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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
After charming audiences during the sixth season of Love Island USA, Craig is back on the dating scene. Although she found a connection on the show with fellow contestant Kenny Rodriguez, their relationship ended in July 2025 after a year together.
Now, Craig isn’t keen on returning to television to search for love again. In a March 2026 interview with OK! Magazine, she expressed her gratitude for the experience, saying, “I’m incredibly thankful for that chapter—it was fun, memorable, and shaped who I am now. But as for dating, I don’t see myself getting involved with anyone from that world again.” She continued, “I’m looking for something a bit more private and truly authentic.”
Read on for more of JaNa Craig’s thoughts on dating:
JaNa Craig balances multiple roles these days. Since her departure from Fiji and the conclusion of her Love Island USA season, Craig has been keeping herself occupied. Now single after ending things with island partner Kenny Rodriguez, she’s open to new romantic possibilities. The couple parted ways just after their first anniversary in July 2025. […]
Is JaNa Craig Single?
JaNa Craig is currently single after calling it quits with her ex-boyfriend, Kenny Rodriguez, whom she met while filming Love Island USA. The pair went their separate ways shortly after celebrating their one-year anniversary in July 2025.
At the time, she took to social media to share a statement on their breakup. “As you know, Kenny and I [are] no longer together,” she wrote. “Please know that I have seen all the breakup theories and none have matched up to how terrible, disgusting and disappointing it truly is.”
Rodriguez also made a statement of his own, writing, “The past few days have been incredibly difficult. I’ve been quietly sitting with a lot of emotions and doing my best to process everything privately.” He continued, “Breakups are never easy, especially in the public eye. Sometimes, despite how deeply you care for someone, you come to the hard truth that the relationship was not something that could last long-term.”
What JaNa Craig Is Looking for in a Romantic Partner
JaNa Craig gave a hint of what she’s hoping to find in a suitor while starring in Credit One Bank’s reality-inspired digital series, You’re the Credit One for Me. In March 2026, she opened up to Us Weekly about the series and what she wants in a future boyfriend.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for YouTube Music
“When I first heard the concept, it was an immediate yes,” she shared. “It literally relates to my life. I do like a guy that has good credit, so it felt like they were making a story about me.”
Craig explained that having a strong credit score has “always been a priority” for her. “I just love that that’s the main focus of the series. A really good credit score is beneficial for so many things — renting, buying a home, getting a car, even starting a business,” she told Us. “It’s more important than people realize.”
Would JaNa Craig Go Back on Love Island?
JaNa Craig confirmed that she does not plan to return to the series.
While chatting with OK! Magazine in March 2026, the reality star said she “would never, ever in [her] life,” try and find The One on TV again.
JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez‘s romance seemed like it would stand the test of time since leaving the Love Island USA villa before they shockingly called it quits. Season 6, which premiered in June 2024, introduced JaNa as an original Islander who initially formed a connection with Coye Simmons and then Connor Newsum before Kenny […]
“I’m so grateful for that first time, it was fun, it was memorable, it’s made me who I am today, but when it comes to dating now, I don’t think I will ever date anyone from that world again,” she explained. “I want something a little bit more low-key and a little bit more genuine.”
Recently unveiled images capture Tiger Woods at the scene of his dramatic car accident in Jupiter, Florida.
The photographs, taken on a Friday, show the famed golfer standing beside his black Land Rover, which had flipped onto its side.
These images were taken just prior to his arrest on charges of driving under the influence.
In the photos, Woods, 50, is dressed in a blue polo shirt and shorts, seemingly making a phone call. He completes his look with his trademark baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.
The street and adjacent grass bear visible skid marks, indicating the path Woods’s vehicle took before it overturned.
The professional golfer allegedly attempted to pass a utility pressure cleaner truck when he hit the “back end” of the truck’s trailer, causing his car to roll over on the street, according to a press conference held by the Martin County Sheriff Department on Friday.
Woods was able to climb out of his vehicle unharmed and was taken into custody by authorities soon after the accident, which took place just after 2 p.m.
The athlete allegedly refused to submit to a urine test following his arrest. However, he submitted to a breathalyzer test in which he “moved multiple zeroes.”
Still, authorities claimed Woods showed “significant signs of impairment.”
He is currently being held at the Martin County Jail and is facing charges of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
He’s expected to remain in jail for eight hours after his arrest, as mandated by Florida law.
A source informed Page Six on Friday that Vanessa Trump, 48 — whom Woods has been dating since early 2025 — nor Vanessa’s daughter Kai were with Woods during the incident. The mother-daughter duo were spotted with the golfer earlier this week as they supported him during the Jupiter Links GC tournament.
He appears to have been by himself at the time of the crash.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump strongly urged Iran to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains accessible for oil transportation, suggesting this as a pathway to achieving a peace agreement. In a characteristic move, he humorously referred to the vital maritime passage as the ‘Strait of Trump.’
Throughout his second term, Trump has become known for renaming several landmarks in Washington after himself, and on this occasion, he initially labeled his remark as a ‘mistake.’ However, he quickly followed up by asserting that ‘there’s no accidents with me.’
The 79-year-old president reiterated his belief that Iran is prepared to negotiate a deal, despite Tehran’s public denials. He mentioned that discussions are actively taking place to resolve the ongoing conflict that has spanned several weeks.
Speaking at the Saudi-backed FII Priority investment forum in Miami, Trump stated, “They have to open up the Strait of Trump – I mean Hormuz. Excuse me, I’m so sorry. Such a terrible mistake.”
Anticipating media reaction, he confidently added, “The media will have a field day with this, but with me, there are not too many accidents.”
He also talked about how he had ordered the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America’ shortly after returning to power.
The Strait of Hormuz was open to international shipping before the conflict, but the narrow waterway has since ground to a standstill, leading to a surge in global energy prices.
The US President dubbed the crucial waterway the ‘Strait of Trump’
WASHINGTON — As President Trump ramps up pressure against Iran, military leaders at the Pentagon are discreetly preparing a comprehensive array of military options that could potentially lead to U.S. ground forces engaging in a significant conflict for the first time in almost five years.
Trump is currently adopting a dual approach: escalating military pressure while keeping negotiations open. He has even extended a deadline set for Friday, allowing Tehran more time to comply with U.S. demands.
Simultaneously, thousands of U.S. troops, including units from the elite 82nd Airborne Division, are being deployed to the region. Accompanied by Air Force, Navy, and Marine forces, this display of military might aims to pressure Tehran into negotiations while also preparing for any possible confrontation.
Moreover, the Pentagon is reportedly contemplating the deployment of an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East, as tensions with Iran continue to escalate, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The core of this tension lies in the Strait of Hormuz, a pivotal global oil transit point that Iran has disrupted, causing global oil prices to rise. Iran asserts control over the strait, but Trump is determined to ensure it remains open and secure for international use, by any means necessary.
While the use of force is not decided and diplomacy could prevail, the Department of War is prepared for a range of actions, which analysts and former military planners say could range from sustained airstrikes and covert raids to the dramatic seizure of strategic islands in the Persian Gulf.
Here’s how a conflict could unfold — and what’s on the table:
Boots on the ground
The more aggressive options under discussion — placing US troops at the most potential risk — involve American boots on Iranian soil.
Those options vary, but are largely centered around seizing key Iranian-controlled or disputed islands like Abu Musa and Larak, which sit astride the shipping lanes.
Former Pentagon official and Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas said taking those positions would strip Iran of crucial launch points.
“That would deny those as strategic platforms to strike ships in the area,” he said.
Even more consequential: Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub. Putting troops there serves a dual purpose — stopping Iran’s ability to make money off oil and putting troops in a location Tehran would be loathe to target, lest they destroy their own critical infrastructure, Plitsas said.
“It’s like taking a chess piece off Iran’s board and putting another bargaining chip in your pocket,” he said.
Still, any move on the ground would come with steep risks. Holding territory would expose US forces to sustained attack and stretch military resources, Foundation for Defending Democracies senior fellow and retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery warned.
“If you try to seize and hold this area, the risk to the force will become so high,” he said.
Getting troops in wouldn’t be easy either.
A naval landing would require running the gauntlet through the strait, while an airborne assault sending in troops via helicopters and parachutes would leave forces exposed to missiles and drones during insertion.
“You’d have to transit the strait with ships in order to get in there… and we can’t do that,” Plitsas said, noting that such a move would sacrifice surprise and expose US forces to attack.
“If they come in by air, you’d be vulnerable to shoulder-fired missiles up to 12,000 feet,” he added.
But the US military also has options to secure the vital waterway and ensure oil keeps flowing — without necessarily putting boots on the ground, Montgomery said.
“Opening the straight is not a factor of securing the islands; it’s a factor of reducing the military risk to a convoy,” he said. “The military risk to a convoy comes from missiles, mines, drones and fast attack craft. So you have to reduce each one of those to a manageable risk level, and each one of them has kind of a different [air and naval asset] that can take care of them.”
The retired admiral said the US could reopen the strait by stacking a layered air-and-sea defense in a no-ground-war playbook to keep the critical shipping lane open.
Navy destroyers already in region could knock down incoming missiles, while F-16s, F-15s and F/A-18 fighter jets could hunt drones overhead with low-cost rockets — leaving pricey standard missiles as a last resort if anything slips through, he said.
Meanwhile, Iranian fast-attack boats would be taken out by A-10 aircraft and armed helicopters, and mines would be prevented where possible and cleared by US littoral combat ships with mine-sweeping gear.
Targeting nuclear capabilities
Another path: going after Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
That could mean covert operations to seize highly enriched uranium stockpiles buried deep underground — though experts say a large-scale ground invasion could be challenging to pull off.
“For a soft team insertion and removal, yes,” Montgomery said. “For something like the 82nd Airborne, that would be pretty challenging.”
Instead, special forces could slip in and out quickly — hitting targets without trying to hold ground.
“I would keep it Special Forces — an insertion, no holding, do your business, get out,” he said.
Or the US could rely entirely on sustained airstrikes aimed at degrading Iran’s nuclear infrastructure over time.
Even then, Iran would still have ways to hit back — including swarms of explosive boats, drones and missile attacks targeting US forces or commercial shipping.
Regardless, the message from Washington is clear: negotiate — or face a widening menu of military force.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has vowed that his nation will impose a “HEAVY price” in response to what he described as an Israeli military breach of a ceasefire agreement concerning Iranian energy infrastructure, established by the Trump administration.
Araghchi stated that Israel targeted two of Iran’s major steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites, among other critical infrastructures. He claimed these actions were taken in coordination with the United States. The minister shared his remarks in a post on social platform X on Friday.
He further criticized the attack, stating that it contradicts the extended diplomatic deadline announced by President Trump. Trump had recently decided to prolong a pause on assaults against Iranian energy facilities, which was initially meant to last five days.
President Trump had announced this extension on Truth Social, writing, “At the request of the Iranian Government, this statement serves to confirm a pause in the destruction of energy plants for 10 days, until Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M. Eastern Time.”
Trump also mentioned that the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran were progressing positively.
“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
In making the announcement, he said talks between the U.S. and Iran were “going very well.”
Trump adviser Steve Witkoff said Thursday that the U.S. had sent over a 15-point “action list” to Tehran through Pakistani officials this week, calling the talks “strong and productive.” Iranian officials responded to this proposed plan with several demands of their own.
The president also revealed Thursday that Iranian officials permitted 10 oil-carrying ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a “present” to the U.S. A fifth of the world’s oil flows through this waterway, and Iranian counterstrikes on U.S. military bases and energy infrastructure in the region have effectively halted the flow of barrels through this passage.
International benchmark Brent crude was trading at about $113.7 per barrel Friday afternoon, while the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate was trading just less than $100 per barrel.
The Trump administration is under pressure to bring down rising costs for American consumers. The average rate of standard gas in the U.S. was up to $3.98 per gallon Friday, almost exactly a dollar increase from a month ago.
Trump has moved to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian, Venezuelan and Iranian oil already at sea to offset these rising costs. Additionally, his administration has looked to boost domestic oil production and tapped the U.S.’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CHICAGO (WLS) — The tragic shooting near the United Center that claimed the life of a Chicago contractor has resulted in two men being detained as they await trial. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the ongoing issues of violence in the area.
Nassie Mason, 28, and Erving Harris, 31, are facing serious charges in connection with the incident. Both men were charged with first-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Their court appearance on Friday led to a judge deciding they would remain in custody until their trial proceedings begin.
Authorities apprehended Mason and Harris on Tuesday, shortly after the shooting occurred in the 2100-block of West Madison Street. The victim, 67-year-old Jerry Lewis, was shot in the head around 1 p.m. and was immediately transported to Stroger Hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries.
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The somber nature of this event underscores the urgent need for solutions to curb gun violence in the city. The community continues to grapple with the loss of a respected contractor and neighbor, as the legal process unfolds for those accused of this heinous act.
He was shot in the head and was rushed to Stroger hospital where he died, police said.
Prosecutors said CPD officers witnessed the shooting and took the suspects into custody within seconds, and surveillance cameras captured the suspects waiting for the victim to exit a building and walking up to the victim and shooting him.
Mason allegedly shot Lewis in the back of the head, and Harris allegedly stood over the victim and shot him three more times, according to prosecutors.
Lewis had a profound impact on the construction community and those on the West Side, his wife said.
The 67-year-old’s family said he was shot while walking between offices when he was approached by two gunmen who opened fire.
SEE ALSO | Man, 67 gunned down near United Center in broad daylight; CPD questioning 2 people of interest
Lewis’ family said he was a successful Chicago contractor and developer who was instrumental in Project 1901, the $7-billion development of property around the United Center.
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Iran has targeted Gulf states and US bases in its retaliation, while a new front has opened in Lebanon.
A proposed US deal and Iran’s counteroffer remain far apart, with both sides showing little sign of backing down.
President Trump’s military actions against Iran have led to unintended consequences, with the U.S. facing unexpected resistance from the Iranian government and military.
Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes at the end of February, Iran has demonstrated a surprising level of resilience and capacity for retaliation. Despite initial threats from President Trump that the strikes would decisively incapacitate Iran’s leadership and military, the situation has proven more complex. Iran has responded forcefully, disrupting key strategic areas.
Iran’s actions have included blocking the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments. The nation has also targeted Gulf states aligned with the United States, as well as American military installations scattered throughout the Middle East.
The conflict has spilled over into Lebanon, where Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran, launched attacks on Israel. This escalation followed the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed during the U.S.-Israeli operations.
The ongoing hostilities have resulted in significant casualties across the region, with the Human Rights Activist News Agency reporting that 3,300 individuals have died in Iran alone, including 1,464 civilians. The violence continues to take a heavy toll on the Middle East’s civilian population.
SBS News is unable to independently verify these figures.
“Unexpected” factors have been at play in this first month of fighting, experts told SBS News, and predicting when it could end is becoming increasingly “murky.”
“Iran’s government has proved to be more entrenched and resilient than had been expected, and it is pushing for its regime to survive at all costs,” said Amin Saikal, an emeritus professor of Middle Eastern studies at the Australian National University.
“Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants not only to destroy the Iranian government, but also to degrade the Iranian state, making sure that Iran is not capable of standing on its own as a rival in the region.”
Iran has targeted neighbouring Gulf states allied with the US in response to joint US and Israeli strikes late last month. Source: SBS News
The US, however, has been operating on a more “ad hoc” basis, according to Saikal, with Trump threatening total destruction of Iranian leadership, then this week pushing for a peace deal with the Iran.
“The US has shifted its objective just about every day, ranging from helping the oppressed people of Iran to degrading Iran’s military capability — more specifically, its missile capability — and destroying its nuclear facilities,” Saikal said.
Jessica Genauer, an expert in international conflict at the University of New South Wales, said the nature of the conflict — that of a strong military power aiming to eliminate an apparently weaker force — is relatively common in history.
“You can look to Israel and Hamas (the political and military group that rules Gaza), for instance, where the former has a much stronger military, but the latter is still holding out,” she told SBS News.
“It’s been historically difficult for countries with significant military capability to fully eliminate enemy actors.”
Examples include US-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where prolonged military efforts failed to decisively eliminate insurgent groups or establish lasting stability, and the US ultimately withdrew.
Genauer said that in these cases and others, the US could never fully control the insurgencies fighting against its forces.
Iran, therefore, doesn’t need to defeat the US in combat but rather needs to outlast its willingness to continue its assaults on the region and the subsequent economic costs.
A war with global consequences
Both Saikal and Genauer said the current conflict has been more disruptive to the world than most wars this century in terms of economic security.
“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is the critical piece here, and the longer this conflict goes on, the world is essentially going to face a kind of COVID-19 moment,” Genauer said.
“In terms of supply chains, in terms of fuel prices, in terms of international travel, we’re actually going to see a complete restructuring of those large and critical components, not only of the global economy, but elements that really affect everyday citizens in their day-to-day life.”
The flow-on effects of the conflict have been “very immediate” and for many people “probably quite unexpected”, she added.
Saikal said the Strait’s closure demonstrates the world’s dependency on the Middle East for energy.
“If the current conflict continues for longer, let’s say for another two weeks or a month, I think the impact of that in terms of the shortage of energy, as well as rising inflation, would become a lot more acute,” he said.
The ongoing fighting has also impacted travel and tourism, and sparked repatriation efforts to bring home thousands stranded across the region.
Australians have been told not to travel to a number of countries in the Middle East, including Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The war’s uncertain trajectory
Looking beyond the toll on human life and the global economy and asking when the conflict could end leads to uncertain answers.
Genauer said that despite its relatively weak military, Iran can deploy cost-effective counterinsurgency tactics to prolong the war to its advantage.
She said that the nature of warfare has evolved, and countries now have access to relatively “cheap military assets”, like drones, light attack craft and midget submarines.
Iran can use these assets to cause chaos in the Middle East and control the Strait of Hormuz, eroding the US’ willpower to continue fighting.
“When the greater military capability starts to use their military force in more indiscriminate ways, the more that they actually lose the support, both of their own domestic populations, but also the populations within the country they’re attacking,” she explained.
How much longer the war will last is in the hands of Trump, Saikal said, who has begun to push for a peace deal, after initially ruling out negotiations with Iran.
The US’ 15-point proposal, sent through Pakistan, calls for removing Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, halting enrichment, curbing its ballistic missile program and cutting off funding for regional allies, according to three Israeli cabinet sources familiar with the plan.
Iran has submitted its own five-point plan calling for an end to the fighting, no further assassinations of its officials, a guarantee that no other war is started against it, reparations for the current conflict, and Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is unlikely to agree to a peace deal, according to Saikal and appears “determined” to continue the war.
“The US proposal amounts to Iran essentially surrendering, which they will not do,” he said.
“The regime made a promise before the war that if it was attacked by the US and Israel, it would fight back.”
He said that Israel is also resolved to continue the conflict and has announced it will take control of southern Lebanon.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said on Tuesday that Israeli forces would move to control a security zone in Lebanon up to the Litani, a river 30km north of the Lebanon-Israel border.
“We still don’t know what the US is willing to do in pursuit of this war, and therefore, the situation at the moment is incredibly murky, and it’s hard to be terribly optimistic that the crisis will end any time soon,” Saikal said.
An illegal immigrant and alleged gang member has been apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following his release by New York City authorities, despite concerns about his threat to public safety. This arrest was confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security on Friday.
The individual, identified as Bryan David Tasiguano Leon, an Ecuadorian national, was taken into custody by the New York Police Department on February 14. He faced allegations of assaulting a first responder and had a history of charges related to assault and family neglect.
Leon, who is reportedly affiliated with the Latin Kings gang, was released from city custody even though ICE had placed a detainer request with the NYPD, aiming for a transfer to federal custody. This decision to release him sparked criticism from federal officials.
“New York sanctuary politicians made the choice to release this Latin Kings gang member back into city communities,” stated Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. She highlighted Leon’s previous arrests for assaulting a first responder and neglecting family responsibilities as significant concerns.
Federal authorities successfully detained Leon earlier this month, marking another chapter in the ongoing debate over sanctuary policies and their implications for public safety. The Department of Homeland Security underscored the risks associated with releasing individuals who are considered dangerous back into the community.
ICE agents arrested Leon on March 4 during immigration enforcement operations in New York City. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.
Leon first illegally entered the United States around Nov. 11, 2022 through the southern border and was released into the country by the Biden administration. He was issued a final order of removal by a judge on Feb. 27, 2025.
“Not only was this illegal alien released by the Biden administration, but he was also released again by New York’s sanctuary politicians,” said Bis. “Enough is enough. Sanctuary politicians must stop releasing criminal illegal aliens back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes.”
Upon taking office in January, New York Mayor Zorhan Mamdani signed an executive order reaffirming the city’s sanctuary laws, which limits cooperation between local and federal authorities on immigration enforcement.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mamdani’s office. On Friday, Mamdani said ICE should be abolished, calling it “rogue” and “reckless” as he faced questions about the death of an 83-year-old Air Force veteran who died after allegedly being shoved onto subway tracks by an illegal immigrant earlier this month.
“I have made clear to the president, both in our private conversations and our public conversations, about the fact that I believe that ICE is a rogue agency.”
Mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani next to Dylan Contreras, a high school student who was recently released from federal custody, speaks during a press conference at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City on March 19, 2026.(Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images)
The mayor added that he believes ICE “delivers nothing toward the furthering of the cause of public safety.”
Currently, there are 7,113 illegal immigrants in custody across New York state with an active ICE detainer. Their crimes include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drug offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses, DHS said.
Inset left: Damien Hebbeler (Green County Detention Center). Inset right: Kylie Marie Weitz (Obituary). Background: A cracked pavement road leads to the residence where Hebbeler killed Weitz in Garrison, Ky. (Google Maps).
A man from Kentucky is now facing the grim prospect of spending many years in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting his girlfriend with a so-called “special bullet,” as reported by state authorities this week.
Damien Hebbeler, aged 23, was pronounced guilty of intentional murder by a Lewis County jury on Tuesday. This verdict relates to the tragic death of 20-year-old Kylie Marie Weitz in August 2023, according to a statement from the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.
“Today’s verdict ensures justice is served and acknowledges the significance of Kylie Marie Weitz’s life,” remarked Attorney General Russell Coleman. “In Kentucky, we treat domestic violence offenses with utmost seriousness and will persist in holding perpetrators accountable.”
The incident unfolded on August 9, 2023, at a home on Willis Lane in Garrison, a small community situated just south of the Ohio border, about 100 miles northeast of Lexington.
Kentucky State Police were alerted around 6 p.m. by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office regarding an unresponsive woman, as noted in arrest records shared by the Ledger Independent.
The sheriff himself told state troopers at Post 8 that the victim had sustained a gunshot wound to her face. In the initial 911 call, the caller reportedly said Weitz had accidentally shot herself.
When troopers arrived at the house, Weitz was lying on the floor near the front door frame and pronounced dead at the scene.
Three hours after the first 911 call was placed, Hebbeler was arrested and charged with Weitz’s murder. Investigators said the man quickly admitted to pointing a loaded pistol at the woman’s face, squeezing the trigger, and firing the fatal bullet that took her life.
Hebbeler was first detained in the Greenup County Detention Center and then transferred to the Lewis County Jail as the investigation continued and the legal process played out over the next few years.
In September 2023, the now-convicted man was formally indicted for Weitz’s murder, according to the Lewis County Herald.
Later, the defendant had even more to say about it.
During his trial, Hebbeler admitted to carrying a “special bullet” with him, authorities said. Investigators determined this same round was the one used to shoot Weitz in the face at close range and kill her.
The murder did not come entirely without warning.
“Less than a year before the shooting, the defendant made statements that he wanted to kill Weitz,” the AG’s press release reads.
An obituary for the woman remembered her fondly as a vibrant member of her community with a close and extended family as well as numerous friends who will all “sadly miss her.”
“Kylie was a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings,” the eulogy reads. “She enjoyed cheerleading, running track, playing volleyball, working as a life guard, traveling, going out to eat and being with her friends.”
The killer’s jury recommended a 50-year sentence, which will be taken into consideration by the judge during sentencing slated for June 5.
The Queensland government has already granted several companies approval to conduct exploration work at the Taroom Trough, an oil lake the size of Singapore, just 300km west of Brisbane.
The ongoing investigation into the site is expected to provide the government with crucial insights by the end of 2026. These findings will determine whether drilling into the lake to extract resources is feasible.
The Taroom Trough is just 300km west of Brisbane. (Nine/Today)
Though this won’t immediately solve the current shortage, if the site is deemed viable, oil extraction could potentially commence by 2028.
In Queensland, over 100 service stations reported fuel shortages yesterday, and this scarcity is reflected across the entire nation.
This news arrives just days before the federal government is set to unveil a national emergency fuel strategy. This plan is designed to ensure that industries most in need can access necessary fuel supplies.
An Ampol petrol station in Neutral Bay, a favourite for motorists on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, has been run dry. (Supplied)
The proposal aims to protect fuel resources for critical sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and emergency services, as well as to support regional areas.
There are calls from the opposition, however, to slash the fuel excise to immediately reduce costs for drivers.
“When you fill up your car, about 52 cents every single litre goes to taxation,” Shadow Foreign Minister Ted O’Brien told Today.
“So we need to cut that taxation in half for a three-month period.”
Cutting the tax would carry consequences for the federal budget, which brings in billions of dollars each year.
However, the fuel crisis is expected to affect the budget regardless.
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