By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/anne-dinnocenzio">ANNE D’INNOCENZIO</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — The shopping rush leading up to Christmas is over and in its place, like every year, another has begun as millions of people hunt for post-holiday deals and get in line to return gifts that didn’t fit, or didn’t hit quite right.

Holiday spending using cash or cards through Sunday has topped last year’s haul, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/holiday-sales-visa-inflation-tariffs-e227c2ab26445616931a71cf610bd15b">data released this week</a>&nbsp;by Visa’s Consulting &amp; Analytics division and Mastercard SpendingPulse.

But growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-55a603a497c5885745b87de8fc5f7821">unease over the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;and higher prices in part due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-liberation-day-d3458da225c1fdfade97ed494b23e868">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;have altered the behavior of some Americans. More are hitting thrift stores or other discounters in place of malls, according to data from Placer.ai. The firm tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.

And they’re sticking more closely to shopping lists and doing more research before buying. That may explain why returns so far are down compared with last year, according to data from Adobe Analytics.

A weaker holiday season for traditional gift giving

Americans are still spending on gifts, yet increasingly that shopping is taking place at thrift and discount stores, according to data from Placer.ai.

That’s likely forcing traditional retailers such as department stores to fight harder for customers, Placer.ai said.

Clothing and electronics that traditionally dominate holiday sales did have a surge but struggled to grow, according to Placer.ai. Both goods are dominated by imports and thus, vulnerable to tariffs.

For example, traffic doubled in department stores during the week before Christmas, from Dec. 15 through Sunday, compared with the average shopping week this year. But traffic in the week before Christmas this year fell 13.2% compared with 2024.

Traffic surged 61% at traditional sellers of only clothing in the week before the holiday compared with the rest of the year. But again, compared with the runup to Christmas last year, sales slid 9%.

Some of that lost traffic may have migrated to the so-called off-price stores— chains like TJ Maxx. That sector had a sharp seasonal traffic bump of 85.1% and a gain of 1.2% in the week before the holiday.

But it was thrift stores that were red hot, with traffic jumping nearly 11% in the week before Christmas compared with last year.

“Whether hunting for a designer deal or uncovering a one-of-a-kind vintage piece, consumers increasingly favored discovery-driven experiences over the standardized assortments of traditional retail,” Shira Petrack, head of content at Placer.ai, said in a blog post Friday.

In the past it may have seemed gauche to gift your mother a gently used sweater or a pair of pants from a local thrift store, but seemingly not so amid all of the economic uncertainty and rising prices, according to Placer.ai.

Through the second half of 2025, thrift stores have seen at least a 10% increases in traffic compared with last year. That suggests that environmental concerns as well as economic issues are luring more Americans to second-hand stores, Placer.ai said. Visits to thrift stores generally do not take off during the holidays, yet in the most recent Black Friday weekend, sales jumped 5.5%, Placer.ai. reported.

In November, as customer traffic in traditional apparel stores fell more than 3%, traffic in thrift stores soared 12.7%, according to Placer.ai.

The thrift migration has altered the demographics of second-hand stores. The average household income of thrift customers hit $75,000 during October and November of this year, a slight uptick from $74,900 last year, $74,600 in 2023 well above the average income of 74,100 in 2022, based on demographic data from STI:PopStats combined with Placer.ai data.

U.S. sales at thrift chain Savers Value Village’s rose 10.5% in the three months ended Sept. 27 and the momentum continued through October, store executives said in late October.

“High household income cohort continues to become a larger portion of our consumer mix,” CEO Mark Walsh told analysts. “It’s trade down for sure, and our younger cohort also continues to grow in numbers. ”

For the first six weeks of the holiday season, return rates have dipped from the same period a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics.

That suggests that shoppers are doing more research before adding something to their shopping list, and they’re being more disciplined in sticking to the lists they create, according to Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights.

“I think it’s very indicative of consumers and how conscientiously they’ve purchased,” Pandya said. “Many of them are being very specific with how they spend their budget.”

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 12, returns fell 2.5% compared with last year, Adobe reported. In the seven days following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyber-monday-deals-discounts-4acd3e4b065f62a1c08cd04905b11f87">Cyber Week</a>&nbsp;— the five shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, returns fell 0.1%.

From the Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, online sales rose 6% to $187.3 billion, on track to surpass its outlook for the season, Adobe reported.

Between Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, returns are expected to rise by 25% to 35% compared with returns between Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, Adobe said, and it expects returns to remain elevated through the first two weeks of January, up 8% to 15%.

This is the first year that Adobe has tracked returns.

Still, the last week of December sees the greatest concentration of returns: one out of every eight returns in the 2024 holiday season took place between Dec. 26 and Dec 31, a trend expected to persist this year, Adobe said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766832564432.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/anne-dinnocenzio">ANNE D’INNOCENZIO</a>NEW YORK (AP) — The shopping rush leading up to Christmas is over and in its place, like every year, another has begun as millions of people hunt for post-holiday deals and get in line to return gifts that didn’t fit, or didn’t hit quite right.Holiday spending using cash or cards through Sunday has topped last year’s haul, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/holiday-sales-visa-inflation-tariffs-e227c2ab26445616931a71cf610bd15b">data released this week</a>&nbsp;by Visa’s Consulting &amp; Analytics division and Mastercard SpendingPulse.But growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-55a603a497c5885745b87de8fc5f7821">unease over the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;and higher prices in part due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-liberation-day-d3458da225c1fdfade97ed494b23e868">President Donald Trump’s tariffs</a>&nbsp;have altered the behavior of some Americans. More are hitting thrift stores or other discounters in place of malls, according to data from Placer.ai. The firm tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.And they’re sticking more closely to shopping lists and doing more research before buying. That may explain why returns so far are down compared with last year, according to data from Adobe Analytics.<h2>A weaker holiday season for traditional gift giving</h2>Americans are still spending on gifts, yet increasingly that shopping is taking place at thrift and discount stores, according to data from Placer.ai.That’s likely forcing traditional retailers such as department stores to fight harder for customers, Placer.ai said.Clothing and electronics that traditionally dominate holiday sales did have a surge but struggled to grow, according to Placer.ai. Both goods are dominated by imports and thus, vulnerable to tariffs.For example, traffic doubled in department stores during the week before Christmas, from Dec. 15 through Sunday, compared with the average shopping week this year. But traffic in the week before Christmas this year fell 13.2% compared with 2024.Traffic surged 61% at traditional sellers of only clothing in the week before the holiday compared with the rest of the year. But again, compared with the runup to Christmas last year, sales slid 9%.Some of that lost traffic may have migrated to the so-called off-price stores— chains like TJ Maxx. That sector had a sharp seasonal traffic bump of 85.1% and a gain of 1.2% in the week before the holiday.But it was thrift stores that were red hot, with traffic jumping nearly 11% in the week before Christmas compared with last year.“Whether hunting for a designer deal or uncovering a one-of-a-kind vintage piece, consumers increasingly favored discovery-driven experiences over the standardized assortments of traditional retail,” Shira Petrack, head of content at Placer.ai, said in a blog post Friday.<h2>Thrift stores broaden their appeal</h2>In the past it may have seemed gauche to gift your mother a gently used sweater or a pair of pants from a local thrift store, but seemingly not so amid all of the economic uncertainty and rising prices, according to Placer.ai.Through the second half of 2025, thrift stores have seen at least a 10% increases in traffic compared with last year. That suggests that environmental concerns as well as economic issues are luring more Americans to second-hand stores, Placer.ai said. Visits to thrift stores generally do not take off during the holidays, yet in the most recent Black Friday weekend, sales jumped 5.5%, Placer.ai. reported.In November, as customer traffic in traditional apparel stores fell more than 3%, traffic in thrift stores soared 12.7%, according to Placer.ai.The thrift migration has altered the demographics of second-hand stores. The average household income of thrift customers hit $75,000 during October and November of this year, a slight uptick from $74,900 last year, $74,600 in 2023 well above the average income of 74,100 in 2022, based on demographic data from STI:PopStats combined with Placer.ai data.U.S. sales at thrift chain Savers Value Village’s rose 10.5% in the three months ended Sept. 27 and the momentum continued through October, store executives said in late October.“High household income cohort continues to become a larger portion of our consumer mix,” CEO Mark Walsh told analysts. “It’s trade down for sure, and our younger cohort also continues to grow in numbers. ”<h2>Fewer returns, so far</h2>For the first six weeks of the holiday season, return rates have dipped from the same period a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics.That suggests that shoppers are doing more research before adding something to their shopping list, and they’re being more disciplined in sticking to the lists they create, according to Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights.“I think it’s very indicative of consumers and how conscientiously they’ve purchased,” Pandya said. “Many of them are being very specific with how they spend their budget.”From Nov. 1 to Dec. 12, returns fell 2.5% compared with last year, Adobe reported. In the seven days following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyber-monday-deals-discounts-4acd3e4b065f62a1c08cd04905b11f87">Cyber Week</a>&nbsp;— the five shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, returns fell 0.1%.From the Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, online sales rose 6% to $187.3 billion, on track to surpass its outlook for the season, Adobe reported.Between Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, returns are expected to rise by 25% to 35% compared with returns between Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, Adobe said, and it expects returns to remain elevated through the first two weeks of January, up 8% to 15%.This is the first year that Adobe has tracked returns.Still, the last week of December sees the greatest concentration of returns: one out of every eight returns in the 2024 holiday season took place between Dec. 26 and Dec 31, a trend expected to persist this year, Adobe said.

More thrifting, fewer returns, the early trends that defined shopping this holiday

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jonathan-j-cooper">JONATHAN J. COOPER</a>

The Mint abandoned designs developed during Joe Biden’s presidency that highlighted women’s suffrage and civil rights advancements, favoring classical depictions of America over progress toward a more inclusive society.

A series of celebrations are planned next year under the banner America 250, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. All U.S. coins show the year they were minted, but those made next year will also display 1776.

Trump, at least for now, isn’t getting a coin

No design was released for a $1 coin, though U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy, confirmed in October that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TreasurerBeach/status/1974156375891804229" target="_blank">one showcasing Trump was in the works</a>. A draft design showed Trump’s profile on the “heads” side, known as the obverse, and on the reverse, a depiction of Trump raising his fist after his attempted assassination, The words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” appear along the top.

By law, presidents typically can’t appear on coins until two years after their death, but some advocates for a Trump coin think there may be a loophole in the law authorizing the treasury to mint special coins for the nation’s 250th birthday.

Neither the Mint nor the Treasury Department responded when asked whether a Trump coin is still planned.

The new designs depict classical Americana

New designs will appear only on coins minted in 2026, with the current images returning the following year.

The nickel, dime and five versions of the quarter will circulate, while a penny and half dollar will be sold as collectibles.

Five versions of the quarter are planned depicting the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.

The dime will show a depiction of Liberty, a symbolic woman facing down the tyranny of the British monarchy, and an eagle carrying arrows in its talons representing America’s fight for independence.

The commemorative nickel is essentially the same as the most recent nickel redesign, in 2006, but it includes two dates on the head’s side instead of one, 1776 and 2026.

A half dollar coin shows the face of the Statue of Liberty on one side. The other shows her passing her torch to what appears to be the hand of a child, symbolizing a handoff to the next generation.

The penny is essentially the same as the one in circulation, which was discontinued earlier this year and will be produced only as a collectible with two dates.

Prices for collectible coins were not released. The Mint sells a variety of noncirculating coins on its website, with a vast range of prices reflecting their rarity.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps founding, for example, a commemorative half dollar coin is available for $61, while a commemorative $5 gold coin goes for $1,262. Up to 750,000 copies of the former will be minted, but no more than 50,000 of the latter.

Congress authorized commemorative coins in 2021. During the Biden administration, the Mint worked with a citizens advisory committee to propose designs depicting the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, abolitionism, suffrage and civil rights.

Those designs included depictions of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges, who was escorted to school by the National Guard at age 6 years amid opposition to racial integration at public schools.

Those designs represented “continued progress toward ‘a more perfect union,’” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, quoting a phrase from the preamble to the Constitution.

“The American story didn’t stop at the pilgrims and founding fathers, and ignoring anything that has happened in this country in the last 162 years is just another attempt by President Trump to rewrite our history,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766334533923.png" alt="Image U.S. Mint" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Mint</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jonathan-j-cooper">JONATHAN J. COOPER</a>The Mint abandoned designs developed during Joe Biden’s presidency that highlighted women’s suffrage and civil rights advancements, favoring classical depictions of America over progress toward a more inclusive society.A series of celebrations are planned next year under the banner America 250, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. All U.S. coins show the year they were minted, but those made next year will also display 1776.<h2>Trump, at least for now, isn’t getting a coin</h2>No design was released for a $1 coin, though U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy, confirmed in October that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TreasurerBeach/status/1974156375891804229" target="_blank">one showcasing Trump was in the works</a>. A draft design showed Trump’s profile on the “heads” side, known as the obverse, and on the reverse, a depiction of Trump raising his fist after his attempted assassination, The words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” appear along the top.By law, presidents typically can’t appear on coins until two years after their death, but some advocates for a Trump coin think there may be a loophole in the law authorizing the treasury to mint special coins for the nation’s 250th birthday.Neither the Mint nor the Treasury Department responded when asked whether a Trump coin is still planned.<h2>The new designs depict classical Americana</h2>New designs will appear only on coins minted in 2026, with the current images returning the following year.The nickel, dime and five versions of the quarter will circulate, while a penny and half dollar will be sold as collectibles.Five versions of the quarter are planned depicting the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.The dime will show a depiction of Liberty, a symbolic woman facing down the tyranny of the British monarchy, and an eagle carrying arrows in its talons representing America’s fight for independence.The commemorative nickel is essentially the same as the most recent nickel redesign, in 2006, but it includes two dates on the head’s side instead of one, 1776 and 2026.<h2>Two collectible coins are planned</h2>A half dollar coin shows the face of the Statue of Liberty on one side. The other shows her passing her torch to what appears to be the hand of a child, symbolizing a handoff to the next generation.The penny is essentially the same as the one in circulation, which was discontinued earlier this year and will be produced only as a collectible with two dates.Prices for collectible coins were not released. The Mint sells a variety of noncirculating coins on its website, with a vast range of prices reflecting their rarity.In honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps founding, for example, a commemorative half dollar coin is available for $61, while a commemorative $5 gold coin goes for $1,262. Up to 750,000 copies of the former will be minted, but no more than 50,000 of the latter.<h2>The abandoned designs</h2>Congress authorized commemorative coins in 2021. During the Biden administration, the Mint worked with a citizens advisory committee to propose designs depicting the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, abolitionism, suffrage and civil rights.Those designs included depictions of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges, who was escorted to school by the National Guard at age 6 years amid opposition to racial integration at public schools.Those designs represented “continued progress toward ‘a more perfect union,’” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, quoting a phrase from the preamble to the Constitution.“The American story didn’t stop at the pilgrims and founding fathers, and ignoring anything that has happened in this country in the last 162 years is just another attempt by President Trump to rewrite our history,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.

See the coins that will commemorate 250th anniversary of American independence

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after&nbsp; 7:00 a.m. Dec. 18, a Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at the residence of 16399 R. Road, just north of the City of Mayetta, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse. In October law enforcement responded to a shooting at the same address.

 The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received information late Tuesday evening reporting a domestic altercation and criminal damage to a vehicle at the location.&nbsp; On Wednesday, deputies served the search warrant taking two men into custody.

Deputies arrested 22-year-old Cody M. Smith and 21-year-old Cole Alexander Thompson both of Mayetta.

Deputies seized cocaine and weapons from the residence. Smith was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of cocaine, possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Thompson was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766096515535.png" alt="Smith photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 7:00 a.m. Dec. 18, a Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at the residence of 16399 R. Road, just north of the City of Mayetta, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse. In October law enforcement responded to a shooting at the same address.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766096470916.png" alt="Thompson photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Thompson photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure> The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received information late Tuesday evening reporting a domestic altercation and criminal damage to a vehicle at the location.&nbsp; On Wednesday, deputies served the search warrant taking two men into custody.Deputies arrested 22-year-old Cody M. Smith and 21-year-old Cole Alexander Thompson both of Mayetta.Deputies seized cocaine and weapons from the residence. Smith was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of cocaine, possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.Thompson was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

Sheriff: Suspects were selling cocaine from Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the late financier and convicted sex offender.

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

The release is the most voluminous so far and comes after a massive public campaign for transparency into the U.S. government’s Epstein investigations.

Many of the mentions of Trump in the file came from news clippings, though it includes an email from a prosecutor pointing out the flights that Trump took on Epstein’s private jet during the 1990s.

The two men were friends for years before a falling out. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The Justice Department issued a statement that some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump made shortly before the 2020 election.

Prosecutor flagged Trump’s travel on Epstein's jet

Among the mentions of Trump in the latest batch of the Epstein files is a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said Trump had flown on the financier’s private plane more often than had been previously known.

An assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York said in an email that flight records the office received on Jan. 6, 2020, showed that Trump was on Epstein’s jet “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).”

The prosecutor who flagged the Trump mentions in the flight logs said they did so because lawyers “didn’t want any of this to be a surprise down the road.”

His travels on Epstein’s plane spanned the time that would likely be covered in any criminal charges against Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump was listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, and on at least four of those flights, Maxwell was also there, according to the email.

On one of those eight flights, in 1993, Trump and Epstein were the only two passengers listed in the flight logs. On another flight, the three passengers listed in records are Epstein, Trump, and a redacted individual, who was 20 years old at the time. Two other flights included two women -- whose names were redacted in follow-up emails — identified as potential witnesses in a Maxwell case.

Several additional Trump trips on Epstein’s plane&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article256740662.html.">had been previously disclosed</a>&nbsp;during Maxwell’s criminal proceedings.

Asked for comment about the email, the White House pointed to a Justice Department statement saying Monday’s release contained “unfounded and false” claims against the president submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election, but they were nevertheless being released for full transparency.

The Justice Department specifically raised questions about the validity of a document mentioning Trump that was styled as a letter from Epstein to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/larry-nassar">Larry Nassar</a>, the sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing Olympic athletes. The department pointed out that it was processed three days after Epstein's death.

Meanwhile, the latest release also shows that Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s southern Florida club, was served with a subpoena in 2021 for its employment records. The disclosure came as part of an email chain in which lawyers for the Southern District of New York and an attorney in touch with representatives for the Trump Organization discussed the employment status of someone whose name was redacted.

Trump complained that the files were a distraction from the work he and other Republicans are doing for the country.

Speaking during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-navy-golden-fleet-battleship-0940368b39b19f03abe8689ebad08380">an unrelated event</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, the president blamed Democrats and some Republicans for the controversy.

“What this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” Trump said.

He also expressed frustration about the famous people shown with Epstein in photos released by the Justice Department — people who he said may not have known him but ended up in the shot anyway.

“You probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago. And they’re, you know, highly respected bankers and lawyers and others,” Trump said.

Other high-profile people are showing up in the files

Well-known people shown in the files include former President Bill Clinton, the late pop star Michael Jackson and singer Diana Ross. The mere inclusion of someone’s name or images in files from the investigation does not imply wrongdoing.

The latest release also includes files that put the U.K.'s former Prince Andrew back in the headlines.

Among those documents is correspondence between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial “A.”

The email exchange includes other references that suggest Maxwell’s correspondent may be Andrew. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The August 2001 email from someone identified only as “The Invisible Man,” said he is “up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family,” an apparent reference to the Scottish estate where the royal family have traditionally taken their late summer holidays.

“A” writes: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”

The writer says he has left “the RN” and refers to the challenges of looking after “the Girls.” Andrew retired from the Royal Navy in 2001 and has two daughters.

Andrew, one of King Charles III’s younger brothers, was stripped of the right to be called a prince and his other royal titles and honors in October, amid continued publicity about his links to Epstein and concerns about the potential damage to the rest of the royal family. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">Andrew has repeatedly denied</a>&nbsp;committing any crimes, including having sex with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-book-memoir-c05a382e3505f23eef5288bcdcba328a">Virginia Giuffre</a>, who alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and had sex with Andrew when she was 17.

Trump tried for months to keep the records sealed before relenting to political pressure, including from some fellow Republicans, though he eventually signed a bill mandating the release of most of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein.

Monday's release was the biggest dump yet, including nearly 30,000 more pages. The data released by the law's Friday deadline contained a fraction of that amount, mostly photographs taken during FBI searches of Epstein’s homes.

The new cache includes news clippings, emails and surveillance videos from the New York jail where Epstein was held before taking his own life in 2019, much of which was already in the public domain.

The law called for the files to be released within 30 days, but the Justice Department has instead released them in stages starting Friday. Officials have said they’re going slowly to protect victims, though some women assaulted by Epstein have spoken out publicly to call for greater transparency.

And the administration is facing fierce accusations that it is withholding too much information. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the tens of thousands of files released still left “more questions than answers.” He pointed to a 2019 FBI email that mentions 10 people under investigation as possible co-conspirators but contains few additional details.

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the late financier and convicted sex offender.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766179219604.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the files and do a searchThe release is the most voluminous so far and comes after a massive public campaign for transparency into the U.S. government’s Epstein investigations.Many of the mentions of Trump in the file came from news clippings, though it includes an email from a prosecutor pointing out the flights that Trump took on Epstein’s private jet during the 1990s.The two men were friends for years before a falling out. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The Justice Department issued a statement that some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump made shortly before the 2020 election.Here are some takeaways:<h2>Prosecutor flagged Trump’s travel on Epstein's jet</h2>Among the mentions of Trump in the latest batch of the Epstein files is a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said Trump had flown on the financier’s private plane more often than had been previously known.An assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York said in an email that flight records the office received on Jan. 6, 2020, showed that Trump was on Epstein’s jet “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).”The prosecutor who flagged the Trump mentions in the flight logs said they did so because lawyers “didn’t want any of this to be a surprise down the road.”His travels on Epstein’s plane spanned the time that would likely be covered in any criminal charges against Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump was listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, and on at least four of those flights, Maxwell was also there, according to the email.On one of those eight flights, in 1993, Trump and Epstein were the only two passengers listed in the flight logs. On another flight, the three passengers listed in records are Epstein, Trump, and a redacted individual, who was 20 years old at the time. Two other flights included two women -- whose names were redacted in follow-up emails — identified as potential witnesses in a Maxwell case.Several additional Trump trips on Epstein’s plane&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article256740662.html.">had been previously disclosed</a>&nbsp;during Maxwell’s criminal proceedings.Asked for comment about the email, the White House pointed to a Justice Department statement saying Monday’s release contained “unfounded and false” claims against the president submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election, but they were nevertheless being released for full transparency.The Justice Department specifically raised questions about the validity of a document mentioning Trump that was styled as a letter from Epstein to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/larry-nassar">Larry Nassar</a>, the sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing Olympic athletes. The department pointed out that it was processed three days after Epstein's death.Meanwhile, the latest release also shows that Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s southern Florida club, was served with a subpoena in 2021 for its employment records. The disclosure came as part of an email chain in which lawyers for the Southern District of New York and an attorney in touch with representatives for the Trump Organization discussed the employment status of someone whose name was redacted.<h2>Trump calls the files a distraction</h2>Trump complained that the files were a distraction from the work he and other Republicans are doing for the country.Speaking during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-navy-golden-fleet-battleship-0940368b39b19f03abe8689ebad08380">an unrelated event</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, the president blamed Democrats and some Republicans for the controversy.“What this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” Trump said.He also expressed frustration about the famous people shown with Epstein in photos released by the Justice Department — people who he said may not have known him but ended up in the shot anyway.“You probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago. And they’re, you know, highly respected bankers and lawyers and others,” Trump said.<h2>Other high-profile people are showing up in the files</h2>Well-known people shown in the files include former President Bill Clinton, the late pop star Michael Jackson and singer Diana Ross. The mere inclusion of someone’s name or images in files from the investigation does not imply wrongdoing.The latest release also includes files that put the U.K.'s former Prince Andrew back in the headlines.Among those documents is correspondence between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial “A.”The email exchange includes other references that suggest Maxwell’s correspondent may be Andrew. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The August 2001 email from someone identified only as “The Invisible Man,” said he is “up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family,” an apparent reference to the Scottish estate where the royal family have traditionally taken their late summer holidays.“A” writes: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”The writer says he has left “the RN” and refers to the challenges of looking after “the Girls.” Andrew retired from the Royal Navy in 2001 and has two daughters.Andrew, one of King Charles III’s younger brothers, was stripped of the right to be called a prince and his other royal titles and honors in October, amid continued publicity about his links to Epstein and concerns about the potential damage to the rest of the royal family. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">Andrew has repeatedly denied</a>&nbsp;committing any crimes, including having sex with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-book-memoir-c05a382e3505f23eef5288bcdcba328a">Virginia Giuffre</a>, who alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and had sex with Andrew when she was 17.<h2>Biggest information dump yet</h2>Trump tried for months to keep the records sealed before relenting to political pressure, including from some fellow Republicans, though he eventually signed a bill mandating the release of most of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein.Monday's release was the biggest dump yet, including nearly 30,000 more pages. The data released by the law's Friday deadline contained a fraction of that amount, mostly photographs taken during FBI searches of Epstein’s homes.The new cache includes news clippings, emails and surveillance videos from the New York jail where Epstein was held before taking his own life in 2019, much of which was already in the public domain.The law called for the files to be released within 30 days, but the Justice Department has instead released them in stages starting Friday. Officials have said they’re going slowly to protect victims, though some women assaulted by Epstein have spoken out publicly to call for greater transparency.And the administration is facing fierce accusations that it is withholding too much information. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the tens of thousands of files released still left “more questions than answers.” He pointed to a 2019 FBI email that mentions 10 people under investigation as possible co-conspirators but contains few additional details.___Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

New batch of Epstein files include many references to Trump

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A Victoria man who was sentenced in Ellis County district court in 2022 on sex charges is seeking an appeal.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3f50d0e1-77e3-4339-b6a8-ee4d9090cff1">Cody Schultz, who was charged in 2020, entered into a plea agreement on March 22, 2022, on charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and electronic solicitation of a minor</a>. He was charged in a second case with rape.

He was sentenced on March 22, 2022, to a controlling sentence of 25 years on the case involving the child sex case and 186 months to run consecutively on the rape case of a woman in 2014.

Schultz appealed his conviction, but the Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed it and his sentence on Feb. 9, 2024.

Schultz filed a petition of habeas corpus on his sentences for both cases.

In an amended petition filed in October, he alleged: • He was denied his right to the effective assistance of counsel. • His counsel failed to adequately advise him of the sentencing discretion available to the court, and he was misled into believing the sentencing court was likely to exercise discretion in his favor and impose a lesser sentence than it ultimately did.&nbsp; • His counsel failed to adequately explain the risks and benefits of entering guilty pleas, pursue potential defenses and present mitigating evidence at sentencing.&nbsp; • Newly discovered evidence exists that was not available at the time of his plea proceedings that relates to the credibility of key witnesses and the factual basis of his convictions.&nbsp;

Schultz is requesting an evidentiary hearing and discovery to develop his claim.

He is asking that his conviction and sentencing be vacated, and he be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea.

Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham, in his answer to the petition, said Schultz does not have standing to appeal at this time.

Cunningham said Schultz violated his plea agreement by filing his own motion without his attorney for a departure for a lesser sentence in his case.

Cunningham&nbsp;cited a transcript from Schultz's arraignment that said Schultz was informed of the range of the sentence he was facing. He also said Schultz's attorney explained to him the court's discretion on sentencing, and he was given a recess to further discuss the issue with his attorney during the sentencing hearing.

He also cited Schultz's plea agreement, under which he waived his right to a jury trial in favor of a bench trial before a judge.

Cunnigham asserts in his answer that Schultz missed his window to appeal. He also said Schultz should have appealed the appellate court's ruling to the Kansas Supreme Court.

He said Schultz's petition does not fall under any of the exceptions to the untimely appeal rule.

Cunningham said Schultz also has failed to provide any new evidence in the case.

"Here, the defendant ambiguously claims he has new evidence regarding witness
credibility, but fails to make any reasonable proffer of the evidence and fails to explain how this
new evidence could result in a different determination from the court's bench trial on stipulated
facts," Cunningham said in his answer.

The next hearing on this case is set for 9 a.m. Feb. 26 via Zoom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766524453497.jpeg" alt="Cody Schultz" />
 <figcaption>Cody Schultz</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA Victoria man who was sentenced in Ellis County district court in 2022 on sex charges is seeking an appeal.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3f50d0e1-77e3-4339-b6a8-ee4d9090cff1">Cody Schultz, who was charged in 2020, entered into a plea agreement on March 22, 2022, on charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and electronic solicitation of a minor</a>. He was charged in a second case with rape.He was sentenced on March 22, 2022, to a controlling sentence of 25 years on the case involving the child sex case and 186 months to run consecutively on the rape case of a woman in 2014.Schultz appealed his conviction, but the Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed it and his sentence on Feb. 9, 2024.Schultz filed a petition of habeas corpus on his sentences for both cases.In an amended petition filed in October, he alleged: • He was denied his right to the effective assistance of counsel. • His counsel failed to adequately advise him of the sentencing discretion available to the court, and he was misled into believing the sentencing court was likely to exercise discretion in his favor and impose a lesser sentence than it ultimately did.&nbsp; • His counsel failed to adequately explain the risks and benefits of entering guilty pleas, pursue potential defenses and present mitigating evidence at sentencing.&nbsp; • Newly discovered evidence exists that was not available at the time of his plea proceedings that relates to the credibility of key witnesses and the factual basis of his convictions.&nbsp; Schultz is requesting an evidentiary hearing and discovery to develop his claim.He is asking that his conviction and sentencing be vacated, and he be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea.Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham, in his answer to the petition, said Schultz does not have standing to appeal at this time.Cunningham said Schultz violated his plea agreement by filing his own motion without his attorney for a departure for a lesser sentence in his case.Cunningham&nbsp;cited a transcript from Schultz's arraignment that said Schultz was informed of the range of the sentence he was facing. He also said Schultz's attorney explained to him the court's discretion on sentencing, and he was given a recess to further discuss the issue with his attorney during the sentencing hearing.He also cited Schultz's plea agreement, under which he waived his right to a jury trial in favor of a bench trial before a judge.Cunnigham asserts in his answer that Schultz missed his window to appeal. He also said Schultz should have appealed the appellate court's ruling to the Kansas Supreme Court.He said Schultz's petition does not fall under any of the exceptions to the untimely appeal rule.Cunningham said Schultz also has failed to provide any new evidence in the case."Here, the defendant ambiguously claims he has new evidence regarding witness
credibility, but fails to make any reasonable proffer of the evidence and fails to explain how this
new evidence could result in a different determination from the court's bench trial on stipulated
facts," Cunningham said in his answer.The next hearing on this case is set for 9 a.m. Feb. 26 via Zoom.

Victoria man sentenced on sex charges files appeal

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/aaron-sanderford/">Aaron Sanderford</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jay-waagmeester/">Jay Waagmeester</a>- <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Former Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is dying of “metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer,” he announced on social media Tuesday.

“Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do,” Sasse wrote.

Most of the political world knows Sasse from his time tussling with President Donald Trump over the direction of the Republican Party, including being one of seven Republicans who voted to convict the president following his impeachment in 2021.&nbsp;

Sasse has been, in many ways, a traditional small-government conservative with an intellectual bent. He often critiqued the GOP’s turn toward populism under Trump and paid a price in public.

He made waves as a candidate running from academia, as then-president of Midland University in Fremont before being elected to the Senate in 2014. His friends describe him as an intense and philosophical thinker.

His foes describe him as a man who likes to prove he is the smartest person in the room. He and his family had discussed moving back to Nebraska, to the lakes, from Florida.

In the early days, he pressed his fellow Republicans to offer solutions to issues like health care instead of just talking about what they were against.

In practice, he told reporters he found the Senate and its politically limiting ways stifling to the sort of committee work and legislative progress he sought.

He did not ever repeal and replace Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, nor did he muster support for a clear legislative alternative.

But he found his legislative niche pushing back against the rise of China and the malfeasance of Russia online and in the real world, the changing face of war.

He told Americans early and often about the societal and economic disruption artificial intelligence would bring, calling it the next industrial revolution.

Much of his late Senate work focused on what he called “the future of work,” and he spoke often about the need to change education and training to meet new needs.

In 2022, Sasse was&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/11/01/u-s-sen-sasse-sole-finalist-in-uf-presidential-search-to-lead-floridas-flagship-university/" target="_blank">named sole finalist</a>&nbsp;for the University of Florida presidency, leaving the Senate for the role in early 2023. Secrecy around the search and concerns about Sasse’s political background stirred campus before he took office.&nbsp;

The UF Faculty Senate voted “no confidence” in the presidential search process, citing a law passed earlier that year to close presidential searches to the public until the final stage.

<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/07/19/ben-sasse-resigns-his-university-of-florida-presidency-after-wifes-condition-worsens/" target="_blank">Sasse left office</a>&nbsp;after 17 months, amid concerns about his spending habits as president among&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/mattgaetz/status/1823684508987662490" target="_blank">lawmakers</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alligator.org/article/2024/08/desantis-administration-calls-for-investigation-into-former-uf-president-ben-sasse-s-exorbitant-spending" target="_blank">Governor’s Office</a>, and then-Chief Financial Officer<a href="https://x.com/JimmyPatronis/status/1824151429873012749" target="_blank">&nbsp;Jimmy Patronis</a>.

The Independent Florida Alligator&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alligator.org/article/2024/08/sasse-s-spending-spree-former-uf-president-channeled-millions-to-gop-allies-secretive-contracts" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;after Sasse resigned, that he had “channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts, tripling spending by the previous president.

“A majority of the spending surge was driven by lucrative contracts with big-name consulting firms and high-salaried, remote positions for Sasse’s former U.S. Senate staff and Republican officials,” the newspaper reported.

Sasse then became a professor at the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at UF, a hub with a “classical” mission that aims to produce people working in law, government, public policy, finance, health and nonprofits.&nbsp;

His&nbsp;<a href="https://hamilton.ufl.edu/people/ben-sasse/" target="_blank">bio</a>&nbsp;on the Florida website points to his “service-leadership posture” and the university’s response to “post-October 7th campus unrest” during his presidency. It also mentions his implementing post-tenure review and launching of the&nbsp;<a href="https://news.ufl.edu/2023/10/strategic-funding-awardees/" target="_blank">President’s Strategic Initiative</a>, targeted funding for student experience and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Florida State Rep. Allison Tant, a Democrat from Tallahassee,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AllisonTantFL/status/2003509774013681854" target="_blank">replied</a>&nbsp;to Sasse’s social media post, saying, “Praying for your strength and peace.”

Sasse has said he resigned from the Florida presidency to help care for his wife, Melissa, who had been ill.

Sasse typically dealt with her epilepsy and other ailments quietly, telling friends that his teens would be fine because they were a family that would work together.

He celebrated his closeness with Melissa since stepping back in the 185-word statement he posted, calling her “the best friend a man could ever have.”

“This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad,” he wrote. “I can’t begin to describe how great my people are.”&nbsp;

Sasse has three children, two daughters and a son. His post referenced his joy in their successes — one in the Air Force, one teaching and one learning to drive.

In it, he spoke about the situation his health would put his family through, not getting to walk his daughter down the aisle, burying him.

But he layered his message as he did in some of his speeches, with themes and reflections on the faith that buttressed him during difficult times with his wife and kids.

Sasse said he wouldn’t go down without a fight. He said he finds comfort in the idea of Christmas. And “gallows humor.” He said death and dying are not the same.

“We hope in a real Deliverer — a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place,” he said.”But the eternal city — with foundations and without cancer — is not yet.”

This is a developing story.&nbsp;Nebraska Examiner Reporter Juan Salinas II contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1564937419455.png" alt="File photo former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse- image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse- image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/aaron-sanderford/">Aaron Sanderford</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jay-waagmeester/">Jay Waagmeester</a>- <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Former Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is dying of “metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer,” he announced on social media Tuesday.“Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do,” Sasse wrote.Most of the political world knows Sasse from his time tussling with President Donald Trump over the direction of the Republican Party, including being one of seven Republicans who voted to convict the president following his impeachment in 2021.&nbsp;Sasse has been, in many ways, a traditional small-government conservative with an intellectual bent. He often critiqued the GOP’s turn toward populism under Trump and paid a price in public.<h2>Intellectual senator</h2>He made waves as a candidate running from academia, as then-president of Midland University in Fremont before being elected to the Senate in 2014. His friends describe him as an intense and philosophical thinker.His foes describe him as a man who likes to prove he is the smartest person in the room. He and his family had discussed moving back to Nebraska, to the lakes, from Florida.In the early days, he pressed his fellow Republicans to offer solutions to issues like health care instead of just talking about what they were against.In practice, he told reporters he found the Senate and its politically limiting ways stifling to the sort of committee work and legislative progress he sought.He did not ever repeal and replace Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, nor did he muster support for a clear legislative alternative.But he found his legislative niche pushing back against the rise of China and the malfeasance of Russia online and in the real world, the changing face of war.He told Americans early and often about the societal and economic disruption artificial intelligence would bring, calling it the next industrial revolution.Much of his late Senate work focused on what he called “the future of work,” and he spoke often about the need to change education and training to meet new needs.<h2>University of Florida presidency</h2>In 2022, Sasse was&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/11/01/u-s-sen-sasse-sole-finalist-in-uf-presidential-search-to-lead-floridas-flagship-university/" target="_blank">named sole finalist</a>&nbsp;for the University of Florida presidency, leaving the Senate for the role in early 2023. Secrecy around the search and concerns about Sasse’s political background stirred campus before he took office.&nbsp;The UF Faculty Senate voted “no confidence” in the presidential search process, citing a law passed earlier that year to close presidential searches to the public until the final stage.<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/07/19/ben-sasse-resigns-his-university-of-florida-presidency-after-wifes-condition-worsens/" target="_blank">Sasse left office</a>&nbsp;after 17 months, amid concerns about his spending habits as president among&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/mattgaetz/status/1823684508987662490" target="_blank">lawmakers</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alligator.org/article/2024/08/desantis-administration-calls-for-investigation-into-former-uf-president-ben-sasse-s-exorbitant-spending" target="_blank">Governor’s Office</a>, and then-Chief Financial Officer<a href="https://x.com/JimmyPatronis/status/1824151429873012749" target="_blank">&nbsp;Jimmy Patronis</a>.The Independent Florida Alligator&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alligator.org/article/2024/08/sasse-s-spending-spree-former-uf-president-channeled-millions-to-gop-allies-secretive-contracts" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;after Sasse resigned, that he had “channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts, tripling spending by the previous president.“A majority of the spending surge was driven by lucrative contracts with big-name consulting firms and high-salaried, remote positions for Sasse’s former U.S. Senate staff and Republican officials,” the newspaper reported.Sasse then became a professor at the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at UF, a hub with a “classical” mission that aims to produce people working in law, government, public policy, finance, health and nonprofits.&nbsp;His&nbsp;<a href="https://hamilton.ufl.edu/people/ben-sasse/" target="_blank">bio</a>&nbsp;on the Florida website points to his “service-leadership posture” and the university’s response to “post-October 7th campus unrest” during his presidency. It also mentions his implementing post-tenure review and launching of the&nbsp;<a href="https://news.ufl.edu/2023/10/strategic-funding-awardees/" target="_blank">President’s Strategic Initiative</a>, targeted funding for student experience and interdisciplinary scholarship.Florida State Rep. Allison Tant, a Democrat from Tallahassee,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AllisonTantFL/status/2003509774013681854" target="_blank">replied</a>&nbsp;to Sasse’s social media post, saying, “Praying for your strength and peace.”<h2>Family health fight</h2>Sasse has said he resigned from the Florida presidency to help care for his wife, Melissa, who had been ill.Sasse typically dealt with her epilepsy and other ailments quietly, telling friends that his teens would be fine because they were a family that would work together.He celebrated his closeness with Melissa since stepping back in the 185-word statement he posted, calling her “the best friend a man could ever have.”“This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad,” he wrote. “I can’t begin to describe how great my people are.”&nbsp;Sasse has three children, two daughters and a son. His post referenced his joy in their successes — one in the Air Force, one teaching and one learning to drive.In it, he spoke about the situation his health would put his family through, not getting to walk his daughter down the aisle, burying him.But he layered his message as he did in some of his speeches, with themes and reflections on the faith that buttressed him during difficult times with his wife and kids.Sasse said he wouldn’t go down without a fight. He said he finds comfort in the idea of Christmas. And “gallows humor.” He said death and dying are not the same.“We hope in a real Deliverer — a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place,” he said.”But the eternal city — with foundations and without cancer — is not yet.”This is a developing story.&nbsp;Nebraska Examiner Reporter Juan Salinas II contributed to this story.

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse announces terminal stage-four cancer diagnosis

By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Media

High seas tanker-takeovers prompt slightly higher crude prices. Over the weekend the Trump Administration was pursuing a third oil tanker in the Ocean near Venezuela amid a blockade of that country. Light sweet crude in New York on Friday closed a half-dollar higher at fifty-six sixty-six ($56.66) per barrel. NYMEX benchmark offers rose two-and-a-half percent on Monday, to trade a few cents shy of $58 a barrel. London Brent was rising toward $62 a barrel at midday Monday.

Kansas crude prices rose a dollar and a half on Friday, but remain two-and-a-half dollars lower than at the first of the month, and more than $13 a barrel lower than a year ago. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $47 a barrel, a low price only achieved twice since 2021.

Kansas is among the ten cheapest states for holiday road trips, but Oklahoma and Colorado have us beat.&nbsp; Automotive fuel demand nationwide is down, and the government reports fuel inventories continue to rise. Last week there were only 13 states with average pump prices over three dollars. The auto club AAA reported a national average of $2.89 for a gallon of regular gasoline Thursday.&nbsp; The cheapest holiday road trip can be found in Oklahoma, where regular gas averaged $2.34 per gallon. Colorado prices average a fraction under $2.50.&nbsp; The Sunflower Statewide average is a fraction over $2.52 a gallon. Your 15-gallon fill-up will cost you about five dollars less than it did during the week before Christmas last year.

As the calendar year wanes, so does oilfield activity. Kansas regulators give their blessing to one new drilling permit this week, in Linn County, the only new drilling location approved statewide. So far this year, there are 636 permits for new drilling locations across Kansas, which is just over half the total reported at this time last year.

Independent Oil and Gas Service reports overall drilling activity trails last year by 38%. Operators completed 13 wells statewide, with three in Western Kansas. Total well completions so far this year trail last year by nearly three hundred wells.&nbsp; More than a thousand completions reported so far this year include 175 dry holes. That's 16 percent, which matches last year.

The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one in eastern Kansas at four rigs, and up one at eleven active rigs West of Wichita. The weekly tally is down 12 percent from a month ago and 38 percent from a year ago. Drilling continued Friday on a lease in Gove County.

Baker Hughes reports 542 active on-land drilling rigs as of December 19th, down six rigs from last week. The tally of oil rigs drops by eight. The breakout for horizontal drilling rigs is down by five. Louisiana drops by five; New Mexico is down two. Texas is up two rigs. Colorado and Utah are each down one rig.

US crude-oil production surpassed 13.8 million barrels a day for a sixth consecutive week, but dropped ten thousand daily barrels from last week.&nbsp; Last week was not the best ever, but updated numbers show last week does rank second best. That makes this week number-three. The Energy Information Administration reports cumulative production, and the four-week average, each now exceed 13.5 million barrels a day. The current spike in US crude production began in November. The report for the week through November 7 reflects an increase of 211,000 daily barrels to the current all-time high over 13.86 million barrels per day. Output has topped 13.8 million each week since.

EIA reports another 200,000 barrels added to the nation's strategic crude reserves, which now top 412 million barrels.&nbsp; Commercial inventories drop by 1.3 million barrels from last week to just over 424 million barrels as of December 12. That's nearly three percent higher than a year ago. The government says stockpiles are about four percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

BP announced a major leadership change, naming Meg O'Neill as the super-major's new chief executive officer, starting this spring. O’Neill is currently CEO at Woodside Energy and worked at ExxonMobil for more than 20 years. She replaces Murray Auchincloss, who stepped down last week, from the CEO's office and the board of directors, after a long-running clash with the Chairman.

After raising its expectations for natural-gas and propane prices...and lowering it's expectations for temperatures, the government now says your heating bills will spike a little more than usual this winter.&nbsp; The Energy Information Administration adjusts its assessment of the marketplace and the forecast each month from October to March. Temperatures this month are now expected to average about eight percent colder than the average of the last ten Decembers. EIA says retail residential natural gas and propane prices have also topped its forecasts. Spot prices for natural gas jumped 30 percent from October to November.

At 6.5 million barrels a day, weekly US crude imports are down slightly from a week ago, slightly more from a year ago, and slightly more than that from two years ago. The four week average is slightly less than 6.5 million, dropping a quarter-million barrels a day or about two percent from a year ago.

Weekly crude exports are up more than 600,000 barrels a day from a week ago at 4.6 million barrels per day.&nbsp; The four-week average is just under four million, an increase of nearly 200,000 barrels a day from a year ago.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684775008059.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle MediaHigh seas tanker-takeovers prompt slightly higher crude prices. Over the weekend the Trump Administration was pursuing a third oil tanker in the Ocean near Venezuela amid a blockade of that country. Light sweet crude in New York on Friday closed a half-dollar higher at fifty-six sixty-six ($56.66) per barrel. NYMEX benchmark offers rose two-and-a-half percent on Monday, to trade a few cents shy of $58 a barrel. London Brent was rising toward $62 a barrel at midday Monday.Kansas crude prices rose a dollar and a half on Friday, but remain two-and-a-half dollars lower than at the first of the month, and more than $13 a barrel lower than a year ago. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $47 a barrel, a low price only achieved twice since 2021.Kansas is among the ten cheapest states for holiday road trips, but Oklahoma and Colorado have us beat.&nbsp; Automotive fuel demand nationwide is down, and the government reports fuel inventories continue to rise. Last week there were only 13 states with average pump prices over three dollars. The auto club AAA reported a national average of $2.89 for a gallon of regular gasoline Thursday.&nbsp; The cheapest holiday road trip can be found in Oklahoma, where regular gas averaged $2.34 per gallon. Colorado prices average a fraction under $2.50.&nbsp; The Sunflower Statewide average is a fraction over $2.52 a gallon. Your 15-gallon fill-up will cost you about five dollars less than it did during the week before Christmas last year.As the calendar year wanes, so does oilfield activity. Kansas regulators give their blessing to one new drilling permit this week, in Linn County, the only new drilling location approved statewide. So far this year, there are 636 permits for new drilling locations across Kansas, which is just over half the total reported at this time last year.Independent Oil and Gas Service reports overall drilling activity trails last year by 38%. Operators completed 13 wells statewide, with three in Western Kansas. Total well completions so far this year trail last year by nearly three hundred wells.&nbsp; More than a thousand completions reported so far this year include 175 dry holes. That's 16 percent, which matches last year.The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one in eastern Kansas at four rigs, and up one at eleven active rigs West of Wichita. The weekly tally is down 12 percent from a month ago and 38 percent from a year ago. Drilling continued Friday on a lease in Gove County.Baker Hughes reports 542 active on-land drilling rigs as of December 19th, down six rigs from last week. The tally of oil rigs drops by eight. The breakout for horizontal drilling rigs is down by five. Louisiana drops by five; New Mexico is down two. Texas is up two rigs. Colorado and Utah are each down one rig.US crude-oil production surpassed 13.8 million barrels a day for a sixth consecutive week, but dropped ten thousand daily barrels from last week.&nbsp; Last week was not the best ever, but updated numbers show last week does rank second best. That makes this week number-three. The Energy Information Administration reports cumulative production, and the four-week average, each now exceed 13.5 million barrels a day. The current spike in US crude production began in November. The report for the week through November 7 reflects an increase of 211,000 daily barrels to the current all-time high over 13.86 million barrels per day. Output has topped 13.8 million each week since.EIA reports another 200,000 barrels added to the nation's strategic crude reserves, which now top 412 million barrels.&nbsp; Commercial inventories drop by 1.3 million barrels from last week to just over 424 million barrels as of December 12. That's nearly three percent higher than a year ago. The government says stockpiles are about four percent below the five-year average for this time of year.BP announced a major leadership change, naming Meg O'Neill as the super-major's new chief executive officer, starting this spring. O’Neill is currently CEO at Woodside Energy and worked at ExxonMobil for more than 20 years. She replaces Murray Auchincloss, who stepped down last week, from the CEO's office and the board of directors, after a long-running clash with the Chairman.After raising its expectations for natural-gas and propane prices...and lowering it's expectations for temperatures, the government now says your heating bills will spike a little more than usual this winter.&nbsp; The Energy Information Administration adjusts its assessment of the marketplace and the forecast each month from October to March. Temperatures this month are now expected to average about eight percent colder than the average of the last ten Decembers. EIA says retail residential natural gas and propane prices have also topped its forecasts. Spot prices for natural gas jumped 30 percent from October to November.At 6.5 million barrels a day, weekly US crude imports are down slightly from a week ago, slightly more from a year ago, and slightly more than that from two years ago. The four week average is slightly less than 6.5 million, dropping a quarter-million barrels a day or about two percent from a year ago.Weekly crude exports are up more than 600,000 barrels a day from a week ago at 4.6 million barrels per day.&nbsp; The four-week average is just under four million, an increase of nearly 200,000 barrels a day from a year ago.&nbsp;

News from the Oil Patch: Crude prices rise with drama on the high seas 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert will step down from her position at the start of the new year and retire within weeks, she announced Friday.

Luckert, the second woman appointed to the state Supreme Court, suffered a stroke in October and temporarily withdrew from her public-facing duties. She said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NGjIp0AL_U" target="_blank">a video address</a>&nbsp;the decision to resign and retire was one of the hardest of her life.

“I am on a path to recovery,” she said in the video, “but I have had to face a difficult truth.”

She is unable to fully fulfill the demands of chief justice, she said. Luckert said she will resign from the office of chief justice Jan. 2 and retire weeks later, in late January or early February. As the most senior member on the court, Justice Eric Rosen, who has been serving as interim chief justice while Luckert was on medical leave, will step into the role Jan. 2.

Luckert’s retirement will give Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly a fifth installation on the court before her term is up at the end of 2026. Justices Dan Biles and Rosen will be required to retire after completing the term during which they turn 75 years old, per state law. Justice Evelyn Wilson retired in July, citing a Lou Gehrig’s disease diagnosis, and her replacement,<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/11/21/newest-addition-to-kansas-supreme-court-promises-to-be-the-justice-all-kansans-deserve/">&nbsp;Justice Larkin Walsh, took the bench</a>&nbsp;in November.&nbsp;Voters in August 2026 will decide if they want to change the way state Supreme Court justices are selected. They will have the choice of switching to a popular vote system or retaining the current nomination and gubernatorial appointment process.

Luckert, 70, also announced her resignation from three national committees.

Before the Supreme Court, she was a district judge in Shawnee County, becoming the first woman in Kansas to be a chief district judge.

“I wanted small town Kansas children, including girls, to see themselves reflected in positions of leadership and to know their voices, their intelligence and their perseverance matter,” she said.

Luckert was born in Goodland, and she obtained undergraduate and law degrees at Washburn University in Topeka. She worked in private practice before Gov. Joan Finney appointed her to the district court.

Gov. Bill Graves appointed Luckert to the Supreme Court in 2003, where she has sat for 22 years. She became chief justice in 2019 following the retirement of former Chief Justice Lawton Nuss.

“Serving as chief justice has given me a front row seat to the courage and compassion that define our judicial system,” Luckert said. “I have watched judges make difficult decisions with integrity. Courts staff treat people with dignity during their most vulnerable moments, and employees adapt to change with grace and resolve.”

Rosen said in a news release Luckert’s time on the bench has been “fraught with challenge.” He lauded her efforts to build relationships in state government and overcome major obstacles. She made the court system “stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future,” he said.

Luckert said Kansas’ three branches of government have come together during her tenure to create a “more accessible, more efficient and better equipped” judiciary that can “respond to complex issues such as mental illness and the needs of children in care.”

“That spirit of cooperation gives me great hope for the future,” Luckert said, “and confidence that the three branches can continue to build upon that foundation, and to continue to strengthen a dedicated court system designed to bring accessible justice to all.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766272088494.png" alt=" Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert greets lawmakers as she arrives Jan. 11, 2023, in the House chamber in Topeka. Behind her are Supreme Court Justices Eric Rosen, Dan Biles and Caleb Stegall. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert greets lawmakers as she arrives Jan. 11, 2023, in the House chamber in Topeka. Behind her are Supreme Court Justices Eric Rosen, Dan Biles and Caleb Stegall. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert will step down from her position at the start of the new year and retire within weeks, she announced Friday.Luckert, the second woman appointed to the state Supreme Court, suffered a stroke in October and temporarily withdrew from her public-facing duties. She said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NGjIp0AL_U" target="_blank">a video address</a>&nbsp;the decision to resign and retire was one of the hardest of her life.“I am on a path to recovery,” she said in the video, “but I have had to face a difficult truth.”She is unable to fully fulfill the demands of chief justice, she said. Luckert said she will resign from the office of chief justice Jan. 2 and retire weeks later, in late January or early February. As the most senior member on the court, Justice Eric Rosen, who has been serving as interim chief justice while Luckert was on medical leave, will step into the role Jan. 2.Luckert’s retirement will give Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly a fifth installation on the court before her term is up at the end of 2026. Justices Dan Biles and Rosen will be required to retire after completing the term during which they turn 75 years old, per state law. Justice Evelyn Wilson retired in July, citing a Lou Gehrig’s disease diagnosis, and her replacement,<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/11/21/newest-addition-to-kansas-supreme-court-promises-to-be-the-justice-all-kansans-deserve/">&nbsp;Justice Larkin Walsh, took the bench</a>&nbsp;in November.&nbsp;Voters in August 2026 will decide if they want to change the way state Supreme Court justices are selected. They will have the choice of switching to a popular vote system or retaining the current nomination and gubernatorial appointment process.Luckert, 70, also announced her resignation from three national committees.Before the Supreme Court, she was a district judge in Shawnee County, becoming the first woman in Kansas to be a chief district judge.“I wanted small town Kansas children, including girls, to see themselves reflected in positions of leadership and to know their voices, their intelligence and their perseverance matter,” she said.Luckert was born in Goodland, and she obtained undergraduate and law degrees at Washburn University in Topeka. She worked in private practice before Gov. Joan Finney appointed her to the district court.Gov. Bill Graves appointed Luckert to the Supreme Court in 2003, where she has sat for 22 years. She became chief justice in 2019 following the retirement of former Chief Justice Lawton Nuss.“Serving as chief justice has given me a front row seat to the courage and compassion that define our judicial system,” Luckert said. “I have watched judges make difficult decisions with integrity. Courts staff treat people with dignity during their most vulnerable moments, and employees adapt to change with grace and resolve.”Rosen said in a news release Luckert’s time on the bench has been “fraught with challenge.” He lauded her efforts to build relationships in state government and overcome major obstacles. She made the court system “stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future,” he said.Luckert said Kansas’ three branches of government have come together during her tenure to create a “more accessible, more efficient and better equipped” judiciary that can “respond to complex issues such as mental illness and the needs of children in care.”“That spirit of cooperation gives me great hope for the future,” Luckert said, “and confidence that the three branches can continue to build upon that foundation, and to continue to strengthen a dedicated court system designed to bring accessible justice to all.”

Kansas Supreme Court chief justice to retire by early February

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s governor pardoned country star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jelly-roll">Jelly Roll</a>&nbsp;on Thursday for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-pardon-nashville-tennessee-9f3f76fc1692b874d0c9df6b0941ae61">criminal past</a>&nbsp;in the state, acknowledging the Nashville native’s long road back from drugs and prison through soul-searching, songwriting and advocacy for second chances.

The rapper-turned-singer whose legal name is Jason Deford has spoken for years about his redemption arc before diverse audiences, from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-oregon-prison-concert-2477195ba3ae8227e3c45c9e08755e78">people serving time</a>&nbsp;in correctional centers to concert crowds and even in testimony before Congress.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee issued the pardon after friends and civic leaders of the Grammy-nominated musician joined in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-pardon-nashville-tennessee-9f3f76fc1692b874d0c9df6b0941ae61">outpouring of support.</a>

Jelly Roll’s convictions include robbery and drug felonies. He has said a pardon would make it easier for him to travel internationally for concert tours and to perform Christian missionary work without filling out burdensome paperwork.

He was one of 33 people to receive pardons Thursday from Lee, who for years has issued clemency decisions around the Christmas season. Lee said Jelly Roll’s application underwent the same monthslong thorough review as other applicants. The state parole board gave a nonbinding, unanimous recommendation for Jelly Roll’s pardon in April.

“His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee told reporters.

Jelly Roll and Lee meet at the governor’s mansion

Lee said he never met Jelly Roll until Thursday, when the musician visited the governor’s mansion over the pardon news. The two hugged in front of a lit Christmas tree and a fireplace decorated with holiday garlands.

Unlike recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-pardons-2020-election-73348c1c5d2779741bf8af5b5ffb1472">high-profile federal pardons</a>, which let people off the hook for prison, a Tennessee pardon serves as a statement of forgiveness for someone who has already completed a prison sentence. Pardons offer a path to restoring certain civil rights such as the right to vote, although there are some legal limitations, and the governor can specify the terms.

Jelly Roll broke into country music with the 2023 album “Whitsitt Chapel” and crossover songs like “Need a Favor.” He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cmt-awards-2024-ec7a3a43a049efc0ec1452811bcb9e39">won multiple CMT Awards</a>, a CMA Award and also picked up seven career Grammy nominations.

Much of his music deals with overcoming adversity, like the song “Winning Streak” about someone’s first day sober. Or the direct-and-to-the-point, “I Am Not Okay.”

“When I first started doing this, I was just telling my story of my broken self,” he told The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-2026-grammy-awards-interview-0ab1d082afb24e096b3e04aaa15de9b2">in an interview</a>. “By the time I got through it, I realized that my story was the story of many. So now I’m not telling my story anymore. I’m getting to pull it right from the crevices of the people whose story’s never been told.”

Jelly Roll: '‘I was a part of the problem’

Before the parole board, Jelly Roll said he first fell in love with songwriting while in custody, calling music a therapeutic passion project that “would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable.”

Outside of sold-out shows, he’s testified before the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/public-affairs-event/music-artist-jelly-roll-appeals-to-congress-to-take-action-on-fentanyl-crisis/5101539" target="_blank">U.S. Senate</a>&nbsp;about the dangers of fentanyl, describing his drug-dealing younger self as “the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about.”

“I was a part of the problem,” he told lawmakers at the time. “I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766106542975.png" alt="Photo provided by the office of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee" />
 <figcaption>Photo provided by the office of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s governor pardoned country star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jelly-roll">Jelly Roll</a>&nbsp;on Thursday for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-pardon-nashville-tennessee-9f3f76fc1692b874d0c9df6b0941ae61">criminal past</a>&nbsp;in the state, acknowledging the Nashville native’s long road back from drugs and prison through soul-searching, songwriting and advocacy for second chances.The rapper-turned-singer whose legal name is Jason Deford has spoken for years about his redemption arc before diverse audiences, from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-oregon-prison-concert-2477195ba3ae8227e3c45c9e08755e78">people serving time</a>&nbsp;in correctional centers to concert crowds and even in testimony before Congress.Republican Gov. Bill Lee issued the pardon after friends and civic leaders of the Grammy-nominated musician joined in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-pardon-nashville-tennessee-9f3f76fc1692b874d0c9df6b0941ae61">outpouring of support.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766106522340.png" alt="Photo provided by the office of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee shows Gov. Bill Lee, left, giving country musician Jelly Roll news of his official pardon&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo provided by the office of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee shows Gov. Bill Lee, left, giving country musician Jelly Roll news of his official pardon&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Jelly Roll’s convictions include robbery and drug felonies. He has said a pardon would make it easier for him to travel internationally for concert tours and to perform Christian missionary work without filling out burdensome paperwork.He was one of 33 people to receive pardons Thursday from Lee, who for years has issued clemency decisions around the Christmas season. Lee said Jelly Roll’s application underwent the same monthslong thorough review as other applicants. The state parole board gave a nonbinding, unanimous recommendation for Jelly Roll’s pardon in April.“His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee told reporters.<h2>Jelly Roll and Lee meet at the governor’s mansion</h2>Lee said he never met Jelly Roll until Thursday, when the musician visited the governor’s mansion over the pardon news. The two hugged in front of a lit Christmas tree and a fireplace decorated with holiday garlands.Unlike recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-pardons-2020-election-73348c1c5d2779741bf8af5b5ffb1472">high-profile federal pardons</a>, which let people off the hook for prison, a Tennessee pardon serves as a statement of forgiveness for someone who has already completed a prison sentence. Pardons offer a path to restoring certain civil rights such as the right to vote, although there are some legal limitations, and the governor can specify the terms.Jelly Roll broke into country music with the 2023 album “Whitsitt Chapel” and crossover songs like “Need a Favor.” He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cmt-awards-2024-ec7a3a43a049efc0ec1452811bcb9e39">won multiple CMT Awards</a>, a CMA Award and also picked up seven career Grammy nominations.Much of his music deals with overcoming adversity, like the song “Winning Streak” about someone’s first day sober. Or the direct-and-to-the-point, “I Am Not Okay.”“When I first started doing this, I was just telling my story of my broken self,” he told The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jelly-roll-2026-grammy-awards-interview-0ab1d082afb24e096b3e04aaa15de9b2">in an interview</a>. “By the time I got through it, I realized that my story was the story of many. So now I’m not telling my story anymore. I’m getting to pull it right from the crevices of the people whose story’s never been told.”<h2>Jelly Roll: '‘I was a part of the problem’</h2>Before the parole board, Jelly Roll said he first fell in love with songwriting while in custody, calling music a therapeutic passion project that “would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable.”Outside of sold-out shows, he’s testified before the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/public-affairs-event/music-artist-jelly-roll-appeals-to-congress-to-take-action-on-fentanyl-crisis/5101539" target="_blank">U.S. Senate</a>&nbsp;about the dangers of fentanyl, describing his drug-dealing younger self as “the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about.”“I was a part of the problem,” he told lawmakers at the time. “I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”Jelly Roll’s most serious convictions include a robbery at 17 and drug charges at 23. In the first case, a female acquaintance helped Jelly Roll and two armed accomplices steal $350 from people in a home in 2002. Because the victims knew the female acquaintance, she and Jelly Roll were quickly arrested. Jelly Roll was unarmed, and was sentenced to one year in prison plus probation.In another run-in 2008, police found marijuana and crack cocaine in his car, leading to eight years of court-ordered supervision.<h2>Sheriff whose jail held Jelly Roll urged a pardon</h2>Friends and civic leaders cited his transformation in backing a pardon.Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, who runs Nashville’s jail, wrote that Jelly Roll had an awakening in one of the jails he managed. Live Nation Entertainment CEO and President Michael Rapino cited Jelly Roll’s donations from his performances to charities for at-risk youth.“I think he has a chance and is in the process of rehabilitating a generation, and that’s not just words,” Hall said in a phone interview Thursday. “I’m talking about what I see we need in our country, is people who accept responsibility, accept the fact that they make mistakes and accept the fact that they need help.”The parole board began considering Jelly Roll’s pardon application in October 2024, which marks the state’s five-year timeline for eligibility after his sentence expired. Prominent Nashville attorney David Raybin represented Jelly Roll in the pardon case.Lee’s office said no one was pardoned Thursday who had a homicide or a sex-related conviction, or for any crime committed as an adult against a minor.