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Some Epstein files are no longer available; other files criticised

Dec. 20 (UPI) — Some Jeffrey Epstein case files released on Friday by the Justice Department are not available one day later, and other files have drawn criticism for redactions and other concerns.

More than a dozen files that were available on Friday have disappeared from the DOJ’s Epstein Library webpage, which enables visitors to search for and download files, NPR reported.

One missing file shows a photo on a desk of President Donald Trump, while others showed artwork, some of which included nudity, according to NPR.

The DOJ’s Epstein Library webpage instructs visitors to report files that they don’t think should be made available by sending an email to a provided address, but it’s unknown if the missing files were reported.

Many files have redacted information, which prompted some to suggest the White House ensured Trump’s name had been redacted.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday told ABC News there is no effort to conceal the president’s name or those of other high-profile individuals.

“We’re not redacting the names of famous men and women that are associated with Epstein,” Blanche said, as reported by ABC News.

“President Trump has certainly said from the beginning that he expects all files that can be released to be released, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he added later.

A spokesman for President Bill Clinton suggested the Trump administration intentionally released photographs that included one showing the former president with Ghislaine Maxwell and a woman whose face was redacted, according to The Guardian.

Another photo shows Clinton dining with Epstein and Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted the pic of Clinton at the poolside on social media and preceded by “Oh my!”

Clinton spokesman Angel Urena afterward accused the White House of “hiding these files for months” and releasing them late on Friday while “shielding themselves from what comes next or from what they’ll try and hide forever” in a post on X.

He said the Epstein files “isn’t about Bill Clinton” and “never has, never will be.”

The DOJ began posting those files and hundreds of thousands of others on Friday in response to a newly enacted law requiring their release to ensure transparency.

Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender who died when he hung himself in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting a federal trial on charges accusing him of sex-trafficking of minors.

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Tuesday is no longer the best day to book cheap flights according to travel insiders

Airlines’ sophisticated pricing strategies mean the traditional Tuesday booking rule no longer applies, with new research showing a new day of the week offers better savings of up to 17% on international flights

The cheapest day to book a flight has been revealed, and it flies in the face of longstanding conventional wisdom.

For years, travellers were told to watch out for deals on a Tuesday, convinced it was the golden moment to book cheap flights.

But airlines’ pricing methods have become more advanced in recent years, with demand continually shifting prices. One flight can change prices several times in a single day. While the sophistication of ticket pricing models means that there is no single magic day when it comes to grabbing a bargain, there are still better – and worse – times to book flights.

Recent data from booking sites and search engines does reveal patterns worth noting. Expedia’s latest Air Hacks report, based on large amounts of global booking data, found that Sunday is now the cheapest day to book. According to its research, people who booked on Sundays saved about 6% on domestic flights and up to 17% on international journeys compared with booking on a Monday or Friday. That might only be a small saving on a single ticket, but it adds up for a family or group.

Airlines now change prices frequently rather than offering big sales on a single day. If a flight is selling quickly, the price may rise even if it is a Sunday or Tuesday. If it is selling slowly, it may drop on any random afternoon.

Travel experts Ski Vertigo suggest that people should pay more attention to when they are travelling and how far in advance they are booking, because those factors have a clearer impact on price. For many routes, the best time to book falls around one to three months before departure. Booking almost a year ahead is often not the cheapest option, and leaving it to the last few days can be even worse, especially for busy routes.

Skyscanner’s recent trends report tell a similar story. It suggests booking around one to three months ahead for many short-haul trips, and roughly two to six months in advance for a lot of international flights. The exact sweet spot still depends on where you are going and when, but the general pattern is clear: there is usually a broad window where prices are more reasonable, rather than one perfect date circled on a calendar.

Ski Vertigo’s advice is that booking early is “by far the most reliable method” for periods such as Christmas, New Year and February half-term, when chalets and flights fill up quickly and prices rise as seats disappear. For people who are flexible on dates and departure airports, last-minute bargains can save some money. But they warn that this is a high-risk tactic and not a sensible way to plan a family holiday that has to fit around school terms.

The day you actually fly, as opposed to booking, seems to have more impact on price. Expedia’s analysis shows that Saturday departures often offer the cheapest domestic fares, while Thursday stands out as a good day for international journeys. This fits with a simple pattern: when most people want to fly – such as Fridays after work and Sundays before the new week – prices tend to be higher. When demand falls, fares follow.

For anyone trying to cut costs, this means being flexible where possible. If you can move your trip by a day or two, it is worth checking what happens to the price when you switch from a Sunday to a Saturday, or from a Friday to a Thursday. Tools such as Google Flights and Skyscanner make this easy by displaying a calendar of fares and allowing you to set price alerts for specific routes. You can see at a glance which days are cheaper and get an email when the fare drops.

In the end, there is no single secret day that works for every trip. The strongest patterns are simple: avoid obvious rush times when everyone else wants to book, aim for the sensible booking window before you travel, choose quieter days to fly where you can, and use price alerts to track changes. Treated this way, the idea of the “perfect time” to book becomes a useful guide rather than a stressful guessing game – and it can help you reach your next holiday without paying more than you need to.

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