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Hegseth once warned against endless wars. Now he’s leading Trump’s strike-first doctrine
In a little over a year, the United States has carried out dozens of airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean tied to alleged narco-trafficking networks, launched sustained operations against Houthi forces in the Red Sea, captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, struck Iranian nuclear facilities and now embarked on an extended military campaign aimed at degrading Tehran’s missile, drone and command infrastructure.
The tempo marks one of the most assertive stretches of American force projection in recent years, spanning Latin America, the Middle East and critical maritime corridors.
For War Secretary Pete Hegseth, it also represents a striking turn.
Just before the 2024 presidential election, he described himself as a "recovering neocon," expressing regret over his support for Iraq-era interventionism and warning against open-ended wars.
Several analysts say the defining feature of the administration’s approach may be less about ideological evolution and more about alignment and execution.
"Unlike in Trump one, everyone in Trump's cabinet now — Hegseth, Rubio, etc. — understands that the president is the boss," said Matthew Kroenig, a defense strategist at the Atlantic Council. "In Trump 1.0 you had some Cabinet officials who thought their job was to save the Republic from Trump, the so-called adults in the room. And so I think it's pretty clear the president wanted to go in this direction, and I think Hegseth sees himself as supporting the president's vision."
That cohesion has coincided with a pattern of risk-taking.
Several of the administration’s most consequential military moves, from Venezuela to the Houthis to the current Iran campaign, carried the potential for escalation.
Some strategists say the relative absence of early blowback from those interventions may have reinforced the administration’s willingness to escalate into the Iranian theater.
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"I’m not sure I would have advised this," Kroenig said of the Iran operation. "It is pretty risky, but it’s going well so far."
Iranian missile launches have declined in volume. Regional allies have not broken ranks.
Whether that constitutes strategic success, however, depends on the metric.
Justin Fulcher, a former Pentagon adviser to Hegseth, argued the early phases of the campaign reflect what he described as a "return to strategic clarity."
"Deterrence is only credible when our allies actually believe that if President Trump says something, we will back it up," Fulcher said. "This is a validation of Secretary Hegseth and President Trump’s leadership."
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Hegseth, a former Army officer who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has argued that the current campaign bears little resemblance to those conflicts.
"This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both," Hegseth said at a press conference in early March. "Our generation knows better and so does this president."
In a separate interview, he added, "This is not a remaking of Iranian society from an American perspective. We tried that. The American people have rejected that."
Danielle Pletka, a senior fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank, said the campaign has unfolded largely as expected.
"I think things have gone reasonably well," Pletka said, pointing to degraded air defenses and what she described as repeated miscalculations by Iran. "All they've really done is made everybody quite mad, and that was a really bad calculation on their part."
At the same time, she cautioned against interpreting the administration’s actions as part of a fixed doctrine.
"I don’t think that it is doctrinal," Pletka said. "I think this is ad hoc."
Some longtime Trump supporters have said the current conflict is not what they expected from Trump, who campaigned on ending wars and "America First."
"It feels like the worst betrayal this time because it comes from the very man and the admin who we all believed was different and said no more," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X. "Instead, we get a war with Iran on behalf of Israel that will succeed in regime in Iran. Another foreign war for foreign people for foreign regime change. For what?"
In Pletka's view, the president has shown a pattern of attempting diplomacy first and shifting to force only when he concludes negotiations are unserious. She argues that posture distinguishes the current moment from past interventions.
She also emphasized that much of the operational credit belongs to the professional military.
"The planning behind this is credit to the U.S. military and to the CENTCOM commander and to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs," she said.
That distinction complicates efforts to attribute the current posture solely to Hegseth’s personal worldview. While the defense secretary has become a public face of the administration’s deterrence messaging, the execution of high-tempo campaigns rests heavily with career military leadership.
Some critics argue the administration has yet to clearly articulate an end state for the Iran campaign.
"Pete Hegseth needs to check with his boss on what the objective is," former national security advisor John Bolton recently said on CNN. "How does Hegseth explain that we've already changed the regime, which wasn't our objective? I think the Pentagon top leadership, civilian top leadership, needs some attitude adjustment. I think the military’s doing fine, but I wonder about the civilian leadership."
The White House pushed back forcefully on criticism of the campaign.
Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said Monday that Hegseth "is doing an incredible job leading the Department of War," pointing to what she described as the "ongoing success of Operation Epic Fury" and other missions.
Kelly said Iranian retaliatory attacks "have declined by 90 percent because the Department of War is destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities," and added that Hegseth works "in lockstep with President Trump every day" to ensure the U.S. military "continues to be the greatest, most powerful fighting force in the world."
The Pentagon echoed that assessment.
"Operation Epic Fury continues to advance with overwhelming success and precision," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said, describing a "resolute, full-spectrum campaign" aimed at the "total dismantlement of Iran’s terrorist network or its unconditional surrender."
Others see the moment in broader historical terms.
Peter Doran, a foreign policy analyst, described the campaign as a potential attempt to "end a 47-year war" waged by the Islamic Republic against the United States, but on Washington’s terms.
"This is a clear effort to end a 47-year war that Iran has been waging against the United States," Doran said.
He argued that visible American military performance could reverberate beyond the Middle East, particularly in Beijing.
"They look good," Doran said of U.S. forces. "That will serve, I hope, as a disincentive for adventurism."
If the operation ultimately succeeds in significantly degrading Iran’s military infrastructure, Doran argued, it could reshape the Middle East and expand diplomatic opportunities such as broader Arab-Israeli normalization.
"It changes everything in the Middle East," he said.
Yet even supporters acknowledge that long-term effects remain uncertain. In Venezuela, Maduro’s removal marked a dramatic shift in U.S. policy, but the governing apparatus he built remains largely intact.
Degrading missile stockpiles and drone infrastructure in Iran may buy time, but whether it produces durable deterrence or simply postpones reconstitution remains to be seen.
For now, the administration’s willingness to take calculated risks and its ability to avoid immediate escalation have reinforced the perception of restored American assertiveness. Whether that assertiveness translates into lasting strategic gains will likely define Hegseth’s tenure far more than the rhetoric that preceded it.
Hegseth and the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment.
'Mormon Wives' star says plastic surgery nightmare ruined her life and reality TV career
Reality TV star Jessi Ngatikaura said she felt recent plastic surgery "ruined" her life, describing the intense scrutiny she faced both on and off camera.
"I’ve really been struggling," Ngatikaura told her roughly 3.2 million social media followers across Instagram and TikTok. "I genuinely feel like this last surgery ruined my life."
"I know that sounds dramatic, but my whole life is my image," she explained in a video. "I am on camera, I’m on a TV show, I’m having to do press interviews, and now I’m getting ripped apart by everyone."
According to Ngatikaura, the plastic surgery "ruined" her career. "I don’t feel comfortable taking opportunities, but I have to."
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Ngatikaura took to Instagram and TikTok to give fans an update on her plastic surgery results. The reality TV star has been open about going under the knife, recently explaining why she was experiencing face swelling.
"I want to tell everyone I am extremely unhappy with the results," she said in the video. "My face looks terrible, I totally agree."
She claimed she didn't exactly know what she was getting herself into when she agreed to an upper blepharoplasty and fat grafting procedures on top of a surgery she had already planned. The JZ Styles founder said she initially went in only for a lower blepharoplasty.
"I did not want fat grafting, to be honest," she admitted. "I just kind of listened to a suggestion, not really understanding what it was, what it would do, what the results were going to be, what the recovery was going to be."
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Ngatikaura said the reality of the procedures and seeing the results play out on camera hit her hard.
"When you watch Season 5, it’s going to be even worse," she warned. "I look f---ing hideous all of Season 5. My face is swollen, my eyes look crazy, I don’t look like how I used to."
"I’m really insecure… I understand that I look really different, and I hate it," she added. "I really do. I look back at how I used to look. I look back to Season 4, and I’m like, ‘Damn, I looked really good.’ I wish I could have seen that. I could cry talking about it."
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Ngatikaura is known for "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."
The reality show follows a group of Mormon influencers and showcases their friendships, marriages and the tension between their religious community and their personal lives.
The hair stylist's personal life was thrust into the spotlight on season four of the Hulu show after she had an affair with "Vanderpump Rules" star Marciano Brunette. However, Ngatikaura claimed the affair occurred while she was "on a break" from her marriage to Jordan Ngatikaura.
Fans watched the two work through their issues on TV and the couple is still together.
Colts shell out historic free agent deal to keep receiver Alec Pierce
The Indianapolis Colts kept one of their wide receivers in free agency, but shipped one out as well.
Alec Pierce, who reportedly had offers elsewhere, is staying with the Colts after agreeing to terms on a four-year, $116 million deal, making the highest-paid free agent receiver in NFL history, according to multiple reports.
Pierce is getting $84 million in guarantees, including $60 million fully guaranteed at signing.
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After the Pierce news hit the free agency stream, the Colts made a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in exchange for a late-round pick swap, which has yet to be announced.
With Pittman’s deal scheduled to be up after this year, the Steelers reportedly inked him to a new three-year, $59 million deal to keep him in place for the near future.
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The Steelers needed wide receiver help to go along with D.K. Metcalf, who they traded for last season with the Seattle Seahawks. The big question is who will be throwing passes for them this season, as all eyes are on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and whether a reunion with new head coach Mike McCarthy, who he spent years with in Green Bay as he starred for the Packers, is in the cards.
For the Colts, Pierce is someone who had a breakout season in 2025, seeing his first 1,000-yard-plus campaign on just 47 catches, showcasing his deep ball threat abilities with Daniel Jones as the team’s new quarterback. Pierce quickly became one of the best deep ball players in the NFL, and the Colts knew that aspect of his game makes their offense quite the threat.
They definitely paid him as such to make sure he didn’t pursue any other options on the market. Then again, he told ESPN’s "The Pat McAfee Show" how much he wanted to stay put.
"I knew where my heart was," he said on the program. "I loved the city of Indianapolis. I just seen where we were at last year, early in the year, kind of rolling. I truly believe we were the No. 1 team in the NFL and just obviously didn’t finish out the season like we should have."
The Colts saw Jones go down with an Achilles injury, knocking him out for the rest of the year at the worst possible time. Philip Rivers was even called upon to make his shocking return to the gridiron, but the Colts couldn’t make the playoffs despite starting 8-2.
Jones got the transition tag from the Colts this offseason, which allowed Indianapolis to pursue Pierce heavily, knowing they should have their quarterback return for the 2026 campaign.
With Jonathan Taylor setting the tone in the Colts’ backfield, Pierce stretches the defense with his threat of going long, with 36.2% of his receptions going for 20 yards or more in 2025.
At the same time, the Steelers and McCarthy know Pittman is a trusty pair of hands, willing to do the dirty work in the short and intermediate to move the chains and provide a physical presence no matter the assignment with his 6-foot-4 frame.
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Boston lead singer Tommy DeCarlo dead at 60
Tommy DeCarlo, the lead singer of the rock band Boston, has died. He was 60.
The musician, who became the band's frontman in 2007, died on Monday after a battle with brain cancer, his daughter, Talia, told Fox News Digital.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our Dad, Tommy DeCarlo, on Monday, March 9th, 2026," Talia stated.
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"After being diagnosed with brain cancer last September, he fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end. During this difficult time, we kindly ask that friends and fans respect our family’s privacy as we grieve and support one another."
In December, DeCarlo's family — including his wife, Annie, and children, Talia and Tommy Jr. — created a GoFundMe page that asked for help during his cancer battle.
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"In late September, Dad suffered a sudden brain bleed and underwent an emergency craniotomy," the GoFundMe post began. "During surgery, doctors discovered two melanoma masses on his brain and another spot on his lungs. He amazed us by recovering from the surgery and beginning treatment, but before he could complete it, he had another brain bleed and was hospitalized from November 27th to December 27th."
At the time it was created, DeCarlo had completed acute inpatient therapy and was "back on track with treatments from his oncology team."
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"Our Dad is strong," the post continued. "He is a fighter. And he’s giving this battle everything he’s got — but he needs your help on this one."
"We’ve created a GoFundMe to help support his needs and the challenges ahead. He is deeply grateful for the love, prayers, and support he’s already received from friends, family, and fans all over the world. It has lifted him up during the hardest moments and reminded him he’s not fighting alone."
DeCarlo joined Boston after its original lead singer, Brad Delp, died in 2007.
DeCarlo, who was working as a credit manager at his local Home Depot before landing his dream role as the band's lead singer, got the attention of Boston after uploading covers of Boston songs to his MySpace page.
Jets running back appears to take subtle shot at team over free agency deals
New York Jets running back Breece Hall appeared to take a subtle shot at the team on Monday as the franchise reportedly came to agreements with multiple defenders at the start of free agency.
The Jets placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Hall last week, preventing him from becoming a restricted free agent. Hall is allowed to negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet, but the team has first refusal rights.
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As free agency began, Hall noticed the team agreeing to deals with defenders.
The Jets reportedly acquired Miami Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, who will sign a three-year, $40 million deal with the team. New York also signed linebacker Demario Davis to a two-year, $22 million deal and defensive end Joseph Ossai to a three-year, $36 million contract, according to multiple reports.
"Damn we sure got a lot of money in Florham Park all these contracts dudes signing," Hall wrote on X with three crying-laughing emojis.
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The two sides have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement. If they cannot agree to terms on a deal by then, Hall will play the 2026 season with a $14.293 million cap hit.
Hall rushed for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns last season in 16 games. He also had 36 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown for a 3-14 Jets squad.
He has played 56 games across four seasons with the Jets, and in that time he has run for 3,398 yards with 18 rushing touchdowns while catching 188 passes for 1,642 yards and nine touchdowns.
Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
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CBS News correspondent announces sudden exit from network, says he’s seeking ‘some independence’
CBS News justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane announced on Monday that he is leaving the network.
MacFarlane became the latest CBS News employee to exit amid editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’ reshaping of the organization. He penned a farewell note to colleagues explaining that it was his decision to walk away.
"To my incredible colleagues at CBS: I want to personally let you know that my work will soon no longer appear on CBS News. This is my decision, and I appreciate the bosses at CBS for understanding it," MacFarlane posted on X.
'CBS MORNINGS' EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ANNOUNCES EXIT WITH CANDID MEMO TO COLLEAGUES
"I will always value the opportunity I had to work alongside the talented and committed professionals here. I'm proud to have had the words 'CBS correspondent' next to my name — always will be," MacFarlane continued. "For the next phase of my career, I look forward to some independence and finding new spaces to share my work in line with my personal goals. I thank you all. The work will not stop, and I'll always be a call away."
CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MacFarlane has been with CBS News since 2021 and earned 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, according to his bio page on the network’s website. His exit comes weeks after Anderson Cooper walked away from "60 Minutes," and a trio of producers bolted.
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"CBS Mornings" executive producer Shawna Thomas on Thursday announced she would leave the show at the end of the month, saying she's "tired."
Last month, veteran CBS News producer Mary Walsh exited the network in dramatic fashion, suggesting the organization has been told to aim reporting at a particular political party. "CBS Evening News" producer Alicia Hastey also quit and suggested there "has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism."
Weiss, who was handpicked by CEO David Ellison, was formally named editor-in-chief of CBS News in October after her outlet, The Free Press, was acquired by Paramount.
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Weiss landing the coveted role was met with both internal and external criticism, with some citing her opinion background and lack of television experience. Others, however, have welcomed the move, noting that CBS News trailed ABC and NBC in most metrics and needed to evolve.
In the months since taking control of CBS News, Weiss has put an emphasis on trust and bluntly told staffers they’re "not producing a product that enough people want." She also irked "60 Minutes" staffers by delaying a report on the notorious El Salvador prison CECOT, and she has been accused by media liberals of carrying water for President Donald Trump's administration, although Weiss’ supporters insisted she was simply attempting to balance out the network that has drifted to the left in recent years.
CBS News has also faced layoffs in recent months as parent company Paramount aimed to reduce headcount after Paramount Global and Skydance merged last year.
Democrat Rep Zoe Lofgren backs SJSU for suing Trump admin over transgender volleyball scandal dispute
A congressional Democrat has come forward to support San Jose State University and the California State University for its lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., expressed support on social media for SJSU's legal challenge to the U.S. Department of Education's findings that the university violated Title IX in its handling of a transgender volleyball player.
"I firmly stand with SJSU and the lawsuit they have just filed against the federal government to prevent punitive action against the university," Lofgren wrote.
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"The Trump Administration is attempting to freeze their federal funding based on alleged Title IX violations during the 2022-24 volleyball seasons. These claims aren’t grounded in the facts or the law, and I applaud SJSU for standing their ground and defending their students and institution from these politicized attacks."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Education Department for a response.
The department's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced at the end of January that an investigation into the university for its handling of a trans athlete and other players concluded that the school violated Title IX and gave SJSU an ultimatum to resolve the violation by agreeing to a series of conditions.
Among the department's findings, it determined that a female athlete discovered that the trans student allegedly conspired to have a member of an opposing team spike her in the face during a match. The department claims "SJSU did not investigate the conspiracy, but later subjected the female athlete to a Title IX complaint for ‘misgendering' the male athlete in online videos and interviews."
But now, instead of complying like the University of Pennsylvania did last summer related to its handling of trans swimmer Lia Thomas, SJSU and CSU are suing to prevent potential federal funding cuts.
"Because we believe OCR’s findings aren’t grounded in the facts or the law, SJSU and the CSU filed a lawsuit today against the federal government to challenge those findings and prevent the federal government from taking punitive action against the university, including the potential withholding of critical federal funding," SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said Friday.
"This is not a step we take lightly. However, we have a responsibility to defend the integrity of our institution and the rule of law, while ensuring that every member of our community is treated fairly and in accordance with the law. Our position is simple: We have followed the law and cannot be punished for doing so."
The school is also requesting that OCR rescind its findings and close its investigation.
Teniente-Matson affirmed the university's commitment to defending the LGBTQ community in the announcement.
"Our support for the LGBTQ members of our community, who have experienced threats and harms over the last several years, remains unwavering. We know the attention the university has received around this issue and the investigative process that followed have been unsettling for many in our community," the president said.
"We’ve heard the fear and anxiety that it has created and recognize that waiting for the university’s response has been difficult at a time already filled with uncertainty."
The university and its volleyball program were thrust into the national spotlight in 2024 after it was revealed the team had rostered trans athlete Blaire Fleming since 2022.
Former SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit and led her own, alleging she was never told Fleming was a biological male when she joined the team and shared bedrooms and changing spaces with Fleming without that knowledge. Slusser has since said she shared an apartment and even, at times, beds with Fleming while not knowing Fleming's birth sex.
A federal judge made a ruling in Slusser's lawsuit last Tuesday. Colorado District Judge Kato Crews dismissed all the plaintiffs' charges against the Mountain West Conference but did not dismiss charges of Title IX violations against the CSU system.
Crews deferred his ruling on whether to dismiss those charges until after a decision in the ongoing B.P.J. v. West Virginia Supreme Court case, which is expected in June.
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Coast Guard cutter Munro returns to California home after record-breaking 11-Ton cocaine seizure
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter and its crew returned to their home in California following a 119-day mission in which they seized more than 22,000 pounds of cocaine, the largest maritime drug seizure in 18 years, in the Atlantic in support of the Trump administration's effort to target drug traffickers.
The cutter Munro left its port in Alameda on Nov. 3, 2025 for training and participation in Resolute Hunter exercise offshore of San Diego, before sailing into the Pacific Ocean to conduct counternarcotics patrols in support of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Operation Pacific Viper.
However, the ship was diverted to the Atlantic Ocean in support of Operation Southern Spear, a Trump administration effort to target and disrupt transnational criminal networks, the War Department said Monday.
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"The service, our nation and our families can be extremely proud of Munro," said Capt. Jim O’Mara, Munro’s commanding officer. "This crew rose to every new challenge thrown at them with professionalism and persistence, and they achieved historic results. This was a one-of-a-kind deployment for us, but it is also just one part of a much broader campaign and U.S. national strategy."
After transiting the Panama Canal, the Munro patrolled the Carribean Sea, where it followed the U.S.-sanctioned Motor Tanker Bella 1, across the Atlantic Ocean for 18 days and 4,900 miles.
The vessel was determined to be without nationality and subject to U.S. jurisdiction. The crew of the Munro boarded the Bella to seize control of the 333-meter crude oil carrier.
In the Pacific, the Munro detected a vessel transiting along a known smuggling route.
With the help of its two cutter pursuit boats and other assets, the Munro tracked and interdicted the vessel using warning shots and disabling fire from a helicopter.
Six suspected drug smugglers were detained and 22,052 pounds of cocaine were seized, a milestone not seen in nearly two decades.
"We could not have done this without support from partners, allies, and our families," said O’Mara. "Our families had to adapt to each new twist, just like all military families do across the Armed Forces. It is tough on them. But when they hold strong at home that keeps us motivated and focused on our mission."
On Sunday, the Pentagon announced that U.S. forces have carried out a lethal strike on a vessel allegedly carrying suspected narco-traffickers in the Eastern Pacific, killing six people on board.
The latest strike brings the death toll in the Trump administration's attacks on ships carrying suspected drug smugglers to at least 156, according to The New York Times.
It was the 45th strike since the U.S. began targeting boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific in early September and comes amid a recent increase in the pace of strikes, the newspaper reported.
Wife of teacher killed in senior prank makes unexpected request for charged students
The wife of a Georgia high school teacher who died after what authorities described as a late-night senior prank gone wrong has asked for all charges to be dropped against the students involved.
Five North Hall High students were arrested after going to math teacher Jason Hughes’ Gainesville home armed with toilet paper to carry out a long-standing prank tradition. Hughes, 40, was the intended target Thursday night.
As the group tried to leave in two separate vehicles, Hughes was walking toward the street when he tripped and fell into the slippery roadway, the Hall County Sheriff's Office said. He was then run over by a car driven by 18-year-old Jayden Ryan Wallace.
Rather than an angry confrontation, the father of two was "excited and waiting to catch them in the act," his wife, Laura, told The New York Times.
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"This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students," Hughes said. "This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children."
The Hugheses were both teachers at the public school and devoted their lives to teaching. According to the New York Post, the prank had evolved into an ongoing battle where students lost "points" if the teacher caught them in the act.
VIRGINIA MAGAZINE EDITOR, 23, KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN WHILE CROSSING STREET
Wallace and the other teens stopped and attempted to help Hughes while waiting for first responders. The teacher later died from his injuries.
Wallace faces felony charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, along with misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and littering on private property. The other 18-year-olds, identified by police as Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque and Ariana Cruz, were also arrested at the scene and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass and littering on private property.
Jail records show that Wallace was arrested on Saturday and has a total bond of $1,950. All five students have since been released on bond, court records show. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Hall County Sheriff's Office for comment on Laura Hughes' statements.
Along with being a math teacher at the high school, the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes posted on its Facebook that Hughes was also a golf coach at the school.
In a statement to FOX 5, the school said: "Our hearts are broken. Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father; a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues. He gave so much to so many in numerous ways. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family. We ask that the media and the public respect their privacy as they grieve."
In a GoFundMe, a family friend asked for funds to help with future planning for his two children.
"Jason’s life was a blessing to so many, and his untimely passing will be indescribably difficult for his wife and two young boys for years to come," the fundraiser said.
Suspect in NYC terror probe planned attack 'bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing,' prosecutors say
A suspect in the New York City terror protest attack near Gracie Mansion, the residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, allegedly planned an assault "bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing," federal prosecutors said in a criminal complaint Monday.
Emir Balat allegedly made the statement after his arrest. Prosecutors say he told investigators that he and co-defendant Ibrahim Kayumi wanted to stage an attack exceeding the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured more than 500 others.
The complaint alleges that on Saturday, Balat and Kayumi attempted to detonate two apparent explosive devices during a "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" protest and counter-protest near Mamdani’s residence.
Preliminary testing indicates that at least one device contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile explosive used in multiple terrorist attacks over the past decade.
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Both men allegedly made statements referencing ISIS, with Kayumi captured on NYPD bodycam footage responding "ISIS" when asked why he carried out the attack, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said Balat also later wrote on a piece of paper that he "pledge[d] allegiance [sic] to the Islamic State."
The two defendants face five federal charges: attempted provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization; use of a weapon of mass destruction; transportation of explosive materials; interstate transportation and receipt of explosives; and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
Balat and Kayumi appeared in handcuffs and shackles at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in downtown Manhattan on Monday.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 8.
Following a NYPD and Justice Department news conference announcing the indictments against Balat and Kayumi, Mamdani confirmed the charges against the men in a statement.
"Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi have been charged with committing a heinous act of terrorism and proclaiming their allegiance to ISIS," Mamdani said. "They should be held fully accountable for their actions.
"We will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. We will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city."