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Apalachee High's Coach Hancock: ‘We are one Apalachee’

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Apalachee High's Coach Hancock: ‘We are one Apalachee’

Apalachee High School’s head football coach, Mike Hancock, is grappling with the loss of one of his assistant coaches while trying to be a source of support for his players following a tragic school shooting. 

Hancock said there is no game scheduled at the moment, as the team focuses on healing. “I want to make sure my boys aren’t just ready physically, but mentally as well,” he said. 

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“Apalachee strong means we are together. We are one Apalachee,” said Hancock, reflecting on the school’s motto during this difficult time. 

Strong faith, heavy prayers, and genuine encouragement are what Hancock says are helping him through this life-changing ordeal. “The times I’ve been able to get my eyes on my kids, being able to hug them and love them—those things have been big,” he added. 

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The community is still in shock after authorities reported that Colt Gray opened fire inside Apalachee High School, killing two teachers and two students, and injuring nine others. One of the victims was Richard Aspinwall, a member of the football coaching staff, known to the team as “Coach A.” 

“There’s not a whole bunch of football coaches that teach high-level math, but he was one of those,” said Hancock, reflecting on Aspinwall’s unique role at the school. “He had a great smile, and you knew that when a kid messed up a play, they knew… but at the end of practice, he would put his arm around them or make notes of practice.” 

Apalachee High School’s head football coach, Mike Hancock, sits down with FOX 5 to talk about losing one of his coaches and the healing the school faces.  (FOX 5)

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“That was him as a teacher, and he took pride in that. He wanted to be a great teacher, not just a great coach,” Hancock added. 

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Currently, there is no word on when the sports teams will return to the field. However, Hancock noted the small moments of joy that have emerged during this challenging time. “In the times we’ve gotten together as a football team… seeing kids smile—so many parents have said they saw their kids smile for the first time. We’ve been able to get together twice now for football.” 

For many, sports and their passions have become a means of healing. Hancock stressed the importance of ongoing support. “They are going to need time to heal and take care of their mental health. I think that’s overlooked in this—people are here for us now, but two weeks, three weeks from now, we have to make sure we are checking on our young people.” 

Meanwhile, school officials on Friday announced plans to start having students return to class the week of Sept. 23. 

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Russia says talks on US peace plan for Ukraine ‘are proceeding constructively’

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Russia says talks on US peace plan for Ukraine ‘are proceeding constructively’

FILE – Russian Presidential foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, left, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, center, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, foreground right, and Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev, behind Witkoff, arrive to attend talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 2, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

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Video: First Batch of Epstein Files Provides Few Revelations

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Video: First Batch of Epstein Files Provides Few Revelations

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First Batch of Epstein Files Provides Few Revelations

The Justice Department, under pressure from Congress to comply with a law signed by President Trump, released more than 13,000 files on Friday arising from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.

Put out the files and stop redacting names that don’t need to be redacted. It’s just — who are we trying to protect? Are we protecting the survivors? Or are we protecting these elite men that need to be put out there?

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The Justice Department, under pressure from Congress to comply with a law signed by President Trump, released more than 13,000 files on Friday arising from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.

By McKinnon de Kuyper

December 20, 2025

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Apple, Google tell workers on visas to avoid leaving the U.S. amid Trump immigration crackdown

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Apple, Google tell workers on visas to avoid leaving the U.S. amid Trump immigration crackdown

With reported months-long consulate and embassy delays, Google and Apple say employees on H-1B visas should stay put in the U.S. right now to avoid the risk of getting stranded abroad. The latter tech company’s headquarters campus is seen in Mountain View, Calif.

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Apple and Google are warning some U.S-based employees on visas against traveling outside of the country to avoid the risk of getting stuck coming back, as the Trump administration toughens vetting of visa applicants, according to recent internal memos from the tech companies that were reviewed by NPR.

U.S. consulates and embassies have been reporting lengthy, sometimes months-long delays, for visa appointments following new rules from the Department of Homeland Security requiring travelers to undergo a screening of up to five years’ of their social media history — a move criticized by free speech advocates as a privacy invasion.

For Apple and Google, which together employ more than 300,000 employees and rely heavily on highly-skilled foreign workers, the increased vetting and reports of extended delays were enough for the companies to tell some of their staff to stay in the U.S. if they are able to avoid foreign travel.

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“We recommend avoiding international travel at this time as you risk an extended stay outside of the U.S.,” Berry Appleman & Leiden, a law firm that works with Google, wrote to employees.

The law firm Fragomen, which works with Apple, wrote a similar message: “Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the U.S., we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now,” the memo read. “If travel cannot be postponed, employees should connect with Apple Immigration and Fragomen in advance to discuss the risks.”

Apple and Google declined to comment on the advisories, which were first reported by Business Insider.

It’s the latest sign of how the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies are affecting the foreign-born workforce in the U.S.

Earlier this year, the White House announced that companies will be subjected to a $100,000 fee for all new H-1B visas, a type of visa popular among tech companies eager to hire highly skilled workers from abroad.

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H-1Bs typically last three years, and applicants have to return to an embassy or consulate in their home country for a renewal, but reports suggest such a routine trip could lead to people being stranded for months as a result of the Trump administration’s new policies.

On Friday, The Washington Post reported that hundreds of visa holders who traveled to India to renew their H-1Bs had their appointments postponed with the State Department explaining that officials needed more time to ensure that no applicants “pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety.”

At Google, the Alphabet Workers’ Union has been campaigning for additional protections for workers on H-1B visas. Those workers would be particularly vulnerable in the event Google carried out layoffs, since losing employer sponsorship could jeopardize their legal status, said Google software engineer Parul Koul, who leads the union.

The need to support H-1B holders at Google, she said, has “only become more urgent with all the scrutiny and heightened vetting by the Trump administration around the H1B program, and how the administration is coming for all other types of immigrant workers.”

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