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Dear Afternoon Wire reader, 

Before the news, I wanted to thank you for spending your afternoon with AP. It's an honor to curate news that helps you feel informed about the world and empowered to make decisions, as well as spark a little joy along the way. As you plan your end of year giving, please consider a donation to the AP to help us continue this work. 

With gratitude, 

Sallee Ann Harrison 

Newsletter Writer 

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By Sallee Ann Harrison

December 17, 2025

By Sallee Ann Harrison

December 17, 2025

 
 

Good afternoon and welcome to your afternoon news update from AP. Today, Jack Smith tells lawmakers his team developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” against President Donald Trump; the Senate passes a $901 billion defense bill that pushes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with boat strike videos; and the Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving longtime home of ABC.

 

UP FIRST

Former Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives for a closed-door interview with House Republicans at Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Former Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives for a closed-door interview with House Republicans at Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Jack Smith tells lawmakers his team developed ‘proof beyond a reasonable doubt’ against Trump

Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers in a closed-door interview on Wednesday that his team of investigators “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trump had criminally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to portions of his opening statement obtained by The Associated Press. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Trump is previewing his 2026 agenda in a 9 p.m. ET address to the nation as his popularity wanes
  • US government sues US Virgin Islands and accuses officials of violating the Second Amendment 
  • Trump’s National Guard deployment in Washington can continue for now, an appeals court says
 

TOP STORIES

Senate passes $901 billion defense bill that pushes Hegseth for boat strike video

The Senate gave final passage on Wednesday to an annual military policy bill that will authorize $901 billion in defense programs while pressuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with video of strikes on alleged drug boats in international waters near Venezuela. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • WATCH: Senators speak out after seeing second Venezuela boat strike video
  • 4 Republicans defy Speaker Johnson to force House vote on extending ACA subsidies
  • China exploits US-funded research on nuclear technology, a congressional report says
  • South African authorities raid a US refugee processing center, resulting in protests from Washington

The Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving longtime home of ABC

In a seismic shift for one of television’s marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Warner Bros recommends investors reject Paramount’s offer in favor of Netflix’s
  • FCC leader says agency is no longer independent as he’s grilled by Democrats over Kimmel controversy
  • Britain’s BBC is both beloved and maligned. Now it faces a $10 billion Trump lawsuit
 

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Swimmers gather for a morning vigil in Sydney on Wednesday. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

Swimmers gather for a morning vigil in Sydney on Wednesday. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

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WATCH: Koala hitches ride on Australian bus before release back into the wild

 

TRENDING

A child looks out the window at volunteers who are shining lights up into the pediatric wing of Corewell Health Children's on Dec. 10. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)