husband, she said, "Which one?" The Florida woman is now accused of shooting two of her ex-husbands on the same day.

An overpass for animals

The Greenland Wildlife Overpass, the largest wildlife bridge in North America, has opened in Colorado. The span, between Denver and Colorado Springs, goes over Interstate 25 (and the 100,000 vehicles that travel it daily) and allows elk, mule deer, bears, mountain lions and other wildlife to safely cross over dirt and vegetation — instead of multiple lanes of speeding traffic.

The $15 million I-25 Greenland wildlife overpass near Larkspur in Douglas County has been completed and is expected to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions along a busy stretch prone to crashes by 90%.

Provided by Colorado Department of Transportation

A break from the news

•	How Lego is using art, nostalgia and complicated builds to draw adult fans into brick building.
•	Sing it with me: Deck the dogs in festive costumes, fa la la la la... 🎶 🐶 🎵
•	It's not just you: Most people prefer to stay in a hotel than with family over the holidays.

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and whether reading this breakdown of Gen Alpha slang makes you feel as old as it makes her feel. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.