South Florida Local News

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Help! My husband and I stayed at my parents’ house and slept in their guest bedroom. Friends of theirs had gifted them with a terrible, but very expensive, mattress. It slopes severely toward the edges so that you feel like you’re falling all night long, making sleep impossible.

My mom happened to ask if we liked the mattress, so I said “no,” and explained why. She proceeded to look up reviews for the mattress on her phone to see whether I was right about whether or not we liked the mattress (I guess).

What do we do next time we visit? We seriously won’t be able to sleep on that mattress, but saying that we’ll stay in a hotel would probably start World War III.

GENTLE READER: When you are a parent (if you are not already), remember that exchange when you ask your children for feedback (as you will) and then argue when they give it (as you also will).

Miss Manners notes this merely to grease the wheel of life. The answer to your immediate problem is to remind your mother that she asked, and hope that her own sense of fair play will win out. And to sleep on the sofa.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in an area that is known for terrible coffee, so my friends and neighbors often come to my house for an espresso drink. They know I take the process seriously to make a quality drink, using an espresso machine/grinder and milk frother.

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Although I will ensure the machine is filled, cups are warmed and a filter is ready for making a fresh cup upon arrival, the process is very loud and I can’t hear my guest while I am making their requested drink.

What would be the correct way to let them know that I can’t hear them while I complete the five-minute task of making a drink? And should I let them stand there, or seat them?

GENTLE READER: As we are being careful with the coffee, Miss Manners recommends also being precise about the problem. You do not need to tell your neighbors that you cannot hear them over the coffee grinder; that will be obvious as soon as you press the button.

The problem is that you cannot politely press that button while they are halfway through asking you a question. Wait until a pause, therefore, point to the grinder, say, “Excuse me,” and grind away. If necessary, you can repeat this process for each noise-making step.

Even the most situationally unaware neighbor should be able to remain politely quiet in the hope of getting caffeinated.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have long been troubled by the carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” specifically the intimation that if we don’t give the uninvited guests their figgy pudding, they “won’t go.”

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How are we to address this request? I don’t want to be ungrateful for their wishes, but think that their insistence is a bit beyond what is considered polite and reasonable. Can you advise how to proceed?

GENTLE READER: What was that? Miss Manners couldn’t quite hear you over the ruckus made by the geese a-laying, the calling birds, the French hens and the turtledoves. The partridge, fortunately, appears to have passed out under the pear tree.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

By SAMYA KULLAB

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, remain unresolved, Ukraine’s president said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke as the U.S. showed the 20-point plan, hammered out after marathon talks in Florida in recent days, to Russian negotiators. A response is expected from Moscow on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president briefed journalists on each point of the plan on Tuesday. His comments were embargoed until Wednesday morning. The draft proposal, which reflects Ukraine’s wishes, intertwines political and commercial interests to safeguard security while boosting economic potential.

At the heart of the negotiations lies the contentious territorial dispute concerning the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the Donbas. This is “the most difficult point,” Zelenskyy said. He said these matters will be discussed at the leaders level.

Russia continues to assert maximalist demands, insisting that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory in Donbas that it has not captured — an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk.

In a bid to facilitate compromise, the United States has proposed transforming these areas into free economic zones. Ukraine insists that any arrangement must be contingent upon a referendum, allowing the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate. Ukraine is demanding the demilitarization of the area and the presence of an international force to ensure stability, Zelenskyy said.

How the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest plant in Europe which is under Russian occupation, will be managed is another contentious issue. The U.S. is proposing a consortium with Ukraine and Russia, with each party having an equal stake in the enterprise.

But Zelenskyy countered with a joint venture proposal between the U.S. and Ukraine, in which the Americans are able to decide how to distribute their share, presuming it would go to Russia.

“We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the power plant in Zaporizhzhia. “But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found between us and them.”

A free economic zone compromise

Point 14, which covers territories that cut across the eastern front line, and Point 12, which discusses management of the Zaporizhzhia plant, will likely be major sticking points in the talks.

Zelenskyy said: “We are in a situation where the Russians want us to leave the Donetsk region, and the Americans are trying to find a way so that it is ‘not a way out’ — because we are against leaving — they want to find a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone in this, that is, a format that can provide for the views of both sides.”

The draft states that the contact line, which cuts across five Ukrainian regions, be frozen once the agreement is signed.

Ukraine’s stance is that any attempt to create a free economic zone must be ratified by a referendum, affirming that the Ukrainian people ultimately hold the decision-making power, Zelenskyy said. This process will require 60 days, he added, during which time hostilities should stop to allow the process to happen.

More difficult discussions would require hammering out how far troops would be required to move back, per Ukraine’s proposal, and where international forces would be s tationed. Zelenskyy said ultimately “people can choose: this ending suits us or not,” he said.

The draft also proposes that Russian forces withdraw from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv regions, and that international forces be located along the contact line to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

“Since there is no faith in the Russians, and they have repeatedly broken their promises, today’s contact line is turning into a line of a de facto free economic zone, and international forces should be there to guarantee that no one will enter there under any guise — neither ‘little green men’ nor Russian military disguised as civilians,” Zelenskyy said.

Managing Zaporizhzhia power plant

Ukraine is also proposing that the occupied city of Enerhodar, which is connected to the Zaporizhzhia power plant, be a demilitarized free economic zone, Zelenskyy said. This point required 15 hours of discussions with the U.S., he said.

For now, the U.S. proposes that the plant be jointly operated by Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia, with each side receiving dividends from the enterprise.

“The USA is offering 33 percent for 33 percent for 33 percent, and the Americans are the main manager of this joint venture,” he said. “It is clear that for Ukraine this sounds very unsuccessful and not entirely realistic. How can you have joint commerce with the Russians after everything?”

Ukraine offered an alternative proposal, that the plant be operated by a joint venture with the U.S. in which the Americans can determine independently how to distribute their 50 percent share.

Zelenskyy said billions in investments are needed to make the plant run again, including restoring the adjacent dam.

“There were about 15 hours of conversations about the plant. These are all very complex things.”

A separate annex for security guarantees

The document ensures that Ukraine will be provided with “strong” security guarantees that mirror NATO’s Article 5, which would obligate Ukraine’s partners to act in the event of renewed Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy said that a separate bilateral document with the U.S. will outline these guarantees. This agreement will detail the conditions under which security will be provided, particularly in the event of a renewed Russian assault, and will establish a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire.

This mechanism will utilize satellite technology and early warning systems to ensure effective oversight and rapid response capabilities.

“The mood of the United States of America is that this is an unprecedented step towards Ukraine on their part. They believe that they are giving strong security guarantees,” he said.

The draft contains other elements including keeping Ukraine’s army at 800,000 during peace time, and by nailing down a specific date for ascension to the European Union.

Elections and boosting the economy

The document proposes accelerating a free trade agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. once the agreement is signed. The U.S. wants the same deal with Russia, said Zelenskyy.

Ukraine would like to receive short-term privileged access to the European market and a robust global development package, that will cover a wide-range of economic interests, including a development fund to invest in industries including technology, data centers and artificial intelligence, as well as gas.

Also included are funds for the reconstruction of territories destroyed in the war.

“Ukraine will have the opportunity to determine the priorities for distributing its share of funds in the territories under the control of Ukraine. And this is a very important point, on which we spent a lot of time,” Zelenskyy said.

The goal will be to attract $800 billion through equity, grants, loans and private sector contributions.

The draft proposal also requires Ukraine to hold elections after the signing of the agreement. “This is the partners’ vision,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine is also asking that all prisoners since 2014 be released at once, and that civilian detainees, political prisoners and children be returned to Ukraine.

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 24, the 358th day of 2025. There are seven days left in the year. This is Christmas Eve.

Today in history:

On Dec. 24, 2013, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II granted a posthumous pardon to code-breaker Alan Turing, who was criminally convicted of homosexual behavior in the 1950s.

Also on this date:

In 1814, the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, which would end the War of 1812 following ratification by both the British Parliament and the U.S. Senate.

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In 1851, fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroying about 35,000 volumes (about two-thirds of the library’s collection).

In 1865, several veterans of the Confederate Army formed a private social club in Pulaski, Tennessee, that was the original version of the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1913, 73 people, most of them children, died in a crush of panic after a false cry of “Fire!” during a Christmas party for striking miners and their families at the Italian Hall in Calumet, Michigan.

In 1914, during World War I, impromptu Christmas truces began to take hold along parts of the Western Front, principally between British and German soldiers but also involving French troops.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five others in the Iran-Contra scandal.

In 2018, a series of explosions ripped through fireworks workshops in Tultepec, a town just north of Mexico City, leaving at least 24 people dead and dozens injured.

In 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe survived its record-breaking closest approach to the sun, hurtling 3.8 million miles above its fiery surface. Since its 2018 launch, the probe has completed numerous other close fly-bys to observe solar wind and other events.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci is 85.
• Filmmaker Lee Daniels is 66.
• Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is 64.
• Singer Ricky Martin is 54.
• Novelist and film producer Stephenie Meyer is 52.
• TV host Ryan Seacrest is 51.
• Rock singer Louis Tomlinson (One Direction) is 34.
• NFL wide receiver Davante Adams is 33.

By OLIVIA DIAZ

A Christmas Eve Powerball drawing could add new meaning to holiday cheer as millions of players hope to cash in on the $1.7 billion prize, which comes after months without a jackpot winner.

The United States’ 4th-largest jackpot on record comes after 46 consecutive draws without someone claiming to have all six numbers. The last contest with a jackpot winner was on Sept. 6. The game’s long odds have people decking the halls and doling out $2 — and sometimes more — for tickets ahead of Wednesday night’s live drawing.

It’s a sign the game is operating as intended. Lottery officials made the odds tougher in 2015 as a mechanism for snowballing jackpots, all the while making it easier to win smaller prizes.

The Christmas holiday is not expected to impact the drawing process should there be a winning ticket, a Powerball spokesperson said.

Here is what to know about Wednesday’s drawing:

Christmas Eve cha-ching

That ticket placed in a stocking or under the tree could be worth a billion bucks — but with some caveats.

Powerball is played in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of those areas require players to be 18 or older, though some states have steeper requirements. In Nebraska, players have to be at least 19 years old, and in Louisiana and Arizona, people can’t buy tickets until they are 21.

Winning tickets also must be cashed in the states where they were bought. And players can’t buy tickets in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.

Other than that, lottery officials argue there is a chance a lucky Powerball ticket could be a gift that keeps on giving.

Charlie McIntyre, the New Hampshire Lottery’s executive director, said Tuesday: “Just think of the stories you can tell for generations to come about the year you woke up a billionaire on Christmas.”

A range of prizes can be presents

Wednesday’s $1.7 billion jackpot has a cash value of $781.3 million.

A winner can choose to be paid the whole amount through an annuity, with an immediate payment and then annual payments over 29 years that increase by 5% each time. Most winners, however, usually choose the cash value for a lump sum.

The odds are high for the top prize, but there are smaller prizes players can reap.

At the last drawing, players in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin each won $1 million. There are also prizes outside the jackpot, ranging from a few dollars to $2 million.

One woman told Powerball officials that she already made plans for her $1 million win: “We’re going to pay off our cars and credit cards and get a bigger house!”

And Thomas Anderson of Burlington, North Carolina, said he intended to use his $100,000 Powerball win from earlier this month to go back to school, according to Powerball.

Long odds for the billion-dollar jackpots

Lottery officials set the odds at 1 in 292.2 million in hopes that jackpots will roll over with each of the three weekly drawings until the pool balloons so much that more people take notice and play.

The odds used to be notably better, at 1 in 175 million. But the game was made tougher in 2015 to create the out-of-this-world bounties. The tougher odds partly helped set the stage for back-to-back record-breaking sweepstakes this year.

The last time someone won the Powerball pot was on Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion, which was the second-highest top prize in U.S. history.

The U.S. has seen more than a dozen lottery jackpot prizes exceed $1 billion since 2016. The biggest U.S. jackpot ever was $2.04 billion back in 2022.

More about those unfavorable odds

It’s hard to explain what odds of 1 in 292.2 million mean. Even if halved, they remain difficult to digest.

In the past, one math professor described the odds of flipping a coin and getting heads 28 straight times.

Tim Chartier, a Davidson College math professor in North Carolina, on Monday compared the odds of a winning lottery ticket to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles (31 kilometers) high.

“It’s true that if you buy 100 tickets, you are 100 times more likely to win. But in this case, ‘100 times more likely’ barely moves the probability needle,” Chartier said. “Using the time analogy, buying 100 tickets is like getting 100 guesses to name that one chosen second over nine years. Possible — but wildly improbable.”

___

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

By Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Tennis legend Venus Williams wed Danish model and actor Andrea Preti over the weekend in Florida, the new bride announced in a shared post.

An Instagram post from Vogue Magazine’s Weddings section announced the nuptials, with the message garnering more than 30,000 likes as of Tuesday afternoon.

“We all love each other so much,” Williams, 45, said in the Vogue post. “It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day.”

The post was scant on details other than the event took place over five days in and around the couple’s home in Palm Beach Gardens.

An email for comment to representatives for Williams and Preti, 37, was not immediately returned.

The couple met at 2024 Milan Fashion Week and began texting shortly after, according to Vogue.

The couple eventually became engaged on Jan. 31 in Tuscany, according to Vogue. That detail was confirmed in July during what was a historic month for Williams.

The Compton native defeated 23-year-old Peyton Sterns 6-3, 6-4 in the first-round action of the D.C. Open after a 16-month hiatus from singles matches.

In victory, Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, trailing only fellow legend Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she won in 2004.

“Yes, my fiance is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams told the Tennis Channel’s Rennae Stubbs in a post-match interview. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. … He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful [for him] to be here. He’s never seen me play.”

Preti has written, acted and directed in a handful of films, primarily in Italy.

The wedding was the second for the couple, who also held a ceremony in Italy in September.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By BOB SUTTON

RALEIGH, N.C. — Luke Kunin and Anton Lundell scored 43 seconds apart during a five-goal third period for the Florida Panthers, who rallied past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Niko Mikkola began the Panthers’ burst with his first goal of the season and Florida ended up with four goals in slightly more six minutes. Anton Lundell also scored, and Seth Jones capped the scoring on the power play. Sam Reinhart had three assists, and Eetu Luostarinen and Aaron Ekblad each provided two.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves for his sixth consecutive victory as the Panthers, who made their first visit to Raleigh since their series-ending Game 5 victory in the Eastern Conference finals last spring, won for the fifth time in six games.

Eric Robinson and Andrei Svechnikov scored for the Hurricanes, who’ve lost three straight games for the first time this season. Frederik Andersen, playing for the first time after a nine-game layoff, made 17 saves but is winless in his last seven games (0-5-2).

It was Florida’s second comeback against the Hurricanes in less than a week. The Panthers wiped out a three-goal hole in the third period Thursday on the way to a shootout victory at home.

Robinson scored 4:15 into the game. Svechnikov’s goal came as he skated out of the penalty box and caught the Panthers off guard, scoring on a breakaway 1:58 into the second period. He slid the puck between Bobrovsky’s pads.

The Panthers had seven shots on goal through the first two periods and then nearly as many goals in the third on 15 shots.

Up next

Panthers: Begin a five-game homestand Saturday vs. Tampa Bay

MIAMI ã— Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 112-91 loss to the Toronto Raptors:

– Self-confidence is one thing.

– Self-will is another.

– This is not a team with a do-it-alone player.

– Jalen Brunson is not walking through that door.

– Neither is Zach LaVine.

– Or others who have toasted victory over the Heat in December.

– When it all was working in lockstep in October and November, the ball movement and off-the-dribble creativity were enough to overcome a degree of talent deficit.

– Apparently that came with an expiration date.

– Instead, it’s Andrew Wiggins and Simone Fontecchio going off the dribble.

– Norman Powell launching in the tightest of spaces.

– Bam Adebayo coming up short on short jumpers.

– Individually it’s not working.

– So perhaps a play call?

– Perhaps return strategy to the equation?

– Add it back in?

– Something needs to change.

– Because self-will isn’t it.

– The Heat now a .500 team.

– And fading.

– Yes, the defense hasn’t been gangbusters lately.

– But this is a scoring league.

– A pick-and-roll league.

– So maybe the Heat weren’t so right, the other teams so wrong.

– The Heat again opened with Wiggins, Powell, Adebayo, Kel’el Ware and Davion Mitchell.

– Adebayo is now two games from tying Alonzo Mourning on the Heat’s all-time regular-season games list.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. again was first off the Heat bench, entering with the Heat down 16-3, and immediately scoring on his first possession.

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– Kasparas Jakucionis, Dru Smith and Fontecchio were next off the Heat bench.

– Asked pregame about Ware’s recent breakout, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spoke of it not being a surprise, but how it also has to be accompanied by winning.

– “I think he had been stacking some good days. And you do that long enough and eventually you start to get some results,” Spoelstra said. “His practice sessions were good, film sessions, shootarounds were good. I’m talking about like six weeks ago, when it wasn’t necessarily translating to consistency.”

– Spoelstra added, “And he’s still young. So it’s not always going to be linear. It’s going to be some non-linear jumps. I want there to be some surprises not only with Kel’el, but with other guys. He’s handling it appropriately.”

– Again, Spoelstra stressed that Ware respects it also has to be a team thing.

– “He’s being held accountable to winning things,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be like a negative thing. We’re trying. We all want the same thing. We want a better result. We want growth faster. I want him to be like he’s 28, and that’s not realistic. And a little bit of impatience is good, as long as he handles it appropriately.”

– Powell extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 28, seven off the longest such run of his career.

MIAMI — On the night before the night before Christmas, another lump of coal for the Miami Heat.

So make it eight losses in the past nine games and a .500 record at the holiday break with Tuesday night’s 112-91 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Kaseya Center, this time their lowest-scoring game of the season.

Looking nothing like the team that dominated on offense at the start of the season, Erik Spoelstra’s team instead this time fell to Sandro Mamukelashvili & Co.

“This is not what I would have predicted,” Spoelstra said. “I thought we were ready.”

Unlike the efforts in road losses to the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks over the weekend, when the Heat competed until the decisive stages, this had the look of a team beaten down by the recent losses, in desperate need of a break.

“I don’t even know right now,” Spoelstra said.

At 15-15, the Heat now get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, before returning for a back-to-back set on Friday night in Atlanta and then Saturday night at home against the Indiana Pacers.

By then, it will become a matter of whether they can avoid having a losing record for the first time since they stood 1-3 after a Nov. 2 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Got to be better, man,” center Bam Adebayo said. “We just got to figure it out as a whole.”

The numbers were limited across the board for the Heat, save for a 21-point performance from Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Otherwise, 17 points from Norman Powell on 6-of-17 shooting, nine from Adebayo and this time only five points and nine rebounds from Kel’el Ware.

“It all starts individually,” Jaquez said. “We’ve all got to look at each other in the mirror.’

Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 27 points, on a night Mamukelashvili also outscored much of the Heat roster.

“The defense wasn’t there,” Powell said. “The defense wasn’t good.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Raptors led 21-16 after the first quarter and 51-44 at halftime.

The Heat then went down 16 in the third quarter.

Then, as was the previous two games, in the road losses in Boston and New York, the Heat swooned at the end of the third period, this time down 82-67 going into the fourth.

The Raptors extended their lead to 21 early in the fourth quarter, effectively ending it.

“We’re a young team, but we’ve got to focus on the details of the game,” Powell said. “That’s going to help us get out of this losing streak.”

It ended with the Heat at .402 from the field and 8 of 30 on 3-pointers, with 18 turnovers.

“We can’t afford games like this,” Spoelstra said of the lack of fight. “We haven’t had many like this.”

2. Nothing early: The Heat’s lowest-scoring first half of the season was a study in struggle.

The Heat were 4 of 18 on 3-pointers over the first two periods, with 10 turnovers at halftime.

No Heat player had more than three field goals in the first half, with Andrew Wiggins the lone starter with even that many.

For that matter, even the start was telling, with Toronto moving to an initial 16-3 lead.

“We got to do a better job of just executing,” Powell said.

Both of the Heat’s two lowest-scoring games of the season have come at Kaseya Center against the Raptors, the Heat’s only two games below 100 points this season.

“It was a lifeless start and then we felt like we were digging back the rest of the game,” Spoelstra said.

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3. Adebayo off: The offensive struggles continued for Adebayo, this time with just three points in the first half on 1-of-5 shooting.

Adebayo also was just 1 of 3 from the foul line in the first half, compensating somewhat with his game-high eight first-half rebounds.

“I’ve got to fight through whatever I’ve got to fight through,” Adebayo said.

Adebayo closed 4 of 11 from the field, albeit with a game-high 12 rebounds.

“I have to be better for him,” Spoelstra said. “But his heart is in the right place. He wants to help the team.”

4. Three down: The Heat continued in the injury absences of Tyler Herro (toe), Pelle Larsson (ankle) and Nikola Jovic (elbow).

“I am very encouraged by the progress,” Spoelstra said pregame. “They’re not ready to go tonight, but we don’t have a timeline.

“I came in yesterday and I was encouraged.”

And then the Heat took the court, showing how much the scoring of Herro, the energy of Larsson and perhaps even the creativity of Jovic are needed.

5. Comeback tour: On the one-year anniversary of his Achilles tear, Dru Smith sparked the Heat off the bench with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting in his initial eight-minute stint.

Smith ruptured his left Achilles in a Dec. 23, 2024 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. He was on the verge of being converted to a standard contract at the time of his injury.

He finally got that contact this past offseason, re-emerging as a rotation mainstay.

Smith closed with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists.

“Now got to make it to January for the first time,” said Smith, whose past two seasons have ended with a pre-January injury, including tearing his ACL in November 2023.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and MEGAN JANETSKY

Air traffic controllers lost communication for about 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane carrying a young medical patient and seven others before it crashed off the Texas coast in thick fog, killing at least five people, Mexico’s president said Tuesday.

Authorities initially believed the plane had landed safely at its destination in Galveston, near Houston, before learning it had gone down Monday afternoon, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. A search-and-rescue operation in waters near Galveston pulled two survivors from the plane’s wreckage, while one remained missing, Mexico’s Navy said.

In this image provided by Sky Decker Jr., authorities and volunteers respond to a Mexican Navy plane crash near Galveston, Texas, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Sky Decker Jr. via AP)

U.S. authorities are investigating the cause, but the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that it could take a week or more to recover the aircraft.

“What happened is very tragic,” Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing, noting that sailors were among the dead. The Mexican Navy officers had been working with a group that transports Mexican children with severe burns to a hospital in Galveston.

Plane was too low as it descended

As the twin turboprop Beech King Air 350i approached Sholes International Airport in Galveston, radar shows it was far too low, said Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration crash investigator.

A navigation system for the runway where the plane was supposed to land had been out of service for about a week, Guzzetti said. The system sends signals to the airplane cockpit that helps pilots navigate in the kind of bad weather that had enveloped the area. The fog was so thick that meteorologists estimated only about a half-mile of visibility.

The pilot should have aborted the landing if the runway wasn’t visible at an altitude of 205 feet, climbing back up before trying again or looking for another airport entirely, Guzzetti said.

Guzzetti said the reported radar track shows that the pilot was descending rapidly below 200 feet, a full 2 miles away from the runway.

“Maybe there was some sort of mechanical malfunction,” he said. “But just looking at the recorded flight track and comparing it with the weather and the airport equipment outage, seems to me that this landing approach should never have occurred.”

Witness describes crash scene

The plane crashed in a bay near the base of the causeway connecting Galveston Island to the mainland. The popular beach destination is about 50 miles southeast of Houston.

A map showing where the Mexican Navy plane crashed Monday. (AP Digital Embed)

Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help. He picked up two police officers who guided him through the thick fog to the nearly submerged plane. Decker jumped into the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.

“She had maybe 3 inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”

He said he also pulled out a man seated in front of her who had already died.

Investigators dig into the cause

Crews from the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration rushed to the scene.

Galveston Police officers watch the water on Galveston Bay west of the Galveston causeway, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, near Galveston, Texas, as emergency personnel search for a small airplane that went down in the bay in heavy fog. (Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)

A spokesperson for the NTSB said in an email that investigators will review maintenance records, weather forecasts and air traffic control communications. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.

Guzzetti said the investigation also will likely look into how serious the young patient’s medical condition was and how motivated the pilot was to land.

“There have been previous accidents in the air medical community where pilots try to push their luck in order to save the patient,” he said.

The aircraft had a “very, very proven design,” said aviation safety expert John Cox. He said it’s the latest version of a series that has been in use since the 1960s and would have been outfitted with all the modern electronics, avionics and equipment.

Plane was helping with medical mission

Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation.

The charity was founded after a mother died trying to save her kids from a fire. One child died, while another survived after receiving treatment at Shriners Children’s Texas in Galveston. Over 23 years, the foundation has helped transfer more than 2,000 patients to that hospital and other medical facilities with burn expertise, according to the charity’s website.

In a social media post, the foundation offered condolences to the families of the crash victims.

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Shriners Children’s Texas said in a statement that it learned of the crash with “profound sadness” but wasn’t able to provide any information about the child’s condition because the child hadn’t yet been admitted.

Crash comes amid focus on aviation safety

This latest crash comes amid a year of intense scrutiny on aviation safety after a string of high-profile crashes and the flight disruptions during the government shutdown driven by the shortage of air traffic controllers.

The January midair collision between an Army helicopter and an airliner near Washington, D.C., was followed by the crash of a medical transport plane in Philadelphia. This fall’s fiery UPS plane crash only added to the concerns. Still, the total number of crashes in 2025 was actually down a bit from last year, and experts say flying remains safe overall.

Hallie Golden contributed to this report.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier ’s lawyers are asking a judge to throw out sports gambling charges that have kept him off the court this season, arguing that the government overreached by turning a private dispute over bettors’ use of non-public information into a federal case.

In a motion to dismiss made public on Tuesday, Rozier’s lawyers argued that the government’s theory of the case — that he prevented sportsbooks from making informed decisions about accepting certain bets — runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the federal wire fraud statute.

Rozier, 31, is accused of helped gamblers cash in by tipping off a friend that he would leave a March 2023 game early because of a supposed injury. The friend, Deniro “Niro” Laster, who is also charged, shared or sold the information to others, who placed more than $250,000 in prop bets, prosecutors said.

“The government has billed this case as involving ‘insider betting’ and ‘rigging’ professional basketball games,” Rozier’s lawyers, James M. Trusty and A. Jeff Ifrah, wrote in the motion. “But the indictment alleges something less headline-worthy: that some bettors broke certain sportsbooks’ terms of use against wagering based on non-public information and ‘straw betting.’”

Rozier was on the Charlotte Hornets at the time and the information about his early exit was not listed on the team’s injury report, nor was it shared with the public or the sportsbooks that accept wagers on NBA games and player performances, prosecutors said.

Rozier pleaded not guilty in federal court in Brooklyn on Dec. 8 to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges. He was released on $3 million bond and is due back in court for a hearing before U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall on March 3.

His charges were part of a sweep of more than 30 other people in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations: one that authorities said leaked inside information about NBA athletes and another involving rigged, Mafia-backed poker games.

The charges have raised questions about the integrity of NBA games in an era of legalized betting and myriad prop bets, prompting the league to tweak its injury reporting requirements.

A message seeking comment on Rozier’s motion to dismiss the case was left for federal prosecutors.

In the motion, Rozier’s lawyers wrote that under the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in United States v. Ciminelli, prosecutors can’t make a wire fraud case out of allegations that defendants conspired to deprive a person — or, in this case, sportsbooks — of the right to information needed to make discretionary economic decisions.

They also questioned whether federal prosecutors have the authority to bring such a case, since sportsbooks are regulated at the state level, not the federal level.

“This is not to say that sports betting platforms are without recourse when their terms of use are violated — they can void bets, pursue civil remedies, or seek state prosecutor involvement,” Trusty and Ifrah wrote in the motion, which was dated Dec. 12 but only posted to the case docket on Tuesday. “But Ciminelli puts to rest the notion that federal prosecutors are here to enforce contractual agreements between bettors and platforms.”

Rozier has earned about $160 million over a 10-year NBA career. He was a first-round pick for the Boston Celtics in 2015 after starring at the University of Louisville. Charlotte traded him to the Heat last year.

In the game in question, Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds against the New Orleans Pelicans before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.

Rozier’s lawyers noted that the indictment does not allege that he ever placed a bet on any NBA game, nor does it allege that he knew Laster intended to sell his tip to others or that using it to place wagers would violate the sportsbooks’ terms of service. And, they said, he really was injured.

“The government’s cynicism as to whether Mr. Rozier was injured is belied by a variety of witnesses and medical professionals who were aware of Rozier’s injury, in many cases before the Pelicans game,” Trusty and Ifrah wrote.

Today is Saturday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2025. There are 11 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 20, 1986, three Black men were attacked by a group of white youths in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, resulting in the death of one of the men, Michael Griffith.

Also on this date:

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

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In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on a vote of delegates at a secession convention, emboldening other Southern states to follow suit and helping to trigger the American Civil War.

In 1946, the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater in New York City.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Doña Paz (DOHN’-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 from Miami to Cali, Colombia, crashed into a mountain near Buga, Colombia, at night while descending into the Cali area, killing all but four of the 163 passengers and crew aboard.

In 2019, the United States Space Force was established when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020.

In 2024, a car slammed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, killing six people and injuring more than 200. The suspect, who was arrested, was a doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had expressed anti-Muslim views and support on social media for a far-right party.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Rock drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 80.
• Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 79.
• Musician Alan Parsons is 77.
• Author Sandra Cisneros is 71.
• Actor Michael Badalucco is 71.
• Rock singer Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 59.
• Filmmaker Todd Phillips is 55.
• Actor Jonah Hill is 42.
• Soccer player Kylian Mbappé is 27.

GAINESVILLE — New UF coach Jon Sumrall arrived from Tulane to resurrect a program coming off a 4-8 season, the Gators’ fourth losing season in five years — including the past four under Billy Napier.

After signing a 2026 recruiting class ranked 16th nationally while he still coached the Green Wave, Sumrall and his evolving staff turned their attention to preparing for the 15-day transfer portal window Jan. 2-16.

Sumrall and Co. aim to retain top talent from the 2025 Gators and add players from other schools seeking a new opportunity. Meanwhile, players themselves are making moves.

Here are players who have made known their intentions to enter the portal when it opens:

QB DJ Lagway

Vitals: 6-3, 247 pounds

Resumé: Lagway was a 5-star prospect out of Willis (Texas) High School who was named 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year after he accounted for 73 touchdowns and led his team to an unbeaten season until losing in the third round of the 6A state playoffs to top-ranked defending champion DeSoto.

Role: Lagway was 6-1 as a starter as a true freshman in 2024 after he replaced injured veteran Graham Mertz during an overtime loss Oct. 11, 2024, at Tennessee. But Lagway struggled after an injury-riddled offseason prevented him from throwing during spring practices and limited him much of fall camp. He threw 16 touchdowns and an SEC-leading 14 interceptions. A season after his passer rating was second in the SEC to Ole Miss’ Jaxon Dart, Lagway had a 127.0 rating — lower than all but one quarterback in the conference. Expected to be a dual threat, Lagway rushed for just 237 yards and a score in two seasons.

Outlook: Lagway’s departure leaves UF with three scholarship quarterbacks: Trammel Jones Jr., Aidan Warner and Will Griffin. A former 4-star prospect from Jacksonville Mandarin, Jones appeared in two games, including the loss to Kentucky after interim coach Billy Gonzales benched Lagway. Warner is a former walk-on and Yale transfer from Winter Park who stepped in for Lagway when he injured his hamstring during a 2024 loss to Georgia. Warner started a week later at Texas, a 49-17 beatdown by the Longhorns, but that was his last appearance at UF. Griffin is a 4-star recruit out of Tampa Jesuit tabbed the nation’s No. 14 quarterback in the 2026 class by 247Sports composite rankings. A starter since he was an eighth-grader, Griffin compiled 12,299 passing yards and 143 touchdowns throws, including 37 on just 246 attempts in 2025, during a record-setting career.

WR Aidan Mizell Vitals: 6-1 ½, 185 pounds

Resumé: Mizell was ranked No. 13 in Sentinel’s 2023 Central Florida Super60 out of Orlando Boone, he was the nation’s No. 16 wide receiver and No. 204 overall prospect, according to 247Sports composite.

Role: Mizell leaves UF with 38 catches for 404 yards and three touchdowns, but injuries limited him to seven games in each of the past two seasons. Mizell had touchdowns of 41 yards against Samford and 43 yards against Georgia in 2024, while continuing to establish a connection with Lagway. But in 2025, Mizelll managed just three receptions longer than 15 yards, including a 23-yard catch during a 40-21 win Nov. 29 against Florida State.

Outlook: Mizell would have faced a logjam at receiver because Vernell Brown III  and fellow true freshman Dallas Wilson. Wilson appeared in only four games, but had 12 catches for 174 yards and three scores — or Mizell’s career total in 15 appearances including one in 2023. The Gators also welcome of Davian Groce, rated the nation’s No. 4 “athlete” and No. 47 overall recruit, out of Frisco, Texas. The future of redshirt sophomore Tre Wilson is murky after injuries ended consecutive seasons. After sophomore Tank Hawkins opted out, redshirt freshman TJ Abrams stepped in and proved to be a crisp route-runner who produced — highlighted by three catches for 76 yards at Ole Miss. First-year receiver Naeshaen Montgomery, who is expected to remain, possesses impressive top-end speed.

S Jordan Castell

Vitals: 6-2, 213 pounds

Resumé: Castell was an Under-Armour All-American ranked No. 7 in Sentinel’s 2023 Central Florida Super60 out of West Orange High in Orlando. Playing cornerback in 2023, Castell posted 39 tackles, five interceptions and 10 passes defensed.

Role: Aiming to shore up the back end of the defense, coaches moved Castell to free safety to capitalize on his length, range and ball skills. Castell responded in 2023 with a team-high 60 tackles, along with an interception, and leaves UF 168 stops, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions and a sack. While his production was solid, Castell rarely made game-changing plays. In 2025, he did not record a pass breakup.

Outlook: Bryce Thornton, Castell’s sidekick and a rising senior, is coming off this best season. He recorded 56 tackles, second on the team to linebacker Myles Graham, a team-leading six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. A 37-yard scoop and score were the 2025 Gators first points during a 55-0 season-opening win against Long Island University. Drake Stubbs of Jacksonville was the nation’s No. 6 safety prospect in the 2025 class, but managed just three tackles in eight appearances. Fellow true freshman Lagonza Hayward, rated No. 15 at his position among 2025 prospects, also played nickel back. He finished with 12 tackles and two QB hurries last season. UF signed two safeties in the ’26 class, 2025 Under Armour All-American Kaiden “KD” Hall of Milton, on the Florida Panhandle, and Dylan Purter of Alabama, who flipped his commitment from LSU. Hall compiled 129 tackles with 11 for loss, four interceptions and two pass breakups during 29 career games. Rated the No. 20 safety in the 2026 class, Purter is more slightly built (6-0, 170) than Hall but is instinctive and able to line up anywhere in the secondary. He compiled 148 tackles with eight for loss, two interceptions and 11 breakups in 2023-24.

DT Michai Boireau

Vitals: 6-4 ½, 349 pounds

Resumé: Boireau was a 3-star prospect out of Creekside High in Fairburn, Ga., where he compiled 87 tackles, including 12 for loss (five sacks) to rank as the No. 116 defensive tackle prospect in the 2024 class.

Role: Boireau had a rough start to this college career after he led police on a high-speed chase in Monroe County, Ga., topping speeds of 150 mph and hitting another car while carrying marijuana in his car, according to police reports. He spent multiple nights in jail before returning home to Gainesville. Given a chance Boireau proved to be a solid rotational player as a true freshman, compiling 15 tackles in 12 appearances in 2024. He then registered 20 tackles, including two sacks, in nine games as a sophomore battling a knee issue. He also made the game-winning interception during a 23-21 victory Oct. 18 against Mississippi State.

Outlook: Baylor transfer Brendan Bett’s production (40 tackles, three sacks) and the emergence of true freshman Jeremiah McCloud (13 tackles) and Joseph Mbatchou (11) offer the Gators interior defenders to build around. UF also signed Kendall Guervil, a 4-star prospect out of Fort Myers, where he tallied 88 stops, including 12 for loss, in 2024.

TE Hayden Hansen

Vitals: 6-6 ¼, 269 pounds

Resumé: Hansen was a 3-star prospect out of Weatherford (Texas) High, who converted from quarterback to tight end and was rated No. 128 prospect at his position in the 2022 class, Napier’s first at UF.

Role: Hansen’s size allowed him to soon contribute as a blocker in two-tight end sets, while catching 12 passes for 150 yards and two scores in 2023 as a redshirt freshman. He steadily improved as a target in the passing game, finishing with 30 catches for 254 yards and two scores in 2025. Despite his size, though, Hansen was not a physical runner after the catch, averaging 10.7 yards on 57 catches (611 yards) at UF. He caught five touchdowns in 37 games.

Outlook: The exodus of Hansen and Amir Jackson leaves UF with only one experience scholarship tight end, rising senior Tony Livingston, along true freshman tight ends Micah Jones, out of Madison, Miss., and Cameron Kossman, who hails from Chesterfield, Missouri. UF has yet to sign a tight end for the 2026 class. Kekua Aumua of Hawaii changed his commitment to Washington during the early signing period.

LB Grayson “Pup” Howard

Vitals: 6-4, 236 pounds

Resumé: Was a 4-star prospect out of Jacksonville’s Andrew Jackson High rated the nation’s No. 9 linebacker prospect and No. 115 overall player in 2023, according to 247Sports. In 2022, Howard recorded 106 solo tackles, including three sacks, and five pass breakups in 11 games.

Role: After he totaled 19 tackles during 11 appearances at South Carolina in 2023, Howard had 37 tackles including two for loss (one sack), two fumble recoveries, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in 2024 as a sophomore before he missed the final three games with a leg injury. Howard’s injury limited him to three tackles in three appearances in 2025, the last Sept. 20 at Miami. .

Outlook: Florida returns defensive leader Myles Graham, the Gators’ leading tackler with 76 stops as a sophomore, including seven for loss, to go with seven quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. Aaron Chiles had 52 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and two QB hurries in his second season, while Jaden Robinson recorded 50 tackles, four for loss, four hurries and three PBUs in his third season. Myles Johnson had five tackles in 12 appearances while fellow true freshman Ty Jackson had one tackle in eight appearances. Johnson’s speed and Jackson’s production at Seminole Ridge in Fort Lauderdale bode well.

RB KD Daniels

Vitals: 5-11 ½, 203 pounds

Resumé: Daniels was a 4-star prospect rated the nation’s No. 14 running back in the 2024 class by 247Sports composition rankings. Named Mississippi’s Class 5A Mr. Football, Daniels rushed for 2,737 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2023, highlighted by a 253-yard performance in the state-title game.

Role: Daniels began his career down the depth chart, behind senior Montrell Johnson Jr., true freshman Jadan Baugh and redshirt junior Ja’Kobi Jackson. The sole highlight of Daniels’ first college season was his heady 27-yard touchdown after he scooped a fumble by Lagway during the UFs 33-8 win in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl against Tulane. When Jackson suffered a season-ending injury in 2025, Daniels battled true freshman Duke Clark for touches. Daniels leaves UF with just 185 yards and two scores on 39 carries.

Outlook: Baugh’s 266-yard day during UF’s 40-21 season-ending win against FSU cemented the sophomore’s place the Gators’ key offensive weapon entering 2026. The 6-foot ½, 210-pound Clark had 58 yards on 14 carries, along with two catches for 14 yards in four appearances. Redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb, a former top recruit, did not play in 2025 after missing all but four games in 2024 following an injury. Byron Louis is a former Plantation American Heritage standout and a 4-star prospect in 2025 who rushed 2,943 yards and 34 scores in 2024-25. Fellow true freshman Chad Gasper Jr., was a 3-star recruit from Katy, Texas who did not see game action.

TE Amir Jackson

Vitals: 6-4 ¾, 235 pounds

Resumé: Jackson was a 4-star prospect from Portal High in Georgia, rated the No. 9 tight end prospect and 139th overall recruit, per 247Sports. As a senior in 2023, he recorded 44 catches for 727 yards and 12 touchdowns while also making 57 tackles, six for loss. During his basketball career, Jackson averaged 13.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in 88 games.

Role: Jackson was among the more versatile athletes and intriguing playmakers in the 2024 class but needed to build strength and become more physical. Despite noticeable games in the weight room, Jackson did not factor as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He managed just three catches for 29 yards and a score.

Outlook: Sumrall and his staff aim to improve the production and explosiveness at a position where top players cause mismatches. Hansen started 34 straight games and did not often leave the field under Napier, but following Jackson into the portal. Livingston had 11 catches for 119 yards and scores in 10 games. The 6-foot-4 ¾, 260-pound junior has yet to fully capitalized on his athletic ability. A former high school basketball standout, Livingston averaged 24.3 points and 10.9 rebounds in 2021-22 at Tampa King. True freshmen Jones and Kossman were 3-star prospects in the 2025 class.

WR Tanks Hawkins

Vitals: 5-9 ½, 178 pounds

Resumé: Known for his blazing speed, Hawkins was a 4-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton who 247Sports ranked the nation’s No. 37 receiver and No. 241 overall prospect in the 2024 class.

Role: Hawkins appeared in just four games, catching two passes for 16 yards after he recorded 10 receptions for 100 yards and a score as a true freshman in 2024. The sophomore opted out prior to a Nov. 8 visit to Kentucky despite injuries to Brown, Dallas Wilson and Tre Wilson.

Outlook: After Hawkins opted out, Abrams shined. Hawkins was the Gators’ fastest offensive player, along with Mizell. But Montgomery can stretch the field.

CB Jamroc Grimsley

Vitals: 6-foot-2 ¼ ,198 pounds

Resumé: Grimsley was the nation’s No. 24 cornerback prospect in the 2024 class out Tampa Catholic who committed to Alabama over Florida, Florida State, Penn State and others. After Nick Saban retired after the 2023 season, Grimsley left for Gainesville.

Role: Despite his prototypical size and pedigree, Grimsley appeared in just five games and played 67 snaps in two seasons at UF, recording just one tackle and one pass breakup.  ACL revision surgery on his right knee after the 2024 season limited him to three appearances in 2025.

Outlook: The Gators lose senior Devin Moore, but are in line to return veterans with much to prove, Dijon Johnson and Cormani McClain. Johnson suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Sept. 20 loss at Miami. McClain had an interception at Miami, but otherwise just one pass breakup in 2025 along with 18 tackles. Ja’Vari Flowers had four breakups in 10 appearances and saw his role increase. Fellow true freshman Ben Hanks Jr. appeared in just three games, but finished with a flourish against FSU. He made two tackles, two pass breakups and his first career interception, returning it for 48 yards. UF’s 2026 class features CJ Bronaugh, a top-100 prospect from Windemere, and 4-star cornerback CJ Hester of Cocoa High.

CB Teddy Foster

Vitals: 6-foot ¾, 188 pounds

Resumé: Foster was a 3-star prospect out of Cardinal Mooney in Sarasota, where he the nation’s No. 69 cornerback prospect in the 2024 class.

Role: Foster managed four tackles in five appearances and allowed a 24-yard reception on the only target he faced in 2024. In 2025, he recorded two tackles in nine appearances.

Outlook: Foster would have struggled to get on the field because of Johnson and McClain’s experience, the promise of Flowers and Hanks, and the arrival of Bronaugh and Hester.

S Josiah Davis

Vitals: 6-foot ½, 199 pounds

Resumé: Davis was a 3-star prospect out Nashville, Ga., rated the nation’s No. 44 prospect at safety in 2024 after recording 159 tackles and two interceptions in three seasons.

Role: Davis recorded one tackle, during a win at Mississippi State in 2024, but none in 2025.

Outlook: Castell’s departure leaves Thornton as the leader on the back end of the defense, while 2025 true freshmen Stubbs and Hayward could have larger roles in 2026. Hall and Purter also could factor as first-year freshmen.

OT Marcus Mascoll

Vitals: 6-foot-4 ¾, 308 pounds

Resumé: Mascoll was a 3-star prospect out of Snellville, Ga., who 247Sports rated the nation’s No. 88 offensive tackle prospect.

Role: Mascoll did not appear in a game during his two seasons. He did make the SEC academic honor roll in the 2024-25 school year.

Outlook: Mascoll is one of many young offensive tackles the Gators pushed to develop. Among them on scholarship are redshirt freshmen Fletcher Westphal, Noel Portnjagin and Enoch Wangoy, and true freshmen Daniel Pierre-Louis and TJ Dice Jr. UF will return veterans Caden Jones and Bryce Lovett, while four-year starter Austin Barber moved on.

WR Muizz Tounkara

Vitals: 6-3, 208 pounds

Resumé: Tounkara was a 3-star prospect out of Clear Springs High in League City, Texas, rated the No. 73 wide receiver in the 2025 class and the No. 75 player in Texas by 247Sports. He caught 30 passes for 455 yards and five scores during his senior season.

Role: During eight appearances at UF in 2025, Tounkara recorded two receptions for 12 yards on 49 offensive snaps.

Outlook: Tounkara, like Mizell, would have faced a logjam at receiver and was likely even more have limited opportunities going forward because of Brown III’s fast rise, Wilson’s production in limited action, Abrams’ emergence down the stretch and Groce’s arrival.

Tarvorise Brown

Vitals: 6-6 ¾, 296 pounds

Resumé: Brown was an unranked prospect out of Heritage High in Palm Bay who went to Hutchinson C.C. in Kansas, where he became the nation’s No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 43 overall prospect in the 2024 transfer portal.

Role: Brown arrived during fall camp in 2024 and struggled to catch up. He logged 26 snaps in three appearances. Brown, though, did not factor much again this past season. He recorded four tackles in three appearances.

Outlook: Brown would have found himself in a logjam behind Bett, McCloud and Mbatchou, along with Boireau until he too entered the portal.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored extra-attacker goals in the final minutes to lead a furious comeback, Evan Rodrigues got the winning goal in the shootout and the Florida Panthers stunned the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-3 victory on Friday night.

Brad Marchand also scored for Florida, which trailed 3-0 midway through the third and still was down 3-1 with less than five minutes left.

But with the teams playing 4-on-4, Panthers coach Paul Maurice pulled Sergei Bobrovsky for an extra skater. Bennett scored soon after to make it 3-2, and Reinhart connected with 41.8 seconds left to knot the game at 3-3.

It was Florida’s second three-goal comeback in less than two weeks. The Panthers also rallied from three down to top Columbus 7-6 on Dec. 6.

Sebastian Aho scored two third-period goals for the second consecutive game for the Hurricanes, whose five-game winning streak was snapped. Jordan Staal also scored for Carolina.

Goaltender Brandon Bussi — who was in camp with the Panthers this fall before being claimed by the Hurricanes — had 38 saves and lost for just the second time in 13 starts this season.

Marchand’s goal was his 20th of the season for Florida, making him the third-oldest player to reach that number with the Panthers. Jaromir Jagr did it at 43, Joe Nieuwendyk did it at 39. Marchand, in his first full season with Florida, is 37.

Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for Florida, which now has won seven of its last eight games.

Staal scored at 11:53 of the first put Carolina up 1-0, and it stayed that way until Aho scored on a breakout early in the third. Aho struck again on the power play with 12:26 left, about a minute after Marchand was called for cross-checking — a play that left the Panthers bench in disbelief.

Marchand scored midway through the third, and the rally was on.

Up next

Hurricanes: Visit Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Panthers: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NEW ORLEANS — Tulane coach Jon Sumrall mourned the death of his father on Friday, a day before the No. 17 Green Wave make their College Football Playoff debut against No. 6 Ole Miss.

Sumrall said his father died in his sleep on Thursday night after lengthy health issues. George Sumrall was 77.

“God gave us more time with my dad than we thought we would get,” Sumrall said in a message posted on social media. “Dad was a fighter. I learned so much from him … being a man of faith, grit, hard work, attitude, service and more.”

Sumrall said he will always remember how his father was well enough to attend Tulane’s 34-21 win over North Texas in the American Athletic Conference championship two weeks ago, and the news conference held at Gainesville announcing Sumrall’s hiring as Florida’s coach.

“He was always there for me and I know he will be watching,” said Sumrall, who is staying on as Tulane’s coach through the playoffs. He then credited his parents for setting great examples and closed his note by writing, “Love you always Dad!”

Tulane (11-2) will play at Ole Miss (11-1), with the winner advancing to face No. 2 Georgia at the Sugar Bowl.

BOSTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 129-116 loss to the Boston Celtics:

– Yes, a loss.

– But not a lost night.

– Not after seeing this Kasparas Jakucionis.

– For real, even in defeat.

– Another first-round find?

– Yes, just one night, but able to do it on both ends in his first NBA start.

– In only his second career rotation action, a night after his first.

– The 3-point shooting? His shots consistently true.

– For this team, that helps. A lot.

– But also the defensive tenacity to stand up to all Celtics’ challenges.

– The Heat’s crowded backcourt rotation just got more crowded.

– In a good way.

– It’s going to be hard, very hard, to not feature the kid.

– Think about the last three drafts: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis. (Jaquez was better than his numbers indicated in this one.)

– There has to be a heck of an incoming Christmas bonus for Adam Simon.

– The draft hits keep on coming, even as the search for wins remains ongoing.

– As for what the Heat were forced to roll out in this one … NBA back-to-backs suck.

– Especially ones that include travel.

– Especially ones that make no sense, with the Heat leaving their Manhattan hotel on Thursday for their Thursday night game in Brooklyn against the Nets, then flying to Boston for Friday night’s against the Celtics, only to return Saturday to New York for Sunday night’s game against the Knicks.

– Does that mean with more commonsense scheduling that Andew Wiggins (back) and Davion Mitchell (ankle) otherwise might have been available in Boston, without the back-to-back, without the travel?

– We’ll get a better read when the Heat turn in their lineup card Sunday in New York.

– But treatment and travel aren’t necessarily an optimal combination.

– And neither is a lack of recovery time, as the NBA packs its schedule to allow for its event scheduling, such as the NBA Cup and the All-Star break.

– And so, a Heat roster that on Friday lacked Wiggins, Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic, among others.

– Desperation to the degree that a night after getting his first rotation minutes,Jakucionis was in the starting lineup.

– Desperation to a degree that coach Erik Spoelstra, who prefers to protect his rotations, had no choice but to give Jaquez his first start of the season.

– Beyond those two, rounding out the starting lineup were Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware.

– This time it wasn’t Spoelstra making a value judgement of whether Ware should start.

– This time, there was no other choice.

– It was Ware’s second consecutive start.

– And now likely to start going forward, regardless of who else is available.

– He has been that good lately.

– Powell was called for his second foul with 7:56 left in the opening period. Spoelstra tried to send in Dru Smith, but Powell insisted on playing through.

– Smith and Simone Fontecchio eventually were the first two off Spoelstra’s bench.

– Followed by … Myron Gardner.

– Wiggins attempted to warm up before the game, before being scratched.

– “I went out there to see what I can do.,” he said. “I don’t think I’m ready to go out there right now.”

– He said he did not know when the back issue developed during Thursday night’s game in Brooklyn.

– “Man, it just happens sometimes. Couldn’t tell you,” he said in the locker room pregame. “Maybe it was when I fell late in the fourth.”

– He then offered words of hope.

– “This is the definition of Miami Heat basketball,” he said. “Whoever you put out there, it’s going to be a game.”

– The Heat entered with their offense having cratered even before the rash of injuries.

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– Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked before the game if it was as simple as scouting catching up to a system.

– “That’s a good question,” he said. “I think the stuff that is trends last a decent amount of time. But I think you’re always having to evolve, 10, 15, 20 games in small ways. I still think their offense is good, and they have the ability to play fast, they have the ability to spread you out, those driving gaps that they have.”

– He added, “So sometimes, it’s you may not see the result every game, but the process of how you play is still there. And I think you have that case with their offense. I think their 3-point percentage has gone down a little bit from where it was when they started out. But they’re generating good looks and now that have driving gaps for guys to be able to drive every time down the floor. So it still presents a lot of challenges.”

– Spoelstra before the game addressed the 3-point struggles, which also has included low attempt totals.

– “There’s some different things that factor into that,” he said. “We want our guys shooting with a clear mind and to let it fly. The guys’ hearts are in the right place. Sometimes we turn down some open ones, and then we drive it and sometimes that doesn’t turn into something better. Oftentimes it doesn’t. But we can correct all that.”

– Spoelstra added, “We’ve also been in a stretch where we’ve played some very good defensive teams.”

– Seven of the Heat’s first eight shots were threes.

– And they kept going from there.

– Adebayo is now four games from tying Alonzo Mourning on the Heat’s all-time regular-season games list.

– Powell extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 26 in a row, dating to last season with the Clippers. His career-best such streak is 35.

– The game concluded the fifth of the Heat’s 15 back-to-back sets this season, entering with a 3-1 record on the second nights of such sets.

“King of Pop” Michael Jackson was among the rich and famous figures whose relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light on Friday when the Justice Department finally began releasing records related to its investigation into the late sex offender.

One photo featuring Jackson shows the “Beat It” singer standing alongside Epstein in front of a painting of woman lying topless on a beach.

Another shows Jackson with singer Diana Ross and former President Bill Clinton on what appears to be a private plane.

Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and Diana Ross are pictured in a photograph contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. (DOJ)

Epstein, 66, died behind bars at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019, while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.

Jackson died from an overdose-induced cardiac arrest in 2009 at the age of 50. The pop music superstar was investigated for possible child molestation between 1993 and 1994, and again between 2004 and 2005, according to the FBI. He was never charged with any crimes.

Little has been reported about Epstein’s relationship with Jackson. The disgraced financier was known to rub elbows with many highly influential figures, including President Trump, filmmaker Woody Allen and billionaire businessman Leon Black. None of those individuals have been accused of involvement in Epstein’s wrongdoing.

A photo of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was also included in the DOJ’s file dump. The 82-year-old rock star is pictured dining with Clinton, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Jagger’s name was among the celebrities listed in a contact book already released by the Justice Department, but he has been accused of nothing nefarious involving Epstein.

Mick Jagger is pictured in a photograph contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. (DOJ)

President Trump said before taking office in January that he’d promptly order the release of the federal files pertaining to the Epstein investigation, though the process has been met with numerous delays.

The DOJ was compelled by Congress in November to make the trove of documents available by Friday. While they promised a batch was coming, they said it would take several more weeks to roll out the full array of files. Democrats have threatened to take legal action, calling the delay a “violation of federal law.”

With News Wire Services

By JACK DURA

A nearly 100-year-old bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin was imploded Friday, an unusual spectacle that clears the way for a modern replacement.

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The Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, was completed in 1931. It connects Lansing, Iowa, to Wisconsin. The landmark stood out for its unique cantilever design — a center arch and two towerlike trusses.

People gathered near the snow-covered riverbank under a sunny sky and cheered when explosives fired off. Black smoke and white spray flew up as the center span and a truss dropped into the water below. The spans rested half-submerged in the river.

Lansing Mayor Michael Verdon, who watched the demolition from a houseboat dock, called it “pretty bittersweet, actually.”

“Every time I looked at the river, I saw that bridge profile in the horizon,” the Lansing native said. “On a personal level, it’s sad to see that it’s gone.”

This combo of images provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows, top, the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin and, bottom after the bridge was emploded on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)

The bridge, which closed in October, was the only one for about 30 miles in each direction and carried about 2,100 vehicles per day, according to the Iowa transportation department. Drivers can use a ferry service while a new crossing is under construction. The planned $140 million replacement is expected to be in service in 2027.

Though it was beloved, the narrow bridge made for a harrowing experience when two large trucks met, Verdon said. Barges sometimes struck the bridge because of the river geography and configuration of the bridge piers.

Another implosion, for the bridge’s eastern ramp, was set to follow the main event later on Friday, the mayor said. Officials plan to disassemble the bridge’s western section in the future because parts of it extend over homes and the railroad.

• This photo provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows the implosion of the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)
• This image provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)
• This undated photo provided by the Iowa Department of Transportation on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, shows the Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, in Lansing, Iowa. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)

Show Caption1 of 3This photo provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows the implosion of the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP) Expand

Some parts of the bridge had already been removed, but an implosion was the most efficient way to remove the largest portions of the superstructure, Iowa Department of Transportation spokesperson Daniel Yeh said.

Residents plan to salvage material for keepsakes and to construct a tribute to the bridge in the city, Verdon said.

Lansing, population 968, has deep roots as a river town with a history of steamboats, fur trading and commercial fishing, the mayor said.

Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said Friday she trusts the Trump-appointed chairman of a federal planning commission to do his job and give serious review to President Donald Trump’s proposal to add a ballroom to the White House.

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Carol Quillen said in an interview that she takes Will Scharf, chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, “at his word” after he said at the panel’s December meeting that the review process would be treated seriously once the White House submits the plans.

Scharf said at that meeting that he expected to receive the plans sometime this month, and the panel’s review process would happen at a “normal and deliberative pace.”

Quillen said she trusted that would be the case.

“I take him at his word that the process will be conducted as it always is, deliberately and seriously, and that the commission will do its job,” she said.

The White House has not responded to multiple queries about when the ballroom plans will be shared with Scharf’s panel as well as the Commission of Fine Arts. The planning commission on Friday released the agenda for its January meeting and the “East Wing Modernization Project” is listed for an “information presentation,” often the first step in its review of a project.

The National Trust last week asked a federal court to halt the ballroom construction until it is subjected to multiple independent reviews, public comment and wins approval from Congress. The government argued in court that the lawsuit was premature.

A federal judge this week denied the National Trust’s request for a temporary restraining order but scheduled a January hearing on its motion for a preliminary injunction. Such a step would halt all construction until the reviews, which could take months, are completed.

Quillen said her private nonprofit organization was not asking for the Republican president’s proposal to go through reviews just for the sake of doing so. She said the process inevitably leads to a better project because multiple independent parties get to comment on it.

The National Trust was chartered in part to ensure the public participates in decisions that affect the country’s historic resources, she said, “and the White House is arguably the nation’s most iconic building.”

She said the organization did not sue earlier because legal action is “our last resort” and because of its history of working with administrations.

In Trump’s first term, the administration submitted plans to the National Capital Planning Commission for new fencing for the White House perimeter and a tennis pavilion on the south grounds.

Quillen declined to speculate about why Trump had not already done so for a White House ballroom he has long desired and has moved quickly to build since he returned to office. He complains regularly that the East Room and State Dining Room — two of the largest public spaces in the White House — are too small and has criticized the practice of hosting foreign leaders at state dinners in tents on the south grounds.

Trump has proposed building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, big enough to accommodate 999 people, where the East Wing of the White House stood for decades until he had it torn down in October in a move that “caught us by surprise,” Quillen said.

He recently upped the construction cost estimate to $400 million, double the original $200 million price, and has said no public money will pay for it. The White House has said the ballroom will be ready before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.

The National Trust asserted in its lawsuit that the ballroom plans should have been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and Congress before any action.

The lawsuit notes that the organization wrote to those entities and the National Park Service, which oversees the White House grounds, on Oct. 21, after the East Wing demolition began, asking for the projects to be paused and for the administration to comply with federal law. It received no response, the lawsuit said.

The government said in its written response that the ballroom plans have not been finalized despite continuing demolition and other work to prepare the site for eventual construction, which is not expected to begin until April 2026, at the earliest.

The administration also argued that Trump has authority to modify the White House and included the extensive history of changes and additions to the Executive Mansion since it was built more than 200 years ago. It also asserted that the president is not subject to statutes cited by the National Trust.

By STEVEN SLOAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in the first batch of files released Friday by the Justice Department stemming from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the White House sought to move the focus of the highly anticipated documents from President Donald Trump.

There were several photos of Clinton among the thousands of documents made public. Some showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman whose face was redacted from the photo sitting on his lap. Another photo shows him in a pool with Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and a person whose face was also redacted.

This undated, redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton with an unknown person. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

Another photo shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted. The files do not say when the photos were taken and there was little context surrounding them.

Clinton’s association with Epstein and Maxwell in the late 1990s and early 2000s is well documented and the images released on Friday are just a slice of the “several hundred thousand” documents Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said are tied to the investigation. Yet the images could complicate Democratic efforts to keep Trump tied to the Epstein files, an issue that has had strong resonance with Trump’s base despite the president’s efforts to encourage his supporters to move on.

After the photos were released, several White House officials, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and top aide Steven Cheung, made social media posts highlighting them. Trump didn’t talk about the issue as he left the White House late Friday on his way to deliver a speech in North Carolina.

This undated, redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton with an unknown person. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

In a statement, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the Epstein investigation “isn’t about Bill Clinton.”

“There are two types of people here,” he said. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships after that. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that.”

Clinton has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s known victims.

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Long before the Department of Justice’s release of case files on Jeffrey Epstein included several photos of Clinton, Republicans had zeroed in on the former president and his association with the wealthy financier.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed both Bill and Hillary Clinton for depositions earlier this year, but received a response that the Clintons wanted to provide a written statement of what “little information” they had on Epstein.

The Republican chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer, has demanded they appear for in-person testimonies and threatened to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings if they don’t.

Multiple former presidents have voluntarily testified before Congress, but none has been compelled to do so.

When Clinton was president, Epstein visited the White House multiple times, visitor logs show. After he left office, Epstein assisted with some of the former president’s philanthropy. Clinton flew multiple times on Epstein’s private jet, including on a humanitarian trip to Africa with actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker in 2002.

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report

Two decades after Jeffrey Epstein was first reported to police, the Justice Department has started to release its investigative files on the late millionaire, who was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing underage girls.

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Enacted last month, the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires disclosure of government records on Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell by Friday — though it’s possible more records will be released on a rolling basis.

Among questions surrounding the release: how much light the documents shed on Epstein’s crimes, his interactions with influential friends in business, politics and academia and whether anything in the documents will support — or debunk — one accuser’s claims that other powerful men participated in or knew about Epstein’s misconduct.

Here is a timeline of the Epstein investigations and the efforts to open up the government’s files:

The investigation begins

March 2005: Police begin investigating Epstein after the family of a 14-year-old girl reports she was molested at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Multiple underage girls, many of them high school students, would later tell police Epstein hired them to give sexual massages.

May 2006: Palm Beach police officials sign paperwork to charge Epstein with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor, but the county’s top prosecutor, State Attorney Barry Krischer, takes the unusual step of sending the case to a grand jury.

July 2006: Epstein is arrested after a grand jury indicts him on a count of soliciting prostitution. The relatively minor charge upsets Palm Beach police leaders, who publicly accuse Krischer of giving Epstein special treatment. The FBI begins an investigation.

2007: Federal prosecutors prepare an indictment, but for a year Epstein’s lawyers engage in talks with the U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, about a deal that would avoid a federal prosecution. Epstein’s lawyers decry his accusers as unreliable.

Secret deal leads to a light jail term

June 2008: Epstein pleads guilty to state charges: one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. He is sentenced to 18 months in jail. Under a secret arrangement, the U.S. attorney’s office agrees not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes. Epstein serves most of his sentence in a work release program that allows him to leave jail during the day.

May 2009: One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, files a lawsuit claiming Epstein and Maxwell arranged for her to have sexual encounters with “royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen” and others. The lawsuit doesn’t name the men.

July 2009: Epstein is released from jail. For the next decade, Epstein’s accusers wage a legal fight to get his federal non-prosecution agreement voided.

News media and lawsuits keep public interest high

March 2, 2011: The Daily Mail publishes an interview with Giuffre in which she describes traveling with Epstein to London at age 17 and spending a night dancing with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Prince Andrew. The story and a photo of the prince with his arm around Giuffre creates a crisis for the royal family. FBI agents subsequently interview Giuffre.

Dec. 30, 2014: Giuffre’s lawyers file court papers claiming she had sexual encounters with Mountbatten-Windsor and other men, including “foreign presidents, a well-known Prime Minister, and other world leaders.” All those men deny the allegations.

November 2018: The Miami Herald revisits the handling of Epstein’s case in a series of stories focusing partly on the role of Acosta — who by this point is President Donald Trump’s labor secretary. The coverage intensifies public interest in Epstein.

New York prosecutors revive case

July 6, 2019: Epstein is arrested on sex trafficking charges after federal prosecutors in New York conclude they aren’t bound by the terms of the earlier non-prosecution deal. Days later, Acosta resigns as labor secretary.

Aug. 10, 2019: Epstein kills himself in his jail cell in New York.

July 2, 2020: Federal prosecutors in New York charge Maxwell with sex crimes, saying she helped recruit and abuse Epstein’s victims.

Dec. 30, 2021: After a monthlong trial, a jury convicts Maxwell of sex trafficking and other crimes.

June 28, 2022: Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison.

January, 2024: Public interest in the Epstein case surges again after a judge makes more court records public in a related lawsuit. Conspiracy theories flourish, pushed by people who believe Epstein ran an international sex traffic network that served rich and powerful men.

A new president and a fresh political crisis

Jan. 20, 2025: Trump, who was friends and neighbors with Epstein for years, becomes president again. During his 2024 campaign, he had suggested that he’d seek to open more government files on Epstein.

February 2025: Attorney General Pam Bondi suggests in a Fox News Channel interview that an Epstein “client list” is sitting on her desk. The Justice Department distributes binders marked “declassified” to far-right influencers, but much of the information had long been public.

April 25, 2025: Giuffre dies by suicide.

July 7, 2025: The Justice Department says Epstein didn’t maintain a “client list” and it won’t make any more files related to his sex trafficking investigation public.

July 15, 2025: Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

July 17, 2025: The Wall Street Journal describes a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump denies writing the letter and sues the newspaper.

July 24-25, 2025: In an effort to put a political crisis to rest, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviews Maxwell. She denies wrongdoing and says she never saw Trump involved in any sexually inappropriate activity. Afterward, she is moved from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.

A prince loses his royal title This redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual offender registration form, documented on Aug. 12, 2019, during a search of Epstein’s home on Little St. James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

Oct. 21, 2025: Giuffre’s posthumous memoir is published. In it, she revisits her claims that Epstein and Maxwell sexually trafficked her to powerful men, including Mountbatten-Windsor.

Oct. 30, 2025: King Charles III strips Mountbatten-Windsor of his remaining titles, meaning he can no longer be referred to as “prince,” and evicts him from his royal residence.

Nov. 12, 2025: A House committee releases a trove of email correspondence between Epstein and others, including Mountbatten-Windsor, Trump ally Steve Bannon, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. In one 2019 email to a journalist, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls” but didn’t explain what he meant by that.

Nov. 14, 2025: At Trump’s urging, Bondi announces that the U.S. attorney in Manhattan will investigate Epstein’s ties to some of the Republican president’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat; Summers; and Hoffman, a prominent Democratic donor. None of those men has been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s victims.

Nov. 18, 2025: Congress passes the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Trump signs it into law the next day.

Dec. 19, 2025: The Justice Department begins releasing records.

Follow the AP’s coverage of Jeffrey Epstein at https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein.