A Georgia prosecutor said Friday that he has dropped the vehicular homicide charge against a teenager who struck a high school teacher with his car during a late-night prank gone wrong. Hall County Prosecutor Lee Darragh confirmed the dismissal to NBC News. The family of Jason Hughes, 40, the math teacher at North Hall High School who was killed, had previously said they wanted the charges dropped, The Daily Wire previously reported. “This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,” the family said in a statement to The New York Times last week. “This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.” Darragh also dismissed reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering charges against Jayden Wallace, 18, as well as criminal trespass and littering charges against four other 18-year-olds who were participating in the prank. The Wallace family attorney said the situation was “an extremely sad and devastating accident,” not a crime, according to NBC News. He also thanked Hughes’ wife for her “remarkable compassion and spirit of forgiveness in the face of the tremendous loss of her husband.” Hughes, a father of two, died on March 6 after being run over by a teen driver who was there with other students toilet-papering his trees. Hughes slipped near the car because of rain and was accidentally struck by the vehicle, according to NBC News. The teens stopped immediately and tried to administer first aid, but Hughes died of his injuries. The prank was a tradition at the school, Hughes’ family told ABC News in a statement. Hughes knew the students were coming and was excited to catch them. “The family wants to make clear that they knew these kids and they loved them, and these kids loved the Hugheses,” the family said. “This was not a malicious act.” A GoFundMe for the Hughes family has raised almost $490,000 as of Saturday. “We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason,” the family told ABC. “We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.”

Two Florida teenagers accused of plotting a grisly “blood ritual” killing at their high school will remain jailed without bond after prosecutors revealed disturbing details about the alleged plan, including an obsession with the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Authorities say the suspects, 15-year-old Isabelle Aurelia Valdez and 14-year-old Lois Olivios Lippert, were arrested in January after a tip reported that a student known as “Jimmy” planned to kill a classmate at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Investigators later determined “Jimmy” was an alias used by Valdez, according to police reports. Prosecutors say Valdez believed murdering a classmate who reminded her of Adam Lanza, the gunman responsible for the 2012 massacre in Sandy Hook Elementary School, would create a supernatural “blood bond” that would resurrect him from the dead. Valdez allegedly planned to ambush the victim inside a school restroom and either stab him in the stomach or cut his throat with a knife she brought to campus. Investigators say Lippert assisted with the plan by bringing gloves and helping sharpen and test the blade in a bathroom beforehand. The pair allegedly intended to leave flowers at the scene after the killing and smoke a cigarette afterward. The alleged plot was uncovered after a student reported what they heard through the state’s FortifyFL tip system. Police searched Valdez’s backpack the next day and reportedly discovered a knife that she admitted she planned to use in the attack. The teens’ communications included Discord messages in which Valdez wrote that she was planning a “blood ritual for Adam Lanza.” Investigators also say Lippert drew disturbing sketches depicting the intended victim dead and hanging from a rope. Video shown in court during the bond hearing also captured the two teenagers laughing and joking in the back of a patrol car after their arrest. The video was later procured by Fox News. SINISTER BEHAVIOR: Two teens accused of plotting a “blood ritual” killing at their high school were caught on video laughing and joking about their mugshots in the back of a police cruiser after their arrest, newly released video shows. pic.twitter.com/70FPiMkGti — Fox News (@FoxNews) March 14, 2026 In the footage, Valdez joked that she had wanted to “do my makeup” before getting her mugshot, while Lippert responded that she was glad she didn’t “look too bad today.” The two also laughed about potentially becoming a “lesbian couple in jail.” At one point, Valdez told officers she did not feel guilty about the alleged plot. “I don’t feel guilty for my actions,” she said, adding that the only people she felt sorry for were their mothers. Prosecutors argued the footage showed that the teens still pose a serious threat to the community. A judge agreed, ordering both defendants held without bond while the case proceeds. Both teenagers have pleaded not guilty, and both are being charged as adults in order to allow longer-term incarceration options than would be available in the juvenile justice system. Officials also credited the anonymous tipster whose report helped stop the alleged attack before anyone was harmed. Seminole County Public Schools said in a statement following the pair’s arrest, “We are so thankful to the individual who used our anonymous reporting tools to share what they heard and prevented a possible crime. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and it takes all of us working together to keep our schools and communities safe. It is critically important to remember, if you see something, please say something. We are also grateful for the incredible partnership between our schools and law enforcement, and for their quick response to this tip and the actions that followed.” The case remains active in circuit court, and both defendants are expected to be tried together. No trial date has been set.

A man shot and killed by Dallas police during a SWAT standoff this week had previously served as a security guard for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, according to multiple law enforcement sources. Dallas police tracked the suspect, who went by different aliases — but was going by the name Mike King — to a parking garage at Children’s Medical Center Dallas late Wednesday night, Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said during a press conference Thursday morning. OIS at 1900 Medical District Drive https://t.co/cWOeKf0akr — Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) March 12, 2026 Officers located the man barricaded inside a vehicle in the garage. After deploying tear gas to force him out, police say the suspect emerged and pointed a gun at SWAT officers. Officers opened fire, killing the suspect at the scene. Multiple law enforcement sources have confirmed to CBS News that the suspect had been operating under several aliases and was known publicly as Mike King. He allegedly ran a company called “Off Duty Police Services,” which connected North Texas police officers with off-duty security jobs. The Daily Wire reached out to a company of that name in the Dallas area for comment to confirm the claim, but did not receive a response. Sources say the man was wanted for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer and had claimed to be one while operating the business. Images obtained by reporters show King standing close to Crockett at public events and on the campaign trail during her recent run for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat. Law enforcement sources also said King oversaw teams of security officers working at several downtown Dallas hotels and events, and that he frequently drove a replica undercover police vehicle. Authorities say the vehicle allegedly used stolen license plates taken from cars outside a military recruiting office. Federal Election Commission receipts reviewed by The Daily Wire show that a person identified as Mike King received payments from Crockett for “security services” as recently as last year. Crockett’s office has declined to comment on the situation. The Dallas Police Department has also said it will provide additional information as the investigation continues. The Texas Democrat, first elected to Congress in 2023, has been a prominent left-wing voice in the House and a frequent critic of Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers. The incident raises questions about how the suspect, who authorities say had a criminal background and was using multiple aliases, was able to operate a business placing officers in off-duty security work and secure a role providing protection for a sitting member of Congress.

Former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell is stepping down as CEO and executive director of the Trump-Kennedy Center. Matt Floca, the current vice president of facilities operations, will replace Grenell, subject to approval by the board of directors, President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done,” Trump said in the post. The change in leadership comes as Trump announced last month that the center will close for two years for extensive renovations beginning after July 4, The Daily Wire previously reported. “THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will be, at its completion, the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote. He posted renderings of the renovations to Truth Social yesterday.  Grenell has led the Trump-Kennedy Center for more than a year after Trump overhauled the board and took over as chair. His departure, first reported by Axios, comes as the center has received backlash after changing its lineup, which included ending drag shows for children. Earlier this year, Philip Glass announced he was canceling the premiere of his latest symphony, scheduled for June, The Daily Wire reported. The composer said the leadership of the center conflicted with the themes of the symphony, which is about Abraham Lincoln. Roma Daravi, a spokeswoman for the Trump-Kennedy Center, told The Daily Wire that the center aims for unity and celebration of the arts. “We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision,” Daravi said. “We have not canceled a single show. Leftist activists are pushing artists to cancel but the public wants artists to perform and create—not cancel under pressure from political insiders that benefit from creating division.” In December, the board voted to change the center’s name to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, causing mass uproar from leftists. Artists have canceled shows before and after the name change. Jazz musician Chuck Redd was criticized for canceling his Christmas Eve performance days before it was supposed to take place. The center said they would seek $1 million in damages for the abrupt cancellation, as The Daily Wire previously reported. Trump was clear there would be changes to the center when he took over as chairman of the board, writing at the time, “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”

Anti-government protesters attacked a Communist Party office in northern Cuba early on Saturday, a state-run newspaper reported, in a rare outburst of public dissent triggered by worsening blackouts that have been exacerbated by a U.S. oil blockade. A rally against power cuts and food shortages appeared to begin peacefully in the city of Moron late on Friday then turned violent in the early hours of Saturday morning, Invasor newspaper said. Videos on social media showed a large fire and people throwing rocks through the windows of a building as voices shouted “liberty” in the background. Reuters was unable to confirm the authenticity of videos that posters said showed the unrest in Moron, a city on Cuba’s northern coast about 250 miles (400 km) east of the capital Havana near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco. US BLOCKADE TURNS THE SCREW The ​United States has tightened the screws on Cuba this year since capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro – Cuba’s most important foreign benefactor – in January. U.S. President Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, piling pressure on the economy already struggling with shortages of food, fuel, electricity and medicine. Trump has in recent weeks made a series of statements, saying Cuba was on the verge of collapse or eager to make a deal with the United States. Cuba’s government said on Friday it had begun talks with Washington to try to defuse the crisis. Public protests, particularly violent ones, are exceedingly rare in Cuba. Cuba’s 2019 constitution grants citizens the right to demonstrate, but a law more specifically defining that right is stalled in the legislature, leaving those who take to the street in legal limbo. “What initially began peacefully, and after an exchange with local authorities, turned into acts of vandalism against the headquarters of the Municipal Party Committee,” the Invasor newspaper said. “A smaller group of people stoned the entrance of the building and started a fire in the street with furniture from the reception area,” it added. Vandals targeted several other state-run establishments in the area, including a pharmacy and a government market, the report said. In one unverified video on social media, a gunshot is heard, and the camera pans to a person lying on the ground. State media outlet Vanguardia de Cuba dismissed online reports that the person lying on the ground had been shot by police. “The image circulating shows the scene of the protest, but it’s important for the public to know the truth: no one was injured by gunfire,” Vanguardia de Cuba said on X. “Media manipulation seeks to sow fear and confusion among our people. Let’s not fall for provocations,” it added. Police detained five people and one drunken participant fell over and was being treated for injuries in a local hospital. Over the past week, several small groups of residents across Havana have banged pots in protest against extended blackouts. Students on Monday staged a sit-in on the steps of the University of Havana after the government suspended in-person classes, blaming the U.S. oil blockade. Fuel shortages have vastly reduced public transportation, making it difficult, if not impossible, for teachers and students to get together for classes. Moron was also the site of significant protests during anti-government riots on July 11, 2021, the largest since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Andrew Heavens)