Judge dismisses charges against former officers in Breonna Taylor case

LOUISVILLE, KY — A federal judge hasdismissed all remaining chargesagainst two former Louisville police officers accused of providing false information on a no-knock search warrant that led to thefatal shooting of Breonna Taylorin 2020.

U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson signed an order on Friday, March 27, dismissing the charges against Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany with prejudice, meaning federal prosecutors cannot bring the same charges against them again using the same evidence. Both Jaynes and Meany were involved in drafting the search warrant used in the botched raid that killedTaylor, 26, in March 2020.

The dismissal came a week after federal prosecutorsasked Simpson to dismiss the charges"in the interest of justice." It was an expected yet notable development in the federal case against the former Louisville police officers, which began in 2022.

Under PresidentDonald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice has tried topause or dropmanycivil rights casesstarted under the previous administration. Though Meany and Jaynes were not present during the shooting, both wereaccused by federal prosecutorsof neglecting necessary steps to obtain the warrant for Taylor's apartment.

Meany was accused of knowingly providing false, misleading, and outdated information, while Jaynes was accused of supplying false information to secure the warrant.

The Louisville Metro Police Departmentfired Jaynes in 2021for policy violations anddismissed Meany in August 2022following his federal indictment.

Thomas Clay, Jaynes' lawyer, said the Department of Justice "has finally done what it should have done long ago" and that he was happy for Jaynes and his family. Michael Denbow, who represents Meany, said that his client is "overjoyed and incredibly relieved" now that the case has been dismissed.

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Case against former Louisville police officers weakened by previous ruling

As it stood, the case against Jaynes and Meany had already been weakened. Last year, Simpson — an 80-year-old Reagan appointee —dismissed the most serious chargesafter ruling that the government could not prove Meany and Jayne's actions had directly caused Taylor's death.

Two other Louisville police officers, Brett Hankison and Kelly Goodlett, were also charged by federal prosecutors in 2022 in connection with the no-knock raid. Hankison iscurrently free on bondwhile he appeals a conviction for violating Taylor's civil rights, whichresulted in a 33-month sentence. During the raid, he fired 10 shots through a covered sliding glass door and window, with some rounds entering a neighboring apartment.

The 33-month sentence wasimposed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, despite theDepartment of Justice's requestof just one day. Hankison promptly sought his release, but Jennings denied the request.

He was thenreleased in December 2025after about two months of incarceration, when a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that the former officer was not a flight risk or a danger to the community and that he had raised "compelling concerns" regarding his safety in federal custody. In that case, the Department of Justice also intervened on Hankison's behalf and sought his release.

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Goodlett, the fourth Louisville police officer,pleaded guilty in 2022to helping falsify an affidavit for the warrant for Taylor's apartment. She has not yet been sentenced.

Civil rights advocates: Dismissal of charges 'another troubling sign'

U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, who represents Louisville, sent a letter on March 27 to Attorney General Pam Bondi in the wake of the dismissal, asking the Department of Justice to "stop interfering with and undermining Louisville's efforts to deliver justice for Miss Taylor's family and atone for her death as a community."

"The DOJ's decision to walk away from this case and their argument that it is somehow 'in the interest of justice' is insulting given the Trump administration's persistent undermining of police and justice reform efforts here in Louisville and its utter abandonment of any kind of civil rights enforcement nationwide,"McGarvey wrote to Bondi.

In a statement, the NAACP Louisville Branch described the dismissal as "another troubling sign" that the current leadership of the Department of Justice "does not value accountability when Black lives are taken."

"Justice delayed has now become justice denied," the civil rights organization said in the statement. "This decision sends a dangerous message that those who abuse their authority and manipulate the system will not be held accountable."

'We will not let our history be erased:'Civil Rights vets share lessons with educators

What happened to Breonna Taylor?

Taylor, an emergency room technician, was inside her apartment when shewas fatally shot by plainclothes officersat around 12:40 a.m. local time on March 13, 2020, during a narcotics investigation.Officers, who said they knocked and announced themselves several times before forcibly entering, had been trying to serve a no-knocksearch warrant.

Neither Taylor nor Kenneth Walker, her boyfriend at the time, was the target of the investigation, and no drugs were found in the home. Walker and several neighbors also said they did not hear the officers identify themselves as law enforcement.

As police entered the apartment, Walker shot an officer in the leg. He later said he believed the officers were intruders.

Taylor's death sparked months of protests in Louisville and around the country. In December 2024, the Louisville Metro Police Department and the city's governmentreached an agreement on civil rights reformswith the Department of Justice. But the plan was delayed by a lack of approval from a federal judge, and federal prosecutors announced in May 2025 that they wouldabandon negotiations.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal:Federal judge ends case against officers tied to Breonna Taylor raid

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Judge dismisses charges against former officers in Breonna Taylor case

LOUISVILLE, KY — A federal judge hasdismissed all remaining chargesagainst two former Louisville police officers accused ...

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Five Britons detained in UAE for taking pictures of Iranian attacks

At least five British people are being detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on charges relating to taking pictures of missiles and drones, Whitehall sources said.

A campaign group this weekend claimed that more than 70 Britons have beenarrested over photographs and filmsof Iranian attacks in the gulf state since war broke out.

Tourists and expats in citiessuch as Dubaiwere quick to start filming and taking pictures whenIran began firing missilesand drones at the UAE when the Middle East conflict began at the end of February.

The state's authorities, however, clamped down on the practice andwarned residentsand holidaymakers that they could face prison for posting such material.

Since then rules have become even more strict, with police now arresting some bystanders in targeted areas for having photographs of missiles on their phone – even if they have not been posted online.

Even receiving an image could be deemed illegal under the gulf state's strictest laws – and carry a sentence of 10 years in prison or fines of up to £200,000.

Dubai Watch, a campaign group, is representing eight Britons who have beenarrested under the laws, which UAE authorities say are enforced to protect "national security and stability".

David Haigh, its founder, said trusted local lawyers had told him at least 35 Britons had been detained in Dubai along with a similar number in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital.

While some Britons may have been released from detention, it is also possible that some holidaymakers or expats might not have informed the Foreign Office of their arrest.

Some detainees – who include a cabin crew member – have been held in overcrowded police cells as a result of these arrests and in some cases, reportedly denied sleep, food and medicine.

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Mr Haigh, who was detained in Dubai himself for 23 months a decade ago, said the situation had "definitely got worse".

"Before it was just warnings online and now they are arresting people and actually putting them in jail," he said.

Mr Haigh said he had heard of one case where a woman had been locked up and was facing the UAE's federal court over taking a photograph she never published.

"Police are now at these sites and asking to go through people's phones," he added.

"Even a picture – not even sent it or shared it anywhere – they are taking you in for questioning."

The Telegraph previously revealed the arrest of a 60-year-old British tourist who was arrested after allegedly filming missiles.

The London-based holidaymaker was later charged along with 20 other people under the Gulf state's cybercrime laws – despite the man deleting the video from his phone immediately when asked and telling police he had no intention of doing anything wrong.

Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, the group supporting the tourist, said at the time: "The charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online.

"Under UAE cybercrime laws, the person who originally posts content can be charged, but so can anyone who reshapes, reposts or comments on it. One video can quickly lead to dozens of people facing criminal charges."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance to a small number of British nationals detained in the UAE in connection with this issue, and our ambassador is engaging with the Emirati authorities about their cases."

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Israeli military suspends battalion involved in assaulting, detaining CNN crew in West Bank

Amid the war with Iran, Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank is surging again. In one village, a Palestinian family says settlers beat a 75-year-old man inside his home. When reporting from the same village, a CNN crew is detained by Israeli soldiers who echo settler ideology and talk of revenge.

The Israeli military's top general suspended all operational activities of a reserve battalion involved in thedetention and assaultof a CNN team in the West Bank last week, the Israeli military said Monday.

The reserve battalion, which is comprised of hundreds of reservists who served in the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda battalion, will be immediately withdrawn from the West Bank and reassigned to training until further notice, an Israeli military official said.

The sweeping disciplinary action by Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military chief of staff, appears to be unprecedented in speed and scope, coming about 48 hours after CNN's report about the incident first aired. It also appeared to reflect growing concerns inside the Israeli security establishment about spiraling Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.

The suspension follows an incident Thursday in the Palestinian village of Tayasir, where CNN's Jeremy Diamond and his team were covering the aftermath of a violent assault by settlers who established an illegal outpost in the village. The soldiers detained the team, after one of the soldiers placed CNN photojournalist Cyril Theophilos in a chokehold, bringing him to ground and damaging his camera.

The assault of Theophilos will be investigated by Israel's military police, a military official said.

The incident represented a "serious ethical and professional failure," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Monday, adding that the "standards of conduct and discipline demonstrated in the incident do not align with IDF values."

"Weapons are to be used solely for the purpose of carrying out the mission, and never for revenge. We will not accept such incidents within the ranks of the IDF," Zamir said in the statement.

The military said the battalion will undergo training "aimed at reinforcing its professional and ethical foundations" and that the Commander of Central Command would decide when they could resume operational activity.

Additional steps will be taken against individual soldiers involved in the incident, the military official had said earlier

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The suspended battalion is the reserve component ofNetzah Yehuda, an infantry battalion originally established to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews into the IDF while maintaining religious accommodations such as gender segregation and strict observance. In recent years, however, the battalion – primarily stationed in the West Bank – has attracted members of radical right-wing settler groups such as the "Hilltop Youth."

US President Joe Biden's administrationconsidered sanctioningNetzah Yehuda in 2024 over alleged gross human rights violations against Palestinians, citing reports of killings, beatings and other abuses. The plan was dropped after Israel provided information indicating that the IDF had taken corrective actions.

During the CNN team's detention, several of the soldiers said on camera that they believed the entire West Bank belongs to Jews and that they were avenging the alleged killing of an Israeli settler days earlier. One soldier named Meir admitted the outpost in Tayasir was illegal, but said it would "slowly, slowly" be legalized with his help.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir slammed the battalion's suspension, calling it a "grave mistake that harms our fighters and Israel's deterrence capability."

CNN's report generated significant attention in Israeli media and was covered across all major Israeli news outlets, putting a rare spotlight on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Israeli military's role in it.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, and former deputy chief of staff of the IDF called on Zamir to "clearly state to his subordinates below and the government above: There is no 'permitted' terror. Terror is terror. And terror is dealt with an iron fist."

The Israeli Journalists' Union demanded that military authorities fully prosecute the soldiers who violently assaulted the crew.

The disciplinary action came a day after Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani publicly apologized to CNN for the incident and vowed a swift investigation.

This article has been updated with additional information.

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UConn women's basketball chases perfection with new generation of stars

FORT WORTH, TX–The last time UConn finished a season undefeated, Blanca Quiñonez and Sarah Strong were still in elementary school.

Now they're helping the Huskies chase another "perfect" title. At 38-0, the defending national champions are on a 54-game winning streak.

Through four NCAA Tournament games, UConn has outscored opponents by more than 25 points per game. That dominance has drawn inevitable comparisons to the program's 2016 team that finished 38-0 and captured a fourth-straight national championship.

Texas head coach Vic Schaefer remembers that team well.

"You can go back to the Sweet 16 in 2016," Schaefer said. "We got beat by 60 up in Connecticut by Connecticut, by the best team in the history of the game."

That team featured Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck — a veteran core that had already won three national championships together.

This year's Huskies team has arrived at the same place, but in a different style.

"It's so much different,"UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said."That 2016 team was a very, very mature team. Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck – they were all seniors."

More:UConn's reluctant superstar Sarah Strong may let her 'Diana side' out this March Madness

UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) named Big East Player Of The Year as they celebrate their Big East Championship win over the Villanova Wildcats at Mohegan Sun Arena on Mar 9, 2026.

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Sarah Strong, UConn look for perfection and another championship

UConn Huskies forwardSarah Strong(21) named Big East Player Of The Year as they celebrate their Big East Championship win over the Villanova Wildcats at Mohegan Sun Arena on Mar 9, 2026.

The current roster is considerably younger.

"We took away Paige, we took away Kaitlyn Chen, two fifth-year seniors, and we replaced them with freshmen pretty much," Auriemma said.

Instead of relying on experience, UConn has leaned on emerging stars.

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Strong, the USBWA National Player of the Year, leads the Huskies in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, while potentialWNBA No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fuddhas provided the offensive spark.

Quiñonez, a freshman who averaged 10.6 points per game in the regular season,has also come on of late. Off the bench, she's scoring over 17 points a game throughout the tournament.

Together they have powered one of the most dominant tournament runs in the last 10 years.

UConn opened March Madness with a 90-52 win over UTSA before delivering a 98-45 rout of Syracuse, the worst NCAA Tournament loss in Orange history. Even the Huskies' lowest offensive output of the season still resulted in a 21-point win over North Carolina.

Auriemma said the biggest difference between this team and past undefeated groups is personality.

"Those teams walked around like, 'What, you think we're going to lose?'" Auriemma said. "This group doesn't have that kind of swagger. They're just a bunch of really nice kids that play hard for each other."

Handling the pressure of an undefeated season, though, has been its own challenge.

"Getting all the way to this point undefeated is a lot of baggage to carry," Auriemma said. "Every day somebody's coming after you to break your streak."

Two wins remain between this team and history. Auriemma isn't comparing them to any of his title teams as they pack their bags for the Final Four in Phoenix.

"They find their own way to get the same things done," Auriemma said.

Andy Mathis is a student in the University of Georgia's Carmical Sports Media Institute.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Huskies eye history with two wins remaining for 13th national title

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Texas women's basketball vs. Michigan in Elite Eight: TV, streaming

FORT WORTH, TX ― When theNo. 1 Texas Longhornsmeet theNo. 2 Michigan Wolverinesin the Elite Eight at Dickies Arena on March 29, there will be no shortage of confidence.

The Longhorns are seeking their first championship since 1986. The Wolverines have never won a women's basketball title. Still, both teams believe they belong on the Elite Eight stage.

"You had to be a contender before you were a champion. You know, you had to be there before you were on the other side,"Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Aricosaid, referencing a quote that guard Olivia Olson recently shared with the team.

"That's kind of where our program is right now. You know, we're a contender, and we've gotten to this point. We have the pieces to be champions. So we are in the Elite Eight with a lot of programs that have rich basketball tradition."

The Wolverines are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2022. However, to get to the Final Four, Barnes Arico and her team will have to beatTexas coach Vic Schaeferand a program that's very familiar with the biggest stage in women's college basketball. The Longhorns have been to five Final Fours, including an appearance last year.

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"You understand the urgency that you have to have, the focus and the discipline that you have, and the connectivity and chemistry that you have to have with your teammates at this moment, because any game could be your last game,"Texas guard Rori Harmonsaid.

"You don't want to look back and regret, 'Oh, I didn't play hard enough,' or you didn't leave it out on the court. But, having that experience with Coach Schaefer and a few of us who have been here a couple of times ― a few times ― it definitely helps. We're trying to get that to permeate throughout our team."

The team that emerges victorious after Monday's matchup will head to Phoenix for the 2026 Women's Final Four. Final Four play begins Friday, April 3. The national championship is Sunday, April 5.

Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament

What time is Texas vs. Michigan Elite Eight game?

• Date: Monday, March 30

• Time: 7 p.m. ET

• Location: Dickies Arena (Fort Worth, Texas)

TheTexas Longhornswill play theMichigan Wolverinesin the Elite Eight round of the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 30, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Texas vs. Michigan: TV, streaming

• TV: ESPN

• Stream: ESPN App, Fubo

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Texas women's basketball vs. Michigan in Elite Eight: TV, streaming

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Texas women's basketball vs. Michigan in Elite Eight: TV, streaming

FORT WORTH, TX ― When theNo. 1 Texas Longhornsmeet theNo. 2 Michigan Wolverinesin the Elite Eight at Dickies Arena on Mar...

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