British socialite and onetime Jeffrey Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is back in the spotlight with the public release of investigative records that led to her 2021 sex trafficking conviction. Among items unsealed are the grand jury transcripts of testimony that led to her indictment. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. She was moved to a minimum-security camp in Texas earlier this year soon after she submitted to two days of questioning by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Two weeks ago, she asked a federal judge to free her, claiming she was unjustly convicted. The public release of investigative materials brings fresh light to the evidence against her.

A person with knowledge of the medical tests tells The Associated Press that the Denver Nuggets have received positive news about forward Cameron Johnson. An MRI revealed Johnson has only a bone bruise on his right knee, not any ligament or structural damage. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the results of Johnson's MRI. Johnson was injured during the fourth quarter of Denver's 131-130 loss at Dallas on Tuesday night. There's no timetable for his return, but he's expected to miss a few games. The Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas night.

The Justice Department says that finishing the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein files could take a “few more weeks,” further delaying compliance with a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress. The department said Wednesday that U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, as well as the FBI, found more than a million more documents that could be relevant to the Epstein case. DOJ did not say in its statement when they were informed of those new files. DOJ insisted in its statement that its lawyers are “working around the clock” to review those documents and make the redactions required under the law, passed nearly unanimously by Congress last month.

On Christmas Eve, thousands of people flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square and other Holy Land sites, after two years of subdued Christmas celebrations because of the war in Gaza. Scouts groups marched and played festive music on Wednesday in Bethlehem and Nazareth, the cities where Christians believe Jesus was born and grew up. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first, packed Christmas Eve Mass as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. And around the globe, people gathered to pray but also donned Santa hats and took to ice-skating rinks and the ocean for charity plunges.

Lamar Jackson did not practice Wednesday for the Baltimore Ravens because of his back injury. Jackson was injured in the second quarter of last weekend’s loss to New England and did not return. He also missed three games earlier this season because of a hamstring injury, and he’s had knee, toe and ankle issues as well this season. The Ravens need to win at Green Bay on Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive, and even if that happens, they would still be eliminated if Pittsburgh beats Cleveland on Sunday.

Doctors say just 1 in 30,000 pregnancies occur in the abdomen instead of the uterus. And Ryu Lopez is among the rare cases. He developed outside his mom’s womb, hidden by a basketball-sized ovarian cyst. It's a dangerous situation so uncommon that his doctors at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles are planning to write about the case for a medical journal. Ryu was born in August, weighing in at 8 pounds. Doctors removed the cyst during the same surgery. Ryu's parents say they feel blessed that their son defied all odds.

Rescuers braved shooting flames, falling debris and the threat of more explosions to save nursing home residents after a blast at a Pennsylvania facility killed a resident and employee, and set off a dramatic and chaotic evacuation. The blast happened Tuesday at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center. Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said Wednesday that searchers accounted for everyone considered missing. The Bucks County coroner's office says an employee who died was 52-year-old Muthoni Nduthu. Authorities didn’t immediately identify a resident who died. The cause of the blast is under investigation. Authorities say a utility crew was on site responding to reports of a gas odor when the explosion occurred.

From front-page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today’s top photos chosen by Associated Press photo editors.

US stocks drifted higher to more records on a holiday-shortened day of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up 0.2%. Markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will remain closed for Christmas Thursday. The S&P 500 is up more than 17% this year, driven by optimism about artificial intelligence and deregulatory policies. Investors' focus is on the U.S. economy's direction and Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Unemployment claims fell last week, indicating a still-healthy labor market. Dynavax Technologies soared after French pharmaceutical company Sanofi said it would buy the vaccine maker.

The Detroit Lions visit the Minnesota Vikings in a Christmas Day matchup that has lost some luster with both teams lagging well behind last year's pace. The Lions are 8-7 and barely still in contention for a spot in the playoffs after a 15-win finish last season. They already failed to defend the NFC North title they won the last two years. The Vikings were eliminated two weeks ago and are 7-8 after winning 14 games last season. Max Brosmer will start at quarterback in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy. He led Minnesota to victory at Detroit last month.