North Korea showed off its apparent progress in the development of a nuclear-powered submarine. State media released photos of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and his daughter, a potential heir, as they inspected what appears to be a largely completed hull.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s official state media, said Kim and his daughter visited the shipyard to examine the construction of what it describes as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine, The Associated Press reported. Pyongyang has signaled that it plans to arm the submarine with nuclear weapons, the AP noted. Kim has said the development of the submarine is a crucial step toward the modernization and nuclear armament of his country’s navy.

The Christmas Day release of the photos marks the first time North Korean state media has shown an update on the nuclear-powered submarine since March. Earlier images mostly showed the lower sections of the vessel, the AP noted. The KCNA did not say when the photos released on Thursday were taken.

Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University, told the AP that the photos of a largely completed hull indicate that many of the core components are already in place, as submarines are typically built from the inside out. However, it was not immediately clear exactly how much progress Pyongyang had made.

‘Showing the entire vessel now seems to indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water,’ Moon, who also served as a submarine officer in the South Korean navy, told the AP. Moon added that North Korea’s submarine could be ready for testing at sea within months.

While at the shipyard, Kim condemned South Korea’s efforts to develop its own nuclear-powered submarine as an ‘offensive act,’ despite the fact that President Donald Trump has backed Seoul’s push toward the technology. Kim said South Korea’s efforts violate North Korea’s security and maritime sovereignty, according to the AP.

In October, during his tour of Asia aimed at securing investments, Trump said that the U.S. would share technology with South Korea that would allow it to build a nuclear-powered submarine. The president posted on Truth Social that the vessel would be built in Philadelphia.

‘South Korea will be building its nuclear-powered submarine in the Philadelphia shipyards, right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. Shipbuilding in our country will soon be making a BIG COMEBACK,’ the president wrote.

The White House underscored the point when it released a fact sheet in November which directly referenced Washington and Seoul’s efforts to ‘further our maritime and nuclear partnership.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center was canceled just days after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the iconic performing arts institution in Washington, D.C.

The show’s host, musician Chuck Redd, who has led the holiday ‘Jazz Jams’ at the Kennedy Center since 2006, said he called off his performance after Trump’s name was added to the facility.

‘When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,’ Redd told the Associated Press.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment. The Kennedy Center’s website lists the show as canceled.

The Kennedy Center’s board voted unanimously on Dec. 18 to rename the institution the ‘Trump-Kennedy Center,’ prompting swift backlash from members of the Kennedy family who said the decision undermined the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.

Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s niece, criticized the decision, calling it ‘beyond comprehension.’

Last week, workers added Trump’s name to the outside of the center, and the website’s header was changed to ‘The Trump Kennedy Center.’

Another Kennedy niece, Kerry Kennedy, vowed to remove Trump’s name from the building after he leaves office.

President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill in 1964 that designated the center as a living memorial to Kennedy following his assassination in 1963. The law prohibits the board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else or from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior, the AP reported.

Trump was elected chairman of the Kennedy Center board in February, after removing 18 trustees appointed by former President Joe Biden.

Since Trump returned to office on Jan. 20, several artists have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who called off a production of ‘Hamilton.’

Redd has toured worldwide and performed with numerous musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, according to his website bio.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Redd for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s newly appointed envoy to Greenland said Tuesday the administration wants to open a dialogue with residents of the territory, stressing the U.S. is not seeking to ‘conquer’ the island.

During an appearance on Fox News’ ‘The Will Cain Show,’ Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who was tapped as special envoy to Greenland by Trump on Sunday, said discussions must be had with Greenlanders to understand what they want moving forward.

‘What are they looking for? What opportunities have they not gotten? Why haven’t they gotten the protection that they actually deserve?’ Landry said.

Landry added that the U.S. ‘has always been a welcoming party,’ and that the Trump administration is not going to ‘go in there trying to conquer anybody’ or ‘take over anybody’s country.’

Landry’s comments came after Danish leaders sharply criticized Trump after he announced the appointment of the new special envoy to Greenland, a territory controlled by Denmark.

‘We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law,’ Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement Monday. ‘They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security.’

Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that Landry ‘understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.’

On Tuesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called Trump’s comments ‘completely unacceptable,’ adding that he would summon the U.S. ambassador.

The Danish kingdom, he wrote on Facebook, is ‘sovereign and cannot accept that others question it.’

Trump has previously expressed ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, posting on Truth Social in December 2024 that ‘ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity’ for national security purposes.

In another post from January 2025, Trump said Greenland is an ‘incredible place,’ and its people will ‘benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,’ before declaring, ‘MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!’

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As the year closes, Republicans are looking to the past for another dance with a partisan exercise that tested the party’s unity and delivered President Donald Trump his crowning legislative achievement of the year.

Budget reconciliation is how congressional Republicans rammed through Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ earlier this year. But it’s a time-consuming, labor-intensive process that laid bare intra-party divisions and nearly exploded before liftoff.

Still, some Republicans want to take another stab at reconciliation, which allows a party in power to advance legislation with just a simple majority in the Senate as long as it adheres to strict, budgetary parameters.

‘We can do two more reconciliation bills without a single Democratic vote,’ Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. ‘Doesn’t mean we wouldn’t welcome Democratic votes, but we can do them without a single Democratic vote.’

Turning once again to reconciliation would help Senate Republicans, in particular, address one of Trump’s desires to kill the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the upper chamber without changing the precedent that Democrats, for years, have threatened to do.

But they need a plan, first.

That would come from Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the de facto maestro of the reconciliation process. His committee was responsible for drafting the budget resolution that unlocked the process in the upper chamber earlier this year, and he is reportedly eying drafting another resolution in the new year.

‘It would be political malpractice not to do another reconciliation,’ Graham told Semafor.

But many Republicans acknowledged just how difficult reconciliation is, especially after the latest exercise that dominated much of Congress’ attention for the first half of the year.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that ‘it’s always hard, but it’s an option, and one that we’re not ruling in or ruling out.’

‘I would say you have to have a reason to do it, you know,’ Thune said. ‘I mean, you don’t just do reconciliation for the heck of it. You got to have a, you know, a specific purpose. And so we’ll see. I mean, that purpose may, you know, may start getting some traction.’

Kennedy floated using reconciliation to tackle affordability issues, but some see the painstaking process as an avenue to grapple with another issue that has dominated Congress for several months: healthcare.

Lawmakers left Washington, D.C., without a fix to expiring Obamacare subsidies, effectively setting up a drastic hike in out-of-pocket healthcare costs for millions of Americans. There are bipartisan negotiations in the works to deal with the issue when lawmakers return, but Republicans have a gnawing appetite to drastically change the program.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital that Republicans ‘have to do something’ on healthcare.

‘Reconciliation is one pathway to do something, but it also limits what we can do,’ Banks said. ‘So we need bipartisan support to pass something that will help everybody.’

And Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., who has been critical of Republicans’ inability to get a healthcare solution across the line, told Fox News Digital that reconciliation ‘may be an answer.’

‘The healthcare situation is really, it’s a big deal,’ Justice said. ‘It’s more than difficult, you know? And so we need to, we need to try to fix it. That’s for sure.’

The Department of Justice on Tuesday released nearly 30,000 pages of documents related to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein. This is the latest batch of documents to be released since the DOJ began publishing files on Dec. 19.

The files include a number of revelations, including a psychological assessments from Epstein’s time in prison, a fake passport and his cellmate’s testimony about witnessing the financier’s first apparent suicide attempt. The newly released pages also include a claim made by an unidentified Epstein accuser who said that former President Bill Clinton’s name was used as a way to deter her from coming forward.

Here are some of the top takeaways.

Prison psychology report shows Epstein was deemed ‘low risk’ for suicide days before his death

A Bureau of Prisons psychological assessment released Tuesday by the DOJ showed Epstein was considered to be at ‘low’ acute suicide risk and showed no signs of suicidal ideation just days before his death, according to internal prison records.

The suicide risk assessment, conducted on July 9, 2019, states Epstein was placed on precautionary psychological observation due to the high-profile nature of his case and not because he expressed intent to self-harm.

‘Inmate Epstein adamantly denied any suicidal ideation, intention or plan,’ the chief psychologist wrote in the assessment.

The psychologist noted Epstein appeared ‘polite, calm, and cooperative’ during the evaluation, with ‘organized and coherent’ thoughts and no signs of acute psychological distress. Additionally, the psychologist documented Epstein saying that ‘being alive is fun,’ describing himself as a banker with a ‘big business,’ and expressing confidence in his legal defense.

The report concluded that ‘the Overall Acute Suicide Risk for this Inmate is: Low,’ and, ‘A suicide watch is not warranted at this time.’

Newly shared Bureau of Prisons records shed fresh light on what Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, says he witnessed during the disgraced financier’s first apparent suicide attempt while in federal custody.

‘I was asleep with headphones on when I felt something hit my legs,’ Tartaglione said, according to the memo.

‘I turned on the light and saw Epstein on the floor with something around his neck,’ he told investigators, adding that Epstein appeared unresponsive.

The records state Tartaglione immediately called for help after discovering Epstein on the ground. Correctional officers responded, and Epstein was taken for medical evaluation. Officials later described the incident as an apparent suicide attempt.

The documents also note that Epstein later accused Tartaglione of trying to kill him, a claim Tartaglione flatly denied.

‘That allegation is completely false,’ Tartaglione told investigators. Additionally, Bureau of Prisons officials said there was no evidence to support Epstein’s claim.

Epstein was later removed from the cell and placed under closer observation before his death weeks later in what was ruled a suicide.

Tartaglione was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in 2024 for killing four people, according to prior reporting from Fox News Digital.

Epstein accuser said Clinton’s name was used to deter her from coming forward

A woman who accused Epstein of sexual misconduct said she was warned that his ties to former President Bill Clinton could prevent her from working if she spoke out, according to a sworn attorney-released statement in Tuesday’s DOJ document dump.

In the statement, dated August 27, 2019, the woman identified as Jane Doe alleged that after fleeing an encounter with Epstein at his Manhattan mansion, another woman cautioned her that Epstein ‘knew a lot of powerful people, including Bill Clinton,’ and that refusing him could end her career in the modeling industry.

The accuser said she believed the reference to influential figures was meant to intimidate her and discourage her from coming forward.

The statement does not allege that Clinton participated in or had knowledge of the alleged encounter. Clinton has previously denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein’s fake passport revealed

The latest documents also include a fake passport that Epstein apparently used in the 1980s. The passport appeared to be issued from Austria, with Epstein going by the name ‘Marius Robert Fortelni.’ It listed Saudi Arabia as his place of residence. 

In a 2019 letter to a federal judge over his detention on sex trafficking charges, Epstein’s lawyers justified his use of a false identity. 

‘Eighth, as for the Austrian passport the government trumpets, it expired 32 years ago,’ his attorneys said in the letter. ‘And the government offers nothing to suggest — and certainly no evidence — that Epstein ever used it.’ 

‘In any case, Epstein – an affluent member of the Jewish faith – acquired the passport in the 1980s, when hijackings were prevalent, in connection to Middle East travel,’ the letter continued. ‘The passport was for personal protection in the event of travel to dangerous areas, only to be presented to potential kidnappers, hijackers or terrorists should violent episodes occur.’

Epstein requested ‘razor to shave,’ complained of lack of water weeks before death, document shows

Documents indicate that Epstein requested a razor to shave while in federal custody just weeks before his death, while also raising a series of complaints about his detention conditions.

In a July 30, 2019 internal communication labeled ‘Inmate Epstein,’ Epstein asked for a razor and requested access to water during attorney conferences, saying the available machine ‘does not have water’ and that he was becoming dehydrated, according to the document.

The same email notes Epstein claimed he did not receive all of his prescribed medications after being placed on psychological observation, and said he had not slept well in 21 days due to the absence of his CPAP machine. Epstein also complained about noise in the Special Housing Unit, warning he could suffer ‘psychological trauma’ from the conditions.

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.

It’s never a dull moment in Washington during the holiday season — featuring multiple holiday celebrations at the White House itself for lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries. 

The White House has hosted Christmas parties dating back to 1800 when then-President John Adams and then-first lady Abigail Adams hosted several government officials and their families to celebrate on behalf of their granddaughter, Susanna Boylston Adams, according to the White House Historical Association. 

Now, government officials make their rounds to celebrate the season — both in their official capacity serving the government and privately with their families.

For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent attended the White House Congressional Ball in December. First lady Melania Trump hosted the annual event at the White House for Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

President Donald Trump also indicated that other Cabinet members also attended, claiming that ‘we’ve got them all sort of here’ after singling out Rubio and Bessent. However, he refrained from identifying others because ‘they’re not names that are going to get huge applause from this very substantially Democrat audience.’ 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also kicked off the first-ever Christmas worship service at the Pentagon, featuring American evangelist Franklin Graham, and musicians Anne Wilson and Matthew West. 

Additionally, Hegseth’s wife, Jen, hosted a Christmas Tea Party for Gold Star families at the Pentagon. A Gold Star Family is the family of a service member who died during active-duty military service.

Outside of official holiday events in Washington, the secretaries and their families enjoy their own holiday traditions as well. The White House shared a video Dec. 13 detailing how the secretaries and their families celebrate the holidays, with activities ranging from baking to holding a talent show. 

Jeanette Rubio, who is married to Secretary of State Rubio, said that their family attends midnight Mass together during Christmas. The couple shares four children together. 

‘We, as a family, we go to midnight Mass, that’s something that’s very important to us,’ Rubio said in the video. ‘We celebrate it together, because we want to keep what the purpose of Christmas is.’

Allison Lutnick, who is married to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, said that their favorite way to celebrate the holidays is lighting Hanukkah candles with their four children. 

‘My favorite holiday tradition is lighting Hanukkah candles with my children,’ Lutnick said in the video. ‘They’re approaching 30 now, so we don’t do chocolate dreidels or eight nights of gifts anymore though.’ 

Kathryn Burgum, the wife of Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, said that their family celebrates Christmas by making a Norwegian flatbread called lefse.

‘Our favorite holiday tradition is making lefse,’ Burgum said in the video. ‘And some people don’t have any idea what that is, but that’s actually a Norwegian flatbread that’s a tradition around the holidays.’ 

Cheryl Hines, who is married to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said that their family is large, which makes the holiday season extra fun. 

‘We like to have a talent show,’ Hines said in the video. ‘Not everybody is as talented as they wish they were, but that doesn’t stop us from singing at the top of our lungs or doing some crazy dance. We always have a really good time together.’

Lisa Collins, who is married to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, said their family enjoys decorating their Christmas tree with ornaments they’ve collected for nearly 40 years. 

‘Our favorite holiday tradition is collecting Christmas ornaments, everywhere we’ve been in 37 years,’ Collins said in the video. We ‘have a special tree for those places, and they’re all dated as a remembrance of where we’ve been, and how far we’ve come.’