By AAMER MADHANI AND ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline as necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier.

Blanche pledged that the Trump administration eventually would meet its obligation required by law. But he stressed that the department was obligated to act with caution as it goes about making public thousands of documents that can include sensitive information.

Friday’s partial release of the Epstein files has led to a new crush of criticism from Democrats who have accused the Republican administration of trying to hide information.

Blanche called that pushback disingenuous as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to struggle with calls for greater transparency, including from members of his political base, about the government’s investigations into Epstein, who once counted Trump as well as several political leaders and business titans among his peers.

“The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply that to protect victims,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “So the same individuals that are out there complaining about the lack of documents that were produced on Friday are the same individuals who apparently don’t want us to protect victims.”

Blanche’s comments were the most extensive by the administration since the file dump, which included photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents. But some of the most consequential records expected about Epstein were nowhere to be found, such as FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memos examining charging decisions. Those records could help explain how investigators viewed the case and why Epstein was allowed in 2008 to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge.

Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling-out, tried for months to keep the records sealed. Though Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, he has argued there is nothing to see in the files and that the public should focus on other issues.

Federal prosecutors in New York brought sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019, but he killed himself in jail after his arrest.

Democrat see a cover-up, not an effort to protect victims

But Democratic lawmakers on Sunday hammered Trump and the Justice Department for a partial release.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., argued that the Justice Department is obstructing the implementation of the law mandating the release of the documents not because it wants to protect the Epstein victims.

“It’s all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public, either about himself, other members of his family, friends, Jeffrey Epstein, or just the social, business, cultural network that he was involved in for at least a decade, if not longer,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Blanche also defended the department’s decision to remove several files related to the case from its public webpage, including a photograph showing Trump, less than a day after they were posted.

The missing files, which were available Friday but no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showed a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Blanche said the documents were removed because they also showed victims of Epstein. Blanche said that Trump photo and the other documents will be reposted once redactions are made to protect survivors.

“It has nothing to do with President Trump,” Blanche said. “There are dozens of photos of President Trump already released to the public seeing him with Mr. Epstein.”

The thousands of Epstein-related records posted publicly offer the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government scrutiny of Epstein’s sexual abuse of young women and underage girls. Yet Friday’s release, replete with redactions, has not dulled the clamor for information given how many records had yet to be released and because some of the materials had already been made public.

Justice Department has just learned the names of more potential victims, Blanche says

Blanche said that the department continues to review the trove of documents and has learned the names of additional potential victims in recent days.

The deputy attorney general also defended the decision by the federal Bureau of Prisons, which Blanche oversees, to transfer Maxwell to a less restrictive, minimum-security federal prison earlier this year soon after he interviewed her about Epstein. Blanche said that the transfer was made because of concerns about her safety.

Maxwell, Epstein’s onetime girlfriend, is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking crimes.

“She was suffering numerous and numerous threats against her life,” Blanche said. “So the BOP is not only responsible for putting people in jail and making sure they stay in jail, but also for their safety.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., have indicated they could draft articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi for what they see as the gross failure of the department to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

“It’s not about the timeline, it’s about the selective concealment,” Khanna said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” adding that the redactions in the released files are excessive. He said he believe there will be “bipartisan support in holding her accountable, and a committee of Congress should determine whether these redactions are justified or not.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said on ABC’s “This Week” that there needs “to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required,” but he stopped short of backing impeachment.

Blanche dismissed the impeachment talk.

“Bring it on,” Blanche said. “We are doing everything we’re supposed to be doing to comply with this statute.”

___

Gómez Licón reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Downtown St. Paul will become a winter playground starting next week when the Bold North Breakaway Fan Festival opens in Rice Park and inside the RiverCentre, running alongside the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The free festival opens at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 26, and runs through Jan. 5, offering outdoor and indoor activities alongside the international hockey tournament.

Bold North Breakaway will give fans a place to gather between the tourney’s games at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.

“Bold North Breakaway was always envisioned as more than a fan fest,” Wendy Blackshaw, president and CEO of Minnesota Sports and Events, said in a statement. “This festival becomes a place where hockey, culture, community, and Minnesota winter come together in a way only our state can deliver.”

Outdoor attractions in Rice Park will include live music and more:

Play at the ice bumper car rink
Take a free horse-drawn carriage ride
Enjoy a St. Paul Pioneer Press trolley tour
Skate at the TRIA Skills rink that will offer open skating, daily games and hockey-themed challenges
Pose at the “We Love Hockey” sign near the Rice Park fountain
Visit a 5,000-pound hockey puck commissioned by Visit Saint Paul and billed as the world’s largest
Warm up at the PNC Bank Bonfire Zone with s’mores and hot chocolate.

At 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve there will be a fireworks show after the USA vs. Sweden game. In addition, that day will feature live music and a Red Bull DJ truck.

Metro Transit will offer free rides beginning at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

Inside the RiverCentre, festivalgoers will find additional attractions on the upper level, including the PNC Snow Globe photo area and the Minnesota Wild Rink Activation Area, offering open shoe skating and interactive hockey games.

Other special events that weekend include the St. Paul Winter Carnival Day on Saturday, Dec. 27 with appearances by the carnival’s Royal Family.

From 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28, there will be a Stanley Cup display at RiverCentre.

The festival will also highlight hockey history and cultural storytelling through multiple exhibits, including displays from the Hockey Hall of Fame, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the newly established Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame.

The full festival schedule and daily hours are available at mnsportsandevents.org/2026-Bold-North-Breakaway.

The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, bringing the world’s top men’s hockey players under age 20 to Minnesota. Games will be played in St. Paul and Minneapolis, with exhibition games held earlier in Bemidji, Duluth, Mankato and Rochester. Tickets and tournament information are available at WorldJuniorsMN26.com.

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By KELVIN CHAN

The Christmas holiday season is a time to step back from the busy pace of modern life and connect with our nearest and dearest instead of screens, apps and chatbots.

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Skywatch: Season’s greetings

Here are some suggestions on how to unplug from the online world for the next few weeks as you sit down for a festive meal, exchange gifts or take time out for some self-reflection.

Do not disturb me

Your phone already has built-in features that can help you stop getting distracted.

To temporarily silence all those attention-seeking notifications, use the Focus setting on your iPhone or Android device. This mode is designed to stop interruptions when you want to concentrate. You can customize it by blocking specific apps or muting only when you’re doing certain things, like sleeping or reading.

Android and iOS also have related screen time controls to manage overall device usage. Too much Instagram scrolling? Limit yourself to a daily total of 20 minutes.

There are other tricks you could try, like turning the screen gray to make it less appealing. On iPhones or Android devices, tweak the color filter or adjustment settings. On Android, activating Bedtime Mode also turns the screen gray.

Delete apps

If you need to be more strict with yourself, then delete any or apps you’re addicted to. An effective way to stop looking at your phone is by removing those apps that you spend the most time scrolling through, even if temporarily. You can always reinstall them again if the withdrawal symptoms become too much.

Get outside …

When the temperature drops, it’s tempting to hunker down inside and stay cozy. But don’t sit on the couch all day. Head outdoors, away from Wi-Fi signals. If it’s been snowing where you are, have a snowball fight or go sledding. To keep your hands warm, don’t forget to put on bulky mittens — which your phone’s touch screen won’t respond to.

TOPSHOT – A Christmas lights display is seen on a house in Alexandria, Virginia, December 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo by Saul LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Even if there’s no snow, take a walk in the woods, a park or along some tree-lined streets. Time spent outdoors, and away from screens, can benefit your mental health and physical well-being. There’s even a term for it: forest bathing.

… And touch grass

There’s an app you can use to force yourself to — literally — get back in touch with nature. Touch Grass takes its name from a viral catchphrase for when someone has lost their connection to the real world because they’re consumed by what’s on their screens.

It’s similar to other apps designed to restrict screen time by forcing users to take a timeout from scrolling. The difference is that Touch Grass requires users to go outside and take a picture of themselves physically touching some grass.

Touch Grass has a free service level that allows you to block two apps. I found it was quite effective at stopping me from opening two of my favorite time-wasters, Reddit and Instagram, though I ended up spending more time on other apps like Facebook. To block all apps, you’ll have to shell out for a subscription — $6 a month or $50 annually.

If you can’t find grass because it’s winter, there’s also the option to touch snow or sand. It’s only available for iPhones so far, but there are copycat versions for both iOS and Android, though we haven’t tested them.

Putting pen to paper

When was the last time you sent a Christmas card? Most digital natives find it easier to type out holiday greetings or send digital cards over chat apps, than to put pen to paper.

The consequence of all the time that we spend tapping, typing or swiping on our devices is that handwriting is becoming something of a dying art. But there are neurological and cognitive benefits of handwriting, research suggests. For example, taking notes by hand is a better way for students to learn and to remember information.

So use this time of year to write a thoughtful message to someone special, a letter to a long-lost friend, or thank you notes for presents received.

Pick up a book

If you still don’t know what you want for Christmas, why not ask for a book? It’s easy to find inspiration and ideas at this time of year, when many people like to share the books they’ve read over the past 12 months, and outlets including The Associated Press compile their list of the year’s best books.

Reading long-form literature or non-fiction has many benefits that can’t be gained from glancing at short-form bursts of text on your device, including a deeper understanding of a topic, developing empathy, increasing your focus and concentration and more.

Lock your device up

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift, how about a time-lock vault to put your devices out of reach for, say, 15 minutes, a few hours or even weeks?

There are plenty of versions for sale online. For about $30, I bought a battery-powered gray plastic model that can hold several smartphones. The instruction leaflet says it’s intended to “enhance self-discipline.”

Punch in the amount of time — up to 30 days — and a digital display will count down until it unlocks. The lid has portholes so you can thread in cables for charging while you wait.

One evening, I locked my phone up for an hour and then grabbed my laptop to do some online Christmas shopping. But my plans were foiled because I forgot that authentication requests for my credit card and Amazon went to my phone.

Not-as-smart phones

For another gift idea, consider putting a brick phone under the tree. Also known as a feature phone, these devices cater to those who want a back-to-basics phone without all the digital stimulation that comes with a smartphone.

Retro devices from Nokia evoke the early days of the cellphone era — no touch screens, numeric keypads and throwback video games like Snake. Most can only make voice calls and send text messages.

If that sounds too primitive, there are so-called digital minimalist phones that serve a similar market niche. Devices from Light, Punkt and Balance offer sleek, modern designs but with a stripped-down experience.

Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

The holidays can bring overnight houseguests. Bless their little hearts, they appreciate a delicious start to the day, breakfast dishes that make them feel like they are getting special treatment. These dishes are a delicious way to make the first meal of the day more festive.

A combination of eggs and cheese is so inviting. Classically, bacon and egg quiche comes to mind, a recipe that can show off some shortcuts that neither jeopardize taste nor appearance. Another tantaliziing option is from culinary guru Jacques Pepin. He makes a dish he calls a “soufflan,” that combines the delicious elements of both flan and souffle. The quiche uses Swiss or Gruyere cheese, while the soufflan shows off both cream cheese and cottage cheese.

Ina Garten’s Breakfast Panna Cotta is scrumptious, and most of the work can be done a day in advance; the luscious creamy mixture chills in the fridge overnight. Just before serving top each panna cotta with crunchy storebought granola and mixed berries.

With any of these concoctions, your guests will feel the holiday love.

Quiche Lorraine boasts a great combination of flavors and textures, with its smooth cheesiness offsetting the chewiness of the bacon. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Quiche Lorraine

The combination of flavors and contrasting textures make Quiche Lorraine a favorite for brunch or breakfast. Its smooth cheesiness offers the perfect foil to the crunch of the crust and the salty-sweet chewiness of bacon.

If you like, accompany it with a bowl of mixed fruit, and if desired, a storebought coffee cake or quick bread.

I take a major shortcut that doesn’t sacrifice the quiche’s flavor or appearance. The holiday can be hectic, so I use — heaven forbid — prepared refrigerated dough (the kind that comes rolled into a cylinder). After it’s placed in the pie pan and crimped it looks made-from-scratch cozy.

To prevent the edge of the crust from over-browning, it is covered during the final segment of baking. Strips of aluminum foil work (not the heavy-duty kind), but I really love the convenience of using a pie crust ring. Made of aluminum or silicone, this gizmo fits over the edge of the pie crust. Often the edge of the crust gets brown long before the filling is cooked. So, once it is nicely browned, the ring tops the exposed crust while the egg-cheese-bacon filling finishes cooking.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 rounds of prepared pie dough, such as the 14.1-ounce refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crusts

Sheet of aluminum foil

Nonstick cooking spray

About 2 cups of dried beans or pie weights (metal pellets)

5 ounces bacon, about 6 to 8 slices, divided use

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese or Gruyere cheese; see cook’s notes

Cook’s notes: In the Alsace-Lorraine region of northeast France, classic recipes for Quiche Lorraine don’t include cheese. I just can’t help it, I like to add cheese. Sometimes I add a minced green onion along with the bacon in the custard (in Step #5).

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange oven rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Ease 1 round sheet of chilled pie dough into 9-inch pie pan (avoid stretching dough). To prevent shrinkage, press dough with a bent finger where sides of pan meet the bottom. Using a second sheet of pie dough, cut 3 or 4 (1/2-inch wide at widest part) crescent shaped pieces. Fit those crescent shaped pieces under the edge of dough to extend it. To make a raised edge that can be crimped (also called fluted or scalloped), fold edge of dough under. Press the folded edge gently between your thumb and index fingers to make a raised edge. Make this raised edge as even and uniform as possible. To crimp, place index finger of left hand against inside edge of pie. Place thumb and index finger of right hand on either side of left index finger and gently pinch. Move thumb to where your left index finger was and repeat process until entire pie is crimped.

3. Lightly spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray. Place foil sprayed-side down on dough with excess foil folded loosely over crust’s edge. Place beans (or pie weights) on top of foil and smooth beans or weights into an even layer. This will prevent the bottom crust from bubbling during initial baking. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until dough no longer looks wet. Remove from oven and cautiously remove foil and weights. Return crust to oven and bake 5 to 6 minutes, until crust begins to brown.

4. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp in large skillet on medium heat; drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop bacon.

5. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper and nutmeg; whisk until blended. Stir in 3/4 of the bacon and cheese. Pour into pie crust. Put strips of foil or pie ring on edge of crust to prevent over-browning. Bake 25 minutes, or until custard is set around edge.

6. Sprinkle remaining bacon over surface. Bake until center is just barely set, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. A cooled quiche can be refrigerated in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days (but it tastes the very best fresh from the oven, slightly cooled.

Jacques Pepin’s Easy ‘Soufflan’

In his cookbook dedicated to dishes that parents can cook with their children (or grandparents with their grandchildren), culinary guru Jacques Pepin explains that this easy-to-make egg dish is neither a classic flan nor a traditional souffle. In his “A Grandfather’s Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey” (Rux Martin, $30) he writes that it’s “a mixture of the two and could be called a “soufflan.”

Serve this dish right out of the oven and it will be puffy. Or, cool to lukewarm and it will deflate. It’s delicious either way and makes a welcome centerpiece for breakfast, brunch, or a simple dinner along with a mixed green salad tossed with an herbaceous vinaigrette.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

One 16-ounce container cottage cheese

One 8-ounce container whipped cream cheese

4 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a food processor; process 10 to 15 seconds, or until smooth and well blended. Add chives and pulse once or twice to combine.

3. Rub a 4- to 5-cup gratin dish (oval baking dish) with olive oil. Add mixture from food processor. Place gratin dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until mixture is set. Serve immediately or allow to deflate and serve lukewarm.

Source: Adapted from “A Grandfather’s Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey” (Rux Martin, $30)

Ina Garten’s Breakfast Panna Cotta takes a dessert dish and adapts it for the start of the day by topping it with granola and fresh berries. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Ina’s Breakfast Panna Cotta

Yes, panna cotta is most often thought of as a dessert, it’s also a lovely breakfast treat when topped with granola and fresh berries. It’s an Italian pudding which translates from Italian as “cooked milk.” To pour the panna cotta mixture into glasses without drips down the sides, transfer the mixture into a glass measuring cup with a spout, then pour carefully into the center of each glass.

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons (1 packet) unflavored gelatin

3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided use

2 cups plain whole milk yogurt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

For serving: 2 cups good granola

3 cups mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries, see cook’s notes

Cook’s notes: I took the liberty of adding fresh blackberries to the mixture of fresh berries (they are a favorite of mine).

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 3 tablespoons cold water. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of cream, yogurt, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, and maple syrup.

3. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream and the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves (keep an eye on it). Off the heat, stir the softened gelatin into the hot cream and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot cream and gelatin mixture into the cream and yogurt mixture; stir to combine. Pour into 8 serving glasses and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Before serving sprinkle 1/4 cup of granola and 1/3 cup of mixed berries on each serving and serve cold.

Source: Ina Garten “Be My Guest with Ina Garten” Food Network

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