By Jennifer Hansler, CNN

(CNN) — The US State Department on Tuesday imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship – sharply ratcheting up the Trump administration’s fight against European regulations that have impacted digital platforms, far-right politicians and Trump allies, including Elon Musk.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the five sanctioned people of leading “organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”

Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly condemned European nations for alleged censorship, and the latest State Department human rights report alleged “significant human rights issues” in allies like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany over “serious restrictions on freedom of expression.”

Among those sanctioned Tuesday are Thierry Breton, a former European commissioner involved in the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping EU law that requires Big Tech platforms to take meaningful steps to reduce illegal and harmful content.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Breton questioned: “Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?”, referencing the late senator’s Cold-War era inquisition of alleged communists who he claimed had infiltrated American government institutions.

“To our American friends: ‘Censorship isn’t where you think it is,’” he said on X.

The State Department also targeted the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Imran Ahmed. The organization says it “works to stop the spread of online hate and disinformation through innovative research, public campaigns and policy advocacy.”

Clare Melford, the CEO of the Global Disinformation Index, was also sanctioned. The organization describes itself as working to strengthen “the systems that make the internet safer by working with governments, industry, and civil society.”

In a statement to CNN a spokesperson for GDI said that the sanctions amounted to an “authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship.”

“The Trump Administration is, once again, using the full weight of the federal government to intimidate, censor, and silence voices they disagree with,” the spokesperson said. “Their actions today are immoral, unlawful, and un-American.”

Two employees of the German organization HateAid were also sanctioned.

CNN reached out to the Center for Countering Digital Hate and HateAid but did not immediately receive a reply.

Rubio’s statement said that for the five sanctioned people, he had “determined that their entry, presence, or activities in the United States have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

“These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states—in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” he said.

The top US diplomat said that “based on these determinations,” the State Department “has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on agents of the global censorship-industrial complex who, as a result, will be generally barred from entering the United States.” Further, the Department of Homeland Security “can initiate removal proceedings against certain individuals … which renders such individuals deportable,” he said.

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From CNN’s Kara Fox and Tierney Sneed, CNN

Warning: This post contains language readers may find disturbing.

The Justice Department now says a handwritten letter it released Tuesday that was signed by “J. Epstein” and addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar is “fake,” asserting that the handwriting did not appear to match that of Jeffrey Epstein.

The department had said earlier Tuesday that it was assessing the validity of the letter – which appeared to make crude references to President Donald Trump – because other details called into question whether it had actually been written and sent by Epstein.

“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the Justice Department said in a post on X hours after the letter was released among a tranche of other Epstein-related records.

The letter does not explicitly name Trump, but instead refers to “our president.” The message appears to have been sent in August 2019, the same month Epstein died by suicide. Trump was president at the time.

The statement debunking the letter from the Justice Department noted that it was postmarked not in New York, where was Epstein was imprisoned, but in Virginia, and the return address was for a jail different than the one holding Epstein. The envelope was processed three days after Epstein’s suicide.

Authorities have not accused Trump of any wrongdoing or charged him with any crimes in connection with Epstein.

“Dear L.N.,” the letters reads, “As you know by now, I have taken the ‘short route’ home. Good luck! We shared one thing … our love and caring for young ladies and the hope they’d reach their full potential. Our President also shares our love of young, nubile girls.” The letter makes another lewd reference to Trump’s treatment of women.

“Life is unfair,” the letter reads.

In a separate statement the department released earlier Tuesday, not aimed at any specific record in the most recent release, the Department said that some of the documents released “contain untrue and sensationalist claims” against the president.

“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the letter.

While the letter is addressed to an “L.N.,” a photo of the envelope – postmarked on August 13, 2019 and addressed to the former Olympic doctor and sex offender – was released by the DOJ. The envelope says it was sent from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City to Nassar, who was listed as an inmate at a federal prison in Arizona.

The letter was postmarked three days after Epstein died. Prison staff are authorized to read and inspect outgoing mail, which can cause delays.

Based on prison documents released from a Freedom of Information Act request, CNN Read more

Por Anabella González, Fernando Ramos y Pau Mosquera, CNN en Español

Sol dejó Venezuela hace más de 11 años. Regresar a su casa para Navidad este año era un plan que había coordinado minuciosamente. Un objetivo que llevaba meses de organización, pero, sobre todo, de mucha ilusión. Un deseo que ahora deberá postergar, con incertidumbre y sin fecha prevista, debido a la suspensión de numerosos vuelos a Venezuela en medio de las tensiones crecientes con Estados Unidos.

A fines de noviembre, la Administración Federal de Aviación de EE.UU. (FAA) instó a las aerolíneas comerciales a “extremar precauciones” al sobrevolar Venezuela y el sur del Caribe. Días después, una frase del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, desató las consecuencias que hoy enfrentan muchos venezolanos como Sol, que planeaban pasar las fiestas de fin de año en familia: “Consideren el espacio aéreo sobre y alrededor de Venezuela cerrado en su totalidad”.

Desde entonces, varias aerolíneas han cancelado sus vuelos a Venezuela hasta fines de diciembre y han dado a sus pasajeros la posibilidad de cambiar sus pasajes por nuevas rutas o recibir el reembolso de su dinero. Y si bien algunos optaron por otras vías de transporte, para muchos hacer ese trayecto en avión hasta Caracas era la única alternativa.

Sol, que vive en la ciudad de Buenos Aires y prefiere no dar su apellido por temor a represalias, tenía pasajes para viajar el 16 de diciembre junto a su esposo y sus dos hijas menores. El 12, apenas cuatro días antes, llegó la confirmación que temían: la agencia de viajes por la que gestionaron sus boletos les comunicó que Boliviana de Aviación había cancelado sus vuelos.

“Lo más difícil fue para la mayor, porque tenía mucha ilusión y estaba contando los días”, dice sobre la conversación que tuvo con su hija de 7 años, nacida en Argentina, que esperaba reencontrarse con su abuela.

En Caracas, cuenta Sol, esa reunión era muy esperada. Su mamá había armado el árbol de Navidad pensando en recibir a sus nietas, después de años sin armarlo por una pérdida familiar, dice.

Un hombre venezolano que prefirió no dar su nombre por temor a represalias contó a CNN que tenía pasajes para viajar con la aerolínea Gol, haciendo conexión en Sao Paulo. Este ingeniero electrónico vive en Campana, provincia de Buenos Aires, y este era un fin de año especial: era la primera vez que regresaba a su país desde que emigró en 2019.

“Era un plan familiar: los que estamos afuera íbamos a viajar, juntarnos en Caracas con quienes están allá y hacer un reencuentro familiar. En junio compré mi boleto”, cuenta a CNN.

Gol fue una de las primeras aerolíneas internacionales en suspender sus vuelos, y luego el Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil (INAC) de Venezuela le revocó la concesión de vuelos, junto con otras cinco aerolíneas que se habían sumado a las medidas de la FAA.

No es la primera vez que la actualidad política de Venezuela irrumpe en los planes de Sol, quien trabaja como empleada administrativa en una empresa de la capital argentina. A fines de 2024, también pensó en viajar con su familia, pero decidieron posponerlo debido a la inestabilidad política y a las protestas durante los meses posteriores a la elección presidencial.

Tampoco es la primera oportunidad en la que los vuelos en Venezuela se ven afectados por la coyuntura política. Desde 2014 se ha reducido la conexión aérea con el país, que antes de la tensión con EE.UU. tenía 105 vuelos semanales a 16 destinos, operados por 12 aerolíneas internacionales,

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The atmospheric river will hit our region Tuesday night through Christmas Eve morning with a second pulse on Christmas Day.

Rainfall forecast: 2-7 inches near coast, 4-14 inches inland possible by Friday.

Rain rates: near or over 1 inch per hour, stronger rates expected on the south coast.

Thunderstorms, damaging winds, flooding, mudslides, downed trees, power outages and weak tornadoes are possible during this storm especially on Christmas Day when the air is colder and more unstable. Flood Watches, High Wind Warnings and High Surf Advisories are in effect.

Snow levels: drop to 5500 ft on Christmas Day.

Winds: 60-80mph gusts possible from the southeast.

Light showers may linger into Friday and Saturday, we will be mostly dry by Sunday.

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