INDIANAPOLIS — Austin Ryan Lauless, 31, of Colorado, has been sentenced to 84 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In September 2025, Lauless pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, five counts of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of advertising child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the United State's Attorney.

As of Dec. 17, 84 victims have been identified from nearly every state in the United States and at least five foreign countries. Investigators believe additional victims may still be unidentified. If you or someone you know has been a victim of Lauless, also known online as Cason Fredrickson or APOPHIS, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.

According to court documents, between late 2019 and May 19, 2023, Lauless used social media applications such as Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Yubo, Purp, and others to coerce, exploit, and threaten at least 84 minor victims into producing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos. The victims ranged in age from 13 to 17 at the time of the offenses.

Using these social media platforms, Lauless misrepresented his identity, posing as “Cason Fredrickson,” a teenager from New York or other cities. In reality, Lauless was in his late 20s, unemployed, and living in hotels and motels in Texas and Colorado. To conceal his identity, he accessed the public Instagram page of Individual A and, without their knowledge or consent, saved images and videos to impersonate Individual A while posing as “Cason Fredrickson.”

Lauless’ criminal methods included misrepresenting his age, identity, background, and likeness to groom minors and create a false sense of safety in online communications. He also used voice modulators and third-party image and video applications to edit content, making it appear as though it was recorded live through social media platforms such as Snapchat.

He feigned romantic interest in victims, told them they were attractive, and pretended to be in online relationships. He purchased items for many victims through Amazon — including fishnet stockings, sexual devices, and customized t-shirts — which he instructed them to wear while producing sexually explicit material. These items were shipped either directly to victims or to designated Amazon lockers for pickup.

To prolong his exploitation and avoid detection, Lauless threatened victims with dissemination of their images and videos if they failed to comply with his demands or sought help from parents or law enforcement. At least one victim reported to Lauless that she was contemplating suicide.

Lauless also sex trafficked at least five minor victims by forcing them to engage in oral, vaginal, and anal intercourse with adult males, producing numerous videos of these commercial sex acts. Some victims were forced to endure sadomasochistic abuse at his direction.

Once he obtained images and videos, Lauless advertised and sold the sexually explicit material on platforms such as Discord, Instagram, Telegram, and MEGA. He engaged in at least 141 transactions, receiving payment through Venmo, PayPal, Bitcoin, and CashApp. He admitted that his collection of child sexual abuse material included thousands of images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as well as children subjected to bestiality and sadomasochistic abuse.

“The sheer scale of this investigation and prosecution underscores the relentless commitment of federal law enforcement to dismantle networks of exploitation that prey on our children,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Childress &nbsp;for the Southern District of Indiana. “Austin Lauless orchestrated a campaign of abuse that spanned nearly every state and multiple countries, leaving behind profound harm. While no punishment can erase the trauma these young survivors endured, today’s sentence sends a clear message: we will pursue predators across every platform, every jurisdiction, and every border until justice is served.”

“This case represents one of the most egregious forms of exploitation the FBI investigates,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley of FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This was not an isolated crime - it was a nationwide and international campaign of exploitation that victimized at least 84 people, including children, and involved the trafficking of human beings. The FBI is committed to identifying offenders who use technology to abuse, manipulate, and control others, and to ensuring they are held fully accountable. Today’s sentence delivers justice for the victims and reinforces that these crimes will not go unanswered.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Preston and Carolyn Haney for the Southern District of Indiana prosecuted this case with invaluable assistance from Victim Witness Coordinators Stephanie Lloyd and Johnna Preidt.

The FBI conducted the investigation, with additional support from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker for the Southern District of Indiana.

Additionally, 13 U.S. Attorney’s Offices provided cooperation during the investigation. Without their assistance, bringing Lauless to justice and legally resolving the harm he imposed on the victims would have been delayed. They include: Southern District of Iowa, Eastern District of Missouri, Northern District of Florida, Northern District of Texas, Western District of Kentucky, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of New York, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, District of Colorado, Central District of California, District of Arizona, and Eastern District of Tennessee.

This case was brought as part of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov%2Fusao-sdin%2Fproject-safe-childhood%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0100019b3255de7f-81fd8676-bf36-42a7-83e8-c9dd44707b6f-000000/WGKNo-oy2wVyroINc20x1rCDx4ka1avklk2VRvhddBw=436">Project Safe Childhood</a>, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state,&nbsp;and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

INDIANAPOLIS — Austin Ryan Lauless, 31, of Colorado, has been sentenced to 84 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In September 2025, Lauless pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, five counts of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of advertising child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the United State's Attorney.As of Dec. 17, 84 victims have been identified from nearly every state in the United States and at least five foreign countries. Investigators believe additional victims may still be unidentified. If you or someone you know has been a victim of Lauless, also known online as Cason Fredrickson or APOPHIS, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.According to court documents, between late 2019 and May 19, 2023, Lauless used social media applications such as Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Yubo, Purp, and others to coerce, exploit, and threaten at least 84 minor victims into producing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos. The victims ranged in age from 13 to 17 at the time of the offenses.Using these social media platforms, Lauless misrepresented his identity, posing as “Cason Fredrickson,” a teenager from New York or other cities. In reality, Lauless was in his late 20s, unemployed, and living in hotels and motels in Texas and Colorado. To conceal his identity, he accessed the public Instagram page of Individual A and, without their knowledge or consent, saved images and videos to impersonate Individual A while posing as “Cason Fredrickson.”Lauless’ criminal methods included misrepresenting his age, identity, background, and likeness to groom minors and create a false sense of safety in online communications. He also used voice modulators and third-party image and video applications to edit content, making it appear as though it was recorded live through social media platforms such as Snapchat.He feigned romantic interest in victims, told them they were attractive, and pretended to be in online relationships. He purchased items for many victims through Amazon — including fishnet stockings, sexual devices, and customized t-shirts — which he instructed them to wear while producing sexually explicit material. These items were shipped either directly to victims or to designated Amazon lockers for pickup.To prolong his exploitation and avoid detection, Lauless threatened victims with dissemination of their images and videos if they failed to comply with his demands or sought help from parents or law enforcement. At least one victim reported to Lauless that she was contemplating suicide.Lauless also sex trafficked at least five minor victims by forcing them to engage in oral, vaginal, and anal intercourse with adult males, producing numerous videos of these commercial sex acts. Some victims were forced to endure sadomasochistic abuse at his direction.Once he obtained images and videos, Lauless advertised and sold the sexually explicit material on platforms such as Discord, Instagram, Telegram, and MEGA. He engaged in at least 141 transactions, receiving payment through Venmo, PayPal, Bitcoin, and CashApp. He admitted that his collection of child sexual abuse material included thousands of images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as well as children subjected to bestiality and sadomasochistic abuse.“The sheer scale of this investigation and prosecution underscores the relentless commitment of federal law enforcement to dismantle networks of exploitation that prey on our children,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Childress &nbsp;for the Southern District of Indiana. “Austin Lauless orchestrated a campaign of abuse that spanned nearly every state and multiple countries, leaving behind profound harm. While no punishment can erase the trauma these young survivors endured, today’s sentence sends a clear message: we will pursue predators across every platform, every jurisdiction, and every border until justice is served.”“This case represents one of the most egregious forms of exploitation the FBI investigates,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley of FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This was not an isolated crime - it was a nationwide and international campaign of exploitation that victimized at least 84 people, including children, and involved the trafficking of human beings. The FBI is committed to identifying offenders who use technology to abuse, manipulate, and control others, and to ensuring they are held fully accountable. Today’s sentence delivers justice for the victims and reinforces that these crimes will not go unanswered.”Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Preston and Carolyn Haney for the Southern District of Indiana prosecuted this case with invaluable assistance from Victim Witness Coordinators Stephanie Lloyd and Johnna Preidt.The FBI conducted the investigation, with additional support from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker for the Southern District of Indiana.Additionally, 13 U.S. Attorney’s Offices provided cooperation during the investigation. Without their assistance, bringing Lauless to justice and legally resolving the harm he imposed on the victims would have been delayed. They include: Southern District of Iowa, Eastern District of Missouri, Northern District of Florida, Northern District of Texas, Western District of Kentucky, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of New York, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, District of Colorado, Central District of California, District of Arizona, and Eastern District of Tennessee.This case was brought as part of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov%2Fusao-sdin%2Fproject-safe-childhood%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0100019b3255de7f-81fd8676-bf36-42a7-83e8-c9dd44707b6f-000000/WGKNo-oy2wVyroINc20x1rCDx4ka1avklk2VRvhddBw=436">Project Safe Childhood</a>, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state,&nbsp;and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Predator coerced 84 minors to send him explicit videos, sold them online

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas teen who admitted her role in an acid attack on another girl is going to prison.

On Friday Judge Tyler Rousch sentenced Tayronnia West, who was 18 at the time of the crime, to 34 months in prison and 24 months of post release supervision,&nbsp; according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The judge followed the state’s recommendations and denied a motion for a departure to probation.

In September, West pled guilty to Reckless Aggravated Battery, severity level 5, person felony, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

In June Judge Tyler Rousch sentenced West's accomplice Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins, who was 18, at the time of the crime, to 34 months in prison and 24 months of post-release supervision, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. A&nbsp;jury found Hollins guilty of aggravated battery. She is being held in the Topeka Correctional facility and has been disciplined five times since June, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

In May of 2024, police responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of N Dodge in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The victim in this case, an 18-year-old girl later arrived at an area hospital with second degree burns to the face and neck believed to be caused by a suspect throwing an acidic liquid on her during a fight.&nbsp;

In June Judge Tyler Rousch sentenced West's accomplice Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins, who was 18, at the time of the crime, to 34 months in prison and 24 months of post-release supervision, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Immediately following the acid attack incident, investigators with the Wichita Police Felony Assault unit along with patrol officers began looking for the suspects. On June 5, officers with the Patrol North Community Response Team located and arrested Hollins and accomplice Tayronnia Jontashia West. In March of 2025, police also arrested a 17-year-old girl in connection with the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766269444506.png" alt="West photo Sedgwick Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>West photo Sedgwick Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas teen who admitted her role in an acid attack on another girl is going to prison.On Friday Judge Tyler Rousch sentenced Tayronnia West, who was 18 at the time of the crime, to 34 months in prison and 24 months of post release supervision,&nbsp; according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;The judge followed the state’s recommendations and denied a motion for a departure to probation.In September, West pled guilty to Reckless Aggravated Battery, severity level 5, person felony, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;In June Judge Tyler Rousch sentenced West's accomplice Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins, who was 18, at the time of the crime, to 34 months in prison and 24 months of post-release supervision, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. A&nbsp;jury found Hollins guilty of aggravated battery. She is being held in the Topeka Correctional facility and has been disciplined five times since June, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.In May of 2024, police responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of N Dodge in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The victim in this case, an 18-year-old girl later arrived at an area hospital with second degree burns to the face and neck believed to be caused by a suspect throwing an acidic liquid on her during a fight.&nbsp;In June Judge Tyler Rousch sentenced West's accomplice Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins, who was 18, at the time of the crime, to 34 months in prison and 24 months of post-release supervision, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Immediately following the acid attack incident, investigators with the Wichita Police Felony Assault unit along with patrol officers began looking for the suspects. On June 5, officers with the Patrol North Community Response Team located and arrested Hollins and accomplice Tayronnia Jontashia West. In March of 2025, police also arrested a 17-year-old girl in connection with the case.

Prison for throwing acid on Kansas teen's face during a fight

SEWARD COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Ford F350 driven by Stanley Wayne&nbsp; De Weerd, 73, Rock Valley, Iowa, was westbound on U.S. 54 just east of U.S. 183.&nbsp; The pickup struck the drivers side of a 2022 Kenworth semi driven by Emmanuel Terrell Lee&nbsp;Jimmerson, 41, North Las Vegas, Nevada, who was exiting from the Love's Travel Stop Western entrance, initiating a left turn to travel east on U.S 54.&nbsp;

A passenger in the pickup identified as Arlis Kay&nbsp;De Weerd, 72, Rock Valley, Iowa was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hornung Mortuary. EMS transported&nbsp;Stanley De Weerd to Wesley Medical Center and&nbsp;Jimmerson to Southwest Medical Center. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the K HP.

SEWARD COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Seward County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Ford F350 driven by Stanley Wayne&nbsp; De Weerd, 73, Rock Valley, Iowa, was westbound on U.S. 54 just east of U.S. 183.&nbsp; The pickup struck the drivers side of a 2022 Kenworth semi driven by Emmanuel Terrell Lee&nbsp;Jimmerson, 41, North Las Vegas, Nevada, who was exiting from the Love's Travel Stop Western entrance, initiating a left turn to travel east on U.S 54.&nbsp;A passenger in the pickup identified as Arlis Kay&nbsp;De Weerd, 72, Rock Valley, Iowa was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hornung Mortuary. EMS transported&nbsp;Stanley De Weerd to Wesley Medical Center and&nbsp;Jimmerson to Southwest Medical Center. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the K HP.

Woman killed in pickup, semi crash on Kansas highway

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ali-swenson">ALI SWENSON</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/release-epstein-files-justice-department-trump-f919d9dc9c3957cb2bd2c9c1a14b533c">published thousands of files</a>&nbsp;related to Jeffrey Epstein, a release long anticipated for its potential to reveal new details about the late sex offender and his connections to powerful people.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the files and do a search

But it was clear soon after the release that it would fall far short of those expectations. The partial release angered Democrats who accused the Trump administration of trying to hide information. The Justice Department said it would continue releasing documents in the weeks ahead.

The file dump — dominated by photographs, but also including call logs, court records and other documents, many with redactions — comes after politicians and the public waged a massive campaign for transparency about the government’s investigations into the wealthy financier.

President Donald Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling-out, tried for months to keep the records sealed. Though he hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, he has argued there is nothing to see in the files and the public should focus on other issues.

On Nov. 19, relenting to political pressure from his fellow Republicans,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">he signed a bill</a>&nbsp;mandating the release of most of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein within 30 days. The White House said Friday’s release of the files shows how the administration is the “most transparent in history.”

Here are some takeaways about the Justice Department’s initial Epstein file release:

It includes thousands of photos, but far fewer files than expected

The law signed by Trump last month set Friday as the deadline for the Justice Department to release most of its files about Epstein.

Ahead of the release, Deputy Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-transcripts-1d38a010e72b5b58cca944cb3bbb0e6a">Todd Blanche</a>&nbsp;told Fox News he expected several hundred thousand files to be released Friday, along with several hundred thousand more to come later.

But the number of files that actually landed on the Justice Department’s website seemed to be a thin slice of the total number expected. Blanche acknowledged in a letter to Congress that the production of files was incomplete. The department said it expected to complete its production of Epstein documents by the end of the year.

Among the documents made public are around 4,000 files — mostly photographs — under a subset the Justice Department described as “DOJ Disclosures.” The vast majority of the photographs were taken by the FBI during searches of Epstein’s homes in New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Also included were images of envelopes, folders and boxes containing investigative materials from various probes related to Epstein. Many records are redacted and anything containing a victim’s personally identifiable information, including materials depicting sexual and physical abuse, isn’t authorized for release.

Various other files released by the Justice Department on Friday include court records, public records and disclosures to House committees. At least some of that material has already circulated in the public domain after years of court action and investigations.

Multiple photographs show former President Bill Clinton

Many of the most discussed photos from the files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-justice-department-jeffrey-epstein-4a55e83b62b5a037c431e36cfa87f0dc">show the former Democratic president</a>. Clinton has acknowledged that he traveled on Epstein’s private jet but said through a spokesperson that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clinton-congress-comer-epstein-a33b35e4882a471b4fc29c51f806c8d2">he had no knowledge</a>&nbsp;of the late financier’s crimes.

Some of the photos show Clinton on a private plane, including one with a woman seated next to him with her arm around him. Her face is redacted from the photo.

Another photo shows him in a pool with British socialite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, who has been convicted of luring young girls to Epstein so he could molest them, and with another person whose face is redacted. One shows him with the late pop star Michael Jackson, singer Diana Ross and a woman whose face is redacted.

And another shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face is redacted. The Justice Department did not explain how those photos were related to the criminal investigation.

Nevertheless, senior White House aides quickly called attention to them on X.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, wrote “Oh my!” and added a shocked face emoji in response to the photo of Clinton in the hot tub.

Angel Ureña, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in an X post that “this isn’t about Bill Clinton” and accused the White House of trying to protect others.

“There are two types of people here,” he wrote. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.”

Clinton has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/at-trumps-urging-bondi-says-us-will-investigate-epsteins-ties-to-clinton-and-other-political-foes-e7cafcf6e6c44656a0d0b38637042d5f">never been accused of wrongdoing</a>&nbsp;in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name or images in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.

To some exploring the records released Friday, the most interesting parts were which high-profile figures appeared scarcely — or not at all.

For example, Trump is minimally referenced in the files, and the small number of photos that do show him appear to have been in the public domain for decades.

The release does include at least one photo of the former Prince Andrew, who appears in a tuxedo lying on the laps of what appear to be several women who are seated, dressed in formalwear. One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with men, including the prince.

Marina Lacerda, one of the women who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-survivors-react-a7cceac935feda8d94b8fa59e13b01fa">says she survived sexual assault</a>&nbsp;by Epstein, beginning when she was 14 years old, said Friday she wanted to see greater transparency from the Justice Department and expressed frustration over redactions and the incomplete release.

“Just put out the files,” she said. “And stop redacting names that don’t need to be redacted.”

Several lawmakers blasted the Trump administration for failing to produce all the documents required under the law.

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had introduced what is known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-house-sex-trafficking-investigation-c46716743f6f65f2f3b74906365da58b">a discharge petition,</a>&nbsp;which eventually led to the congressional vote that forced the release of the Epstein files. On Friday, both took to social media to criticize the partial release.

Massie wrote that it “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law.” Khanna called the release so far “disappointing.”

“We’re going to push for the actual documents,” he said.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said that by disregarding the deadline, the administration was denying justice to Epstein’s victims. He added he was “exploring all avenues and legal tools to get justice for the victims and transparency for the American people.”

If Democratic lawmakers so choose, they could go to court to force the Justice Department to comply with the law, but that would almost certainly be a lengthy process that plays out while the department releases more files.

Separately, the House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena for the Epstein files. That could give Congress another avenue to force the release of more information to the committee, but it would require Republicans to join them in contempt-of-Congress proceedings against a Republican administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766200587832.png" alt=" Bill Clinton, in a hot tub, with a redacted figure-&nbsp;Per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ was specifically instructed only to redact the faces of victims and/or minors.&nbsp;&nbsp;Image released by the Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption> Bill Clinton, in a hot tub, with a redacted figure-&nbsp;Per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ was specifically instructed only to redact the faces of victims and/or minors.&nbsp;&nbsp;Image released by the Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ali-swenson">ALI SWENSON</a>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/release-epstein-files-justice-department-trump-f919d9dc9c3957cb2bd2c9c1a14b533c">published thousands of files</a>&nbsp;related to Jeffrey Epstein, a release long anticipated for its potential to reveal new details about the late sex offender and his connections to powerful people.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the files and do a searchBut it was clear soon after the release that it would fall far short of those expectations. The partial release angered Democrats who accused the Trump administration of trying to hide information. The Justice Department said it would continue releasing documents in the weeks ahead.The file dump — dominated by photographs, but also including call logs, court records and other documents, many with redactions — comes after politicians and the public waged a massive campaign for transparency about the government’s investigations into the wealthy financier.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766198100737.png" alt="Image released by the Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Image released by the Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>President Donald Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling-out, tried for months to keep the records sealed. Though he hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, he has argued there is nothing to see in the files and the public should focus on other issues.On Nov. 19, relenting to political pressure from his fellow Republicans,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">he signed a bill</a>&nbsp;mandating the release of most of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein within 30 days. The White House said Friday’s release of the files shows how the administration is the “most transparent in history.”Here are some takeaways about the Justice Department’s initial Epstein file release:<h2>It includes thousands of photos, but far fewer files than expected</h2>The law signed by Trump last month set Friday as the deadline for the Justice Department to release most of its files about Epstein.Ahead of the release, Deputy Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-transcripts-1d38a010e72b5b58cca944cb3bbb0e6a">Todd Blanche</a>&nbsp;told Fox News he expected several hundred thousand files to be released Friday, along with several hundred thousand more to come later.But the number of files that actually landed on the Justice Department’s website seemed to be a thin slice of the total number expected. Blanche acknowledged in a letter to Congress that the production of files was incomplete. The department said it expected to complete its production of Epstein documents by the end of the year.Among the documents made public are around 4,000 files — mostly photographs — under a subset the Justice Department described as “DOJ Disclosures.” The vast majority of the photographs were taken by the FBI during searches of Epstein’s homes in New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Also included were images of envelopes, folders and boxes containing investigative materials from various probes related to Epstein. Many records are redacted and anything containing a victim’s personally identifiable information, including materials depicting sexual and physical abuse, isn’t authorized for release.Various other files released by the Justice Department on Friday include court records, public records and disclosures to House committees. At least some of that material has already circulated in the public domain after years of court action and investigations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766198004020.png" alt="Image released by the Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Image released by the Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Multiple photographs show former President Bill Clinton</h2>Many of the most discussed photos from the files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-justice-department-jeffrey-epstein-4a55e83b62b5a037c431e36cfa87f0dc">show the former Democratic president</a>. Clinton has acknowledged that he traveled on Epstein’s private jet but said through a spokesperson that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clinton-congress-comer-epstein-a33b35e4882a471b4fc29c51f806c8d2">he had no knowledge</a>&nbsp;of the late financier’s crimes.Some of the photos show Clinton on a private plane, including one with a woman seated next to him with her arm around him. Her face is redacted from the photo.Another photo shows him in a pool with British socialite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, who has been convicted of luring young girls to Epstein so he could molest them, and with another person whose face is redacted. One shows him with the late pop star Michael Jackson, singer Diana Ross and a woman whose face is redacted.And another shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face is redacted. The Justice Department did not explain how those photos were related to the criminal investigation.Nevertheless, senior White House aides quickly called attention to them on X.Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, wrote “Oh my!” and added a shocked face emoji in response to the photo of Clinton in the hot tub.Angel Ureña, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in an X post that “this isn’t about Bill Clinton” and accused the White House of trying to protect others.“There are two types of people here,” he wrote. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.”Clinton has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/at-trumps-urging-bondi-says-us-will-investigate-epsteins-ties-to-clinton-and-other-political-foes-e7cafcf6e6c44656a0d0b38637042d5f">never been accused of wrongdoing</a>&nbsp;in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name or images in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.<h2>No new revelations about Trump or others</h2>To some exploring the records released Friday, the most interesting parts were which high-profile figures appeared scarcely — or not at all.For example, Trump is minimally referenced in the files, and the small number of photos that do show him appear to have been in the public domain for decades.The release does include at least one photo of the former Prince Andrew, who appears in a tuxedo lying on the laps of what appear to be several women who are seated, dressed in formalwear. One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with men, including the prince.Marina Lacerda, one of the women who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-survivors-react-a7cceac935feda8d94b8fa59e13b01fa">says she survived sexual assault</a>&nbsp;by Epstein, beginning when she was 14 years old, said Friday she wanted to see greater transparency from the Justice Department and expressed frustration over redactions and the incomplete release.“Just put out the files,” she said. “And stop redacting names that don’t need to be redacted.”<h2>Partial release upsets some lawmakers</h2>Several lawmakers blasted the Trump administration for failing to produce all the documents required under the law.Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had introduced what is known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-house-sex-trafficking-investigation-c46716743f6f65f2f3b74906365da58b">a discharge petition,</a>&nbsp;which eventually led to the congressional vote that forced the release of the Epstein files. On Friday, both took to social media to criticize the partial release.Massie wrote that it “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law.” Khanna called the release so far “disappointing.”“We’re going to push for the actual documents,” he said.Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said that by disregarding the deadline, the administration was denying justice to Epstein’s victims. He added he was “exploring all avenues and legal tools to get justice for the victims and transparency for the American people.”If Democratic lawmakers so choose, they could go to court to force the Justice Department to comply with the law, but that would almost certainly be a lengthy process that plays out while the department releases more files.Separately, the House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena for the Epstein files. That could give Congress another avenue to force the release of more information to the committee, but it would require Republicans to join them in contempt-of-Congress proceedings against a Republican administration.

Takeaways from the DOJ's initial release of Epstein files, mandated by Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela">Venezuela</a>&nbsp;for the second time in less than two weeks as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;continues to ramp up pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nicolas-maduro">Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.</a>

The pre-dawn operation comes days after Trump announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-sanctioned-oil-blockade-fd8fd9aa3da41f826fbabd8752dc9a17">“blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers</a>&nbsp;coming in and out of the South American country and follows the Dec. 10&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0">seizure by American forces</a>&nbsp;of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard with help from the Defense Department stopped the oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. She also posted on social media an unclassified video of a U.S helicopter landing personnel on a vessel called Centuries.

A crude oil tanker flying under the flag of Panama operates under the name and was recently spotted near the Venezuelan coast, according to MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data. It was not immediately clear if the vessel was under U.S. sanctions.

“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem wrote on X. “We will find you, and we will stop you.”

The action was a “consented boarding,” with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing U.S. forces to board it, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Pentagon and White House officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment.

Trump following the first tanker seizure, of a vessel named the Skipper, this month vowed that the U.S. would carry out a blockade of Venezuela. It all comes as Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric toward Maduro and warned that the longtime Venezuelan leader’s days in power are numbered.

And the president this week demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-oil-tankers-625a7c9a3106e316c97ceb68a42a1cb5">“blockade” against oil tankers traveling</a>&nbsp;to or from the South American country that face American sanctions.

Trump cited the lost U.S. investments in Venezuela when asked about his newest tactic in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">pressure campaign</a>&nbsp;against Maduro, suggesting the Republican administration’s moves are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tankers-maduro-trump-blockade-2460e98e4c504cd2a1c86b951e825013">diverting away from Venezuela</a>.

"We’re not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn’t be going through,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it — they illegally took it.”

U.S. oil companies dominated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-oil-trump-blockade-food-shortages-de504343d2118840f41bcc0cf6788ef4">Venezuela’s petroleum industry</a>&nbsp;until the country’s leaders moved to nationalize the sector, first in the 1970s and again in the 21st century under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. Compensation offered by Venezuela was deemed insufficient, and in 2014 an international arbitration panel ordered the country’s socialist government to pay $1.6 billion to ExxonMobil.

The targeting of tankers comes as Trump has ordered the Defense Department to carry out a series of attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that his administration alleges are smuggling fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States and beyond.

At least 104 people have been killed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-petro-colombia-drugs-us-aid-c3955b2ce351737119920741178e0567">28 known strikes</a>&nbsp;since early September.

The strikes have faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and human rights activists, who say the administration has offered scant evidence that its targets are indeed drug smugglers and that the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.

The Coast Guard, sometimes with help from the Navy, had typically interdicted boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea, searched for illicit cargo, and arrested the people aboard for prosecution.

The administration has justified the strikes as necessary, asserting it is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>&nbsp;aimed at halting the flow of narcotics into the United States. Maduro faces federal charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.

The U.S. in recent months has sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-buildup-caribbean-venezuela-ships-troops-810f6181371f53536c723ea562c5277c">a fleet of warships</a>&nbsp;to the region, the largest buildup of forces in generations, and Trump has stated repeatedly that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-cartel-soles-us-drugs-terrorist-f778922c04b4f514092bd29b91e77358">land attacks are coming soon</a>.

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from power.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/susie-wiles-interview-donald-trump-a9b42bf0580f9ebdf93a45e7d19382f5">in an interview with Vanity Fair</a>&nbsp;published this week that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”

Madhani reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela">Venezuela</a>&nbsp;for the second time in less than two weeks as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;continues to ramp up pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nicolas-maduro">Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… <a href="https://t.co/nSZ4mi6axc">pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2002481990755627050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The pre-dawn operation comes days after Trump announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-sanctioned-oil-blockade-fd8fd9aa3da41f826fbabd8752dc9a17">“blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers</a>&nbsp;coming in and out of the South American country and follows the Dec. 10&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0">seizure by American forces</a>&nbsp;of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard with help from the Defense Department stopped the oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. She also posted on social media an unclassified video of a U.S helicopter landing personnel on a vessel called Centuries.A crude oil tanker flying under the flag of Panama operates under the name and was recently spotted near the Venezuelan coast, according to MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data. It was not immediately clear if the vessel was under U.S. sanctions.“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem wrote on X. “We will find you, and we will stop you.”The action was a “consented boarding,” with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing U.S. forces to board it, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.Pentagon and White House officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment.Trump following the first tanker seizure, of a vessel named the Skipper, this month vowed that the U.S. would carry out a blockade of Venezuela. It all comes as Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric toward Maduro and warned that the longtime Venezuelan leader’s days in power are numbered.And the president this week demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-oil-tankers-625a7c9a3106e316c97ceb68a42a1cb5">“blockade” against oil tankers traveling</a>&nbsp;to or from the South American country that face American sanctions.Trump cited the lost U.S. investments in Venezuela when asked about his newest tactic in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">pressure campaign</a>&nbsp;against Maduro, suggesting the Republican administration’s moves are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tankers-maduro-trump-blockade-2460e98e4c504cd2a1c86b951e825013">diverting away from Venezuela</a>."We’re not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn’t be going through,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it — they illegally took it.”U.S. oil companies dominated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-oil-trump-blockade-food-shortages-de504343d2118840f41bcc0cf6788ef4">Venezuela’s petroleum industry</a>&nbsp;until the country’s leaders moved to nationalize the sector, first in the 1970s and again in the 21st century under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. Compensation offered by Venezuela was deemed insufficient, and in 2014 an international arbitration panel ordered the country’s socialist government to pay $1.6 billion to ExxonMobil.The targeting of tankers comes as Trump has ordered the Defense Department to carry out a series of attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that his administration alleges are smuggling fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States and beyond.At least 104 people have been killed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-petro-colombia-drugs-us-aid-c3955b2ce351737119920741178e0567">28 known strikes</a>&nbsp;since early September.The strikes have faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and human rights activists, who say the administration has offered scant evidence that its targets are indeed drug smugglers and that the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.The Coast Guard, sometimes with help from the Navy, had typically interdicted boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea, searched for illicit cargo, and arrested the people aboard for prosecution.The administration has justified the strikes as necessary, asserting it is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>&nbsp;aimed at halting the flow of narcotics into the United States. Maduro faces federal charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.The U.S. in recent months has sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-buildup-caribbean-venezuela-ships-troops-810f6181371f53536c723ea562c5277c">a fleet of warships</a>&nbsp;to the region, the largest buildup of forces in generations, and Trump has stated repeatedly that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-cartel-soles-us-drugs-terrorist-f778922c04b4f514092bd29b91e77358">land attacks are coming soon</a>.Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from power.White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/susie-wiles-interview-donald-trump-a9b42bf0580f9ebdf93a45e7d19382f5">in an interview with Vanity Fair</a>&nbsp;published this week that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”___Madhani reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.

🎥US forces stop a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Information from a tipster who had a strange encounter with another man on a sidewalk outside Brown University was key to police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-investigation-5b0b254442dd77d9056111bad902de33">identifying the suspect</a>&nbsp;they believe killed two students at the school and then two days later gunned down a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.

Known only as “John” in a Providence police affidavit, the source is being hailed by investigators as the key figure who gave law enforcement the details needed to determine who was behind the Brown shooting, as well as the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who was shot in his Brookline home Monday.

Ever since a shooter unloaded more than 40 rounds inside a Brown engineering building, anxiety and frustration has plagued the Providence, Rhode Island, community as police appeared no closer to identifying the person.

Yet on the sixth day of the investigation, the case gathered steam, ending with police announcing late Thursday they had found the suspected gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“He blew this case right open,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha of the information provided by the individual that resulted in finding the gunman nearly 24 hours later.

“When you crack it, you crack it,” he said.

According to police, John had several encounters with 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente before Saturday’s attack. As police posted images of a person of interest — now identified as Neves Valente — John began posting on the social media forum Reddit that he recognized the person and theorized that police should look into “possibly a rental” grey Nissan. Reddit users urged him to tell the FBI, and John said he did. The police affidavit said they learned about the tip on Dec. 16, three days after the shooting and a day after the tip line was created.

Up until that point, the police affidavit says officials had not connected a vehicle to the possible shooter.

That detail led them to get more video of a Nissan Sentra sedan with Florida plates and enabled Providence police officers to tap into a network of more than 70 street cameras operated around the city by surveillance company Flock Safety.

The affidavit says John gave investigators additional critical details: he encountered Neves Valente in the bathroom of the engineering building just hours before the attack, where John noted the suspect’s clothing was “inappropriate and inadequate for the weather.”

John also bumped into Neves Valente outside, mere blocks from the building, where John watched Neves Valente “suddenly” turn around from the Nissan when he saw John. What ensued was then a “game of cat and mouse,” according to John’s testimony — where the two would encounter each other and Neves Valente would run away.

At one point, John says he yelled out “Your car is back there, why are you circling the block?”

“The Suspect responded, ‘I don’t know you from nobody,’ then Suspect repeatedly asked, ’Why are you harassing me?’” according to the affidavit.

John told police he eventually saw Neves Valente approach the Nissan sedan once more and decided to walk away.

“Respectfully, I have said all I have to say on the matter to the right people,” John wrote on Reddit Wednesday night.

As of Thursday, it’s unknown whether John will receive the $50,000 reward the FBI had offered for information about the Brown shooting.

Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI, said it was possible when asked by reporters.

“It would be logical to think that, absolutely, that individual would be entitled to that,” he said.

Associated Press writer Matt OBrien contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766058464325.png" alt="Image Providence Police" />
 <figcaption>Image Providence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Information from a tipster who had a strange encounter with another man on a sidewalk outside Brown University was key to police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-investigation-5b0b254442dd77d9056111bad902de33">identifying the suspect</a>&nbsp;they believe killed two students at the school and then two days later gunned down a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.Known only as “John” in a Providence police affidavit, the source is being hailed by investigators as the key figure who gave law enforcement the details needed to determine who was behind the Brown shooting, as well as the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who was shot in his Brookline home Monday.Ever since a shooter unloaded more than 40 rounds inside a Brown engineering building, anxiety and frustration has plagued the Providence, Rhode Island, community as police appeared no closer to identifying the person.Yet on the sixth day of the investigation, the case gathered steam, ending with police announcing late Thursday they had found the suspected gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.The tipster, John, was the reason why.“He blew this case right open,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha of the information provided by the individual that resulted in finding the gunman nearly 24 hours later.“When you crack it, you crack it,” he said.According to police, John had several encounters with 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente before Saturday’s attack. As police posted images of a person of interest — now identified as Neves Valente — John began posting on the social media forum Reddit that he recognized the person and theorized that police should look into “possibly a rental” grey Nissan. Reddit users urged him to tell the FBI, and John said he did. The police affidavit said they learned about the tip on Dec. 16, three days after the shooting and a day after the tip line was created.Up until that point, the police affidavit says officials had not connected a vehicle to the possible shooter.That detail led them to get more video of a Nissan Sentra sedan with Florida plates and enabled Providence police officers to tap into a network of more than 70 street cameras operated around the city by surveillance company Flock Safety.The affidavit says John gave investigators additional critical details: he encountered Neves Valente in the bathroom of the engineering building just hours before the attack, where John noted the suspect’s clothing was “inappropriate and inadequate for the weather.”John also bumped into Neves Valente outside, mere blocks from the building, where John watched Neves Valente “suddenly” turn around from the Nissan when he saw John. What ensued was then a “game of cat and mouse,” according to John’s testimony — where the two would encounter each other and Neves Valente would run away.At one point, John says he yelled out “Your car is back there, why are you circling the block?”“The Suspect responded, ‘I don’t know you from nobody,’ then Suspect repeatedly asked, ’Why are you harassing me?’” according to the affidavit.John told police he eventually saw Neves Valente approach the Nissan sedan once more and decided to walk away.“Respectfully, I have said all I have to say on the matter to the right people,” John wrote on Reddit Wednesday night.As of Thursday, it’s unknown whether John will receive the $50,000 reward the FBI had offered for information about the Brown shooting.Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI, said it was possible when asked by reporters.“It would be logical to think that, absolutely, that individual would be entitled to that,” he said.___Associated Press writer Matt OBrien contributed to this report.

How one anonymous tipster cracked the Brown University shooting case

KANSAS CITY—A person injured in an accident that occurred just before 10 a.m. Wednesday in Kansas City has died.

According to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a blue Dodge Dart was&nbsp; westbound on Interstate 70 and swerved into the impact attenuator to northbound US 71 Highway. 

EMS transported the driver and sole occupant to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.&nbsp; On Friday, Officer Gonzalez reported the driver died.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the driver or additional details.

KANSAS CITY—A person injured in an accident that occurred just before 10 a.m. Wednesday in Kansas City has died.According to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a blue Dodge Dart was&nbsp; westbound on Interstate 70 and swerved into the impact attenuator to northbound US 71 Highway. EMS transported the driver and sole occupant to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.&nbsp; On Friday, Officer Gonzalez reported the driver died.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the driver or additional details.

Driver dies after car strikes impact attenuator on I-70

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka. Just after 11:45p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a possible shooting in the 900 block of SW Lincoln Avenue in Topeka, according to Police Lt. John Trimble.

First responders located 2 victims who were deceased. Police believe all people involved in this incident are accounted for. Police did not report the names of the victims or possible suspect details.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka. Just after 11:45p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a possible shooting in the 900 block of SW Lincoln Avenue in Topeka, according to Police Lt. John Trimble.First responders located 2 victims who were deceased. Police believe all people involved in this incident are accounted for. Police did not report the names of the victims or possible suspect details.

Homicide: 2 found dead in Kansas shooting

RUSSELL COUNTY —Multiple fire departments and first responder agencies responded to two large grass fires in southeast Russell County on Thursday, according to Russell County Emergency Management.

At noon, the first fire was located eight miles southwest of Bunker Hill in the area of 189th Street and Lincoln Road. Russell County Rural Fire District Five responded, but almost immediately requested more Russell County rural fire departments respond due to high winds with gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range. The cause of the first fire was electrical power lines.

The second fire to the north started approximately a mile south of US Highway 40 on 193rd Street south of Bunker Hill. It was caused by a responding fire truck losing a tire and crashing into the ditch.

All told, approximately 2,000 acres of grassland were burned in both fires. There were no injuries due to the fires and a handful of structures and residences were threatened, but none were damaged.

Russell County EMS responded to a crash involving a Russell County Sheriff’s Deputy vehicle and a Dorrance Fire Department fire truck. No one was transported to the hospital and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated both vehicle crashes, the other being the fire truck that lost a tire.

Early in the process, a verbal disaster declaration for Russell County was requested and approved by the Russell County Commission, thereby allowing the request of mutual aid resources from the state.

All fire departments from Russell County were involved in the response, as well as fire departments and additional agencies from multiple surrounding counties.

Both fires were declared under control at around 5 PM Thursday evening with some firefighters remaining on scene to put out hot spots and monitor the area.

Russell County Emergency Management, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and Russell County Rural Fire District Five thank all local and state agencies that responded to assist, as well as private citizens and businesses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766089811922.png" alt="Image from KHP video" />
 <figcaption>Image from KHP video</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL COUNTY —Multiple fire departments and first responder agencies responded to two large grass fires in southeast Russell County on Thursday, according to Russell County Emergency Management.At noon, the first fire was located eight miles southwest of Bunker Hill in the area of 189th Street and Lincoln Road. Russell County Rural Fire District Five responded, but almost immediately requested more Russell County rural fire departments respond due to high winds with gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range. The cause of the first fire was electrical power lines.The second fire to the north started approximately a mile south of US Highway 40 on 193rd Street south of Bunker Hill. It was caused by a responding fire truck losing a tire and crashing into the ditch.All told, approximately 2,000 acres of grassland were burned in both fires. There were no injuries due to the fires and a handful of structures and residences were threatened, but none were damaged.Russell County EMS responded to a crash involving a Russell County Sheriff’s Deputy vehicle and a Dorrance Fire Department fire truck. No one was transported to the hospital and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated both vehicle crashes, the other being the fire truck that lost a tire.Early in the process, a verbal disaster declaration for Russell County was requested and approved by the Russell County Commission, thereby allowing the request of mutual aid resources from the state.All fire departments from Russell County were involved in the response, as well as fire departments and additional agencies from multiple surrounding counties.Both fires were declared under control at around 5 PM Thursday evening with some firefighters remaining on scene to put out hot spots and monitor the area.Russell County Emergency Management, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and Russell County Rural Fire District Five thank all local and state agencies that responded to assist, as well as private citizens and businesses.

2,000 acres of Kansas grassland burned in windy wildfire

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — President Donald Trump took the first step Thursday to reclassify marijuana, but the move won’t affect Kansans unless the state changes its laws, a law enforcement professional said.&nbsp;

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/increasing-medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research/" target="_blank">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;to drop marijuana from a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act to a Schedule III drug.&nbsp;

In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended the change, indicating marijuana has medical use.

“Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision,” the order said. “Schedule III drugs are classified as having a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II, a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a potential for moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence in the event of drug abuse.”

The change doesn’t take immediate effect on the federal level, but it will not affect Kansans unless laws are changed, said Ed Klumpp, a retired Topeka police chief and a lobbyist for the Kansas Peace Officers Association.

“Under state law, it’s still under Schedule I,” he said. “If this happens and it sticks, then there would need to be some kind of bill run to move it from Schedule I to Schedule III on the state schedule, and then it’s still a controlled substance.”

If marijuana moves to become a Schedule III drug, it could be prescribed through pharmacies for medicinal use, Klumpp said.&nbsp;

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation urged Kansans to remember that marijuana is still illegal and that rescheduling it is “not the same as legalization.”&nbsp;

“Marijuana products sold today are highly potent and pose a direct threat to public health,” the news release said. “Rescheduling will allow qualified scientists to conduct reliable research on the long-term impact on the human brain of the use of high-concentration THC products. We believe this will conclusively prove the connection between marijuana use and mental health disorders, especially in children and teens.”

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, was one of 24 Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26382687-12172025-budd-letter-on-marijuana-rescheduling/" target="_blank">who signed a letter</a>&nbsp;asking Trump not to change marijuana’s classification.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Rescheduling marijuana to a Schedule III drug will undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again and to usher in America’s next economic Golden Age,” the letter said. “The only winners from rescheduling will be bad actors such as Communist China, while Americans will be left paying the bill.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766178085125.png" alt=" Ed Klumpp, a Kansas lobbyist representing the Kansas Peace Officers Association, said federal regulatory decisions regarding marijuana won't change the drug's status in Kansas unless the state's law changes. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Legislature's YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption> Ed Klumpp, a Kansas lobbyist representing the Kansas Peace Officers Association, said federal regulatory decisions regarding marijuana won't change the drug's status in Kansas unless the state's law changes. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Legislature's YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — President Donald Trump took the first step Thursday to reclassify marijuana, but the move won’t affect Kansans unless the state changes its laws, a law enforcement professional said.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/increasing-medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research/" target="_blank">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;to drop marijuana from a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act to a Schedule III drug.&nbsp;In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended the change, indicating marijuana has medical use.“Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision,” the order said. “Schedule III drugs are classified as having a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II, a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a potential for moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence in the event of drug abuse.”The change doesn’t take immediate effect on the federal level, but it will not affect Kansans unless laws are changed, said Ed Klumpp, a retired Topeka police chief and a lobbyist for the Kansas Peace Officers Association.“Under state law, it’s still under Schedule I,” he said. “If this happens and it sticks, then there would need to be some kind of bill run to move it from Schedule I to Schedule III on the state schedule, and then it’s still a controlled substance.”If marijuana moves to become a Schedule III drug, it could be prescribed through pharmacies for medicinal use, Klumpp said.&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation urged Kansans to remember that marijuana is still illegal and that rescheduling it is “not the same as legalization.”&nbsp;“Marijuana products sold today are highly potent and pose a direct threat to public health,” the news release said. “Rescheduling will allow qualified scientists to conduct reliable research on the long-term impact on the human brain of the use of high-concentration THC products. We believe this will conclusively prove the connection between marijuana use and mental health disorders, especially in children and teens.”U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, was one of 24 Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26382687-12172025-budd-letter-on-marijuana-rescheduling/" target="_blank">who signed a letter</a>&nbsp;asking Trump not to change marijuana’s classification.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Rescheduling marijuana to a Schedule III drug will undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again and to usher in America’s next economic Golden Age,” the letter said. “The only winners from rescheduling will be bad actors such as Communist China, while Americans will be left paying the bill.”

Kansas marijuana laws remain unchanged, despite Trump promoting looser regulations

By DAVE SKRETTA &nbsp;AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be mere days away from taking a big step toward a move across the state line, and eventually leaving their longtime home at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri for a new and likely covered stadium in Kansas.

With a year-end deadline approaching, the Legislative Coordinating Council is scheduled to meet Monday in Topeka, Kansas, where it will consider approving STAR bonds that would fund up to 70% of a stadium project to help lure the NFL franchise to the state.

The Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals have played for more than 50 years in side-by-side stadiums in Jackson County, Missouri. But those leases are due to expire in January 2031, and the two franchises have been working for years on their future plans.

Voters in Jackson County soundly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">defeated a local sales tax extension</a>&nbsp;last year that would have helped to finance an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead and a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. Since then, the Chiefs and Royals have pursued separate plans, though momentum appears to be growing behind both of them moving to Kansas.

The likely destination for the Chiefs is The Legends, a regional shopping mall and commercial area in Kansas City, Kansas. There is plenty of land available for a stadium and mixed-use commercial district, but it also has anchors in place, such as Kansas Speedway, the Hollywood Casino and Children's Mercy Park, the home of Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City.

The location is also ideal because it stands at the crossroads of Interstates 70 and 435, allowing for relatively easy traffic flow.

“The state of Kansas is in active discussions with the Kansas City Chiefs about the prospects of building a new stadium and other facilities in Kansas,” the Kansas Department of Commerce said in a statement. “No final agreement has been reached, but this would be a massive economic win for Kansas and benefit Kansans for generations to come. We are aggressively pursuing this opportunity.”

It would also be a massive loss for Missouri, which lost the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles a decade ago, and Gov. Mike Kehoe. He had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.

Missouri's move came after Kansas lawmakers had approved their own bond package in an attempt to land the two franchises.

Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt has long said that his preference would be to renovated Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. But by building an enclosed facility, the Chiefs would have access to revenue streams not available at Arrowhead Stadium, such as new luxury seating and the ability to host year-round sporting events.

That could mean fulfilling another dream of Lamar Hunt: hosting a Super Bowl.

While the Royals will not be discussed during the LCC meeting Monday, that doesn't mean they couldn't be moving across the state line as well. There is a groundswell of support for the team to move to the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and a tract of land known as the Aspiria Campus that once served as the headquarters for Sprint and now houses the offices of several companies.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who has been working to keep both of the professional sports franchises on the Missouri side of the state line, issued a statement Thursday night saying that the city doesn’t negotiate in public.

“As the city and our Missouri partners continue discussions with our long-term partners at the Chiefs and the Royals," the statement read, “we remain steadfast in working toward an arrangement in the best interest of our community and the greatest success of our teams on and off the field.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707336003255.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA &nbsp;AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be mere days away from taking a big step toward a move across the state line, and eventually leaving their longtime home at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri for a new and likely covered stadium in Kansas.With a year-end deadline approaching, the Legislative Coordinating Council is scheduled to meet Monday in Topeka, Kansas, where it will consider approving STAR bonds that would fund up to 70% of a stadium project to help lure the NFL franchise to the state.The Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals have played for more than 50 years in side-by-side stadiums in Jackson County, Missouri. But those leases are due to expire in January 2031, and the two franchises have been working for years on their future plans.Voters in Jackson County soundly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">defeated a local sales tax extension</a>&nbsp;last year that would have helped to finance an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead and a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. Since then, the Chiefs and Royals have pursued separate plans, though momentum appears to be growing behind both of them moving to Kansas.The likely destination for the Chiefs is The Legends, a regional shopping mall and commercial area in Kansas City, Kansas. There is plenty of land available for a stadium and mixed-use commercial district, but it also has anchors in place, such as Kansas Speedway, the Hollywood Casino and Children's Mercy Park, the home of Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City.The location is also ideal because it stands at the crossroads of Interstates 70 and 435, allowing for relatively easy traffic flow.“The state of Kansas is in active discussions with the Kansas City Chiefs about the prospects of building a new stadium and other facilities in Kansas,” the Kansas Department of Commerce said in a statement. “No final agreement has been reached, but this would be a massive economic win for Kansas and benefit Kansans for generations to come. We are aggressively pursuing this opportunity.”It would also be a massive loss for Missouri, which lost the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles a decade ago, and Gov. Mike Kehoe. He had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.Missouri's move came after Kansas lawmakers had approved their own bond package in an attempt to land the two franchises.Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt has long said that his preference would be to renovated Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. But by building an enclosed facility, the Chiefs would have access to revenue streams not available at Arrowhead Stadium, such as new luxury seating and the ability to host year-round sporting events.That could mean fulfilling another dream of Lamar Hunt: hosting a Super Bowl.While the Royals will not be discussed during the LCC meeting Monday, that doesn't mean they couldn't be moving across the state line as well. There is a groundswell of support for the team to move to the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and a tract of land known as the Aspiria Campus that once served as the headquarters for Sprint and now houses the offices of several companies.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who has been working to keep both of the professional sports franchises on the Missouri side of the state line, issued a statement Thursday night saying that the city doesn’t negotiate in public.“As the city and our Missouri partners continue discussions with our long-term partners at the Chiefs and the Royals," the statement read, “we remain steadfast in working toward an arrangement in the best interest of our community and the greatest success of our teams on and off the field.”

Chiefs close to leaving Arrowhead Stadium for new home in Kansas

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 4:30a.m. December 15, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford F-150 that was northbound on U.S. Highway 75 near 318th&nbsp;Road for an alleged traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver of the vehicle, David John Remmers, 40, of Salina was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of a hallucinogenic drug, driving while suspended, tampering with an interlock device, possession of drug paraphernalia, no insurance and for an outstanding warrant for failure to appear out of Washington County.

The passenger of the vehicle, Jennifer Rose Martin, 40, of Marysville, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charges possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766096396799.png" alt="Remmers photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Remmers photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 4:30a.m. December 15, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford F-150 that was northbound on U.S. Highway 75 near 318th&nbsp;Road for an alleged traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver of the vehicle, David John Remmers, 40, of Salina was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of a hallucinogenic drug, driving while suspended, tampering with an interlock device, possession of drug paraphernalia, no insurance and for an outstanding warrant for failure to appear out of Washington County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766096371199.png" alt="Martin photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Martin photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The passenger of the vehicle, Jennifer Rose Martin, 40, of Marysville, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charges possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas man jailed for skipping court, drug possession

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department released thousands of files Friday from its investigation into convicted sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;even as it acknowledged that its documents disclosure about the wealthy financier, known for his connections to President Donald Trump and other influential people, was incomplete.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-release-justice-department-32cbc21a6ae8189dccd00455dc83d2be">The records</a>&nbsp;arrived with public anticipation that they could offer the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-investigation-records-timeline-545c371ee3dd3142355a26d27829c188">investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;of young women and underage girls. But it remained unclear how much substantive new information was included in the photos, call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts, or how much if any additional insight might be gleaned about Epstein’s relationships with rich and powerful contacts.

The files were being released in accordance with a congressionally set deadline of Friday, but the Justice Department signaled that it would not fully meet that mark, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche telling Fox News Channel that he expected the department to release “several hundred thousand” records Friday and then several hundred thousand more in the coming weeks.

Their release has long been demanded by a public hungry to learn whether any of Epstein’s rich and powerful associates knew about — or participated in — the abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-survivors-react-a7cceac935feda8d94b8fa59e13b01fa">Epstein’s accusers</a>&nbsp;have also long sought answers about why federal authorities shut down their initial investigation into the allegations in 2008.

Bowing to political pressure from fellow Republicans, Trump on Nov. 19 signed a bill giving the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">30 days to release most of its files</a>&nbsp;and communications related to Epstein, including information about the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">his death in a federal jail</a>. The law’s passage was a remarkable display of bipartisanship that overcame months of opposition from Trump and Republican leadership.

That law allows for redactions about the victims or ongoing investigations but makes clear no records shall be withheld or redacted due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Nov. 14 that she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-clinton-investigation-justice-department-d0ce8385cb7f42705ac068310e3231be">ordered a top federal prosecutor</a>&nbsp;to investigate Epstein’s ties to Trump’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton. Bondi acted after Trump pressed for such an inquiry, though he did not explain what supposed crimes he wanted the Justice Department to investigate. None of the men Trump mentioned in a social media post demanding the investigation has been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims.

In July, Trump dismissed some of his own supporters as “weaklings” for falling for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supporters-epstein-sex-trafficking-investigation-bondi-47370e63060d79af64b0b8ac70b970a4">“the Jeffrey Epstein hoax.”</a>&nbsp;But both Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., failed to prevent the legislation from coming to a vote.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-trump-congress-c858fcd7d587bb61d1b73753487b0ee1">Trump did a U-turn</a>&nbsp;on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted that the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the Republican agenda and that releasing the records was the best way to move on.

Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after the family of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at his mansion. The FBI joined the investigation, and authorities gathered testimony from multiple underage girls who said they had been hired to give Epstein sexual massages.

Ultimately, though, prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">gave Epstein a deal</a>&nbsp;that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution. He pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges involving someone under age 18 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Epstein’s accusers then spent years in civil litigation trying to get that plea deal set aside. One of those women, Virginia Giuffre, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters, starting at age 17, with numerous other men, including billionaires, famous academics, U.S. politicians and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Britain’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Prince Andrew</a>.

All of those men denied the allegations. Prosecutors never brought charges in connection with Giuffre’s claims, but her account fueled conspiracy theories about supposed government plots to protect the powerful.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-roberts-giuffre-obit-778c4fdd6fac2522133ca3d79244bccd">Giuffre died</a>&nbsp;by suicide at her farm in Western Australia in April at age 41.

Federal prosecutors in New York brought new sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">he killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;a month after his arrest. Prosecutors then charged Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, with recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse.

Maxwell was convicted in late 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, though she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-justice-department-prison-27d53cd22f8c53d9f2b5012cea32eb5e">moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida</a>&nbsp;to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-transcripts-1d38a010e72b5b58cca944cb3bbb0e6a">was interviewed</a>&nbsp;over the summer by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Her lawyers argued that she never should have been tried or convicted.

The Justice Department in July said it had not found any information that could support prosecuting anyone else.

Lots of Epstein records were already public

After nearly two decades of court action and prying by reporters, a voluminous number of records related to Epstein is already public, including flight logs, address books, email correspondence, police reports, grand jury records, courtroom testimony and transcripts of depositions of his accusers, his staffers and others.

Yet, the public’s appetite for more records has been insatiable, particularly for anything related to Epstein’s associations with famous people including Trump, Mountbatten-Windsor and Clinton.

Trump was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling out. Neither he nor Clinton has ever been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.

Mountbatten-Windsor denied ever having sex with Giuffre, but King Charles III&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-royals-andrew-prince-title-removed-c1538b68893cb1395073e1ca6b9468f4">stripped him of his royal titles</a>&nbsp;this year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-guiffre-jeffrey-epstein-memoir-983e88151ce72ac5428fd7940ad19d1e">Giuffre’s memoir</a>&nbsp;was published after she died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766179629581.png" alt="Image released Thursday by the House Oversight Committee" />
 <figcaption>Image released Thursday by the House Oversight Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department released thousands of files Friday from its investigation into convicted sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;even as it acknowledged that its documents disclosure about the wealthy financier, known for his connections to President Donald Trump and other influential people, was incomplete.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the files and do a search<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766179219604.png" alt="Image from the DOJ web site on Friday Dec. 19, 3p.m. CST.&nbsp; The DOJ acknowledged to Congress that the file release is incomplete and expects additional disclosures by the end of the year." />
 <figcaption>Image from the DOJ web site on Friday Dec. 19, 3p.m. CST.&nbsp; The DOJ acknowledged to Congress that the file release is incomplete and expects additional disclosures by the end of the year.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-release-justice-department-32cbc21a6ae8189dccd00455dc83d2be">The records</a>&nbsp;arrived with public anticipation that they could offer the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-investigation-records-timeline-545c371ee3dd3142355a26d27829c188">investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;of young women and underage girls. But it remained unclear how much substantive new information was included in the photos, call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts, or how much if any additional insight might be gleaned about Epstein’s relationships with rich and powerful contacts.The files were being released in accordance with a congressionally set deadline of Friday, but the Justice Department signaled that it would not fully meet that mark, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche telling Fox News Channel that he expected the department to release “several hundred thousand” records Friday and then several hundred thousand more in the coming weeks.Their release has long been demanded by a public hungry to learn whether any of Epstein’s rich and powerful associates knew about — or participated in — the abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-survivors-react-a7cceac935feda8d94b8fa59e13b01fa">Epstein’s accusers</a>&nbsp;have also long sought answers about why federal authorities shut down their initial investigation into the allegations in 2008.Bowing to political pressure from fellow Republicans, Trump on Nov. 19 signed a bill giving the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">30 days to release most of its files</a>&nbsp;and communications related to Epstein, including information about the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">his death in a federal jail</a>. The law’s passage was a remarkable display of bipartisanship that overcame months of opposition from Trump and Republican leadership.<h2>What the law allows</h2>That law allows for redactions about the victims or ongoing investigations but makes clear no records shall be withheld or redacted due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Nov. 14 that she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-clinton-investigation-justice-department-d0ce8385cb7f42705ac068310e3231be">ordered a top federal prosecutor</a>&nbsp;to investigate Epstein’s ties to Trump’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton. Bondi acted after Trump pressed for such an inquiry, though he did not explain what supposed crimes he wanted the Justice Department to investigate. None of the men Trump mentioned in a social media post demanding the investigation has been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims.In July, Trump dismissed some of his own supporters as “weaklings” for falling for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supporters-epstein-sex-trafficking-investigation-bondi-47370e63060d79af64b0b8ac70b970a4">“the Jeffrey Epstein hoax.”</a>&nbsp;But both Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., failed to prevent the legislation from coming to a vote.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-trump-congress-c858fcd7d587bb61d1b73753487b0ee1">Trump did a U-turn</a>&nbsp;on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted that the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the Republican agenda and that releasing the records was the best way to move on.<h2>The Epstein investigations</h2>Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after the family of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at his mansion. The FBI joined the investigation, and authorities gathered testimony from multiple underage girls who said they had been hired to give Epstein sexual massages.Ultimately, though, prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">gave Epstein a deal</a>&nbsp;that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution. He pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges involving someone under age 18 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.Epstein’s accusers then spent years in civil litigation trying to get that plea deal set aside. One of those women, Virginia Giuffre, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters, starting at age 17, with numerous other men, including billionaires, famous academics, U.S. politicians and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Britain’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Prince Andrew</a>.All of those men denied the allegations. Prosecutors never brought charges in connection with Giuffre’s claims, but her account fueled conspiracy theories about supposed government plots to protect the powerful.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-roberts-giuffre-obit-778c4fdd6fac2522133ca3d79244bccd">Giuffre died</a>&nbsp;by suicide at her farm in Western Australia in April at age 41.Federal prosecutors in New York brought new sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">he killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;a month after his arrest. Prosecutors then charged Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, with recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse.Maxwell was convicted in late 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, though she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-justice-department-prison-27d53cd22f8c53d9f2b5012cea32eb5e">moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida</a>&nbsp;to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-transcripts-1d38a010e72b5b58cca944cb3bbb0e6a">was interviewed</a>&nbsp;over the summer by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Her lawyers argued that she never should have been tried or convicted.The Justice Department in July said it had not found any information that could support prosecuting anyone else.<h2>Lots of Epstein records were already public</h2>After nearly two decades of court action and prying by reporters, a voluminous number of records related to Epstein is already public, including flight logs, address books, email correspondence, police reports, grand jury records, courtroom testimony and transcripts of depositions of his accusers, his staffers and others.Yet, the public’s appetite for more records has been insatiable, particularly for anything related to Epstein’s associations with famous people including Trump, Mountbatten-Windsor and Clinton.Trump was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling out. Neither he nor Clinton has ever been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.Mountbatten-Windsor denied ever having sex with Giuffre, but King Charles III&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-royals-andrew-prince-title-removed-c1538b68893cb1395073e1ca6b9468f4">stripped him of his royal titles</a>&nbsp;this year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-guiffre-jeffrey-epstein-memoir-983e88151ce72ac5428fd7940ad19d1e">Giuffre’s memoir</a>&nbsp;was published after she died.___Sisak reported from New York.

See the files: Some long-awaited Epstein files finally released

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced the start of a military operation in Syria to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” following the deaths of three U.S. citizens in an ambush attack almost a week ago.

A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that targeted multiple locations and concentrated areas across central Syria that had Islamic State group infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.

The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official said.

“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Hegseth said on social media.

President Donald Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">the shooting in the Syrian desert</a>&nbsp;last Saturday that killed two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter. He blamed IS for their deaths. The troops were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.

The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-syria-troops-islamic-state-kurds-3354f71e88d278427994d209b2d16d9c">U.S. military is expanding its cooperation</a>&nbsp;with Syrian security forces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766004117046.png" alt="On Wednesday, President Trump witnesses the dignified transfer of the three American Patriots killed in Syria." />
 <figcaption>On Wednesday, President Trump witnesses the dignified transfer of the three American Patriots killed in Syria.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced the start of a military operation in Syria to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” following the deaths of three U.S. citizens in an ambush attack almost a week ago.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM forces launched fighter jets, attack helicopters and other assets to conduct the large-scale strike. <a href="https://t.co/3szSo2u5rm">pic.twitter.com/3szSo2u5rm</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2002154219089113254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria. This is not the beginning of a war — it is a…&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/2002140737060692098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that targeted multiple locations and concentrated areas across central Syria that had Islamic State group infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official said.“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Hegseth said on social media.President Donald Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">the shooting in the Syrian desert</a>&nbsp;last Saturday that killed two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter. He blamed IS for their deaths. The troops were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-syria-troops-islamic-state-kurds-3354f71e88d278427994d209b2d16d9c">U.S. military is expanding its cooperation</a>&nbsp;with Syrian security forces.Syrian state television reported that strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”White House officials noted that Trump had made clear that retaliation was coming.“President Trump told the world that the United States would retaliate for the killing of our heroes by ISIS in Syria, and he is delivering on that promise,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement.Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-attack-iowa-national-guard-islamic-state-38dd71dca411213f3789ccdb94e37f4e">The guardsmen</a>&nbsp;killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.The shooting nearly a week ago near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.When asked for further information, the Pentagon referred AP to Hegseth’s social media post.___Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.