The men accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack at the UFC event held on White House grounds allegedly met through a TikTok group before moving their discussions into encrypted messaging apps, where prosecutors say they allegedly developed plans to kill government officials and other attendees, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

Federal authorities have arrested five men accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack targeting UFC Freedom 250, the Sunday event held on White House grounds that was attended by President Donald Trump and other senior government officials.

According to federal court records, members of the group first connected around March through a TikTok community called “Vanguard of the Old,” where participants allegedly vetted one another through identification documents, workout videos and tactical content before moving into private Signal chats. The filings do not further describe whether Vanguard of the Old was a formal organization or simply an online chat community.

The filings identify five arrested participants in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska and describe a network that prosecutors say evolved from online discussions into operational planning for an attack targeting UFC Freedom 250. Investigators allege members discussed using explosive-laden drones to trigger an evacuation before opening fire on politicians and other targets as crowds fled the area. 

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While prosecutors allege the group had developed operational plans, some officials, like Vice President JD Vance, have suggested the conspiracy never advanced to the point of becoming an imminent threat.

“There was a lot of security there,” Vance said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Five.” “And it turns out the plot was like, not that advanced. They weren’t in town.” 

Court documents identify an Omaha, Nebraska, man known online as “Shepherd” as the group’s alleged leader. Prosecutors say Shepherd helped build the organization’s tiered structure, directed planning discussions and coordinated members across multiple states through encrypted communications.  

Once inside those encrypted chats, prosecutors say members organized themselves into a tiered structure that assigned participants to specific functions. Court records describe Tier 1 members as frontline operators expected to carry out missions and acquire firearms and body armor, while other tiers included drone operators, getaway drivers, recruiters, logistics personnel, technical support and social media advocates. 

Court records repeatedly reference military-style training and organization. 

Tycen Proper, the 19-year-old Ohio defendant whose phone helped investigators identify other members of the alleged network, told investigators he believed many participants had prior military experience, according to court documents, while his mother said some members represented themselves online as former military personnel. The filings, however, do not identify any defendant as having verified military service. 

According to investigators, members also split into smaller chat groups based on operational assignments and locations.

Investigators say the network extended well beyond the five men charged. According to court records, Proper’s phone contained a primary Signal chat with approximately 19 participants, along with smaller operational chat groups organized by role and location.

Tensions boiled over between federal agencies over the decision to make the case public. Two senior U.S. officials told Fox News that Secret Service leadership wanted to delay disclosing the investigation until additional arrests could be made, fearing that publicizing the probe could alert other subjects and complicate the ongoing investigation.

The disagreement surfaced publicly Tuesday when Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn, responding to questions about the case at an unrelated event, emphasized that the Secret Service had “led that investigation from the beginning” and suggested investigators intentionally avoided public disclosure while the case remained active. 

“In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan we chose not to leak it,” Quinn said. 

DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS

“I’ll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office and that’s don’t choke on your own smoke,” he said. 

The investigation began June 10 when Proper’s mother contacted local authorities after becoming concerned about his recent behavior, according to court records.

Proper’s father told investigators his son had allegedly recently met people online, was planning “recons” with them and intended to travel that weekend to meet members of the group. Family members also reported that Proper allegedly had purchased firearms, body armor, ammunition and tactical gear and had quit his job in preparation for what he described as “missions” and “recons.”

After investigators obtained a warrant for Proper’s phone, they allege they discovered Signal chats containing maps of Washington, D.C., proposed sniper positions, drone launch sites and discussions about escape routes. 

Prosecutors say members allegedly discussed potential congressional targets, power infrastructure and other political figures before focusing on UFC Freedom 250.

Proper’s mother told investigators members of the group allegedly expressed anger about government corruption and the Epstein files. 

According to court records, members of the group allegedly believed the United States was headed in the wrong direction and needed to be “torn down” and rebuilt. Some participants allegedly argued that people connected to Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country.

Prosecutors also allege that discussions increasingly focused on U.S. support for Israel and lawmakers viewed by group members as aligned with pro-Israel interests.

According to the filings, members discussed targeting politicians they believed were tied to pro-Israel lobbying organizations, while other conversations referenced billionaires and what participants described as “capitalist elites.”

Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both of California, allegedly met up for a training session in late May, according to messages obtained by law enforcement and shared in court records. 

“Noble and I trained on vehicle dismount, cover vs concealment, bounding, and basic marksmanship today,” Thomas wrote to the group on May 25, according to court records. 

By early June, according to court records, discussions inside the group’s encrypted chats had shifted toward operational planning surrounding UFC Freedom 250, which took place last Sunday.  

Court records show members discussing a rendezvous point in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where participants from multiple states were allegedly expected to meet before traveling to Washington.

Investigators also say members allegedly exchanged information about safe houses, fallback locations and escape routes that included traveling south along the Potomac River.

According to court records, the group’s alleged plan centered on creating chaos inside the White House event before targeting government officials and other attendees as they fled.

Prosecutors say members discussed using drones carrying explosive devices over the north side of the UFC venue, triggering panic and forcing crowds to evacuate. Investigators allege members of the group planned to position shooters and snipers along anticipated evacuation routes south of the venue, where politicians and other targets would be vulnerable.

According to court records, a participant interviewed by the FBI in West Virginia said members of the group allegedly had canceled the operation by Friday, two days before the event. The reported cancellation came after authorities had already begun investigating the group following a June 10 call from Proper’s mother.

Authorities arrested suspects in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska Saturday and Sunday after executing a series of search warrants tied to the investigation. 

“They had not really done that much planning,” Vance said. “And so, I get why people are so fascinated by it. I do think the political violence and rhetoric in this country is out of control. But thank God we have good law enforcement. We’ve got good FBI because it didn’t even get close to the point of execution.” 

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.

CHICAGO — The Obama Presidential Center was billed as a lasting legacy to former President Barack Obama, and its construction was touted as an ambitious model built with aggressive goals for minority-owned and local businesses.

But now, some of the very subcontractors who helped build the 19.3-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side say they are facing financial ruin as they race to recover millions of dollars they claim remain unpaid ahead of the center’s grand opening Friday. Overall construction costs were reported to be $830 million in 2021, and have likely climbed past the $1 billion mark.

A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions. The allegations cut against one of the Center’s defining goals: helping minority-owned businesses and local contractors grow through one of Chicago’s highest-profile construction projects. Several of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital come from firms that were supposed to benefit from that mission.

Among them is Adamson Plumbing, whose owner Mike Owen says is nearly $4 million in the red after years of work on the project.

“That is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,” Owen said.

WATCH: Black subcontractors at Obama Presidential Center still seeking payment as Juneteenth opening nears, advocate says

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER’S $470M SAFETY NET UNDER SCRUTINY AS SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS

Subcontractor owners interviewed by Fox News Digital described what they characterized as a chaotic work environment marked by repeated design changes, rework, scheduling disruptions, extensive oversight and years-long compensation disputes that still remain unresolved.

Several also described what they viewed as a wall of silence surrounding the project, with some declining to speak publicly or requesting anonymity because of confidentiality agreements or fears of professional retaliation.

The allegations emerge days after a Fox News Digital investigation reported that the Obama Foundation’s reserve fund — originally promoted as a $470 million financial safeguard intended to help protect taxpayers if the project encountered financial trouble — remains funded at roughly $1 million.

Nearly $4 million in the red

Standing outside the center on a gloomy Friday afternoon, Owen flipped through spreadsheets and financial records that he said documented millions of dollars in losses tied to the project.

Owen said the project stretched on for years longer than anticipated, forcing his company to absorb millions of dollars in labor and overhead costs as work demands changed and expanded.

He said the losses have drained the company’s reserves, created uncertainty for employees and could ultimately force layoffs. Owen also said the years-long effort to recover what he believes is money owed has taken a significant toll on his mental health.

“I haven’t had eight hours or six hours sleep in over a year,” Owen said. “I’m cooked emotionally. I feel like an aluminum can that’s been thrown in front of a steamroller. We’re crushed. And I have to fight for my company and for my people.”

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER JOB LISTINGS PUSH ‘ANTI-RACISM’ PLEDGE AHEAD OF OPENING

As the center prepares for a star-studded pre-opening celebration on Thursday featuring performers including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and John Legend, Owen said it has been difficult to watch the buildup and soft-opening events take shape over the past few weeks while his company struggles financially.

“It was kind of hard seeing some local and national celebrities high-fiving and back-slapping here about the work that’s been done,” Owen said. “The backdrop of a coming celebration is kind of hard to swallow for me and for some of my peers at the moment.”

Owen, whose company is not minority-owned, said he decided to speak publicly only after months of failed efforts to recover losses he attributes to the project.

“As for me and my company, I’m at the end of my rope and I see no other choice than to have to tell my story,” Owen said. “This is not to embarrass anybody, but this is just to make sure that the truth gets told out here of what has happened to the companies that poured their heart and soul into getting this job complete and operational.”

He said unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER SLAMMED FOR PROMOTING ‘FAR-LEFT’ AGENDA ON PUBLIC LAND

The Obama Foundation, Obama’s private nonprofit organization that oversees the construction, told Fox News Digital that it paid Lakeside Alliance as the project’s construction manager and that Lakeside was responsible for hiring, managing and paying subcontractors working on the center.

The Obama Foundation also said it has no outstanding disputed charges with Lakeside Alliance — a joint venture involving multiple construction companies — and no contractural relationship with Lakeside’s subcontractors.

Lakeside Alliance said projects of this scale are inherently complex and that outstanding project matters often continue long after construction ends. The alliance said approximately 475 contractors worked on the project, generating significant opportunities for local tradespeople and businesses, and that it remains committed to working through outstanding matters to successfully close out the project.

Neither Lakeside Alliance nor the Obama Foundation directly disputed allegations from some subcontractors that they incurred losses while working on the project.

Fears of speaking out

Advocates for Black subcontractor firms say those companies have been muzzled by a non-disclosure agreement and a reluctance to speak publicly because of the prestige surrounding the project in Obama’s adopted hometown, a Democratic stronghold, as well as concerns that speaking out could jeopardize payments.

“They are scared to death about talking about it,” Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center on a recent Saturday. The group advocates for Black-owned construction businesses and was founded by Shareef in 1989.

“I’ve never seen this happen since I’ve been in business,” Shareef said. “The building does look nice, but the fact doesn’t matter that they’re not paying our damn contractors.”

Fox News Digital independently interviewed several contractors who described similar concerns.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER’S $470M SAFETY NET UNDER SCRUTINY AS SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS

Shareef said several Black subcontractor owners began privately approaching him about six months ago, claiming significant losses tied directly to the project. The concerns are particularly notable, he said, because the project was publicly promoted as an opportunity for minority-owned businesses and local workers.

“The promise was that this project was going to uplift minority contractors and uplift the community,” Shareef said. “What sense is celebrating Juneteenth if our Black contractors are not getting their money?”

“Some of the people have put their mortgages up, they’re going to lose their bonding… they are going to lose their relationship with their supplier as well as their banker.”

Shareef said that being in the red not only puts them at financial risk, but it also makes it harder for them to secure future projects. Shareef said his group plans on staging a protest outside the center on Thursday at 10 a.m. CT.

“That’s a bad signal to put out the fact that seven to eight to maybe 10 of our contractors in our community are going to be eliminated from doing business because of the debt that they incurred on this particular project,” he said. “If they would have known it was a Trojan horse or a Pandora’s box, I don’t know if they would have raced as much as they did to be a part of it.”

Fox News Digital has not independently corroborated the claim that these subcontractors will be forced out of business as a result of their work on the Obama Presidential Center project.

Local companies on the brink

One minority-owned subcontractor owner told Fox News Digital his company was up to $2.5 million in the red but declined to speak publicly, citing non-disclosure agreements and ongoing efforts to resolve disputes. The owner said the contract for the job was originally expected to last 24 months but ultimately stretched to about five years.

Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the company’s claimed losses. Shareef said the owner told him the same story but the owner wouldn’t provide Shareef with documents due to the NDA.

The largest publicly known dispute tied to the project involved II in One Concrete, a Black-owned firm that was part of the Concrete Collective — a joint venture that also included Trice Construction and W.E. O’Neil Construction — that was responsible for major structural concrete work across the campus.

The Concrete Collective filed claims exceeding $40 million, alleging it incurred substantial additional costs while working on the Center. The dispute later became entangled with a widely publicized racial racial discrimination lawsuit that brought national attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues surrounding the project.

McGee alleged the project’s structural engineer unfairly blamed his company for delays and cost overruns and that the criticism contributed to the rejection of Concrete Collective’s compensation claims.

Defendants denied wrongdoing and disputed the allegations, arguing that portions of the concrete work had to be repaired or replaced because of cracking and other deficiencies. The owner of II in One Concrete declined to comment for this story. The case docket reflects that the case remains pending.

BUREAUCRATS HIDE TRUE PRICE OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER AS TAXPAYERS HIT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

Court records also show that at least two minority-owned subcontractors that worked on the project later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to documents viewed by Fox News Digital. The filings do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those financial difficulties.

Glass Management Services, which supplied glass for the project, filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 and later told the bankruptcy court it was preparing litigation related to the Obama Presidential Center that it said could yield millions of dollars in damages. Fox News Digital is not aware that such litigation has been filed and the allegations have not been tested in court. Its owner declined to speak.

Vision Painting & Decorating Services, another subcontractor that worked on the project, also filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 while listing the Obama Presidential Center contract in its bankruptcy schedules. Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital do not state whether the company viewed the project as contributing to its financial difficulties. Fox News Digital was unable to get in touch with its owner.

Another subcontractor owner who worked on the project, told Fox News Digital that the job caused significant financial strain on his company too and he described the experience as a “nightmare” and one of the most difficult projects he had encountered.

He filed a mechanic’s lien for around $145,000, documents show, which was eventually paid to him, but he said his company was still down $200,000 for the project. A mechanic’s lien is a legal tool that companies file when they say they are owed money for construction work they completed.

“Literally, I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and it was the worst-run job I’ve ever been on,” the subcontractor owner said.

He described repeated delays, extensive oversight and what he considered unnecessary construction requirements that forced contractors to spend additional time and money completing work.

“The stuff that they made everybody do was so over-the-top ridiculous,” the owner said.

That view was echoed by Owen, who said his company was forced to redo portions of the Center’s stormwater system at a cost of nearly $900,000, expenses he believes should have been reimbursed. Owen said the work was unnecessary and pointed to correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital in which Chicago’s chief plumbing inspector later wrote that Adamson’s original method complied with city code requirements.

Owen also provided records showing his firm submitted more than 100 change-order requests — requests for additional compensation for work performed beyond the original scope of the project — during construction. He said the unusually high number reflected constant revisions, rework and delays.

Owen said the company has been trying to recover money it says it is owed from parties involved and has not filed a lawsuit. Fox News Digital reviewed correspondence showing that Adamson’s attorney wrote to project representatives regarding the dispute.

Meanwhile, two additional companies filed mechanics’ liens for around $400,000 and $75,000 respectively. Fox News Digital was unable to contact company officials and it is not known if the liens have been paid.

Promise vs. reality

The concerns are particularly notable because the Obama Presidential Center was built around one of the most ambitious efforts to increase participation by minority-owned businesses and workers from historically underserved communities.

The Obama Foundation committed to awarding 50% of subcontracting packages to diverse vendors — nearly double Chicago’s goals for minority- and women-owned businesses — while requiring 35% of workforce hours to come from targeted South and West Side communities. Foundation officials said the effort was intended to serve as a model for future development projects and help create a pipeline of workers and contractors for projects across Chicago.

The Obama Foundation estimated the Center would generate as many as 5,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs during and after construction.

To deliver the project, the foundation hired Lakeside Alliance — a consortium led by Turner Construction and four Black-owned firms: UJAMAA Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, Brown & Momen and Safeway Construction. The partnership was frequently highlighted by the Foundation as evidence of the project’s commitment to minority-owned businesses and local economic opportunity.

Beneath that alliance sat dozens of subcontractors responsible for carrying out the actual work, from plumbing and HVAC systems to painting, insulation, glass installation and concrete construction. Many of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital came from firms operating at that subcontractor level.

The foundation said many subcontractors used the project to grow their businesses and noted that it implemented accelerated payment schedules, advance payments and a 15-day payment cycle to help support smaller firms. The foundation also said it worked with Lakeside Alliance to identify subcontractors in need of financial assistance and, when appropriate, provide additional support.

A landmark project

Whatever the outcome of those disputes, the center itself is nearing completion and preparing to open its doors to the public.

For many Chicago residents, the project remains a source of pride and a long-awaited investment in the city’s South Side. For some of the subcontractors who helped build it, however, the approaching opening date represents a shrinking window to resolve payment disputes they say have lingered for years.

The subcontractor tension was largely absent from the excitement surrounding the center over a recent weekend, when local residents touring the campus told Fox News Digital they were impressed by the sprawling development and its 220-foot-tall granite-clad museum tower.

Many posed with a statue of the former president and first lady and stopped to read slogans displayed on the perimeter fence, including “Bring Change Home” and “A Home For Action.” Several described the project as a fitting tribute to Obama, who first rose to prominence as a community organizer before becoming the nation’s first Black president.

The center sits in historic Jackson Park, one of Chicago’s most iconic public parks. The Obama Foundation secured the site through a 99-year lease with the city for a one-time fee of just $10.

Once open, the campus will serve as the headquarters of the Obama Foundation and host leadership programs, community initiatives and public events.

It will feature a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a digitized presidential library — though it will not be a traditional presidential library with physical papers — an auditorium, an indoor sports facility, a playground and expansive green outdoor spaces.

Despite the financial losses, Owen said he still takes pride in the finished product.

“I’ve heard the criticisms of the design out here and maybe from an outsider’s perspective, it might not be your cup of tea, but I can tell you the interior of this presidential center is quite beautiful and it’s something to be proud of,” Owen said.

“And we are still proud to have been part of this job. We just wish it would have gone a different way financially.”

Voters in Alabama knew the outcomes of their Tuesday night elections hours before officials in D.C. began releasing results despite both jurisdictions officially closing their polls at the same time.

Both D.C. and Alabama were scheduled to officially close their polling stations at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday night. Alabama counted the vast majority of its votes within about an hour, with the Associated Press calling them at 8:40 p.m. and 9:31 p.m., respectively.

Officials in D.C., meanwhile, only began counting votes at 10:47 p.m., around the time the Associated Press declared Rep. Barry Moore the winner of Alabama’s GOP primary – the most hotly contested race in the state. 

Democratic-led jurisdictions including California and Washington, D.C., have faced criticism from Republicans and election-integrity advocates who argue that prolonged ballot counting undermines public confidence and leaves major races unresolved for days or even weeks after Election Day. Election officials in those jurisdictions have defended the timelines, pointing to mail-in ballot rules, postmark deadlines and verification requirements they say are necessary to ensure every lawful vote is counted.

CALIFORNIA’S SLUGGISH VOTE COUNTING RIPPED ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM: ‘EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING’

D.C.’s first results were delayed after long lines kept some polling places open past the scheduled 8 p.m. close. Long lines at some D.C. polling stations forced the district to wait almost three hours after polls officially closed to start the counting process.

Further delaying the count was the large number of mail ballots and the district’s move to ranked-choice voting, an election method that can require multiple rounds of counting. 

NYC POLLS ARE CLOSED BUT RACE FAR FROM OVER DUE TO RANKED-CHOICE VOTING

“When you get [20,000 to] 30,000 ballots on election night through the mail, it is not possible to process that number on election night,” D.C. Board of Elections executive director Monica Evans told a local media outlet on June 9.

As of publishing, less than 70% of ballots have been counted in D.C. more than a day after voting began. Roughly 400,000 people voted in Alabama’s Tuesday elections, compared to only around 100,000 ballots cast in D.C. that same night.

DEMS PICK POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR TO DC’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATE AFTER DECADES-LONG INCUMBENCY

D.C.’s pace of vote counting drew criticism on social media.

“It’s now 10:30 pm, polls were supposed to close 2.5 hours ago, this is an absolute disaster from DCBOE,” DMV New Liberals, a local group of centrist Democrats, wrote to X on Tuesday night in response to news that the city hadn’t begun counting votes yet.

“In the District of Columbia, just 64% of votes from yesterday’s election have been counted. And there aren’t even that many of them,” conservative pundit Byron York wrote at 11:19 a.m. on Wednesday. 

The D.C. Board of Elections did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump suggested he may be able to get back the equipment the U.S. military left behind during Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Trump made these comments at the G7 Summit while taking questions from reporters about the forthcoming agreement with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to a question about how the deal will address Iran’s nuclear program, Trump repeatedly said he would “bomb them” if they do not comply with proposed restrictions.

He then transitioned into criticizing Biden’s foreign policy record, spotlighting the Democratic former president’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and abandon dozens of military aircraft, thousands of ground vehicles and more than 300,000 weapons, according to the House Budget Committee.

TRUMP PUSHES TO RECOVER ‘BILLIONS OF DOLLARS’ OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

“Our country has become the most respected country in the world,” he said. “Look at what happened in so many different locations. Afghanistan, that horrible retreat that these people made. Leaving equipment behind. They weren’t under any pressure. Take your time.”

“I was going to get out,” he continued. “We were going to get out with dignity and pride. Take 100% of the equipment. I was even taking the tents down. But then [Biden] got in and they just left. They left all the equipment. I may get all that equipment back. Now, here’s the thing. It’s more symbolic because it’s a little old now, but we may get it all back. Afghanistan is kissing our a–.”

In June 2022, the Department of Defense estimated that $7.12 billion worth of military equipment ended up in the hands of the Taliban, which quickly seized control of the country after American troops departed.

TRUMP: ‘WE DON’T RUN FROM ANYBODY’ IN BLASTING BIDEN OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

Trump and his allies have long been critical of what they view as Biden’s hasty decision to end the war in Afghanistan, which lasted for nearly 20 years.

Biden officials at the time defended the withdrawal by pointing out that the equipment seized by the Taliban was in the hands of the U.S.-aligned government in Afghanistan that ended up surrendering.

Biden himself said he believed that the Afghan fighters supported by the U.S. were going to do a better job at holding the country.

“The assumption was that more than 300,000 Afghan National Security Forces that we had trained over the past two decades and equipped would be a strong adversary in their civil wars with the Taliban,” he said on Aug. 31, 2021. “That assumption — that the Afghan government would be able to hold on for a period of time beyond military drawdown — turned out not to be accurate.”

Under Taliban rule, women and girls remain repressed. More than 1 million girls have been banned from secondary school and university. An April UNICEF report claimed that Afghanistan risks losing more than 25,000 teachers and healthcare workers due to the new government’s restrictions on female employment.

The country is also dealing with a hunger crisis, with roughly 17.4 million Afghans at risk for severe food insecurity this year, according to the World Food Programme.

An ICE officer made a snap decision to leap into a Florida pool when he spotted a child struggling to stay afloat, an act of heroism that comes as the agency faces intense criticism and protests outside immigration detention facilities.

Gregory Simmonds was at a community pool in Pasco County on Florida’s Gulf Coast when he noticed a young child floating unconscious in the water.

Closed-circuit footage from the pool showed Simmonds look over at the child and, without hesitation, jump into the pool fully clothed and quickly reach the child to render aid.

Simmonds carried the child back to the edge of the pool where they were resuscitated on dry land.

HERO OFFICERS AND GOOD SAMARITANS WHO WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND IN 2024

An officer with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Tampa, Simmonds administered CPR to the child until the child regained consciousness.

Law enforcement said the child is now expected to make a full recovery, according to ICE.

“This officer swiftly sprung to action and delivered life-saving medical care to this 6-year-old who drowned,” said Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis.

“Our agents truly are the best of the best. They put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst. Instead of demonizing ICE law enforcement, sanctuary politicians should be thanking them for removing criminals from their communities.”

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. J. Leathers added in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that due to Simmonds’ quick thinking and decisive actions – and “willingness to place himself into action during a critical incident, the child survived and is expected to make a full recovery.”

“His actions directly contributed to saving the life of the child and reflect exceptional courage and selflessness.”

NYPD OFFICERS SAVE CHOKING 2-YEAR-OLD BOY, BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS

Simmonds’ heroism is only the latest example of DHS officers saving lives on the spur of the moment.

In March, an agent who was supporting the Transportation Security Administration at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Howard Beach, New York, helped save the life of a 1-year-old experiencing a medical emergency.

When a father was heard screaming in the terminal, the agent “sprang into action and saved [their] life,” according to Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

NEW JERSEY AGITATORS BITE, KICK AND PUNCH ICE AGENTS AS DELANEY HALL CLASHES CONTINUE; 9 MORE ARRESTED: DHS

“Despite the endless smears and lies told about them by sanctuary politicians and the media, our ICE officers show up every day to protect the Homeland and their fellow Americans.”  

In another case, multiple off-duty ICE agents saved another child from drowning in a hotel pool in February.

While dining in Plymouth, Minnesota, the agents were approached by a woman seeking help.

The agents swiftly went to the pool where they performed CPR for several minutes until police and EMS arrived.

The rescues come as ICE agents face protests outside facilities like New Jersey’s Delaney Hall, where demonstrators have labeled them “fascists” and “mercenaries.”

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report. 

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released $351.6 million to the Secret Service for “White House Security Measures,” all while President Donald Trump continues to advocate for a ballroom to be built where the East Wing used to be.

The funds were approved on Friday, with $340.8 million being put into an account called “Procurement, Construction, and Improvements.” The other $10.75 million will go toward an “Operations and Support” account, according to a database maintained by the OMB.

This money comes from a section of the One Big Beautiful Bill, passed last July through the budget reconciliation process, that gave $1.7 billion to the Secret Service. The law requires these funds to be used for personnel, training facilities, programming, technology, retention and signing bonuses for agents.

REPUBLICANS EYE PICKING UP $400M TAB FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM AS SOME DEMS OPEN TO ‘DISCUSS’ IDEA

It is unclear if the $351.6 million approved last week for security measures will be spent on the ongoing ballroom project, which has been challenged in court.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the East Wing Modernization Project “is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets”

“The press release announcing the construction of the ballroom highlighted coordination with the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service regarding design features and planning,” he said. “President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come.”

“The events over the weekend and the foiled attack on the historic UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House proves exactly why the East Wing Modernization Project is severely needed for large scale events, which include drone proof structures and drone ports among other critical security enhancements,” Ingle added.

The Secret Service did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump has said that there will be a “massive” six-story complex underneath the ballroom that would include a military hospital, research facilities, various meeting rooms and security infrastructure related to drone and missile defense.

In late May, Trump said the construction will cost $400 million. He has also maintained that the ballroom will be funded through private donations and not with taxpayer dollars.

TRUMP CLAIMS DONOR FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM INCLUDES HIDDEN BUILD BELOW WITH SECURITY FOCUS

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the contractor on the project estimated the ballroom would cost $600 million, with more than half of that sum coming from taxpayers.

Trump has long said the ballroom is needed to make presidential events more secure. The most recent threat to the White House came on Sunday, when the FBI said it disrupted an alleged plot to use explosives attached to drones to attack buildings near the UFC Freedom 250 event.

To make way for the planned ballroom, the East Wing was demolished in October 2025, which prompted a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The nonprofit argued that the Trump administration had bypassed key review processes and must seek approval from Congress for the project.

In March, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the administration had likely exceeded its authority and ordered a halt to all above-ground construction.

PRESERVATION GROUP SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

On April 17, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit court stayed Leon’s order and allowed construction to continue pending an appeal from the White House.

Days after the D.C. Circuit’s ruling, a gunman showed up at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, which was being held at the Washington Hilton, and fired at Secret Service agents at a security checkpoint.

After the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended, Trump and his allies renewed their calls for a White House ballroom so similar security lapses would not be possible in the future.

A shooting outside the White House on May 23 prompted Trump to once again argue that the ballroom is necessary.

“This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent’s Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!” he wrote on Truth Social on May 24.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday forcefully rejected comparisons between the announced Iran agreement and former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal, arguing the Obama-era pact could have led to Israel and much of the Middle East being “terminated” if he had not ended it.

“The JCPOA was a short-term lease. It expired long ago,” Trump told reporters during a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit. “Had I let it run, it expired. You wouldn’t have been around. A lot of people wouldn’t have been around, but Israel would have been terminated. I think the whole Middle East would have been terminated.”

Trump added that he finished the job of terminating the Obama nuclear deal after failed attempts from Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

“Bibi actually went to Congress and pleaded with them, and he got nowhere. And they had this horrible deal that was horrible for Israel, horrible for Israel. And that’s where it stood. And then I came along and I terminated that deal that had very little time left,” said Trump.

VANCE REVEALS TRUMP LESSON GUIDING IRAN DEAL STRATEGY AS TEHRAN FACES 60-DAY DEADLINE

Trump added that Netanyahu “begged Barack Hussein Obama, the president, not to do the JCPOA. He said it could be the end of Israel, and it would have been if I didn’t come along. And Obama didn’t listen to him.” 

The president said the agreement is fundamentally different from the JCPOA, arguing it is structured to permanently block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon rather than temporarily limit its nuclear activities before key restrictions sunset. Trump’s remarks came prior to the release of the newly announced memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran.

“I made it very tough for [Iran] when I terminated the Barack Hussein Obama catastrophe JCPOA, one of the worst deals,” Trump said. “This deal was really dangerous. What he did, he gave them everything, including a lot of money, which we don’t give them.

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The MOU has drawn comparisons to the JCPOA, as both agreements offer Iran the prospect of sanctions relief and increased foreign investment in exchange for complying with their respective commitments.

Obama argued this week that any new agreement with Iran is unlikely to look dramatically different from the 2015 JCPOA.

The benefits will depend on whether Iran can prove it has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and support for terrorist organizations during a 60-day negotiating period.

The Trump administration on Tuesday publicly outlined the contents of its newly signed memorandum of understanding with Iran, revealing plans for immediate waivers on Iranian oil exports, a framework for at least $300 billion in reconstruction and economic development, and a 60-day negotiation period aimed at securing a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.

During a call with reporters, senior U.S. officials read portions of the agreement and defended controversial provisions that would allow Iranian crude oil exports to resume immediately while broader negotiations continue.

“The U.S. Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives and all associated services including banking transactions, insurances, transportation, etc,” the agreement states, according to officials. They declined to provide the written text of the agreement. 

An official emphasized the oil waivers are the only major benefit Iran will receive before a final agreement is reached, arguing the move would increase transparency into Iranian oil sales while helping reduce global energy prices.

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In negotiations aimed at a final agreement, the memorandum also calls for the U.S. and regional partners to develop a plan worth at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran. Officials stressed the provision does not commit the U.S. to providing the funds, arguing instead that it would permit outside investment if a final deal is reached and Iran complies with its obligations.

While the agreement guarantees toll-free commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day negotiating period, it leaves longer-term arrangements to future talks between Iran, Oman and other Gulf states. 

A senior U.S. official maintained that regional partners would not support any framework that allowed Iran to charge tolls for passage along the waterway.

VANCE REVEALS TRUMP LESSON GUIDING IRAN DEAL STRATEGY AS TEHRAN FACES 60-DAY DEADLINE

The agreement stops short of resolving the central dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. Instead, it commits both sides to negotiate the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and future enrichment activities as part of a final agreement. 

The official said negotiations will begin over the weekend after the deal is signed Friday.

Officials said the minimum outcome would involve down-blending enriched material under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision but acknowledged that key details remain unresolved.

They argued that broader sanctions relief remains contingent on Iranian compliance with future nuclear commitments, pushing back on criticism that Tehran would receive major economic benefits without making concessions.

President Donald Trump’s colossal ballroom could be backed by hundreds of millions in taxpayer money, and after months of the president declaring that it was completely privately funded, lawmakers aren’t happy. 

A report from the Washington Post found that estimates for Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom had skyrocketed to $600 million. Of that, about half would come from taxpayer-funded sources. 

Both Republicans and Democrats had already drawn a sharp line against dipping into taxpayer funds to pay for the project earlier this year when confronted with tacking on roughly $220 million in security enhancement funding for the ballroom through budget reconciliation. 

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“We have to have a serious conversation about the benefit to the taxpayers, right? If taxpayers aren’t paying for it, it’s a different bar, but if they’re paying for it, we have to have a totally different conversation,” Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said. “Is that how they want their money spent?”

The Post’s report, published Tuesday, reviewed documents between the White House and Clark Construction, a McLean, Va.-based company leading the construction of the ballroom, dating back over the last several months. 

A project summary from March 5 detailed that the ballroom, which Trump initially said would cost $100 million, would clock in at $600 million. 

Of that, $293 million was expected to come from private donors. The remaining $307 million was to come from the Secret Service, White House Military Office and Executive Residence. All three are funded by taxpayers.

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When asked the veracity of the reported figures, Clark Construction referred Fox News Digital to the White House and noted that all project information was confidential. 

White House spokesman Davis Ingle did not deny the figures in a statement and said, “The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the president, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets.”

“The press release announcing the construction of the ballroom highlighted coordination with the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service regarding design features and planning,” Ingle said. “President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for presidents for generations to come.”

“The events over the weekend and the foiled attempted attack on the historic UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House proves exactly why the East Wing Modernization Project is severely needed for large-scale events, which include drone proof structures and drone ports among other critical security enhancements,” he continued. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he had not yet seen the report but noted that it would be a “different narrative than what we’ve heard.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS BALK AT $1B WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM REQUEST: ‘YOU MADE THAT NUMBER UP’

“I think there’s a rationale, particularly when it comes to the security parts of this to keep that place safe we need to be responsible for,” Thune said. “I just don’t know enough about how it’s being used — what it’s being used for.”

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he would prefer the ballroom to be paid for with private funding but was open to dipping into taxpayer dollars if the goal was to “make it safer, protect the president.” 

When asked if he or other Republicans were contacted by the White House about the use of taxpayer money for the ballroom, Scott said, “No.” 

“You’d have to, and you know you’d think it’d have to come up over here for funding, and I haven’t seen anything yet,” Scott said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said lawmakers had seen this situation before with another project: the renovations to the Federal Reserve’s headquarters going over budget that spurred, in part, a public feud with former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. 

“I think when you move quickly, that’s when mistakes are made,” Tillis said. 

“It’s not surprising that the estimates were up.
I have the same view about the Arch,” he continued, referring to Trump’s proposed United States Triumphal Arch. “You know, we think it’s gonna be $25 million. I don’t know what the number is right now, but my guess is it’s gonna be a lot more than that.” 

“And we ought to be very thoughtful, go through the process versus fitting things into arbitrary timeframes,” he added. “Never works out.”

Some Republicans shrugged off the report, largely because it was produced by the Washington Post.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said, “You lost me at Washington Post.” 

“I have no idea,” Moreno said. “Do I trust the Washington Post? No, but it does — when you have a cat litter situation, and you don’t want it to spill, newspapers serve a really good purpose.”

FIRST ON FOX: Senate candidate James Talarico lavished praise on a left-wing activism group that worked to eliminate Texas’ oil and gas industry, in an unearthed video obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Talarico participated in a June 2024 organizing call celebrating the expansion of Third Act, a climate advocacy and protest group for individuals over 60, into the Lone Star State. At the time, the organization was ramping up efforts to isolate the fossil-fuel industry by pressuring major banks to cut financial ties with the sector and targeting the buildout of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals on the Texas Gulf Coast. 

“This is the frontline in the fight to save democracy and save our planet, and so your arrival couldn’t come at a better time,” Talarico, who was serving in his third term as a state representative, told the group in pre-recorded remarks. “I look forward to working alongside all of you in this important work, and I just want to thank you for coming to Texas.”

Later on the call, Talarico described the climate activists’ efforts as the highest calling, describing it as “as the most important work in the most important time in the most important place.”

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Two weeks after that call, Third Act Texas called for a transition to “100% renewable resources as soon as possible.”

Talarico’s comments appear to complicate his recent efforts to position himself as a defender of Texas energy workers while sharply criticizing Democrats who advocate eliminating oil and gas production.

The Democratic Senate nominee and fundraising juggernaut is seeking to flip a Senate seat held by Republicans for nearly four decades by distancing himself from his more radical stances. He will likely need support from independent and moderate voters, including some of the 470,000 people employed in the oil and gas industry, to defeat GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton in November.

“The idea that politicians in Washington think they can just eliminate this industry, eliminate these jobs — it’s something we’re going to have to fight against,” Talarico said on a podcast in January with Democratic House candidate Bobby Pulido. “Too many people in our party talk about eliminating oil and gas. And one, it’s just not practical and two, it would do so much damage to our state and do damage to our entire country, which relies on our industry here in Texas.”

Third Act was heavily involved in the climate movement’s #StopLNG campaign and boasted that it “successfully pressured” the Biden administration to pause new LNG export facilities in early 2024.

The group’s Texas chapter also calls for the eventual elimination of LNG and all fossil fuel production on the Texas Gulf Coast, according to a statement on its website.

Campaign spokesman JT Ennis told Fox News Digital that Talarico “supports LNG production and backed legislation to strengthen it in the Texas legislature.”

The campaign did not clarify if Talarico still supports Third Act Texas. 

MS NOW ANALYST ADMITS TALARICO ‘NOT A MODERATE,’ HAS PROGRESSIVE VIEWS LIKE CROCKETT

In 2021, Talarico authored an aggressive climate bill that would have enacted strict caps on greenhouse gas emissions, including a 90% reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. While the measure left implementation to state regulators, such drastic emissions reductions in the nation’s largest oil- and gas-producing state would have likely required sweeping changes to the fossil-fuel industry. 

The Senate hopeful also introduced legislation that year requiring climate change lessons in K-12 schools to “inspire the next generation of climate activists,” The Washington Free Beacon reported.

By 2025, Talarico took positions on legislation indicating more support for the oil and gas industry. He backed backed legislation aimed at boosting the LNG production through interstate cooperation and supported a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that would redirect public funds to infrastructure projects in regions home to significant oil and gas production.

Talarico’s praise of Third Act Texas’ launch in June 2024 came as the group gained national attention for helping orchestrate sustained climate protests outside Citigroup’s headquarters in New York City to pressure the bank to halt investments in new fossil-fuel projects.

The group’s founder, environmental activist Bill McKibben, led “Third Actors” in staging a mock funeral procession and “die-ins” during the summer of 2024 that blocked the entrance to the bank’s headquarters. At the end of its Summer of Heat on Wall Street campaign, the group bragged that around 200 of its members were arrested during the disruptive actions.

During the Texas organizing call, McKibben described Texas as a critical front in the climate movement because of its outsize role in fossil-fuel production.

“You’ve got, you know, half the hydrocarbons in the world down there, and too many of the hydrocarbon executives,” he said. “Don’t think of it as a problem, think of it as an opportunity. You can get an awful lot done, even more than we can up in Vermont.”