Brown shooting suspect found dead; Epstein files release deadline is here

The man investigators believe carried out the deadly shooting at Brown University has been found dead in a New Hampshire storage unit. Authorities now say he’s also linked to the killing of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor.

Plus, former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his wife and their children were killed when a small business jet crashed in North Carolina. Investigators said the plane had just taken off and was attempting to return to the runway.

And the Kennedy Center board has moved to rebrand the iconic venue with President Trump’s name, a decision Democrats say was pushed through while critics were silenced. Is the move legal, and can it stand?

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, December 19, 2025.

Brown University shooting suspect found dead in New Hampshire

The search for the man accused of killing two Brown University students and wounding nine others is over. Authorities said law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, where they found the suspect dead Thursday night.

Police identified the suspect as Claudio Neves Valente, 48, and said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Brown University president said Valente was a Portuguese national who attended the school as a graduate student in physics from fall 2000 through spring 2001.

Investigators believe he was responsible not only for last Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown but also for the murder of an MIT professor days later in Massachusetts.

“On December 13th, Neves Valente entered an auditorium on Brown University’s campus during a study session and began shooting at students, killing Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and injuring nine others,” said Leah Foley, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “Between Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, Neves Valente returned to Massachusetts. On Dec. 15, he murdered MIT professor Nuno Loureiro at Loureiro’s home in Brookline, Massachusetts.”

Authorities said Professor Nuno Loureiro was also from Portugal and had studied in the same academic program as Valente in the 1990s.

Investigators have not released a motive for that killing.

The Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green card. This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country. 

In 2017, President Trump…

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 19, 2025

In a social media post, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the Trump administration is pausing the diversity lottery visa program, saying that the program is how Valente obtained a green card.

Noem wrote, “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country.”

House Democrats release more Epstein photos ahead of Friday release deadline

The deadline for the Trump administration to release all its files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has arrived. With hours to go, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are ramping up the pressure.

House Democrats released more than sixty new images from Epstein’s estate without additional context, saying they raise serious questions about what the government is still holding back.

The images include photos of multiple foreign women’s passports, a picture of Epstein sitting with three women, their faces redacted and several photographs that underscore Epstein’s connections to high-profile, powerful men.

Other images show female body parts with quotes from the novel Lolita, a book about a grown man’s sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl, written across them.

The release also included a screenshot of a text message conversation in which an unidentified person discusses “sending girls,” saying they may “be good for J.” The images do not identify who “J” is or when the messages were sent.

In a statement accompanying the release, House Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., says the photos only deepen concerns about what has yet to be disclosed.

“As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession,” Garcia said. “We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now.” 

Democrats challenge legal authority after Trump name added to Kennedy Center

The fallout is growing after the Kennedy Center board voted to rename the iconic performing arts venue the Trump Kennedy Center. 

It’s a move that has already sparked outrage among Democrats, members of the Kennedy family, and legal scholars who question whether the board has the authority to do so.

The name change appeared late Thursday on the center’s website after what it says was a unanimous vote.

The White House and Trump allies are framing it as a win, crediting President Trump for what they say was saving the building financially and physically.

“Well, I was honored by it. The board is a very distinguished board, most distinguished people in the country,” Trump said. “And I was surprised by it, and I was honored by, you know, we’ve, we’re saving the building. We saved the building, the building was in such bad shape, both physically, financially, and every other way, and now it’s very solid, very strong.”

Trump joined the board meeting virtually and thanked members after the vote.

His allies, including Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, called the move bipartisan and a commitment to the arts.

But Democrats say that’s not just misleading, it’s illegal.

“These people are pathetic. They are sycophants. And these are individuals right now who are bending the knee to a loser,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “These are sick people. Something is really wrong with these folks. And here’s the final thing. They don’t have the power to do it. Only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center.”

Democrats noted that the center was named by federal law as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and as Jeffries said, can only be changed by Congress. 

That argument was echoed by members of the Kennedy family.

Former Rep. Joe Kennedy posted on X, saying, “It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”

The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says. https://t.co/VpZhNvx7So

— Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) December 18, 2025

Democrats also dispute the idea that the vote was truly unanimous.

“Be clear, I was on that call, and as I tried to push my button to voice my concern, to ask questions, and certainly not to vote in support of this, I was muted,” Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said.

For the record. This was not unanimous. I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this  move. Also for the record, this was not on the agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship. https://t.co/D1zGV7xiWV pic.twitter.com/npNvSIy6sV

— Rep. Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) December 18, 2025

The Kennedy Center said all members were invited to attend in person, and that virtual attendees were there to listen.

Now, Democrats say they’re exploring legal options, even as they acknowledge this may not be their top legislative fight.

Former NASCAR driver, family killed in North Carolina plane crash 

A deadly plane crash in North Carolina has shaken the racing community and beyond. Seven people were killed Thursday when a small business jet crashed while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport — among them, former NASCAR star Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children and three others.

Authorities say the Cessna C-550 had just taken off from the airport, apparently for a birthday gathering in Florida, when it turned back for what’s described as a re-approach.

The plane crashed approximately at 10:20 am, catching fire on the runway. All onboard were killed.

Investigators said it’s too early to determine what went wrong.

“All indications right now that it did depart this facility and, in a very short time frame, was on a re-approach and appeared to be coming back in for a landing at the time. But why that occurred, what was happening at the time, we don’t have that, and that’s something NTSD will determine.” North Carolina State Patrol 1st Sgt. Christopher Knox said.

The plane was registered to a company associated with Biffle, and the FAA and NTSB are now leading the investigation. 

The weather at the time included low clouds and light drizzle, according to AccuWeather.

Family members said Cristina Biffle sent a text message to her mother just before the crash, saying they were in trouble. Her mother shared that detail with People magazine as investigators continue to investigate what went wrong.

Biffle was a longtime NASCAR competitor and a Hall of Fame nominee, remembered not only for his racing career but also for his humanitarian work.

Last year, he used his own aircraft to conduct rescue missions and deliver supplies following Hurricane Helene.

Tributes have poured in from across the racing world, remembering Biffle as a fierce competitor, a devoted father and someone who consistently put others first.

Wisconsin judge found guilty of felony obstruction

A jury convicted Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan of felony obstruction but acquitted her of concealing an undocumented immigrant. 

The case drew national attention after prosecutors accused Dugan of helping Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national, leave the courthouse before federal immigration agents could detain him.

ICE agents eventually arrested Flores-Ruiz on a sidewalk outside the building.

Flores-Ruiz had appeared before Dugan on a battery charge. Prosecutors said that after speaking with agents, she directed them down the hall to an office, then sent Flores-Ruiz out a back door in an attempt to help him avoid arrest for immigration violations. 

Much of the interaction — including the judge’s exchange with the agents — was captured on court security video and played for the jury. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has since suspended Dugan from the bench.

She faces up to six years in prison upon sentencing. Flores-Ruiz, who authorities say illegally entered the U.S. twice, has since been deported.

TikTok strikes US deal, ban averted for now

It appears TikTok won’t be banned in the U.S. at least for now.

The Chinese parent company of the social media app ByteDance has reached a deal with the Trump administration to keep the app operating in the U.S.

The agreement would create a new U.S.-based joint venture — controlled primarily by American investors, according to an internal memo from TikTok’s CEO.

Those investors are expected to include tech giant Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake and the UAE-based investment company MGX.

The move comes after Congress passed a law last year requiring TikTok to be sold or shut down in the U.S., citing national security concerns about Chinese ownership and access to users’ personal data.

The deadline has been pushed back multiple times, and this new deal is designed to meet those requirements by shifting control away from ByteDance.

The agreement still requires final approval, with a target closing date of Jan. 22, according to TikTok.

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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief