Longtime NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family were among those killed in a plane crash on Thursday morning in Statesville, North Carolina, about 45 miles outside of Charlotte. Representative Richard Hudson confirmed the news. “I am devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina, and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them,” Rep. Hudson said. Biffle’s close friend, Garrett Mitchell said the Biffles were flying to visit him when the plane crashed. “Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane … because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this,” Mitchell said. Biffle’s daughter was a teenager, and their son had just turned five. A source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily Wire there were a total of six passengers on board. According to airport officials, the Cessna C550 airplane crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 a.m. Video from witnesses showed the aircraft engulfed in flames near the runway. The crash caused a multi-agency response. Flight tracking records showed a Cessna C550, registered to GB Aviation Leasing LLC, that took off from Statesville Regional Airport at 10:06 a.m. before turning around shortly after takeoff to head back to the airport. GB Aviation Leasing LLC is a private company linked to Biffle. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Biffle was a longtime NASCAR driver, becoming one of only three drivers to win the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series. He was a nominee for the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame. Biffle was known for more than just his skills on the track. He was a humanitarian who helped out greatly when North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Biffle used his personal helicopter to take generators, chainsaws, water, and essential supplies needed to those in the impossible-to-reach regions devastated by the storm. He even helped raise more than $60,000 from t-shirt sales for western North Carolina relief efforts. “They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others,” Rep. Hudson said. “He was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track. Biffle said he loved anything with gas and wheels — it was evident in his love for aviation. The private pilot flew out of the Statesville airport often. According to the city of Statesville’s website, the airport is city-owned and provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams. Airport officials said in a press conference Thursday that the airport is shut down while debris is cleaned up. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash. At this time, there is no official cause of the crash.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to clear the way for making marijuana a Schedule III drug, which brings along reforms in how the federal government regulates the substance. The order means the drug will no longer be classified under Schedule I, which is at the same level as heroin, according to CNBC. This does not make it legal nationwide, but it allows for more research and enables marijuana sellers in states where it’s legal to take advantage of tax write-offs at the federal level, Marijuana Moment reported. “Today I’m pleased to announce that I will be signing an executive order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses,” the president said at an event in the Oval Office on Thursday. “We have people begging for me to do this. People that are in great pain. For decades, this action has been requested by American patients suffering from extreme pain, incurable diseases, aggressive cancers, seizure disorders, neurological problems, and more, including numerous veterans with service-related injuries and older Americans who live with chronic medical problems that severely degrade their quality of life,” he continued. The president stressed that the order does not mean that recreational marijuana is legal nationwide. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “I want to emphasize that the order I am about to sign is not the legalization; it doesn’t legalize marijuana in any way, shape, or form and in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug,” he said. Twenty-four states have made recreational marijuana legal, with many more having laws regarding its medical use. However, the reclassification got some conservative pushback before it was formally announced in recent days. Over two dozen Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the president earlier on Thursday opposing the reclassification. “Reclassifying marijuana would send the wrong message to our children, worsen addiction, undermine public safety, and hand billions in tax relief to the marijuana industry and foreign criminal cartels. Marijuana has no proven medical value, increases roadway danger, and fuels addiction,” Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) posted to X. “We must keep it classified as a Schedule I substance under DEA regulations and put families, public safety, and America’s future FIRST!” he added. The Daily Wire reported in August that roughly 50 groups also sent a letter opposing the move, writing that the president has “an opportunity to make a stand for the safety of children across America by opposing the flawed proposal to reschedule marijuana.”

Police are investigating a potential connection between the Saturday shooting at Brown University and the Monday killing of an MIT professor in his home, based on information that has emerged in the last 24 hours. Multiple people familiar with the investigation told several outlets that federal, state, and local authorities are now examining evidence that the two crimes, which took place less than 50 miles apart, may be linked, marking a significant shift in both stalled investigations. The violence began Saturday afternoon when an unidentified gunman killed two Brown University students — Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov — and injured nine others after opening fire inside Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building. 48 hours later, an assailant shot MIT professor Nuno Loureiro multiple times inside his Brookline, Massachusetts, home. Authorities have yet to identify suspects in either case, and initially stated in a Tuesday press briefing that there “seems to be no connection” between the two shootings. Providence police and the FBI have steadily released images and video depicting two persons of interest walking the streets around Brown University before and after the shooting, asking the public for any information to identify them. ENHANCED VIDEO: We are releasing an enhanced video of the person of interest in the Brown University incident. Footage was captured on the East Side of Providence on Saturday afternoon before the incident. Please share widely and contact the official tip line if you have… pic.twitter.com/mewBSflOiO — Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 16, 2025 Surveillance footage from Brown University captured the alleged shooting suspect — wearing a dark jacket, mask, and hat — walking around campus for hours before the attack around 4 p.m. Saturday. Multiple law enforcement agencies have expanded their search for video evidence, releasing a new map that widens the area of interest around the university. A second person of interest was identified on Wednesday, depicted wearing a blue jacket and green hood, carrying a white satchel in the area of the shooting. ENHANCED PHOTO: Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in this photo who was in proximity of the person of interest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. pic.twitter.com/D1reRPCdZV — Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 17, 2025 Authorities urge anyone with information about either incident to contact law enforcement immediately at 401-272-3121. #BREAKING: The FBI and @ProvidenceRIPD are releasing new images of a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University on 12/13/25. The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual.… pic.twitter.com/OhpnsN9fds — FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) December 15, 2025

Police have identified a person of interest in Saturday’s shooting at Brown University, CBS News reported. Law enforcement is now searching for the identified person of interest, multiple law enforcement sources told CBS News. On Saturday, an unidentified gunman killed two Brown University students — Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov — and injured nine others after opening fire inside Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building. The search for the person of interest comes after law enforcement recovered physical evidence — including live ammunition and DNA — from the scene of the mass shooting. Police are also investigating a potential connection between the Saturday shooting at Brown University and the Monday killing of an MIT professor in his home, based on information that has emerged in the last 24 hours. The news conference on the Brown University shooting investigation, scheduled initially at 4 p.m. EST Thursday, has been delayed, a spokesman for the Providence mayor told CNN. This is a developing story, refresh the page for updates.

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