Morning rundown: $1.7 trillion spending bill signed, Pele dies

KARAH RUCKER: PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SIGNED THE 1.7 TRILLION DOLLAR GOVERNMENT-SPENDING BILL.

THIS IS YOUR MORNING RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

BIDEN SIGNS $1.7 TRILLION SPENDING BILL

WHILE ON VACATION ON THURSDAY…PRESIDENT BIDEN RESUMED OFFICIAL BUSINESS JUST LONG ENOUGH TO SIGN THE 1.7 TRILLION DOLLAR BILL THAT WILL KEEP THE GOVERNMENT FROM SHUTTING DOWN AND PROVIDES FUNDING FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PROJECTS IN THE NEW YEAR.

THE BILL PASSES AND IS SIGNED INTO LAW JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME AHEAD OF 2023.

TRUMP TAXES TO BE RELEASED TODAY

A HOUSE COMMITTEE WILL BE RELEASING FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TAX RECORDS TODAY.

THE DOCUMENTS ARE SAID TO DATE BACK TO 20-15 THROUGH 20-20.

DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE DOCUMENTS TO GO PUBLIC FOR MANY YEARS.

THE RELEASE IS SAID TO OFFER TRANSPARENCY ON THE FINANCES SURROUNDING TRUMP’S BUSINESS EMPIRE.

TRUMP HAS CALLED THE MOVE “AN OUTRAGEOUS ABUSE OF POWER”.

THE RECORDS ARE SAID TO BE RELEASED FRIDAY MORNING.

CHINESE LEADERS TO VISIT MOSCOW 2023

JUST AS THE U.S. HAS CLEARLY TAKEN A SIDE IN THE UKRAINE/RUSSIA WAR…CHINA HAS TO ONCE AGAIN PITTING OUR TWO COUNTRIES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BATTLEFIELD.

CHINA’S XI JIN PING SPOKE WITH RUSSIA’S VLADAMIR PUTIN THROUGH A VIDEO CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY. PUTIN SAID THEIR ALLIANCE IS THE “BEST IN HISTORY.” AND VOWED TO STRENGTHEN MILITARY COOPERATION WITH CHINA.

XI IS EXPECTED TO VISIT MOSCOW IN-PERSON COME SPRING OF 20-23.

AS THE TIMELINE ON HOW LONG THE WAR IN UKRAINE WILL LAST BECOMES EVEN MORE UNPREDICTABLE. 

JP MORGAN SUED OVER EPSTEIN ACCOUNT

JP MORGAN CHASE IS BEING SUED BY THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS…THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACCUSING THE BANK OF AIDING AND ABETTING JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S ILLEGAL SEX TRAFFICKING ENTERPRISE.

THE LAWSUIT SUGGESTS J-P MORGAN TURNED A BLIND EYE TO EVIDENCE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING FOR MORE THAN A DECADE BECAUSE OF EPSTEIN’S OWN LARGE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS.

IT ACCUSES THE BANK OF **DELIBERATELY TRYING TO HIDE EPSTEIN’S SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES BY FAILING TO COMPLY WITH PROPER RECORD-KEEPING.

THE SUIT SAYING FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE THE ABILITY TO DISMANTLE HUMAN TRAFFICKING NETWORKS WITH PROPER VETTING.

THIS LATEST LAWSUIT COMES ONLY ABOUT A MONTH AFTER TWO OF EPSTEIN’S ACCUSERS SUED J-P MORGAN.

ALLEGING THE BANK MADE MILLIONS IN PROFITS OFF OF SEX-TRAFFICKING ACCOUNTS.

JP MORGAN HAS NOT RESPONDED.

SOCCER LEGEND PELE DIES AT 82

Flavio Augusto | PELE fan: “Pele represents what we are, where we come from. Pele is our roots. What we are today is thanks to him.”}

Alberto Melgar | PELE Fan:] “It’s really sad to see a legend go on. He had such an influence in soccer. And I just I just feel really upset and I hope he is in a better place. He influenced soccer for generations to come.”

RUCKER: SOCCER FANS AROUND THE WORLD ARE MOURNING THE LOSS OF PELE. BETTER KNOWN AS THE KING OF SOCCER…ARGUABLY THE BEST FOOTBALLER OF ALL TIME.

THE ONLY PLAYER TO EVER WIN THREE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS.

PELE WAS NOT ONLY THE STAR IN BRAZIL BUT AROUND THE WORLD. THE FIRST GLOBAL SPORTS ICON. TRANSFORMING THE SPORT OF SOCCER AS WE KNOW IT.

HE WAS 82 YEARS OLD.