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, <a href="https://www.wftv.com/news/local/police-id-lake-brantley-students-accused-plotting-kill-classmate/SWJFTRVPFJCO7LSOMIUTN6NKWY/">were arrested in January</a> 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.
<a href="https://www.wftv.com/news/local/sandy-hook-obsession-led-seminole-county-high-school-murder-plot-report-says/ULOFHQQLJNFKRLDVKHSGP2OXYA/">Prosecutors say</a> 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 <a href="https://getfortifyfl.com/Tip.html">FortifyFL</a> 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 <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/teens-accused-plotting-twisted-blood-ritual-school-killing-giggle-cruiser-about-glam-shot">Fox News</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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. <a href="https://t.co/70FPiMkGti">pic.twitter.com/70FPiMkGti</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2032831273740235217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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.”
<a href="https://abcnews.com/US/florida-teens-charged-alleged-murder-plot-laughing-patrol/story?id=131000052">At one point</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/2-lake-brantley-students-arrested-student-threat-knife-found-backpack-police-say">statement</a> following the pair&#8217;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.

Prosecutor Says Teens Planned ‘Blood Ritual’ Murder To Resurrect Sandy Hook Killer

Courts

Crime

Florida

Murder

U.S.

A man accused of murder is now the subject of a musical and the crowds can’t wait.
“Luigi: The Musical,” will debut in New York City this June, just blocks from the scene of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder. The show, first staged in San Francisco, transforms suspected assassin Luigi Mangione into a comic antihero. The New York premiere has sold out. Late-night audiences have cheered at the mention of his name.
Not long ago, political violence — even fictionalized — sparked bipartisan outrage. Today, it sells tickets. And the speed of that shift says more about us than it does about one off-Broadway production.
<div id="attachment_1055155" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055155" class="size-large wp-image-1055155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-461x576.jpg" alt="Source: thegreenroom42/Instagram" width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC.jpg 1080w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" />Source: thegreenroom42/Instagram</div>
Pop culture has a way of giving us an eerie snapshot into America’s moral decline.
We could point to Bad Bunny’s over-sexualized Super Bowl halftime show, new media attempts to trans the kids, or Brittany’s new DUI. But also consider the outrage over the 2006 film “Death of a President,” the faux documentary featuring President George W. Bush’s assassination. The film released just as far-Left protesters labeled the president “Hitler” over his War on Terror tactics. The project even drew bipartisan fury from former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who dubbed the film “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061023003633/http:/www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060916%2FUPDATE%2F609160394">despicable</a>.”
More than a decade later, the culture recoiled over an image of comedian Kathy Griffin holding the bloody head of President Donald Trump. Griffin’s comedy career collapsed overnight, and only in recent years has she returned to the quasi-mainstream. Griffin apologized, but quickly reversed course. Today, no such apology would be required.
Those moments, however, seem almost quaint compared to “Luigi: The Musical.”
The comedy enjoyed brisk sales during its short San Francisco debut last year. The show features Mangione sharing a jail cell with Sean “Diddy” Combs and crypto crook Sam Bankman-Fried.
<div id="attachment_1055173" style="width: 816px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055173" class="size-large wp-image-1055173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-806x576.jpg" alt="Source: Playbillhttps://playbill.com/article/luigi-mangioni-musical-to-get-nyc-reading" width="806" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-806x576.jpg 806w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-768x549.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage.jpg 970w" sizes=" (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" />Source: Playbill</div>
The production will hit New York City’s Green Room 42 on June 15, 2026. That’s a short subway ride from the scene of Thompson’s cold-blooded murder.
Media reports have depicted “Luigi” in conflicting fashion. Some suggest the show doesn’t glamorize the alleged murderer. Others hint at the opposite, while crowds have been cheering his presence at various shows, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/luigi-mangione-musical-set-to-premiere-on-nyc-stage/">according to The New York Post.</a>
Is it merely dark humor rushing to the surface? Or something more sinister squeezing into our conversations?
The minds behind the musical insist <a href="https://playbill.com/article/luigi-mangioni-musical-to-get-nyc-reading">they’re not advocating violence</a>.
&#8220;Luigi: the Musical uses comedy to bring deeper questions to the surface. Why did this case garner the reaction that it did? And what happens when people stop trusting their institutions?&#8221; Luigi director Nova Bradford said in a statement.
Yet even this kind of cringe theater shouldn’t come as a shock. Nor should the fact that the show <a href="https://www.nysun.com/article/luigi-mangione-musical-sells-out-its-new-york-performance-and-adds-extra-dates">swiftly sold out</a> and added additional dates for its Big Apple debut.
Shortly after the murder, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” shared how some of his young female staffers had developed a crush on the alleged murderer and his washboard abs. Kimmel flashed screenshots of his <a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/1166115/jimmy-kimmel-luigi-mangione-hot-kiiller-monologue-video/">employees fan-girling over the suspect,</a> 
<blockquote>“People are saying a NY jury has the power to find him innocent, bc we all love him,”
“I’m not mad at him.”</blockquote>
Kimmel and the audience chortled over the revelations, although the host wisely blocked the names of the staffers in question. It still speaks volumes about the show and its fan base.
<div id="attachment_978781" style="width: 858px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978781" class="size-large wp-image-978781" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-848x576.jpg" alt="Jimmy Kimmel" width="848" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-848x576.jpg 848w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-768x522.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" />Randy Holmes via Getty Images</div>
This wasn’t a “Gutfeld!” audience.
And it wasn’t the only comedy showcase lining up on Mangione’s side. “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart informed his far-Left audience that the alleged killer had been collared by the cops.
The response? The “boos” <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/the-daily-show-unitedhealthcare-shooter-boos-jon-stewart/">rained down</a> on a clearly baffled Stewart. “Look, I’m sorry, guys,” Stewart stammered.
A similarly strange moment came courtesy of “Saturday Night Live.” The NBC show’s ‘Weekend Update’ segment found co-faux anchor Colin Jost dropping Mangione’s name. The comic had to pause the bit to be heard. His audience began clapping and shouting with excitement.
Jost, as stunned as Stewart, blurted out, “Yeah, definitely ‘woo … You’re ‘wooing’ for justice, right?&#8221;
Not even close. And it’s not an accident, either.
<div id="attachment_1055183" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055183" class="size-large wp-image-1055183" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Jon Stewart attends Comedy Central's &quot;The Daily Show&quot; FYC Event at Linwood Dunn Theater on June 07, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central</div>
Late-night comedians have leaned into anger and violence for some time now, fueling our culture’s decay. Hosts like Seth Meyers and John Oliver <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/john-oliver-media-portland-violence/">downplayed</a> the violence raging in Portland, Oregon, during the George Floyd riots of 2020. Stephen Colbert uttered a sexually coarse <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaHwlSTqA7s">gag aimed</a> at President Donald Trump during the Russian collusion hoax, but he never suffered for the outburst.
More recently, late-night comics chuckled over progressive activists attacking Tesla dealerships to protest owner Elon Musk’s White House maneuvers vis-à-vis DOGE.
Kimmel sarcastically told his crowd to stop the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/19/opinion/democrats-silence-is-damning-as-leftist-violence-explodes/">Tesla-based</a> attacks.
<div id="attachment_1055185" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055185" class="size-large wp-image-1055185" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-384x576.jpg" alt="Source: https://luigithemusical.info" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor.jpg 1280w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Source: https://luigithemusical.info</div>
Comedy remains subjective. Even the darkest subjects can make us howl or defang hate or bigotry. Just ask Mel “Springtime for Hitler” Brooks.
Consider “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7eoZt-bUSI&amp;t=152s">Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11</a>,” a sobering documentary about stand-ups who told jokes tied to the terrorist attack mere days after it happened. Comedy can help us process pain and adjust to startling new realities, or it can showcase just how far we’ve fallen as a society.
Context is everything. And it helps to remember an old saw: “Comedy is tragedy plus time.”
Mangione has yet to face a jury of his peers.
Watching patrons gleefully cheer on an alleged murderer is something radically different and frightening. The New York City debut of “Luigi: The Musical” will <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/luigi-mangione-musical-new-york-city-summer/">capture the zeitgeist, no doubt</a>.
Mangione’s real-life New York state trial is slated to begin on June 8, 2026, while his federal trial will have to wait until September.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Luigi II

Brace Yourselves: ‘Luigi: The Musical’

Brace Yourselves: 'Luigi: The Musical'

Broadway

Entertainment

Hollywood

Luigi Mangione

New York City

San Francisco

Theater

UnitedHealthcare

Luigi Mangione, the man who is accused of gunning down former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will not face the death penalty after prosecutors decided not to appeal a Manhattan judge’s ruling.
The Department of Justice said in a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-federal-prosecutors/">letter</a> Friday that it “will not seek interlocutory review” of the judge’s decision.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two of the four charges against Mangione, including use of a firearm to commit murder, which made him eligible for the death penalty.
Garnett said she dismissed the charges “solely to preclude the death penalty as an available punishment when the jury determines if the Defendant caused Brian Thompson’s death,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-says-prosecutors-cant-pursue-death-penalty-against-luigi-mangione">reported</a> at the time.
The federal charge against Mangione that made him eligible for the death penalty accused him of “using a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a crime of violence.”
In her ruling, Garnett said the stalking offense did not constitute a “crime of violence,” and prosecutors would need to show Mangione killed Thompson while committing another “crime of violence,” NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-rcna261080">reported</a>.
Mangione still faces two counts of interstate stalking. If convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi previously directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty last year after Mangione was arrested for the murder of Thompson.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said at the time.
Thompson was gunned down from behind in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, as he was walking to a hotel during his company’s annual investor conference. Mangione’s fingerprints allegedly matched those found on shell casings at the murder scene.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day manhunt, and police found a firearm, suppressor, and what appeared to be a manifesto in the man’s backpack.
Opening arguments for the trial are scheduled to begin in October, with jury selection set for September 8.
In addition to the federal charges, Mangione faces nine counts, including second-degree murder, in a separate state case scheduled to begin June 8, NBC reported.

DOJ Drops Fight For Death Penalty In Luigi Mangione Assassination Case

Pam Bondi

Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he killed his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
The 32-year-old is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance allegation tied to multiple homicides, per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/nick-reiner-pleads-not-guilty-to-charges-of-murdering-parents-1236512505/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. If convicted, he could face life in prison without parole, and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has said the case is eligible for the death penalty.  
Reiner did not address the court beyond responding to routine questions during Monday&#8217;s arraignment. It remains unclear what defense strategy he will pursue. Court records and prior reporting have referenced struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. 
The deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, who were discovered in their home on December 14, stunned Hollywood. Their son, Nick, was charged with their murders shortly afterward. Witnesses have alleged he was behaving erratically at a party hosted by Conan O&#8217;Brien shortly before the killings. 
Nick Reiner’s two siblings, Romy, 28, and Jake, 34, issued a statement after their brother’s first court appearance.
 “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
According to police documents, when Romy discovered her parents&#8217; bodies, she told responding officers that her brother had been living in the home and described him as “dangerous.”
Last month, Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nick-reiner-loses-high-profile-attorney-ahead-of-arraignment-public-defender-appointed">withdrew from the case</a> for undisclosed reasons. 
Jackson is known for taking on high-profile matters, including cases involving actor Kevin Spacey and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. He recently represented Karen Read, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-read-acquitted-of-murdering-cop-boyfriend">acquitted</a> in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Jackson told reporters he could not “legally or ethically” disclose what had changed, but said he had spent “literally every waking hour” reviewing the case.

Nick Reiner

Nick Reiner Pleads Not Guilty In Shocking Murder Of Parents

Celebrities

Rob Reiner

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called &#8220;troubling&#8221; a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using toxin from poison dart frogs, adding that Washington had no reason to question it.
&#8220;We obviously are aware of the report. It&#8217;s a troubling report. We&#8217;re aware of that case of Mr. Navalny and certainly&#8230; we don&#8217;t have any reason to question it,&#8221; Rubio told reporters at a news conference in Brastislava during a visit to Slovakia.
In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands on Saturday said analyses of samples from Navalny&#8217;s body &#8220;conclusively&#8221; confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
The Russian government, which has repeatedly denied any responsibility for Navalny&#8217;s death while he was held in an Arctic penal colony two years ago, dismissed the latest allegations as &#8220;a Western propaganda hoax,&#8221; according to Russia&#8217;s state news agency TASS.
When asked why the United States did not join the statement, Rubio said this was an endeavour by them.
&#8220;Those countries came to that conclusion. They coordinated that. We chose &#8211; doesn&#8217;t mean we disagree with the outcome. We just, it wasn&#8217;t, our endeavor. Sometimes countries go out and do their thing with based on the intelligence they&#8217;ve gathered.&#8221; Rubio said.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not disputing or getting into a fight with these countries over it. But it was their report, and they put that out there,&#8221; he added.
Russian opposition leader Navalny died in an Arctic prison colony in February 2024, after being convicted of extremism and other charges, all of which he denied.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Susan Fenton)

Secretary Of State Marco Rubio

Rubio Says U.S. Does Not Dispute Navalny Poisoning Assessment By Europeans

Alexei Navalny

Global Politics

Marco Rubio

Russia

Vladimir Putin

World

Dr. Jeff Johnson, a Republican candidate for Minnesota governor, ended his campaign on Monday after his 22-year-old daughter was murdered over the weekend.
Hallie Marie Tober, Johnson&#8217;s daughter, was stabbed to death on Saturday in her St. Cloud home. Police say they believe she was killed by her husband, who was found in the home with what appear to be self-inflicted knife wounds. 
Johnson, a former city councilman for St. Cloud, suspended his campaign in the days following the tragedy, the Minnesota Republican Party said on Monday. 
“There are no words that can adequately express the sorrow we feel for Jeff and his family. The loss of a child is unimaginable, and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they grieve this devastating tragedy,” the party <a href="https://x.com/mngop/status/2020876869856362631">said</a> in a statement. 
“Out of respect for his family and the enormity of this loss, Jeff has suspended his campaign for Governor of Minnesota,” the party added. “We ask all Minnesotans to join us in lifting up the Johnson family during this incredibly painful time.”
On Sunday, the St. Cloud Police Department <a href="https://x.com/StCloudPDMN/status/2020703324849545358?s=20">said</a> that Hallie and her husband, 23-year-old Dylan Michael Tobler, were found in their locked apartment building when police responded to a call for emergency medical services. Hallie was dead when police arrived, and Tobler was injured. 
“Based on the investigation, it is believed that Dylan&#8217;s injuries are self-inflicted and that he is the person responsible for Hallie&#8217;s injuries and death,” the police department said, adding that he was at St. Cloud Hospital in stable condition under the custody of law enforcement. 
After his release from the hospital, police said that Tobler would be transported to Stearns County Jail to be held for homicide related charges. Police are still investigating the case with the assistance of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Johnson was one of the Republican candidates vying to replace outgoing Democratic Governor Tim Walz. In a recent caucus, he <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minnesota-caucus-results-show-early-frontrunners-among-gop-governor-candidates/">took</a> less than one percent of the vote. The top performers in the caucus were Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, veteran Kendall Qualls, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. 
On the Democrat side, Senator Amy Klobuchar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amy-klobuchar-jumps-into-governors-race-as-minnesota-remains-under-federal-scrutiny">launched</a> a bid for governor after Walz announced he would not seek re-election amid scrutiny over his handling of suspected welfare fraud.

US-NEWS-BALTIMORE-POLICE-BZ

Minnesota Governor Candidate Ends Campaign After Daughter Found Murdered

Minnesota Governor Candidate Ends Campaign After Daughter's Murder

Minnesota

Politics

Federal prosecutors filed new terrorism-related charges against Elias Rodriguez, the keffiyeh-wearing man accused of murdering Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim earlier this year.
The 13-count superseding <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/new-terrorism-related-charges-filed-against-alleged-killer-israeli-embassy-employees">indictment was unsealed</a> on Wednesday, showing that 31-year-old Rodriguez was charged with an additional four counts of committing acts of terrorism while armed, along with a federal aggravating factor alleging substantial planning and premeditation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Rodriguez’s previous charges included murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two counts each of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed under the D.C. criminal code.
Some of the charges carry a possible sentence of death or life imprisonment.
“My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim, and our Jewish community,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under D.C. Code, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror.”
Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 28, were allegedly shot and killed by Rodriguez outside of an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in May. He allegedly fired approximately 20 shots from a handgun and shouted “Free Palestine,” according to the indictment.
After the shooting, he entered the museum wearing a red keffiyeh, where attendees were still present, and said, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
While being arrested, he shouted “shame on you” and “shame on Zio-nazi terror,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, Rodriguez wrote and published a manifesto “attempting to morally justify his actions and inspire others to commit political violence.”
Lischinsky was a German-Israeli dual citizen and a devout evangelical Christian. He immigrated to Israel at 16, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and began working as a political analyst at the embassy in 2022.
He was planning to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-family-react-to-murder-of-israeli-embassy-staffers-by-keffiyeh-wearing-terrorist">propose</a> to Milgrim, who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and was a full-time employee at the embassy’s Department of Public Diplomacy.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-MUSEUM-SHOOTING

Suspect In Deadly Israeli Embassy Attack Hit With New Terrorism Charges

antisemitism

Department of Justice

The ex-husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with murdering his wife at their Delaware home. 
The New Castle County Police announced Tuesday that they had arrested 77-year-old William Stevenson and charged him with murdering 64-year-old Linda Stevenson. Stevenson was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975 before they divorced. 
Stevenson’s arrest <a href="https://nccpdnews.com">came after</a> a weeks-long investigation into Linda’s December death at their home in the Oak Hill neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware. He was charged with first-degree murder after police detectives, in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice, made their case to a grand jury. 
Stevenson is currently behind bars at the Howard Young Correctional Institution after he was unable to pay $500,000 cash bail. Linda Stevenson was found dead on December 28, 2025, after police responded to a reported domestic dispute call. 
&#8220;Upon entering the home, officers located 64-year-old Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room. Officers immediately administered life-saving measures; however, despite their efforts, Linda Stevenson was later pronounced deceased,” the New Castle County Police said at the time. 
Her body was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science for an autopsy. Authorities have not yet revealed the cause of her death.
Linda Stevenson’s obituary described her death as unexpected and did not mention her husband. 
“Linda was deeply family-oriented and treasured time spent making memories, especially on family vacations with her daughter and granddaughter,” her obituary said. “She loved her work and truly cared for her clients, many of whom became friends.”
Jill Biden first met William Stevenson in 1969 while she was attending the University of Delaware, the New York Times reported.  
“I truly believed we were destined for each other,” she <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/us/william-stevenson-jill-biden-homicide.html">wrote</a> in her memoir. “Looking back it may seem like a mistake of youth.”
In March 1975, Jill met then-Sen. Joe Biden, and by May of that year, she was divorced from Stevenson. She married Biden in June 1977. 
Stevenson was the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jill-bidens-ex-husband-arrested-charged-killing-current-wife-rcna257257">founder</a> of the Stone Balloon Club in Newark, Delaware, a well-known venue where musicians like Bruce Springsteen performed.

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Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Accused Of Murdering His Wife

Delaware

Jill Biden

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Erika Kirk’s latest court filing seeks to stop defense delays in the assassination trial of her late husband Charlie Kirk &#8212; a case in which the defendant, Tyler Robinson, has yet to enter a plea.
Erika&#8217;s attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, filed a court document asking the judge overseeing the trial to enforce Erika&#8217;s right to a speedy trial, arguing that there have been “undue delays” in the progress of the case.
&#8220;The Utah Code affords victims of a crime &#8216;the right to a speedy disposition of the charges free from unwarranted delay caused by or at the behest of the defendant,'&#8221; Neiman wrote in the filing, according to Fox News.
&#8220;This Court is tasked with the critically important function of ensuring the Defendant has a fair trial, but this Court must also do so while balancing Mrs. Kirk’s right to a speedy trial and therefore this Notice invokes Mrs. Kirk’s rights under applicable Utah Code,&#8221; the filing continued.
Neiman noted that Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder, &#8220;believed in the importance of the United States Constitution,&#8221; and while the Constitution &#8220;guarantees criminal defendants many rights, it does not guarantee them the right to cause undue delay in the criminal justice process.&#8221;
Robinson&#8217;s defense team claims the Utah County Attorney’s Office has a conflict of interest in the case due to a Utah County prosecutor’s daughter being present at Utah Valley University when the assassination took place. They are currently working to get the office booted from the case.
The prosecution says the family member saw nothing direct and a conflict of interest has not been established. They’ve also accused the defense of stall tactics.
At Robinson&#8217;s last court appearance, Judge Tony Graf said there wasn&#8217;t sufficient evidence yet to warrant the expulsion of the office, but has notably allowed Robinson’s team to begin examining witnesses in relation to the supposed conflict of interest.
Robinson has been charged with murdering Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, on September 10 at Utah Valley University. At the time he was shot, Kirk was taking questions from people in the crowd who disagreed with him on politics.
The state has made clear that they intend to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tyler+Robinson+Had+Another+Day+In+Court.+Here’s+The+Latest+In+The+Charlie+Kirk+Assassination+Trial.">Tyler Robinson Had Another Day In Court. Here’s The Latest In The Charlie Kirk Assassination Trial.</a>

US-POLITICS-SHOOTING-KIRK

How Erika Kirk Is Trying To Stop Delays In Charlie’s Assassination Trial

Charlie Kirk

Utah

The Utah judge overseeing the assassination case of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has yet to rule on the defense&#8217;s motion to disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office from prosecuting the case over an alleged conflict of interest.
The defense team for Tyler Robinson &#8212; who&#8217;s been charged with the murder of Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, on September 10 at Utah Valley University &#8212; says the office has a conflict of interest in the case due to a Utah County prosecutor&#8217;s daughter being present at Utah Valley University when the assassination took place.
The prosecution says the family member saw nothing direct and a conflict of interest has not been established. They&#8217;ve also accused the defense of stall tactics.
Judge Tony Graf said on Friday that there&#8217;s not sufficient evidence yet to warrant the expulsion of the office, but has allowed Robinson&#8217;s team to begin examining witnesses in relation to the supposed conflict of interest.
Additionally, Judge Graf <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/accused-charlie-kirk-shooter-prosecution-removed/">blocked</a> a pool video camera from showing Robinson after his defense team complained that shots of the accused speaking with his legal team could potentially be seen by lip readers and unfairly impact the trial.
A court “decorum” order prohibits visual recordings of conversations at the defense table &#8212; even if they&#8217;re inaudible &#8212; that could potentially be deciphered by lip readers. It also bars close-ups of written communications. The defense argued that the video feed photographer violated such a provision twice on Friday, NewsNation reported.
The sanction of the pool video camera pertained to Friday&#8217;s hearing specifically, and is not permanent.
The next hearing is scheduled for February 3, and will focus on the defense&#8217;s requests to boot the Utah County Attorney’s Office from the case and limit video footage in the trial.
Separately, new reporting on Lance Twiggs, Robinson&#8217;s roommate and alleged lover, indicates that Twiggs is no longer being protected by federal agents.
Twiggs, who lived with Robinson at the time of Kirk&#8217;s murder, has been linked to text messages about the assassination. Relatives of Twiggs say the 22-year-old identified as transgender and was &#8220;transitioning&#8221; to female.
Twiggs had an FBI security detail due to threats before he moved out of state, according to media reports. He has not been charged with any crime in connection to the assassination.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-orders-transcripts-audio-to-be-made-public-from-hearing-for-accused-charlie-kirk-assassin?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Judge+Orders+Transcripts%2C+Audio+To+Be+Made+Public+From+Hearing+For+Accused+Charlie+Kirk+Assassin">Judge Orders Transcripts, Audio To Be Made Public From Hearing For Accused Charlie Kirk Assassin</a>

Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Tyler Robinson Attends Court Hearing

Tyler Robinson Had Another Day In Court. Here’s The Latest In The Charlie Kirk Assassination Trial.

While the Iranian government is shooting protesters in the streets by the thousands, where is the hue and cry among our college protesting class? Where is it? Why have they gone so silent?
According to reports coming out of Iran, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of Iranians are being killed in the streets by the Iranian regime. The Iranian people are now rising up against the Ayatollah-led regime, their mullah rulers, who have been leading them down a primrose path to both economic and despotic hell for the past 47 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people, apparently overnight, were still in the streets in Iran, braving actual bullets.
For all the people who pat themselves on the back for their bravery online, what actual bravery looks like is walking into the streets, arm in arm, standing up against people with machine guns who are firing live ammunition at you in order to achieve freedom for your people.
A bombshell new <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/">report</a> from CBS News suggests the Iranian government has murdered somewhere between 12,000 and 20,000 protesters since the ongoing national revolt began.
Meanwhile, there are apparently zero protests on college campuses in favor of the protesters. I have yet to see a major movement of congressional Democrats getting together in solidarity with the Iranian people.
The media coverage until the last couple of days has been scant on what is now a weeks-long, ongoing protest revolt against the regime, which is happening because the Iranian regime is absolutely weak in economic terms. The rial is now trading at a fraction of a penny.
The Iranian economy is running at low ebb because of the maximum sanctions that were placed against the regime by the Trump administration. It is also because of the overwhelming military successes that Israel has experienced since October 7 in cutting off the terror arms of the Iranian regime and of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in places ranging from Iran to Syria to Yemen to Iran itself. That obviously includes the 12-day war that happened last year, in which Iran proved to be a military paper tiger, unable to prevent the Israelis from flying sorties in broad daylight over Tehran and culminating in the American strike against Fordow, the nuclear facility in Iran.
There&#8217;s also a lack of water and power in Iran.
The mullahs, who promised an Islamic utopia, simply delivered an Islamist hell, and the people of Iran are sick of it. They are tired of it.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2346-iran-slaughter-in-the-streets?elementPosition=5&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
This is not the first protest movement in Iran. In 2009, there was a major protest movement that Barack Obama not only ignored, but undercut by negotiating with the Iranian regime, calling them “moderates,” and then trying to bring them into the fold of nations, which, as it turns out, was a horrifyingly bad idea that allowed them to strengthen themselves at the expense of America&#8217;s actual allies in the region.
Then, of course, he signed the 2015 JCPOA, which was designed to allow Iran and the mullahs a pathway to a nuclear bomb. The Trump administration came in, reversed the polarity, and put the pressure on the Iranian regime. Then Joe Biden came in, took his foot off the pedal, and started to talk again about a revived JCPOA.
By October of 2023, the Iranians were helping to spur the October 7 terror attacks in a seven-front terror war against Israel that ended, ironically, with Iran&#8217;s forces being absolutely devastated.
So now people are out in the streets, literally by the millions. And Iran is doing what Iran does best —they turn off the internet for the last several days, no information getting in, no information getting out, and they shoot people in the streets.
At this point, we are talking about a minimum of at least 3000 people who have been murdered on the streets of Iran. The number is probably significantly higher. We have seen pictures emerging of stacks of body bags. We&#8217;ve seen videos emerging of Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces and members of Iranian militias mowing people down.
President Trump is taking a strong position, telling Iranians to keep protesting, take over the institutions, save the names of the killers and abusers.
If the Iranian regime were deposed, that would be a sea change in geopolitics. Iran is a large-scale supplier of oil to China and a large-scale supplier of Shahid drones to Russia. Iran is the chief sponsor of global terrorism on planet Earth, having spread its terror tentacles not only throughout the Middle East, but also into Europe and into Latin America.
If the Iranian regime were to change, that would weaken Hezbollah in Lebanon. You might see an actual decent government with the capacity to destroy Hezbollah. You might see the possibility of an actual, broad Abraham Accord-like agreement between Iran and Israel.
I&#8217;m going to say it for the 100th time: This does not mean that the United States ought to put hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground in Iran to topple the regime. No one is talking about that. What we are talking about is a risk-reward calculation, whereby targeted American action could have a disproportionate effect on the future not only of the Middle East, but on geopolitics as a whole.
Imagine if the Houthis stopped harassing shipping in the Red Sea anymore because their sponsor state, Iran, was gone. Imagine if the Chinese had to be a little bit more careful about their playing around with anti-American forces in the Middle East, because the mullahs weren&#8217;t there to help them out. Imagine if the Russians did not have a gigantic supply of weaponry coming in from Iran.
A lot of people on the horseshoe theory Right are mirroring Ben Rhodes’ and Barack Obama’s foreign policy; many of them are simply dismissing a lot of the numbers coming out of Iran. You might notice that these are the same people perfectly willing to trust Hamas&#8217;s numbers in the Gaza Strip.
The same people who, in specious fashion, were labeling Israel&#8217;s targeted action in the Gaza Strip a genocide, have now gone extraordinarily silent when it comes to Iran literally mowing down protesters in the streets. That’s pretty incredible stuff from our human rights-loving friends.
The silence of the Left in the face of the brutality of the Iranian regime toward an innocent citizenry is staggeringly hypocritical and vile.

Iran map

Iran: Slaughter In The Streets And The Left Is Silent

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ben Shapiro

Donald Trump

Iran

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Middle East

Opinion

Protests

Nick Reiner, who stands accused of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, was dropped as a client by his lawyer, Alan Jackson.
The attorney did not give a reason for his decision but said he still believes in his former client’s innocence. Jackson is well known for taking on high-profile cases, including those involving actor Kevin Spacey and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. He recently represented Karen Read, who was acquitted of the murder of her then-boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
“Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” Jackson told the judge during a scheduled arraignment on Wednesday, adding that he had “no choice” but to withdraw from the case. Jackson said he was making the decision with Reiner’s “understanding and consent,” as The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/07/us-news/nick-reiner-dropped-by-lawyer-alan-jackson/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_social_post_id=645057832&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">reported</a>.
The arraignment was rescheduled for February 23.
“Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that sadly it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick,” Jackson told reporters later on, adding that he could not “legally or ethically” disclose what had changed.
Jackson also said he’s spent “literally every waking hour” going over the case. “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that!” Jackson repeated.
With Jackson stepping down, Reiner will be represented by public defender Kimberly Greene, the outlet noted.
Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder after his parents were discovered dead in their home in December. The maximum sentence is life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. 
The 32-year-old has a lengthy history of drug addiction and was allegedly behaving erratically at a party hosted by Conan O’Brien shortly before the killings. 
Nick Reiner’s two siblings — Romy, 28, and Jake, 34 — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nick-reiner-diagnosed-with-schizophrenia-before-parents-were-killed-report">issued a statement</a> after their brother’s first court appearance: “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
When Romy discovered the bodies of her parents, she informed police that her brother had been living in the home and was “dangerous.”

Nick Reiner Loses High-Profile Attorney Ahead Of Arraignment, Public Defender Appointed

Nick Reiner's Attorney Withdraws Before Arraignment, Now He Has A Public Defender

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