WASHINGTON —Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender&nbsp;Jeffrey Epstein.

Members of the House were forced to go on the record on whether to release the files. U.S. Senators did not face a roll call vote on the bill.

The House voted overwhelmingly 427-1 in favor of the bill Tuesday afternoon. Nebraska members of the House of Representatives&nbsp; voted in favor of the bill.&nbsp; U.S. Senators did not have to go on the record on whether to release the files.&nbsp; The U.S. Senate agreed by unanimous consent to approve the House-passed bill.

Unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate is a procedure where a measure is passed, or action is taken, as long as no senator objects. This allows for the swift passage of legislation without the need for a formal roll call vote.

The only no vote in Congress against releasing the files came from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk for his signature compelling the Justice Department to release the files.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763502796963.png" alt="Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, and Donna Powell, 67, of Washington, D.C., held signs outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, ahead of a U.S. House vote on releasing the Epstein files. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, and Donna Powell, 67, of Washington, D.C., held signs outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, ahead of a U.S. House vote on releasing the Epstein files. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender&nbsp;Jeffrey Epstein.Members of the House were forced to go on the record on whether to release the files. U.S. Senators did not face a roll call vote on the bill.The House voted overwhelmingly 427-1 in favor of the bill Tuesday afternoon. Nebraska members of the House of Representatives&nbsp; voted in favor of the bill.&nbsp; U.S. Senators did not have to go on the record on whether to release the files.&nbsp; The U.S. Senate agreed by unanimous consent to approve the House-passed bill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Senate agrees by unanimous consent to approve the House-passed bill requiring the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. <a href="https://t.co/LqfA3TfDgB">pic.twitter.com/LqfA3TfDgB</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1990918894240809216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate is a procedure where a measure is passed, or action is taken, as long as no senator objects. This allows for the swift passage of legislation without the need for a formal roll call vote.The only no vote in Congress against releasing the files came from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763495349874.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk for his signature compelling the Justice Department to release the files.

U.S. Senators avoid roll call vote on release of Epstein files

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Prince Mohammed on a red carpet and under a white tent ahead of a special dinner at the White House Tuesday.&nbsp;A military band was playing as they walked inside to the East Room.

List of people attending the official dinner of the Saudi Crown Prince at the White House : 

The President of the United States and Mrs. Melania Trump

His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

His Highness Prince Badr Bin Abdullah M. N. S. Alfarhan Al Saud

His Highness Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud

His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud

His Excellency Mosaad bin Mohammad Alaiban

His Excellency Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dossary

His Excellency Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih

His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah A Aljadaan

His Excellency Majid Abdullah O. Alkasabi

His Excellency Yasir Othman H. AlRumayyan

Her Highness Princess Haifa Mohammed Al-Saud

His Excellency Mohammad Bin Abdulmalik Bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh

His Excellency Abdullah Bin Amer Al-Swaha

His Excellency Mohammad Bin Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri

Mr. Cristiano Amon and Mrs. Adriana Gamba Amon

The Honorable Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury

The Honorable Pam Bondi, Attorney General and Mr. John Wakefield

Mr. Stefan Brodie and Mrs. Elizabeth Brodie

The Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior

Mr. William Clay Ford Jr. and Mrs. Lisa Ford

The Honorable Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative and Mrs. Marlo Greer

The Honorable Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War and Mrs. Jennifer Hegseth

The Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Mrs. Kelly Johnson

The Honorable Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State 

The Honorable Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce and Mrs. Allison Lutnick

The Honorable Brian Mast, United States Representative from Florida

The Honorable Dave McCormick, United States Senator from Pennsylvania and Ms. Dina Powell

Mr. Kelly Ortberg and Mrs. Valerie Ortberg

The Honorable James Risch, United States Senator from Idaho and Mrs. Vicki Risch

The Honorable John F.W. Rogers and Ms. Deborah Lehr

The Honorable Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Mark Rollins

Mr. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ms. Georgina Rodríguez

The Honorable Marco Rubio, Secretary of State and Mrs. Jeanette Rubio

Mr. Stephen Schwarzman and Mrs. Christine Schwarzman

Mr. Jeffrey Sprecher and the Honorable Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the Small Business Administration

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Prince Mohammed on a red carpet and under a white tent ahead of a special dinner at the White House Tuesday.&nbsp;A military band was playing as they walked inside to the East Room.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince back to White House for dinner. <a href="https://t.co/6aGcLbiCJa">pic.twitter.com/6aGcLbiCJa</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1990941062790074400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a> arrives for dinner at the White House 👀 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/seMABdhfWY">pic.twitter.com/seMABdhfWY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990944982510006712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">OH, WHAT A NIGHT! Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, for hosting the most lovely dinner — pure class from start to finish. So proud of our peacemaking, world-changing President Trump. 🇺🇸 (…and sitting with the incredible <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a> and his amazing wife Gio was pretty special!!!) <a href="https://t.co/3blgStm3qY">pic.twitter.com/3blgStm3qY</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1991132252109950977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;Tonight, I&#39;m pleased to announce that we&#39;re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vDJs2XOMHJ">pic.twitter.com/vDJs2XOMHJ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1990970655223824479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;This opening up of the new avenues of cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia is really unprecedented. On that trip, Saudi Arabia announced that it will invest an incredible $600 billion... he said, &#39;I am going to up that to $1 TRILLION.&#39;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/FB6qHuqjDJ">pic.twitter.com/FB6qHuqjDJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990948338641088858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;It&#39;s a special privilege to welcome His Royal Highness to Washington this year as we mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting between a U.S. President and a Saudi King... right now, you have the best friend you&#39;ve ever had.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5Leq7t55ob">pic.twitter.com/5Leq7t55ob</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990947419417420105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;My son is a big fan of <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a>... Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now.&quot; 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/uLPY84DHcu">https://t.co/uLPY84DHcu</a> <a href="https://t.co/nmOQotP9I9">pic.twitter.com/nmOQotP9I9</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990946183859032382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House 🇺🇸🇸🇦 <a href="https://t.co/dHLj9Gep86">pic.twitter.com/dHLj9Gep86</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1990820614974636113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>List of people attending the official dinner of the Saudi Crown Prince at the White House : The President of the United States and Mrs. Melania TrumpHis Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaMr. Mohammad AbunayyanMr. Bill Ackman and Ms. Neri OxmanHis Highness Prince Badr Bin Abdullah M. N. S. Alfarhan Al SaudHis Highness Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al SaudHis Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al SaudHer Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al SaudHis Excellency Mosaad bin Mohammad AlaibanMs. Adwa AlArifiHis Excellency Salman Bin Yousef Al-DossaryHis Excellency Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-FalihHis Excellency Mohammed Abdullah A AljadaanHis Excellency Majid Abdullah O. AlkasabiMr. Jeremy AllaireMs. Lubna AlOlayanMr. Abdulrahman Rashed AlRashedMr. Abdulrahman Hamad AlRashedHis Excellency Yasir Othman H. AlRumayyanHer Highness Princess Haifa Mohammed Al-SaudHis Excellency Mohammad Bin Abdulmalik Bin Abdullah Al Al-SheikhMs. Sarah AlSuhaimiHis Excellency Abdullah Bin Amer Al-SwahaHis Excellency Mohammad Bin Mazyad Al-TuwaijriMr. Tareq AminMr. Cristiano Amon and Mrs. Adriana Gamba AmonMr. Brian ArmstrongMr. Bret Baier and Mrs. Amy BaierMrs. Mary Barra and Mr. Tony BarraMs. Maria BartiromoMr. Brendan BechtelMr. Marc BeckmanMr. Marc BenioffThe Honorable Scott Bessent, Secretary of the TreasuryThe Honorable Pam Bondi, Attorney General and Mr. John WakefieldMr. Albert BourlaMr. Greg Brockman and Mrs. Anna BrockmanMr. Stefan Brodie and Mrs. Elizabeth BrodieThe Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary of the InteriorGeneral Dan CaineMr. Charles CascarillaMr. Derek ChangMr. Tim CookMr. Larry Culp and Mrs. Wendy CulpMr. Bryson DeChambeauMr. Michael Dell and Mrs. Susan DellDr. Hala AltuwaigriMr. David EllisonMr. William Clay Ford Jr. and Mrs. Lisa FordMs. Jane FraserThe Honorable Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative and Mrs. Marlo GreerMr. Charles HallabMr. Josh Harris and Mrs. Marjorie HarrisThe Honorable Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War and Mrs. Jennifer HegsethMr. Jensen Huang and Mrs. Lori HuangMr. Gianni InfantinoThe Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Mrs. Kelly JohnsonMr. Khaled JuffaliMr. Abdullah bin Saleh KamelMr. Vimal KapurDr. Alexander KarpMr. Arvind KrishnaThe Honorable Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State The Honorable Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce and Mrs. Allison LutnickMr. Kris MarszalekThe Honorable Brian Mast, United States Representative from FloridaThe Honorable Dave McCormick, United States Senator from Pennsylvania and Ms. Dina PowellMr. Bill McDermottMr. Sanjay MehrotraThe Honorable Stephen MillerMr. Elon MuskMr. Amin NasserMs. Phebe NovakovicMr. Scott O'Neil and Mrs. Lisa O'NeilMrs. Meredith O'RourkeMr. Kelly Ortberg and Mrs. Valerie OrtbergMr. Ross Perot Jr. and Mrs. Sarah PerotThe Honorable James Risch, United States Senator from Idaho and Mrs. Vicki RischMr. Chuck RobbinsThe Honorable John F.W. Rogers and Ms. Deborah LehrThe Honorable Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Mark RollinsMr. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ms. Georgina RodríguezThe Honorable Marco Rubio, Secretary of State and Mrs. Jeanette RubioMr. David SacksMr. Charles Schwab and Mrs. Helen SchwabMr. Stephen Schwarzman and Mrs. Christine SchwarzmanMr. Jeffrey Sprecher and the Honorable Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the Small Business AdministrationMr. Scott StrazikDr. Lisa Su and Mr. Daniel LinMr. James Taiclet and Mrs. Carol TaicletMr. Vlad TenevMr. Donald Trump Jr. and Mrs. Bettina AndersonMs. Tiffany Trump and Mr. BoulosMr. Jim UmplebyThe Vice President of the United States and Mrs. Usha VanceMrs. Kathy Warden and Mr. Charles WardenMr. Mike WirthThe Honorable Chris Wright, Secretary of EnergyMr. Stephen Wynn and Mrs. Andrea WynnMr. Eric Yuan

🎥Highlights of White House dinner for Saudi Crown Prince

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — A bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk compelling the release of unclassified investigative files from the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a friend to the rich and powerful who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday night did not object to a unanimous consent request from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to accept and pass the legislation, as is, after the U.S. House overwhelmingly approved the measure earlier in the day.

A senior administration official told States Newsroom the president will sign the bill “whenever it gets to the White House.”

The lawmakers in the lower chamber voted&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289" target="_blank">427-1</a>&nbsp;to compel the Department of Justice to release materials related to the government’s investigation of the financier who harmed over 1,000 victims, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was the lone “no” vote.

Survivors and their supporters watched the vote from the chamber’s gallery seats. Among them was Sky Roberts, the brother of the late Virginia Giuffre, who sued Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and the British royal family’s Andrew Windsor, who recently was stripped of his title of prince. Giuffre died by suicide in April.

“I’m very happy with the outcome, but this is just the beginning, and we have a lot of work ahead of us, a lot more to do,” Haley Robson told States Newsroom in an interview after the vote. Robson is prominent among those who have shared their stories of abuse by Epstein.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/581" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;now goes to Trump, who said Monday he will sign it.

‘Courage and advocacy’ of survivors cited

Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on social media earlier the vote would “not have been possible without the courage and advocacy of Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors. They made this vote possible. They risked their safety coming out of the darkness to share their stories and to tell the truth.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said earlier Tuesday he expected the bill to move through the Senate “fairly quickly” and likely without changes, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/politics/what-happens-next-epstein-bill" target="_blank">reporting</a>&nbsp;by CNN.

The legislation compels the Justice Department to publicly disclose “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or Maxwell.” They include records related to Epstein’s detention and death; flight logs from Epstein’s planes; names of those connected with Epstein’s alleged crimes; records of civil settlements, and sealed and unsealed immunity deals and plea bargains; records pertaining to entities with ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks; and internal DOJ communications “concerning decisions to investigate or charge Epstein or his associates.”&nbsp;

The bill carves out exceptions for records containing victims’ identities, images of death or physical abuse, and information that could jeopardize a federal investigation.&nbsp;

The bill also notes that the “DOJ may not withhold or redact records on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the House effort to release the files until this week.

Johnson said Tuesday morning that he will vote for the measure that has been forced to the floor after Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., gathered enough signatures on a discharge petition to override leadership.

The Louisiana Republican told reporters at his regular House leadership press conference that the “forcing mechanism here prevents the very deliberate, professional, careful manner in which Congress is supposed to do this.”

“But having now forced the vote, none of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/news-conference/house-republican-leaders-hold-news-conference/669234" target="_blank">said</a>.

The vote comes less than a week after lawmakers on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-dems-say-newly-released-epstein-emails-show-trump-knew-about-abuse" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;some 20,000 pages of emails from Epstein’s estate that repeatedly mentioned Trump’s name.&nbsp;

In one email from Epstein to convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier and sex offender claimed Trump “knew about the girls.”

Trump denies any involvement with Epstein’s alleged crimes, and has said that he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/29/politics/epstein-trump-falling-out-analysis" target="_blank">kicked Epstein out</a>&nbsp;of his private Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, because he alleged the financier had poached young female staffers from the club. Epstein was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/us/jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury" target="_blank">convicted</a>&nbsp;in Florida of soliciting minors for sex in 2008.&nbsp;

During a press conference in the Oval Office Tuesday alongside the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump told reporters, “As far as the Epstein files, I have nothing to do with Jeffery Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.”

Trump added, as he has repeatedly said before, that the files are a “Democratic hoax.”

Women who told stories of being abused by Epstein as teens rallied outside the U.S. Capitol Tuesday morning, alongside Massie, Khanna and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., whom Trump attacked online this weekend, nicknaming her a “traitor.”

Robson told the crowd that as a Republican herself, the advocacy from Massie and Greene is “unbelievable to watch, and we are so grateful.”

“And to the president of the United States of America, who is not here today, I want to send a clear message to you: While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files, and I’m grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can’t help to be skeptical of what the agenda is,” Robson said.

In a Sunday night post on his own social media platform, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-about-face-urges-us-house-republicans-vote-release-epstein-files" target="_blank">told Republicans</a>&nbsp;to vote in favor of the bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/581" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, which lawmakers have named the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Greene, who also spoke at the press conference, said the administration’s refusal to release what are collectively referred to as the Epstein files “has ripped MAGA apart.”

“The only thing that will speak to the powerful, courageous women behind me is when action is actually taken to release these files, and the American people won’t tolerate any other b- – – -t,” Greene said.

GOP Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the other Republicans to join Massie, Greene and all Democrats to sign the petition.

In a second press conference outside the Capitol later Tuesday morning, the House’s newest Democratic member, Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva, spoke alongside sexual abuse prevention advocates.&nbsp;

“The momentum behind this did not come from politicians. It came from survivors and the public who demanded answers. This is why the discharge petition crossed 218 signatures, despite Speaker Johnson doing everything in his power to prevent this from happening, including calling an early summer release, and delaying myself my swearing in for seven weeks,” Grijalva said.

Grijalva became the petition’s 218th signature on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-adelita-grijalva-sworn-us-house-signs-epstein-petition" target="_blank">immediately after</a>&nbsp;her swearing-in ceremony.&nbsp;

Johnson refused to swear in Grijalva, who won her seat on Sept. 23, during the government shutdown despite precedent of other representatives swearing an oath while the House is out of session.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., also spoke at the press conference, warning that Senate leadership should not “delay this any further.”

“They need to schedule a vote on this so this can get passed into law,” Kelly said.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-congress-jeffrey-epstein-files-venezuela-maduro-live-updates-rcna244133" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;NBC News Monday he would sign the legislation.

Roughly a dozen public protesters stood outside the police barricade surrounding the press conference, holding signs demanding the release of the Epstein files.

Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, held a sign protesting Johnson’s refusal to allow an earlier floor vote to disclose the files.

“These survivors deserve justice. And you know, all women and girls deserve justice,” Galbraith told States Newsroom in an interview. “Like when you have the richest people in the world trafficking girls, I mean, as somebody who has daughters and sons, we all want to see that children are not victims like this anymore.”

In July, the FBI issued a memo stating the department would not publicly release any further information on the Epstein case.

The sudden reversal, after Trump and his supporters campaigned on releasing the files, sparked upheaval among the president’s base and trained a magnifying glass on Trump’s well-documented friendship with Epstein.

The president sued The Wall Street Journal for reporting on a 50th&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=Searchresults_pos1&amp;page=1" target="_blank">birthday card</a>&nbsp;Trump allegedly gave to Epstein. The card featured a cryptic message and a doodle of a naked woman with Trump’s apparent signature mimicking pubic hair. Trump denies that he created and signed the birthday doodle.

The Journal also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed the president in May that his name appeared in the Epstein case files. The context in which his name appeared is unclear.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article221404845.html" target="_blank">series</a>&nbsp;in the Miami Herald in 2018 by journalist Julie K. Brown drew wide attention to Epstein’s crimes and Trump’s appointment in 2017 of former Miami federal prosecutor Alex Acosta, who cut a deal in 2008 to end a federal investigation into Epstein, as the secretary of Labor.

Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763495156325.jpeg" alt="View of the House floor as the vote count ended Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>View of the House floor as the vote count ended Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>WASHINGTON — A bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk compelling the release of unclassified investigative files from the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a friend to the rich and powerful who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763502796963.png" alt="Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, and Donna Powell, 67, of Washington, D.C., held signs outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, ahead of a U.S. House vote on releasing the Epstein files. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, and Donna Powell, 67, of Washington, D.C., held signs outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, ahead of a U.S. House vote on releasing the Epstein files. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>Senate Republicans on Tuesday night did not object to a unanimous consent request from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to accept and pass the legislation, as is, after the U.S. House overwhelmingly approved the measure earlier in the day.A senior administration official told States Newsroom the president will sign the bill “whenever it gets to the White House.”The lawmakers in the lower chamber voted&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289" target="_blank">427-1</a>&nbsp;to compel the Department of Justice to release materials related to the government’s investigation of the financier who harmed over 1,000 victims, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was the lone “no” vote.Survivors and their supporters watched the vote from the chamber’s gallery seats. Among them was Sky Roberts, the brother of the late Virginia Giuffre, who sued Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and the British royal family’s Andrew Windsor, who recently was stripped of his title of prince. Giuffre died by suicide in April.“I’m very happy with the outcome, but this is just the beginning, and we have a lot of work ahead of us, a lot more to do,” Haley Robson told States Newsroom in an interview after the vote. Robson is prominent among those who have shared their stories of abuse by Epstein.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/581" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;now goes to Trump, who said Monday he will sign it.<h2>‘Courage and advocacy’ of survivors cited</h2>Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on social media earlier the vote would “not have been possible without the courage and advocacy of Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors. They made this vote possible. They risked their safety coming out of the darkness to share their stories and to tell the truth.”Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said earlier Tuesday he expected the bill to move through the Senate “fairly quickly” and likely without changes, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/politics/what-happens-next-epstein-bill" target="_blank">reporting</a>&nbsp;by CNN.The legislation compels the Justice Department to publicly disclose “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or Maxwell.” They include records related to Epstein’s detention and death; flight logs from Epstein’s planes; names of those connected with Epstein’s alleged crimes; records of civil settlements, and sealed and unsealed immunity deals and plea bargains; records pertaining to entities with ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks; and internal DOJ communications “concerning decisions to investigate or charge Epstein or his associates.”&nbsp;The bill carves out exceptions for records containing victims’ identities, images of death or physical abuse, and information that could jeopardize a federal investigation.&nbsp;The bill also notes that the “DOJ may not withhold or redact records on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”<h2>Trump, Johnson opposition</h2>Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the House effort to release the files until this week.Johnson said Tuesday morning that he will vote for the measure that has been forced to the floor after Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., gathered enough signatures on a discharge petition to override leadership.The Louisiana Republican told reporters at his regular House leadership press conference that the “forcing mechanism here prevents the very deliberate, professional, careful manner in which Congress is supposed to do this.”“But having now forced the vote, none of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/news-conference/house-republican-leaders-hold-news-conference/669234" target="_blank">said</a>.The vote comes less than a week after lawmakers on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-dems-say-newly-released-epstein-emails-show-trump-knew-about-abuse" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;some 20,000 pages of emails from Epstein’s estate that repeatedly mentioned Trump’s name.&nbsp;In one email from Epstein to convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier and sex offender claimed Trump “knew about the girls.”Trump denies any involvement with Epstein’s alleged crimes, and has said that he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/29/politics/epstein-trump-falling-out-analysis" target="_blank">kicked Epstein out</a>&nbsp;of his private Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, because he alleged the financier had poached young female staffers from the club. Epstein was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/us/jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury" target="_blank">convicted</a>&nbsp;in Florida of soliciting minors for sex in 2008.&nbsp;During a press conference in the Oval Office Tuesday alongside the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump told reporters, “As far as the Epstein files, I have nothing to do with Jeffery Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.”Trump added, as he has repeatedly said before, that the files are a “Democratic hoax.”<h2>Stories of abuse&nbsp;</h2>Women who told stories of being abused by Epstein as teens rallied outside the U.S. Capitol Tuesday morning, alongside Massie, Khanna and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., whom Trump attacked online this weekend, nicknaming her a “traitor.”Robson told the crowd that as a Republican herself, the advocacy from Massie and Greene is “unbelievable to watch, and we are so grateful.”“And to the president of the United States of America, who is not here today, I want to send a clear message to you: While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files, and I’m grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can’t help to be skeptical of what the agenda is,” Robson said.In a Sunday night post on his own social media platform, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-about-face-urges-us-house-republicans-vote-release-epstein-files" target="_blank">told Republicans</a>&nbsp;to vote in favor of the bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/581" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, which lawmakers have named the Epstein Files Transparency Act.Greene, who also spoke at the press conference, said the administration’s refusal to release what are collectively referred to as the Epstein files “has ripped MAGA apart.”“The only thing that will speak to the powerful, courageous women behind me is when action is actually taken to release these files, and the American people won’t tolerate any other b- – – -t,” Greene said.GOP Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the other Republicans to join Massie, Greene and all Democrats to sign the petition.<h2>Grijalva signature</h2>In a second press conference outside the Capitol later Tuesday morning, the House’s newest Democratic member, Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva, spoke alongside sexual abuse prevention advocates.&nbsp;“The momentum behind this did not come from politicians. It came from survivors and the public who demanded answers. This is why the discharge petition crossed 218 signatures, despite Speaker Johnson doing everything in his power to prevent this from happening, including calling an early summer release, and delaying myself my swearing in for seven weeks,” Grijalva said.Grijalva became the petition’s 218th signature on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-adelita-grijalva-sworn-us-house-signs-epstein-petition" target="_blank">immediately after</a>&nbsp;her swearing-in ceremony.&nbsp;Johnson refused to swear in Grijalva, who won her seat on Sept. 23, during the government shutdown despite precedent of other representatives swearing an oath while the House is out of session.U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., also spoke at the press conference, warning that Senate leadership should not “delay this any further.”“They need to schedule a vote on this so this can get passed into law,” Kelly said.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-congress-jeffrey-epstein-files-venezuela-maduro-live-updates-rcna244133" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;NBC News Monday he would sign the legislation.Roughly a dozen public protesters stood outside the police barricade surrounding the press conference, holding signs demanding the release of the Epstein files.Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, held a sign protesting Johnson’s refusal to allow an earlier floor vote to disclose the files.“These survivors deserve justice. And you know, all women and girls deserve justice,” Galbraith told States Newsroom in an interview. “Like when you have the richest people in the world trafficking girls, I mean, as somebody who has daughters and sons, we all want to see that children are not victims like this anymore.”<h2>FBI memo&nbsp;</h2>In July, the FBI issued a memo stating the department would not publicly release any further information on the Epstein case.The sudden reversal, after Trump and his supporters campaigned on releasing the files, sparked upheaval among the president’s base and trained a magnifying glass on Trump’s well-documented friendship with Epstein.Trump denies any wrongdoing.The president sued The Wall Street Journal for reporting on a 50th&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=Searchresults_pos1&amp;page=1" target="_blank">birthday card</a>&nbsp;Trump allegedly gave to Epstein. The card featured a cryptic message and a doodle of a naked woman with Trump’s apparent signature mimicking pubic hair. Trump denies that he created and signed the birthday doodle.The Journal also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed the president in May that his name appeared in the Epstein case files. The context in which his name appeared is unclear.&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article221404845.html" target="_blank">series</a>&nbsp;in the Miami Herald in 2018 by journalist Julie K. Brown drew wide attention to Epstein’s crimes and Trump’s appointment in 2017 of former Miami federal prosecutor Alex Acosta, who cut a deal in 2008 to end a federal investigation into Epstein, as the secretary of Labor.Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

US Senate agrees with overwhelming House vote to force release of Epstein files

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) announced Friday that 99.5% of votes cast by its shareholders supported issuing new shares of Union Pacific common stock in connection with its planned merger with Norfolk Southern.

“We appreciate our shareholders’ support in reaching this important milestone on our path to building America’s first coast-to-coast railroad,” said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “Our shareholders see the value and understand this merger will unlock new opportunities to enhance service, growth and innovation. We look forward to filing our application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and detailing how the transaction will provide seamless, single-line service across the country to improve transit times, safely increase reliability and strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. rail.”

The preliminary vote count from Friday’s special meeting represented nearly 80% of all outstanding shares. The final tally will be reported in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission once Union Pacific’s independent inspector of elections certifies the results.

The merger remains subject to STB review and approval within its statutory timeline, along with other customary closing conditions.

For more details about the transaction, visit up-nstranscontinental.com.

For Immediate Release<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763405701053.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) announced Friday that 99.5% of votes cast by its shareholders supported issuing new shares of Union Pacific common stock in connection with its planned merger with Norfolk Southern.“We appreciate our shareholders’ support in reaching this important milestone on our path to building America’s first coast-to-coast railroad,” said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “Our shareholders see the value and understand this merger will unlock new opportunities to enhance service, growth and innovation. We look forward to filing our application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and detailing how the transaction will provide seamless, single-line service across the country to improve transit times, safely increase reliability and strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. rail.”The preliminary vote count from Friday’s special meeting represented nearly 80% of all outstanding shares. The final tally will be reported in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission once Union Pacific’s independent inspector of elections certifies the results.The merger remains subject to STB review and approval within its statutory timeline, along with other customary closing conditions.For more details about the transaction, visit up-nstranscontinental.com.

Union Pacific Shareholders Approve Norfolk Southern Merger 99.5% of Votes Cast in Favor of the Transaction

By: Zach Wendling | <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/17/breaking-down-unls-final-27-5-million-budget-cut-proposal/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Nearly $9 million in academic program eliminations, mergers head to NU regents Dec. 5; other cuts set in stone

LINCOLN —&nbsp;University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett has finalized a plan to cut up to $27.5 million from UNL’s budget.&nbsp;

About $9 million in academic cuts go to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents for a final vote in December. This includes $4 million in anticipated savings from department mergers, which an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/05/advisory-committee-splits-with-unl-chancellor-on-key-academic-program-cuts/">advisory committee</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/sites/unl.edu.budget-process/files/media/file/20251024_apc_recommendation.pdf" target="_blank">supported almost unanimously</a>. Most other cuts are now set in stone, though many details still need to be ironed out.

“I have a strong conviction that even though what we are doing is very difficult, it is in the best interest of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s long-term future,” Bennett said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://chancellor.unl.edu/message-chancellor-final-budget-reduction-plan/" target="_blank">Nov. 10 email</a>&nbsp;announcing his&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/final-budget-reduction-plan/" target="_blank">final plan</a>.

The UNL chancellor’s latest proposal would cut at least $20.76 million, depending on the regents, and assuming the mergers are accepted. The number could be larger with not-yet-detailed executive administrative “efficiencies” sought and nearly 70 tenured faculty offered a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/08/nu-will-offer-tenured-faculty-buyout-program-to-help-close-budget-gaps/">buyout package</a>.

The current minimum total would be just shy of the $21 million Bennett has said is needed to close an ongoing “structural deficit” at UNL. Bennett’s plan also calls for $6.5 million in additional cuts meant to “help safeguard against repetitive budget reduction cycles.”&nbsp;The total is $27.5 million in the latest round of cuts.

The finalized plan shares many similarities with the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/13/unl-proposes-27-5-million-devastating-cuts-six-program-areas-slated-for-elimination/">proposal Bennett unveiled Sept. 12</a>. Here is an in-depth breakdown of the final budget plan and the status of each line item.

Academic program eliminations ($6.74 million) and department realignments ($2 million)*

Nearly $9 million of UNL’s budget reduction consists of eliminating or merging academic departments, which the regents will consider at a Dec. 5 meeting.

Bennett’s updated cuts to the regents no longer include a call to eliminate academic programs in community and regional planning ($475,000) and landscape architecture ($225,000), both in the College of Architecture. Instead, the college will find the same savings through an internal plan that doesn’t require a vote of the regents.

The areas proposed for elimination, as well as nearly all degrees and the 51.5 faculty serving within them, are:

In the case of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, some faculty will be “strategically” retained whose teaching, research and service “align with the needs and priorities of Nebraska.” Certain courses supporting federal requirements for meteorology careers and undergraduate minors will still be offered.

The master’s degree in educational administration will also be retained.

Departments the university plans to merge, with estimated savings of $1 million each, will develop plans in the spring and be subject to a later vote of the NU Board of Regents. Those are the departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology as well as Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication.

An advisory committee of faculty, staff and students narrowly supported just two of the eliminations: educational administration (11-10) and textiles, merchandising and fashion design (12-9). It opposed cutting earth and atmospheric sciences (9-11) and statistics (8-13).&nbsp;

The committee unanimously supported the entomology and plant pathology merger, and just one member opposed merging the agricultural economics and leadership departments.

In an unsigned Oct. 24 letter, the committee urged Bennett to allow more time to find alternatives. The academic cuts were announced and forwarded to the regents in less than two months.

The committee said it also did not have time to consider department revenues in weighing cuts.

“Multiple units noted in their hearings that they are revenue-positive, meaning that elimination of those units may end up costing the university more than it would save,” the letter states.

A UNL spokesperson said administrators reviewed “all aspects” of the proposed programs for elimination, including tuition and research, and they expect the cuts to yield long-term savings.

*This is the only budget item that requires separate regents approval.

Buyout program for tenured faculty ($5.5 million)

Tenured faculty who were at least 62 years old and had at least 10 years of service to NU by their time of separation were eligible to apply for a buyout program in September. About 130 faculty applied.

While the system intended to allow as many faculty to participate as possible, each campus&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/offices-policies/business-finance/human-resources/2025-vsip" target="_blank">reserved the right to limit awardees</a>&nbsp;“to preserve the viability of programs and services, as well as to remain fiscally responsible.”

This month, campus leaders in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney made offers to 116 faculty:

Faculty must accept the separation agreement by Jan. 5. Awardees would receive a lump sum payment of 70% of one year of their annual base salary they are paid as of Oct. 1.

UNL Executive Vice Chancellor Mark Button had previously said UNL would achieve savings if more than 30 faculty participated in the program. An estimate of savings from a larger number of participants was not immediately available, in part because some positions would be replaced sooner than others and because salary levels differ.

An approximate 1% reduction in all state-aided budgets across UNL (budgets made up of tuition and taxpayer dollars). Unchanged from the original budget proposal.

UNL executive administrative reductions and staff ‘efficiencies’ ($2.95 million)

The UNL spokesperson said these cuts are “still in process” and are not planned to be announced until after the Dec. 5 regents meeting. The budget proposal says some administration and staff positions will be eliminated in Bennett’s office, the Executive Vice Chancellor’s Office and the Business and Finance Department.

Bennett’s salary is $732,000. He joined UNL in July 2023 with his contract currently set to expire June 30.

The chancellor faces a possible “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/05/unl-faculty-senate-to-weigh-no-confidence-vote-against-campus-chancellor-nov-18/">no confidence</a>” vote from the UNL Faculty Senate in an emergency meeting set for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Nebraska East Union. While Bennett has not responded directly to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/No-Confidence-FS-Motion-with-Procedural-Directions-Timeline-and-Text_110325-1.pdf">the “no confidence” effort</a>, in his Nov. 10 email, he said he followed university processes to pursue budget reductions.

“The Executive Leadership Team and I worked hard to adhere to this comprehensive process — both in letter and in spirit — and to complete all steps within the provided timeline,” Bennett said.

Private philanthropy to cover mandated scholarships ($2.5 million)

UNL leaders continue to work with the University of Nebraska Foundation to secure private funding, but there was no further update at this time, the UNL spokesperson said.&nbsp;

NU President Jeffrey Gold is continuing to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=62043&amp;docnum=LR261&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">work with the Nebraska Legislature</a>&nbsp;to find solutions to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/news-and-events/news/2025/10/nu-president-gold-shares-impact-of-unfunded-tuition-mandates" target="_blank">unfunded tuition remissions</a>&nbsp;— mandatory scholarships that lawmakers have said colleges must provide — as costs have ballooned in recent years.&nbsp;

State-mandated tuition remission expenses for 2025 totaled $8.8 million across NU. Institutional tuition remission expenses, such as the Nebraska Promise, Regents Scholars or Presidential Scholars, totaled $48.4 million.

It’s unclear what slice of scholarships Bennett is trying to fill specifically at UNL. This is the lone part of the UNL budget proposal that seeks or suggests private philanthropy as a solution.

There will be $550,000 less state-aided funding for graduate assistantships in research or teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences ($325,000) and the College of Engineering ($225,000).

The College of Architecture will still find $700,000 to cut, but from an alternative plan to preserve academic degrees in community and regional planning and landscape architecture. The budget proposal says this will mean “streamlining operations, administration, staffing and curriculum.” The advisory committee rejected the architectural cuts 19-2 and supported the alternative.

Also included is $350,000 in specific savings for the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The original idea had been to require the Glenn Korff School of Music and Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film to share a director, a plan that is no longer being pursued as the college found “alternative budget savings.” Bennett’s plan did not detail those alternatives.

The advisory committee, while not asked to review the proposal, split 7-7-7 in favor, opposition and abstention regarding the idea. Bennett did not disclose the idea in his original proposal.

College administrative and staff ‘efficiencies’ ($750,000)

Administrative and college staff positions, as well as certain operating expenses, will be eliminated in the Colleges of Business,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/fundamentally-changing-who-we-are-unl-engineering-dean-says-of-cuts/article_6c7fcc10-1bb2-478c-bc9e-d7eb3ad4ffeb.html" target="_blank">Engineering</a>&nbsp;and Journalism and Mass Communications.

While some specifics are still being finalized, these cuts will create less flexibility in offering summer and elective courses, according to college deans. A separate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/unl-to-combine-journalism-broadcasting-faculty-to-leave-amid-budget-cuts/article_4f9a61d6-c231-4259-9486-e78edeb6b9af.html" target="_blank">broadcasting degree will also be formally merged with journalism</a>. The&nbsp;degree paths already share significant similarities, and the three overseeing faculty are retiring, either already planned or via the buyout package.

By: Zach Wendling | <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/17/breaking-down-unls-final-27-5-million-budget-cut-proposal/">Nebraska Examiner</a><h2>Nearly $9 million in academic program eliminations, mergers head to NU regents Dec. 5; other cuts set in stone</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_3969-1536x1024.jpg" alt="&nbsp;A banner on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. March 16, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;A banner on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. March 16, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN —&nbsp;University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett has finalized a plan to cut up to $27.5 million from UNL’s budget.&nbsp;About $9 million in academic cuts go to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents for a final vote in December. This includes $4 million in anticipated savings from department mergers, which an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/05/advisory-committee-splits-with-unl-chancellor-on-key-academic-program-cuts/">advisory committee</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/sites/unl.edu.budget-process/files/media/file/20251024_apc_recommendation.pdf" target="_blank">supported almost unanimously</a>. Most other cuts are now set in stone, though many details still need to be ironed out.“I have a strong conviction that even though what we are doing is very difficult, it is in the best interest of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s long-term future,” Bennett said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://chancellor.unl.edu/message-chancellor-final-budget-reduction-plan/" target="_blank">Nov. 10 email</a>&nbsp;announcing his&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetprocess.unl.edu/final-budget-reduction-plan/" target="_blank">final plan</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/bennett_ZJW_090524-01-300x200.jpg" alt="University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett speaks at University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold’s investiture ceremony. Sept. 5, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett speaks at University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold’s investiture ceremony. Sept. 5, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>The UNL chancellor’s latest proposal would cut at least $20.76 million, depending on the regents, and assuming the mergers are accepted. The number could be larger with not-yet-detailed executive administrative “efficiencies” sought and nearly 70 tenured faculty offered a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/08/nu-will-offer-tenured-faculty-buyout-program-to-help-close-budget-gaps/">buyout package</a>.The current minimum total would be just shy of the $21 million Bennett has said is needed to close an ongoing “structural deficit” at UNL. Bennett’s plan also calls for $6.5 million in additional cuts meant to “help safeguard against repetitive budget reduction cycles.”&nbsp;The total is $27.5 million in the latest round of cuts.The finalized plan shares many similarities with the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/13/unl-proposes-27-5-million-devastating-cuts-six-program-areas-slated-for-elimination/">proposal Bennett unveiled Sept. 12</a>. Here is an in-depth breakdown of the final budget plan and the status of each line item.<h2>Academic program eliminations ($6.74 million) and department realignments ($2 million)*</h2>Nearly $9 million of UNL’s budget reduction consists of eliminating or merging academic departments, which the regents will consider at a Dec. 5 meeting.Bennett’s updated cuts to the regents no longer include a call to eliminate academic programs in community and regional planning ($475,000) and landscape architecture ($225,000), both in the College of Architecture. Instead, the college will find the same savings through an internal plan that doesn’t require a vote of the regents.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/edad-faculty-APC_ZJW_100925-01-300x200.jpg" alt="Faculty from the UNL Department of Educational Administration watch a closed-door hearing into the fate of their department included in the campus chancellor’s plan to trim $27.5 million from UNL’s budget. Oct. 9, 2025. (Photo by Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Faculty from the UNL Department of Educational Administration watch a closed-door hearing into the fate of their department included in the campus chancellor’s plan to trim $27.5 million from UNL’s budget. Oct. 9, 2025. (Photo by Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>The areas proposed for elimination, as well as nearly all degrees and the 51.5 faculty serving within them, are:<ul>
 <li>Earth and Atmospheric Sciences ($1.85 million, 13 positions eliminated).</li><li>Statistics ($1.75 million, 12 positions eliminated).</li><li>Educational Administration ($1.69 million, 15.5 positions eliminated).</li><li>Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design ($1.45 million, 11 positions eliminated).</li>
 </ul>In the case of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, some faculty will be “strategically” retained whose teaching, research and service “align with the needs and priorities of Nebraska.” Certain courses supporting federal requirements for meteorology careers and undergraduate minors will still be offered.The master’s degree in educational administration will also be retained.Departments the university plans to merge, with estimated savings of $1 million each, will develop plans in the spring and be subject to a later vote of the NU Board of Regents. Those are the departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology as well as Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication.An advisory committee of faculty, staff and students narrowly supported just two of the eliminations: educational administration (11-10) and textiles, merchandising and fashion design (12-9). It opposed cutting earth and atmospheric sciences (9-11) and statistics (8-13).&nbsp;The committee unanimously supported the entomology and plant pathology merger, and just one member opposed merging the agricultural economics and leadership departments.In an unsigned Oct. 24 letter, the committee urged Bennett to allow more time to find alternatives. The academic cuts were announced and forwarded to the regents in less than two months.The committee said it also did not have time to consider department revenues in weighing cuts.“Multiple units noted in their hearings that they are revenue-positive, meaning that elimination of those units may end up costing the university more than it would save,” the letter states.A UNL spokesperson said administrators reviewed “all aspects” of the proposed programs for elimination, including tuition and research, and they expect the cuts to yield long-term savings.*This is the only budget item that requires separate regents approval.<h2>Buyout program for tenured faculty ($5.5 million)</h2>Tenured faculty who were at least 62 years old and had at least 10 years of service to NU by their time of separation were eligible to apply for a buyout program in September. About 130 faculty applied.While the system intended to allow as many faculty to participate as possible, each campus&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/offices-policies/business-finance/human-resources/2025-vsip" target="_blank">reserved the right to limit awardees</a>&nbsp;“to preserve the viability of programs and services, as well as to remain fiscally responsible.”This month, campus leaders in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney made offers to 116 faculty:<ul>
 <li>University of Nebraska-Lincoln: 69 faculty.</li><li>University of Nebraska at Omaha: 26 faculty.</li><li>University of Nebraska Medical Center: 11 faculty.</li><li>University of Nebraska at Kearney: 10 faculty.</li>
 </ul>Faculty must accept the separation agreement by Jan. 5. Awardees would receive a lump sum payment of 70% of one year of their annual base salary they are paid as of Oct. 1.UNL Executive Vice Chancellor Mark Button had previously said UNL would achieve savings if more than 30 faculty participated in the program. An estimate of savings from a larger number of participants was not immediately available, in part because some positions would be replaced sooner than others and because salary levels differ.<h2>Across-the-board 1% cut ($4.61 million)</h2>An approximate 1% reduction in all state-aided budgets across UNL (budgets made up of tuition and taxpayer dollars). Unchanged from the original budget proposal.<h2>UNL executive administrative reductions and staff ‘efficiencies’ ($2.95 million)</h2>The UNL spokesperson said these cuts are “still in process” and are not planned to be announced until after the Dec. 5 regents meeting. The budget proposal says some administration and staff positions will be eliminated in Bennett’s office, the Executive Vice Chancellor’s Office and the Business and Finance Department.Bennett’s salary is $732,000. He joined UNL in July 2023 with his contract currently set to expire June 30.The chancellor faces a possible “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/05/unl-faculty-senate-to-weigh-no-confidence-vote-against-campus-chancellor-nov-18/">no confidence</a>” vote from the UNL Faculty Senate in an emergency meeting set for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Nebraska East Union. While Bennett has not responded directly to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/No-Confidence-FS-Motion-with-Procedural-Directions-Timeline-and-Text_110325-1.pdf">the “no confidence” effort</a>, in his Nov. 10 email, he said he followed university processes to pursue budget reductions.“The Executive Leadership Team and I worked hard to adhere to this comprehensive process — both in letter and in spirit — and to complete all steps within the provided timeline,” Bennett said.<h2>Private philanthropy to cover mandated scholarships ($2.5 million)</h2>UNL leaders continue to work with the University of Nebraska Foundation to secure private funding, but there was no further update at this time, the UNL spokesperson said.&nbsp;NU President Jeffrey Gold is continuing to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=62043&amp;docnum=LR261&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">work with the Nebraska Legislature</a>&nbsp;to find solutions to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/news-and-events/news/2025/10/nu-president-gold-shares-impact-of-unfunded-tuition-mandates" target="_blank">unfunded tuition remissions</a>&nbsp;— mandatory scholarships that lawmakers have said colleges must provide — as costs have ballooned in recent years.&nbsp;State-mandated tuition remission expenses for 2025 totaled $8.8 million across NU. Institutional tuition remission expenses, such as the Nebraska Promise, Regents Scholars or Presidential Scholars, totaled $48.4 million.It’s unclear what slice of scholarships Bennett is trying to fill specifically at UNL. This is the lone part of the UNL budget proposal that seeks or suggests private philanthropy as a solution.<h2>College budget reductions ($1.6 million)</h2>There will be $550,000 less state-aided funding for graduate assistantships in research or teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences ($325,000) and the College of Engineering ($225,000).The College of Architecture will still find $700,000 to cut, but from an alternative plan to preserve academic degrees in community and regional planning and landscape architecture. The budget proposal says this will mean “streamlining operations, administration, staffing and curriculum.” The advisory committee rejected the architectural cuts 19-2 and supported the alternative.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/i-love-nu-day-2025_ZJW_040225-01-300x200.jpg" alt="Advocates for the University of Nebraska system join at the Nebraska State Capitol for the annual “I Love NU Day.” In the front row, from left, is NU President Jeffrey Gold, State Sen. Jason Prokop of Lincoln and Student Regent Ishani Adidam (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Student Regent Pranita Devaraju (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Student Regent Elizabeth Herbin (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Student Regent Sam Schroeder (University of Nebraska at Kearney), State Sen. Teresa Ibach, Chancellor Joanne Li (UNO), interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies (UNMC) and interim Chancellor Charlie Bicak (UNK). April 2, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Advocates for the University of Nebraska system join at the Nebraska State Capitol for the annual “I Love NU Day.” In the front row, from left, is NU President Jeffrey Gold, State Sen. Jason Prokop of Lincoln and Student Regent Ishani Adidam (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Student Regent Pranita Devaraju (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Student Regent Elizabeth Herbin (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Student Regent Sam Schroeder (University of Nebraska at Kearney), State Sen. Teresa Ibach, Chancellor Joanne Li (UNO), interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies (UNMC) and interim Chancellor Charlie Bicak (UNK). April 2, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Also included is $350,000 in specific savings for the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The original idea had been to require the Glenn Korff School of Music and Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film to share a director, a plan that is no longer being pursued as the college found “alternative budget savings.” Bennett’s plan did not detail those alternatives.The advisory committee, while not asked to review the proposal, split 7-7-7 in favor, opposition and abstention regarding the idea. Bennett did not disclose the idea in his original proposal.<h2>College administrative and staff ‘efficiencies’ ($750,000)</h2>Administrative and college staff positions, as well as certain operating expenses, will be eliminated in the Colleges of Business,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/fundamentally-changing-who-we-are-unl-engineering-dean-says-of-cuts/article_6c7fcc10-1bb2-478c-bc9e-d7eb3ad4ffeb.html" target="_blank">Engineering</a>&nbsp;and Journalism and Mass Communications.While some specifics are still being finalized, these cuts will create less flexibility in offering summer and elective courses, according to college deans. A separate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/unl-to-combine-journalism-broadcasting-faculty-to-leave-amid-budget-cuts/article_4f9a61d6-c231-4259-9486-e78edeb6b9af.html" target="_blank">broadcasting degree will also be formally merged with journalism</a>. The&nbsp;degree paths already share significant similarities, and the three overseeing faculty are retiring, either already planned or via the buyout package.

Breaking down UNL’s final $27.5 million budget cut proposal

Cournoyer-Bruguier&nbsp;is an enrolled member of the&nbsp;Yankton Sioux Tribe&nbsp;and former Nebraska&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;Child&nbsp;Welfare&nbsp;Coalition&nbsp;board member

Chiara Cournoyer-Bruguier was among the organizations grassroots participants before it officially became the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition (NICWC.)&nbsp;Cournoyer-Bruguier first encountered NICWC when she was working with Iowa DHHS as the state tribal liaison, meeting with Nebraska tribes and other agencies in Sioux City, Iowa.&nbsp;

She officially became part of the coalition as a founding board member. She later began&nbsp;facilitating&nbsp;the Motherhood&nbsp;and Fatherhood is Sacred classes with NICWC in 2020 in response to the pandemic, which she will continue to do alongside her duties as administrative manager.&nbsp;

“We are thrilled to have Chiara join our NICWC team,” said Deborah Dancer, executive director. “Chiara brings a focus on wellness, joy, comfort, and warmth that is welcomed as an administrative manager.”&nbsp;

Dancer&nbsp;said Cournoyer-Bruguier has a people-centered&nbsp;perspective&nbsp;that will enhance NICWC&nbsp;along with&nbsp;her&nbsp;career&nbsp;experience,&nbsp;including her facilitation skills as a content expert in Motherhood and Fatherhood Is Sacred training.&nbsp;

“I am personally excited to have her join the team because she brings a certain calm to every situation and I look forward to positive changes in our organization&nbsp;as a result of her influence,”&nbsp;Dancer said.&nbsp;

Growing up Cournoyer-Bruguier's father was a social worker and the Indian Child Welfare Act director for their tribe. She always admired how he helped children and families in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We also were family caregivers for cousins, and so we always had extra kids in our family home,” Cournoyer-Bruguier said. “I&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;know the extent of the situation until I grew up and could better understand why my&nbsp;cousins&nbsp;lived with us.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;so important for me to see our Native families healing together whenever possible and to have our Native families whole.”&nbsp;

Cournoyer-Bruguier was among the first Native American cohort of students to receive funding to attend the Siouxland Indian Child Welfare Traineeship&nbsp;Program and&nbsp;earn a social work degree from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.&nbsp;&nbsp;This experience helped build her professional network, she said,&nbsp;and&nbsp;opened&nbsp;opportunities that she never imagined.&nbsp;She&nbsp;also has&nbsp;a business degree from the University of South Dakota.&nbsp;

Cournoyer-Bruguier was previously a&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;consultant with&nbsp;extensive experience in the&nbsp;human&nbsp;services&nbsp;field, specializing in&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;administration, ICWA, and&nbsp;diligent&nbsp;recruitment. She worked as a&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;specialist for the Capacity Building Center for Tribes, providing technical&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;and consultation to&nbsp;tribes across the United States.&nbsp;

Prior to that, she held positions as a&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;human&nbsp;services&nbsp;director,&nbsp;social&nbsp;services&nbsp;program&nbsp;manager,&nbsp;grant&nbsp;coordinator,&nbsp;child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;caseworker, and many other frontline positions within the&nbsp;human&nbsp;services field.&nbsp;

Her position with NICWC will see Cournoyer-Bruguier&nbsp;assisting&nbsp;with and implementing all activities in support of NICWC’s strategic plan,&nbsp;mission , and vision;&nbsp;being responsible for&nbsp;financial management, budgeting, coordinating audit-readiness activities;&nbsp;assisting&nbsp;with&nbsp;human&nbsp;resources activities; as well as&nbsp;fundraising and grant writing.&nbsp;

A mom of four children ranging in age from nine to 24, Cournoyer-Bruguier also has two grandsons and&nbsp;resides&nbsp;on her home reservation in southeastern South Dakota&nbsp;where&nbsp;she enjoys spending time with her family and&nbsp;hiking the&nbsp;trails along the Missouri River.&nbsp;

The vision of the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition is to ensure that all Native American children are raised by loving Indian families, surrounded by the people, culture and heritage that they know best.

For Immediate Release<h2>Cournoyer-Bruguier&nbsp;is an enrolled member of the&nbsp;Yankton Sioux Tribe&nbsp;and former Nebraska&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;Child&nbsp;Welfare&nbsp;Coalition&nbsp;board member</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763385828910.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Chiara Cournoyer-Bruguier was among the organizations grassroots participants before it officially became the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition (NICWC.)&nbsp;Cournoyer-Bruguier first encountered NICWC when she was working with Iowa DHHS as the state tribal liaison, meeting with Nebraska tribes and other agencies in Sioux City, Iowa.&nbsp;She officially became part of the coalition as a founding board member. She later began&nbsp;facilitating&nbsp;the Motherhood&nbsp;and Fatherhood is Sacred classes with NICWC in 2020 in response to the pandemic, which she will continue to do alongside her duties as administrative manager.&nbsp;“We are thrilled to have Chiara join our NICWC team,” said Deborah Dancer, executive director. “Chiara brings a focus on wellness, joy, comfort, and warmth that is welcomed as an administrative manager.”&nbsp;Dancer&nbsp;said Cournoyer-Bruguier has a people-centered&nbsp;perspective&nbsp;that will enhance NICWC&nbsp;along with&nbsp;her&nbsp;career&nbsp;experience,&nbsp;including her facilitation skills as a content expert in Motherhood and Fatherhood Is Sacred training.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763385518343.png" alt="Chiara Cournoyer-Bruguier (Courtesy NICWC)" />
 <figcaption>Chiara Cournoyer-Bruguier (Courtesy NICWC)</figcaption>
 </figure>“I am personally excited to have her join the team because she brings a certain calm to every situation and I look forward to positive changes in our organization&nbsp;as a result of her influence,”&nbsp;Dancer said.&nbsp;Growing up Cournoyer-Bruguier's father was a social worker and the Indian Child Welfare Act director for their tribe. She always admired how he helped children and families in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We also were family caregivers for cousins, and so we always had extra kids in our family home,” Cournoyer-Bruguier said. “I&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;know the extent of the situation until I grew up and could better understand why my&nbsp;cousins&nbsp;lived with us.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;so important for me to see our Native families healing together whenever possible and to have our Native families whole.”&nbsp;Cournoyer-Bruguier was among the first Native American cohort of students to receive funding to attend the Siouxland Indian Child Welfare Traineeship&nbsp;Program and&nbsp;earn a social work degree from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.&nbsp;&nbsp;This experience helped build her professional network, she said,&nbsp;and&nbsp;opened&nbsp;opportunities that she never imagined.&nbsp;She&nbsp;also has&nbsp;a business degree from the University of South Dakota.&nbsp;Cournoyer-Bruguier was previously a&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;consultant with&nbsp;extensive experience in the&nbsp;human&nbsp;services&nbsp;field, specializing in&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;administration, ICWA, and&nbsp;diligent&nbsp;recruitment. She worked as a&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;specialist for the Capacity Building Center for Tribes, providing technical&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;and consultation to&nbsp;tribes across the United States.&nbsp;Prior to that, she held positions as a&nbsp;tribal&nbsp;human&nbsp;services&nbsp;director,&nbsp;social&nbsp;services&nbsp;program&nbsp;manager,&nbsp;grant&nbsp;coordinator,&nbsp;child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;caseworker, and many other frontline positions within the&nbsp;human&nbsp;services field.&nbsp;Her position with NICWC will see Cournoyer-Bruguier&nbsp;assisting&nbsp;with and implementing all activities in support of NICWC’s strategic plan,&nbsp;mission , and vision;&nbsp;being responsible for&nbsp;financial management, budgeting, coordinating audit-readiness activities;&nbsp;assisting&nbsp;with&nbsp;human&nbsp;resources activities; as well as&nbsp;fundraising and grant writing.&nbsp;A mom of four children ranging in age from nine to 24, Cournoyer-Bruguier also has two grandsons and&nbsp;resides&nbsp;on her home reservation in southeastern South Dakota&nbsp;where&nbsp;she enjoys spending time with her family and&nbsp;hiking the&nbsp;trails along the Missouri River.&nbsp;The vision of the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition is to ensure that all Native American children are raised by loving Indian families, surrounded by the people, culture and heritage that they know best.

Chiara Cournoyer-Bruguier Joins NICWC as Administrative Manager 

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska Department of Transportation says 17 people were killed in traffic crashes across the state in October, according to newly released data.

The deaths occurred in 15 separate crashes. Of the 12 vehicle occupants killed, only two were confirmed to be wearing a seatbelt. Five were not buckled, and seatbelt use was unknown for the remaining five victims.

Thirteen of the fatalities happened in rural areas. NDOT reports two deaths occurred on the interstate system, eight on other state highways, and seven on local roads. The month also saw two pedestrian deaths, two motorcyclist fatalities, and one person killed while riding an electric tricycle.

While any loss of life is significant, October’s total is lower than the 25 fatalities recorded during the same month last year.

Looking at the year-to-date numbers, 182 people have died in Nebraska traffic crashes from January through October. That marks a 21% decrease from the 221 deaths reported during the same period in 2024. NDOT says just 47 of the 143 vehicle occupants killed so far this year were wearing a seatbelt.

For daily updates on Nebraska’s traffic fatality count, visit NDOT’s online tracker at ndot.info/tollcompare.

The report includes data available through Oct. 14, 2025. For more information, contact the NDOT Communications and Public Policy Division at 402-479-4316.

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760719402835.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska Department of Transportation says 17 people were killed in traffic crashes across the state in October, according to newly released data.The deaths occurred in 15 separate crashes. Of the 12 vehicle occupants killed, only two were confirmed to be wearing a seatbelt. Five were not buckled, and seatbelt use was unknown for the remaining five victims.Thirteen of the fatalities happened in rural areas. NDOT reports two deaths occurred on the interstate system, eight on other state highways, and seven on local roads. The month also saw two pedestrian deaths, two motorcyclist fatalities, and one person killed while riding an electric tricycle.While any loss of life is significant, October’s total is lower than the 25 fatalities recorded during the same month last year.Looking at the year-to-date numbers, 182 people have died in Nebraska traffic crashes from January through October. That marks a 21% decrease from the 221 deaths reported during the same period in 2024. NDOT says just 47 of the 143 vehicle occupants killed so far this year were wearing a seatbelt.For daily updates on Nebraska’s traffic fatality count, visit NDOT’s online tracker at ndot.info/tollcompare.The report includes data available through Oct. 14, 2025. For more information, contact the NDOT Communications and Public Policy Division at 402-479-4316.

October Traffic Deaths Drop Below Previous Years

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762445699793.png" alt="Photo Frontier Airlines" />
 <figcaption>Photo Frontier Airlines</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨The <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAANews</a> has determined that normal flight operations can resume after multiple days of positive staffing with air traffic controllers in our towers. Now we can refocus our efforts on hiring and building the state-of-the-art air traffic control system the American people… <a href="https://t.co/28wQpOfKHD">https://t.co/28wQpOfKHD</a>&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1990229655287218567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Good news for travelers: FAA lifts order slashing flights

The United States is reporting another deadly strike on an alleged drug boat.

According to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command, on Nov. 15, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. 

Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. Three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed. The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific and was struck in international waters.

The United States is reporting another deadly strike on an alleged drug boat.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Nov. 15, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,… <a href="https://t.co/iM1PhIsroj">pic.twitter.com/iM1PhIsroj</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/1990147866397221102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>According to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command, on Nov. 15, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. Three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed. The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific and was struck in international waters.

🎥US military reports another deadly strike on alleged drug-running boat 

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress has roughly two months to find bipartisan agreement to curb rising health insurance costs if lawmakers want to avoid another government shutdown.

That herculean task would be difficult in the best circumstances, but is much more challenging after lawmakers spent the last 43 days criticizing each other instead of building the types of trust that are usually needed for large deals. Democrats maintained they wanted to address skyrocketing premiums for individual health care plans, while Republicans insisted those talks had to occur when the government was open.

At the same time, congressional leaders will try to wrap up work on the nine full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law before Oct. 1 and weren’t included in the package that reopened the government.&nbsp;

Congress must pass all of those bills or another stopgap measure before the new Jan. 30 deadline, regardless of how well or disastrous talks on a health care bill turn out.&nbsp;

The two-track negotiations will push party leaders to compromise on issues they’d rather not, especially as next year’s November midterm elections inch closer.&nbsp;

House Speaker Mike Johnson said during a Wednesday night press conference the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at the end of the year are a “boondoggle” and that “Republicans would demand a lot of reforms” before agreeing to extend those in any way.&nbsp;

“We currently have 433 members of the House of Representatives. There’s a lot of opinions in this building. And on our side, certainly, a lot of opinions on how to fix health care and make it more affordable. I have to allow that process to play out,” Johnson, R-La., said.&nbsp;

While Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made a commitment to hold a vote on a health care bill before the end of December to conclude the shutdown, Johnson has avoided giving a timeline for when he would bring any similar legislation to the floor.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump, aside from throwing insults at Democrats, largely stayed on the sidelines of the shutdown fight, though he suggested the funds used for the tax credits should in some way go directly to individuals instead of large insurance companies.

The shutdown highlighted the stark differences Republicans and Democrats hold on health care as prices for insurance continue to spike, forcing millions of Americans to choose between taking care of themselves and breaking their budgets, States Newsroom found in interviews with members of Congress.&nbsp;

GOP leaders held together throughout the funding lapse and didn’t negotiate on the expiring ACA marketplace tax credits, or anything else.&nbsp;

Now that it’s over, Republicans will need to put something forward.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said her sense is that Congress will “probably be in the same place on January 30th that we are now.”

“We have two parties here, two sides,” DeLauro said. “In the past … we’ve had serious negotiation back and forth, and that’s what we need to do, and that’s not happening.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763246330614.png" alt="Image Office of&nbsp; U.S. Senate Democrat Leade" />
 <figcaption>Image Office of&nbsp; U.S. Senate Democrat Leade</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — Congress has roughly two months to find bipartisan agreement to curb rising health insurance costs if lawmakers want to avoid another government shutdown.That herculean task would be difficult in the best circumstances, but is much more challenging after lawmakers spent the last 43 days criticizing each other instead of building the types of trust that are usually needed for large deals. Democrats maintained they wanted to address skyrocketing premiums for individual health care plans, while Republicans insisted those talks had to occur when the government was open.At the same time, congressional leaders will try to wrap up work on the nine full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law before Oct. 1 and weren’t included in the package that reopened the government.&nbsp;Congress must pass all of those bills or another stopgap measure before the new Jan. 30 deadline, regardless of how well or disastrous talks on a health care bill turn out.&nbsp;The two-track negotiations will push party leaders to compromise on issues they’d rather not, especially as next year’s November midterm elections inch closer.&nbsp;Early signs were not good.House Speaker Mike Johnson said during a Wednesday night press conference the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at the end of the year are a “boondoggle” and that “Republicans would demand a lot of reforms” before agreeing to extend those in any way.&nbsp;“We currently have 433 members of the House of Representatives. There’s a lot of opinions in this building. And on our side, certainly, a lot of opinions on how to fix health care and make it more affordable. I have to allow that process to play out,” Johnson, R-La., said.&nbsp;While Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made a commitment to hold a vote on a health care bill before the end of December to conclude the shutdown, Johnson has avoided giving a timeline for when he would bring any similar legislation to the floor.&nbsp;President Donald Trump, aside from throwing insults at Democrats, largely stayed on the sidelines of the shutdown fight, though he suggested the funds used for the tax credits should in some way go directly to individuals instead of large insurance companies.<h2>Pessimism over progress</h2>The shutdown highlighted the stark differences Republicans and Democrats hold on health care as prices for insurance continue to spike, forcing millions of Americans to choose between taking care of themselves and breaking their budgets, States Newsroom found in interviews with members of Congress.&nbsp;GOP leaders held together throughout the funding lapse and didn’t negotiate on the expiring ACA marketplace tax credits, or anything else.&nbsp;Now that it’s over, Republicans will need to put something forward.Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said her sense is that Congress will “probably be in the same place on January 30th that we are now.”“We have two parties here, two sides,” DeLauro said. “In the past … we’ve had serious negotiation back and forth, and that’s what we need to do, and that’s not happening.”While Republicans have unified control of government, major legislation needs the support of at least 60 senators to advance in that chamber. Republicans hold 53 seats at the moment, meaning at least some Democrats must support a bill for it to pass.&nbsp;DeLauro did not rule out another shutdown, saying Democrats plan to take the next few months “one day at a time,” while closely watching what Republicans are willing to do on the nine full-year appropriations bills and health care costs.&nbsp;Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, former House majority leader and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said Republican leaders keeping that chamber in recess for nearly two months leading up to and during the shutdown significantly delayed work on the full-year government funding bills.&nbsp;Hoyer said that scheduling decision was a clear “indication they’re not interested in solving the problem.”“If they were, they would have had members here working on appropriation bills,” Hoyer said. “And the only way you’re going to ultimately solve this problem is to pass appropriation bills.”Hoyer said the real question facing Congress now isn’t whether there is time to work out agreement on the remaining nine government spending bills, but whether there’s a will to make the types of compromises needed.&nbsp;<h2>Untangling spending bills</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/government-reopens-after-43-days-trump-signs-bill-ending-record-shutdown" target="_blank">spending package that reopened the government</a>&nbsp;included three of the dozen full-year bills, funding the Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration, Legislative Branch, military construction projects and Department of Veterans Affairs.The remaining appropriations bills will be considerably tougher to resolve, especially because the House and Senate have yet to agree on how much they want to spend across the thousands of programs. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-asks-congress-cut-163b-non-defense-spending-ax-dozens-programs" target="_blank">proposed major cutbacks</a>&nbsp;in multiple programs in his budget request earlier this year that Democrats have strongly resisted.The Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education and State-Foreign Operations bills will be some of the more difficult to settle.&nbsp;Congress could always lean on another stopgap spending bill to keep funding relatively flat for the departments and agencies not covered by a full-year bill before Jan. 30. But lawmakers will need bipartisan support to advance in the Senate.Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Republicans don’t seem to grasp how much Americans are struggling with the cost of living, including for health insurance and health care.&nbsp;“My constituents are already telling me that they’re making that choice between having health insurance or having a house to live in, and they’re going to choose the house,” Jayapal said.&nbsp;Whether or not a partial government shutdown begins in early 2026 will likely depend on whether Republican lawmakers from swing districts force bipartisanship on a health care bill.&nbsp;“I really don’t know,” Jayapal said. “I think it depends on these vulnerable House Republicans, who are not going to be able to go back to their constituents without telling them that they’ve done something on health care.”<h2>Political juice and a backbone</h2>Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico said she wouldn’t be surprised if Congress is unable to strike a deal on government funding and winds up in a partial shutdown by February.&nbsp;“Do I think that the Republicans have the political juice to get … the rest of their appropriation bills across the finish line and a health care deal? No,” Stansbury said.&nbsp;She added that she hopes a handful of Republicans decide to join Democrats on the discharge petition bill that would force a floor vote on a bill to extend the ACA marketplace subsidies for three years.&nbsp;“We gotta find a few brave Republicans who still have a backbone and some guts to stand up to this administration and actually care for their constituents,” Stansbury said.&nbsp;But any bipartisan deal to extend those health care tax credits seems fraught, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed Republicans as having “zero credibility on this issue.”He pointed to Republicans trying several times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including their last attempt in 2017, when GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and the late John McCain of Arizona crossed party lines to vote against repealing the 2010 law.“There’s no evidence that they’re serious about extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries, of New York, said. “Republicans have zero interest in fixing the health care crisis that they’ve created.”<h2>‘No point in taking 41 days to cave’</h2>When Democrats controlled both chambers, temporary health care subsidies were originally passed as part of the COVID-19-era American Rescue Plan in 2021 for two years.&nbsp;With Democrats still controlling both chambers, lawmakers approved the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2022 signature climate policy bill from the Biden administration, that extended those health care subsidies for three years, expiring at the end of December 2025.The outcome of the just concluded shutdown is shaping some House Democrats’ views.Virginia Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott said if there is a new shutdown come February, Senate Democrats will have to decide whether they’re going to “cave again, or at least engage in negotiations.”&nbsp;“When the (Senate) Democrats say: ‘Our strategy wasn’t working,’ it wasn’t working because they assume you’re going to cave, which you just proved,” Scott told States Newsroom. “Their strategy worked — trying to get them to negotiate and talk to you doesn’t because they know you’re going to cave.”Scott said “there’s no point in taking 41 days to cave,” pointing to the eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus who broke ranks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-advances-bill-end-record-breaking-government-shutdown" target="_blank">to advance</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-bipartisan-vote-passes-bill-end-record-breaking-shutdown-house-next" target="_blank">later approve</a>&nbsp;the package to reopen the government.&nbsp;“Why don’t you just cave right at the beginning, on February 2nd?” he said. “If the Republican strategy is: ‘We’re not going to negotiate at all because you’re going to cave,’ you have to show them that you’re not going to cave, then you can have a discussion.”Scott said the same health care issues will still exist if nothing happens between now and the package’s Jan. 30 government funding deadline.&nbsp;&nbsp;“By then, we’ll know that several million people don’t have health insurance, we’ll know that rural hospitals are beginning to suffer,” Scott said.&nbsp;Delaware Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride said that “from today through November (2026) and after, we will continue to be talking about health care, to be fighting for health care.”“I think what you’ve seen over the last several months, you will continue to see from us through November and then, God willing, once we’re in a majority, we’ll do all that we can to reverse these cuts and restore care and expand access to it,” she said.&nbsp;