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Mauricio Pochettino told USMNT players 'we're American, we don't take s***' ahead of World Cup

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:49:10 -0400

The U.S. Men's National Team had arguably the most impressive performance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in its opening game against Paraguay last week.

Winning the match was one thing, but how it played out was another. After years of frustrating, slow soccer, the USMNT played a brand of free-flowing, attacking football based on impressively accurate passing and relentless movement up the pitch.

Much of the credit goes to the players; Chris Richards had an incredible 100% accuracy rate on his passes, Folarin Balogun had several outstanding finishes, Malik Tillman was a consistent force, Christian Pulisic had a dominant first half, and Antonee Robinson made highlight-reel moves to get free. But the rest of the credit has been deservedly placed on manager Mauricio Pochettino.

After an often shaky start to his tenure leading the USMNT, the performance against Paraguay was a complete repudiation of his critics and validation of his tactics and managerial style. Most USMNT fans were struck by the sense that they'd never seen a U.S. team play with that style, that successfully.

US EARNS HISTORIC WIN IN WORLD CUP OPENER AFTER BEATDOWN OF PARAGUAY AS THE LEGEND OF FOLARIN BALOGUN IS BORN

And with several other top teams, like Brazil and Spain, for example, looking generally unimpressive in their first matches, it's given rise to hopes that the USMNT may make a deeper run in the tournament than originally believed.

But it's one thing to see it from the outside, it's another to hear from the players what Pochettino is telling them. What motivation he's adding within the locker room. Thankfully, Sebastian Berhalter told us this week.

The midfielder and son of former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter spoke to the media on Tuesday about Pochettino's influence on their mindset.

USMNT CAPTAIN TIM REAM SAYS TEAM'S WORLD CUP MINDSET IS SIMPLE: 'LET'S WIN THE THING'

"I think one is, we’re American. We don’t take s***" Berhalter said. "That’s something he really put in.

"Even though he’s Argentinian, he has that mindset of, ‘Look, this is what we do. This is who we are. This is what America’s about.’ Even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what we’re about. He really drills that into us."

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Winger Tim Weah agreed.

"I think we were super aggressive with how we played, how we pressed, and did other things," he said. "So it’s the buildup of all the games. And it’s been great to see and the mentality that coach Poch and his staff have brought to this team, that has been wonderful."

The USMNT is no stranger to tough tackles or physical play in CONCAF. But for years, it's seemed like they lacked the attitude or mindset to counter it. It's just one match, and there's a long way to go, but thus far, the results in the World Cup, the most important international tournament, are very, very different. And very, very encouraging. It's odd, and a bit funny, though, that it took an Argentinian manager with virtually no experience in the United States prior to 2024 to install that very American mindset.

They'll look to keep that aggression, flair and quality going in the second match of the group stage on Friday against Australia.

FOX News Deals Newsletter: America is turning 250 — and Prime Day deals are rolling in early

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:38:16 -0400

FOX News may be compensated for or earn a commission if you buy through our links.

Father's Day is this Sunday, Prime Day is just days away and America's 250th anniversary follows closely behind. Amid all the excitement, this patriotic baseball cap stands out as a surprisingly affordable find. On sale for just $15, it has an embroidered commemorative design complete with an eagle and American flag.

There's no shortage of impressive early Prime Day deals right now. I search through sales for a living and, this week, I found noteworthy discounts on home essentials, tech gadgets and patriotic gear worth shopping before the four-day sale kicks off on June 23. — Caitlyn Martyn, Commerce Editor

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If you're looking to get a head-start on Prime Day shopping, FOX News Deals writers and editors rounded up the best discounts you can shop right now. One deal stood out, though.

Their favorite: Lefant robot vacuum: $89.99 (55% off) from Amazon. Find more deals here.

This week, Commerce Editor, Christopher Hindenach, shares three products he recently bought and recommends.

Q: What's a product you bought that immediately solved a problem you had?

A: The Google Nest Thermostat is a budget-friendly smart home device that lets me control the temperature in my home with an app. I turn on the AC while I'm on my way home from work.

Q: What's a summer staple you’d recommend?

A: I needed to upgrade my golf shirt collection, and I got this polo on sale for $10. It's affordable and gears me up for the links this summer.

Q: What are you eyeing for Prime Day?

A: I'm considering a Google Nest Doorbell to add security in my busy neighborhood. It detects activity outside whether we're at home or away.

Check out our "Add to Cart" series to see what our full team is buying for Prime Day.

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If you're looking for a range of deals, all in one place, check out this week’s most noteworthy shopping articles.

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If you'd rather shop just one retailer, these three have some of the best deals we've found this week.

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Colombian military neutralizes five terrorists accused in bus bombing that killed 20, injured 45 civilians

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:37:53 -0400

Colombian military forces announced on Wednesday they successfully neutralized five members of the militant group responsible for a devastating bus bombing that killed 20 civilians and left 45 others injured.

In a statement from the Military Forces of Colombia, officials said the neutralized suspects were members of the "Estructura Jaime Martínez," an organized armed group.

In addition to planting the explosives in the municipality of Cajibío, authorities claim the group's criminal activities included stealing vehicles along the Pan-American Highway and indiscriminately deploying drones loaded with explosives.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER CHARGED WITH HOLDING GIRL CAPTIVE FOR 12 YEARS

A video shared along with the statement appeared to show body bags laid out in front of a military helicopter and numerous seized weapons.

The military retaliation followed an April 26 terror attack, when an explosive device detonated on a passenger bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in the volatile Cauca region.

The blast killed 15 women and five men, according to a report from The Associated Press.

COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PETRO THREATENS MILITARY RESPONSE AFTER TRUMP WARNS COLOMBIA MAY BE NEXT TARGET

While initial local reports said 36 people were injured, including several children, the Colombian military's recent update noted that 45 civilians were wounded in the explosion.

Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia's armed forces, quickly condemned the bus bombing as a "terrorist act."

He attributed the attack to dissident factions of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), specifically pointing to the Jaime Martínez faction and the network of "Iván Mordisco," one of the country's most wanted figures.

The U.N. high commissioner for human rights previously urged authorities to "guarantee justice for the victims."

Southwestern Colombia has become a battleground for illegal armed groups vying for control over coca leaf cultivation areas and crucial drug trafficking routes leading to Central America and Europe.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt welcomes FIFA fans to America in a red dress, 8U baseball brawl & is this a catch?

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:35:23 -0400

Third, and penultimate, Hump Day of June. Time flies when you're having fun! We've got more College World Series action today, the U.S. Open is on deck, and that pesky soccer tournament is still chugging right along.

Sure, I wish it would end so I can get back to new episodes of "MasterChef" at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, but I realize I'm probably in the minority on that one. I hear there's a chance USA and England could play on July 4? If that's true, I'll lock in for that one. Until then, it's just not my wheelhouse.

I'm more of a football guy myself. Speaking of that ...

Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where Kansas City Chiefs Heiress Gracie Hunt shows the Europeans what a real FOOTBALL WAG looks like as they invade Arrowhead Stadium.

CHIEFS HEIRESS HUNT SISTERS INSPIRE TEAM USA TO INCREDIBLE WIN OVER PARAGUAY, BUY BULLS BANNER & BRISKET

What else? I've got a ton of action from last night in Omaha, including the age-old, 'What's a catch?' debate rearing its ugly head once again. I've also got Tiffani Amber Thiessen hitting the beach as we near the technical start of summer, and an all-time youth baseball fight down here in big, beautiful, FREE Florida.

This is what it's all about!

Grab you whatever you'd like — dealer's choice today! — and settle in for a Hump Day 'Cap!

Before we get this town hall going, I'd like to start this Hump Day with a question to the veterans in class:

How old were you when you realized the day-drink wasn't what it once was?

The First Lady and I celebrated our 10th anniversary yesterday. A big one! Because it was Tuesday and the world didn't quite slow down just because it was our anniversary, we're actually celebrating it this weekend. But, we did manage to sneak off to lunch yesterday to at least acknowledge the occasion.

ELLA LANGLEY CELEBRATES NO. 1 ALBUM LAKESIDE IN A BIKINI AND MIKE VRABEL (SORT OF) APOLOGIZES

I had two beers. Two. And I was wiped out by the time we got home. Just toast. Exhausted. I felt like I needed a nap, and I never take naps. Ever. But after two beers at 1 p.m., I got home and could've passed out for hours.

Now, obviously I do this regularly during football season on Saturdays and Sundays, and I'm fine. But how I felt yesterday has me concerned.

Am I getting too old to drink a beer during the afternoon? I'm 33. That can't be true, right? I figured I had way more time. I'm hoping this was a one-off.

Perhaps my body wasn't expecting a couple of beers at noon on a Tuesday? That's what I'm telling myself right now, but I am moderately worried. I'm hoping someone here can talk me off a ledge.

Or, perhaps, push me off of it. Either-or!

OK, let's go ahead and get this show on the road. I'm hoping to get this issue resolved soon, because football season is right around the corner.

A quick check of the calendar tells me that training camps are one month away, with the first regular season game in (woke) Australia just 84 days away.

On that note, here's Chiefs Heiress Gracie Hunt wearing her Sunday red at Arrowhead for yesterday's showdown between Argentina and Algeria:

I know we've got ... futbol ... going on right now, and I respect that. But goodness, I could use some real football this weekend.

What I would GIVE for some crappy Thursday night game between the Jags and Browns tomorrow night. Hell, I'd take an Akron-Eastern Michigan game at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network right now. Something. Anything.

Oh well. It'll be here before you know it.

In the meantime, we at least have some College World Series action to keep us distracted. And buddy, we had a couple all-time moments in last night's elimination game between Georgia and Texas.

The Bulldogs won, 2-0, and will now face elimination again tonight against Oklahoma. But first ... was this a catch? It's all over the internet today, and — to me — it seems pretty cut and dry.

But is anything on the internet EVER cut and dry?

To me, that's not a catch. I didn't think it was a catch in real-time, and I certainly didn't think it was after the replay. Had the ball not been moving as he was lifting his glove up to show the umpire he caught it, I'd probably think otherwise.

But it was already moving. Everybody wants to compare it to the infamous Dez Bryant (non) catch a few years ago in the playoffs. That one was way more of a catch than this. If we want to think of it in football terms — and this class has been weirdly football-centric, so we might as well — then I think it's even clearer.

If this was a receiver diving for a ball, and he caught it and then rolled over and it started to wiggle, they'd review it and immediately overturn it. It would take two seconds. That's what we have here.

Easy call, and the right one, in my (always right) opinion.

Frankly, the more impressive part of that replay is the absolute NUTS on the third base coach to send the runner home on that pop-up. Perfect throw, but an even better slide.

What a tournament.

OK, two more on the way out. First? It's summer, which means it's officially time for youth travel ball parents to get AFTER it:

Lordy. What a scene. I played travel ball for years down here, and I can honestly say I've never seen things escalate to THAT point. What a brawl. Just anarchy, all in the name of 8U baseball.

I just couldn't imagine getting that worked up over an 8U baseball game. Possible pregame tailgates in the parking lot contributing here? Maybe. Certainly not out of the question.

Lord knows it wouldn't affect me! As I told you earlier, I'd be passed out on the bleachers while the suburban moms were all in a headlock.

OK, that's it for today. Good work, everyone. Good class.

Let's cool off and end the day with Tiffani Amber Thiessen at the beach.

See you tomorrow.

OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).

Where do we stand on the catch/no catch? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

Subcontractors say they’re owed millions, face financial ruin, after helping build Obama Presidential Center

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:32:06 -0400

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.

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.

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.

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

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."

Israeli flag confiscated at Iran World Cup game while Palestinian flags remain in stands, video shows

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:31:44 -0400

A video from Monday's Iran-New Zealand World Cup game at SoFi Stadium outside of Los Angeles appeared to show a man's Israeli flag getting confiscated, while adjacent Palestinian flags were able to remain in the stands.

The Instagram reel, posted by @blackandjewishunity, showed a man, who later identified himself to Fox News Digital as Rony, with an Israeli flag draped over his shoulders approached by two members of Apex Private Security at the stadium. One staff member said that "the house, which is the facility here, is asking to remove this flag" for Rony's "safety."

"Why can't you remove that flag?" Rony asked, pointing to a Palestinian flag just two rows behind him. "You guys aren't removing this flag but you guys are removing my flag?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"It seems like a little antisemitism is playing a part here."

Rony told security that if the Palestinian flag were removed, he would remove his Israeli flag. Another staff member said if Rony did not give up his Israeli flag, he would have to leave the stadium.

The second staff member said it was the "call" of apparent nearby FIFA employees to have the Israeli flag removed, while he and Rony both had their hands on the flag.

"I don't make the rules... I'm just doing what I'm told," the staffer said, adding that Rony would be able to get the flag back at a later time.

Later on in the video, a female Apex security member said, "The only flags that are allowed to be out are the teams that are playing." When she was notified that the Palestinian flag was not confiscated, she responded, "Oh, I don't know."

Neither Israel nor the Palestine men's national team are in the World Cup. Only Israel has qualified in each team's history, back in 1970.

When Rony attempted to get his flag back, he approached a first responder and said that security said they would give him his flag back. The first responder answered, "No they didn't. FIFA took it."

Representatives for FIFA and SoFi Stadium did not immediately respond to emails from Fox News Digital. The Los Angeles Host Committee deferred Fox News Digital to FIFA.

Rony told Fox News Digital he is a Los Angeles resident who surprised his father with World Cup tickets as "avid" soccer fans. Rony said he is rooting for Team USA and wants to attend a USA game at SoFi Stadium.

"We love our boys," Rony said.

Rony said that he did not expect backlash from fans aside from the usual "bad apples giving us a hard time."

"Even when we came into the stadium, we didn't have any problems with anyone...We were actually getting a lot of love and support. I was not expecting this outcome whatsoever," Rony said.

IRAN WORLD CUP TEAM FORCED TO LEAVE US AFTER TOURNAMENT OPENER IN APPARENT CHANGE OF PLANS

Rony said he was told that staff was "pointing at me and singled me out" in a sold-out stadium.

"I saw flags from all around the world. There's flags from Lebanon, Mexico, everywhere, from all walks of the world, there's flags. So it took me by surprise that they were doing that to me and singling me out."

Rony said he was also told by security that the "head of FIFA didn't care about" the Palestinian flag behind him, "and they only cared about my flag in particular."

"They said they don't have a problem with their flags, and they only have an issue with ours," Rony said, citing a double standard. "They had no marching orders in order to take their flag, or anyone else's flag. It was pretty embarrassing...

"We thought we lived in America in 2026, not Nazi Germany in the 30s."

Rony did mention that most of the stadium staff and security were "apologetic and on my side" and even "distraught myself."

"We're just proud, Israeli Jews who are just out there, just like everybody else, looking to have a good time and represent our country," Rony said.

Getty Images captured photos of a Palestinian flag at both the Brazil-Morocco and France-Senegal matches on Saturday and Tuesday, both of which took place at MetLife Stadium.

FIFA rule 4.2.23 states that World Cup attendees must only use flags "in a festive and friendly manner," and "upon the request of the Event Organisers, Ticket Holders must immediately remove, stop demonstrating and/or permit the confiscation of any flags, banners or poster." FIFA also prohibits "materials" that are of "political...nature." A Los Angeles judge upheld FIFA's ban on Iran's "lion and sun" flag that was used up until 1980, following the Islamic Revolution.

Many Israel flags were spotted throughout the Iran-New Zealand game amid the war between the two Middle Eastern countries. Iran's next game will be on Sunday, also at SoFi Stadium, against Belgium.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Hockey fans mourn the end of 'Hockey Night in Canada' after 75 years of being free over-the-air

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:31:02 -0400

Hockey fans are bumming hard this week with news that "Hockey Night in Canada," a bona fide broadcasting institution, is no more after 75 years.

Man... no more HNIC towels...

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Sportsnet made a joint announcement on Tuesday that, after 12 years of a partnership to keep "Hockey Night in Canada" available over the air through a sublicensing agreement, the CBC will no longer carry NHL games.

"After a successful 12-year partnership, Sportsnet and CBC today announced the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts after the current season as it moves forward with a new sports programming strategy following the unprecedented success of the Milano/Cortina Olympic Games," the statement reads.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE

"Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honoured tradition for Canadians, and Sportsnet is privileged to continue delivering that tradition. This has been a terrific partnership, and both parties look forward to continued opportunities to collaborate in the future."

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

According to The New York Times, Rogers Sportsnet begins a new 12-year $7.9 billion deal with the NHL. The previous sublicensing deal involved the CBC not receiving any ad revenue from broadcasts, but also not having to pay for the rights to the broadcasts.

"Hockey Night in Canada" started as a radio broadcast in the early 1930s before moving on to television in the 1950s. It went on to become Canada's longest-running broadcast and helped make Don Cherry a household name among hockey fans, until he was fired in 2019.

And a common sentiment on social media was that this is when "Hockey Night in Canada" truly ended...

According to the Associated Press, the CBC retains the "Hockey Night in Canada" trademark and could find a way to use it moving forward.

Hunter Biden admits he shouldn't have taken Burisma board seat when pressed on accusations related to role

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:30:24 -0400

Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, said in an interview Monday that he should not have taken a job on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

Host Dax Shepard said on his podcast, "Armchair Expert," that Hunter Biden was being accused of brokering deals with a Ukrainian oligarch and more, adding, "Certainly your behavior couldn’t have been above board for 15 years while your own desperation was raging."

Shepard asked if there was any validity to some of the accusations regarding Biden's role on the Burisma board.

"Here’s the validity. The validity is that I should never have taken the board seat with Burisma. That’s the validity of it," Biden said.

HUNTER BIDEN CLAIMED HE DIDN'T 'STAND TO GAIN ANYTHING' IN CONTROVERSIAL BURISMA ROLE DESPITE MAKING MILLIONS

Hunter Biden joined Burisma in April 2014 and, at the time, reportedly connected the firm with consulting firm Blue Star Strategies to help the natural gas company fight corruption charges in Ukraine. During the time Hunter Biden was on the board of the company, his father Joe Biden was vice president and was running U.S.-Ukraine relations and policy for the Obama administration.

"It was not with Ukraine. Was not with a foreign government. It was not with an oligarch," Hunter Biden told Shepard on Monday. "I was public about going on the board. I served on 14 other boards before that. I was chairman of the board of the US World Food Program, the largest humanitarian organization in the world. I was vice chairman of the board of the largest railroad company in the world, which is the national passenger rail system, which is Amtrak. I was chairman of the board of the Truman National Security Project. Chairman of the board of the Center for National Policy."

"I was a professor of at Georgetown’s master’s program of the school of foreign service for four years," he continued. "I had my own business in consulting, and I had been in more places in the world than 99.9% of people."

HUNTER BIDEN DECRIES THE SUPER RICH WHO ALWAYS MANAGE TO 'AVOID THE CONSEQUENCES'

Biden argued that he wasn't recruited out of nowhere and that he had legitimate credentials as counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.

He told Shepard he initially declined a board seat and instead represented Burisma as a lawyer, but after a few months, former Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski persuaded him to join the board. Hunter says the company was under pressure because of Russia’s incursion into eastern Ukraine, where Burisma had natural gas interests, and that the board role was presented to him as public and transparent.

"It obviously turns out to be a mistake. But not because of anything that I did, and not because of anything that my dad did," he said.

The former president's son said there was no proof of him using his dad to advance interests.

"I mean there's a text message in which the board secretary of Burisma says it was nice meeting your dad and I know we were at a restaurant together, and he sat down and there were 10 other people at the table," Biden said. "He was in from Ukraine. I introduced him to my dad and that's it. Now they had an impeachment hearing over that. And so I take responsibility for doing something that could ever cause the perception of that."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Hunter Biden previously admitted it was a mistake to join the Burisma board in December 2025.

Ivory Coast player Elye Wahi arrested for fixing offenses before World Cup tournament

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:26:24 -0400

The Ivory Coast's quest for a World Cup got off to a great start with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday, but a recent scandal involving one of its players may put a dark cloud over its entire tournament run.

According to The Athletic, Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi was arrested on suspicion of fixing offenses less than two weeks before the start of the tournament.

The arrest stems from an incident during a May 17 match in the French Ligue 1, in which Wahi, while playing for his club Nice, intentionally earned a yellow card against Metz.

Wahi was arrested on May 29 by French police, mere hours after scoring two goals in a win over Saint-Étienne.

FRENCH FOOTBALL MATCH DESCENDS INTO CHAOS AS FURIOUS NANTES FANS BREACH SECURITY, STORM PITCH

According to a spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor's office, Wahi was released from police custody after he was interviewed by authorities.

While the investigation is still ongoing, Wahi has traveled to the United States and even played in the Ivory Coast's win over Ecuador this past weekend.

The belief is that Wahi participated in a practice called "spot-fixing," which is essentially manipulating events within a match that gamblers with inside knowledge can then bet on.

FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE

The Athletic says suspicions were raised when Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body that runs the league in France, were tipped off about suspect betting patterns in Nice’s Ligue 1 fixture against Metz, involving wagers on Wahi to receive a yellow card.

A yellow card was shown to Wahi in the 35th minute of the match against Metz, and he was suspended on yellow card accumulation for the following match, the first leg of a relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne, which Nice drew 0-0.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

Wahi has not been charged with any crimes as the investigation continues.

OutKick has reached out to FIFA for comment on the matter.

10,000+ shoppers bought the LifeStraw last month — get it on sale before Prime Day

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:25:35 -0400

Early Amazon Prime Day deals are here, and the LifeStraw is among the best. With this deal, you can save on single, two-, three- and four-packs of the portable water filter, which removes up to 99.9% of bacteria, parasites and microplastics from water found in lakes, streams and other natural sources. Tens of thousands of positive reviews have helped make it a favorite among Amazon shoppers.

Original price: $16.95

With more than 120,000 reviews and a 4.8-star rating, the LifeStraw ranks among Amazon's most popular outdoor products. Thanks to this early Prime Day discount, shoppers can pick one up for just $15. One reviewer called it an "indispensable companion" for travel and outdoor adventures, praising its filtration capabilities and portability.

With more than 10,000 sold on Amazon in May alone, this low-cost investment makes for the perfect camping or hiking tool. To use it, simply dip the straw in a stream or other freshwater source and drink — that's it.

Reviewers said the LifeStraw is especially useful when traveling to areas where tap water may not be safe to drink. One shopper who used it overseas said it was particularly useful when they had no access to water during a trip. "It really came in handy for me when I arrived late at night and couldn't purchase water, but I was dying of thirst," the reviewer wrote.

Original price: $16.95

A single LifeStraw filters 1,000 gallons of water, giving you an affordable, long-lasting device. You can also grab two-, three- and four-packs to share with friends or stock up for yourself.

Also, since it was originally designed to help those in less developed countries, every purchase gives a schoolchild in need safe drinking water for a year. So, you get to make a difference for less than $20.

One reviewer, who generally had a positive experience with the LifeStraw, noted one minor setback: "If you need to filter large quantities (for your family campsite, for cooking, etc.), this is not what you need." Instead, the shopper recommends investing in a gravity filter or iodine tablets.

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get your LifeStraw sent to your door ASAP. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your shopping today.

Deep-red state wrapped race calls before DC started counting, despite same poll deadline

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:13:31 -0400

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.

Trump says US may recover all the equipment left behind in Afghanistan by Biden admin

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:09:30 -0400

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.

Hasan Piker claims Israel has no ‘right to exist’ in its current form

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:00:02 -0400

Left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker told Charlamagne tha God on "The Breakfast Club" that Israel had no right to exist "in its current formation" during a Tuesday interview, responding to a question about whether Israel and a Palestinian state have a right to exist.

"I think Israel, in its current formation, given that it’s a settler colonial operation that’s seeking out the expulsion or complete extermination of the indigenous population as an apartheid state, does not have a right to exist," Piker said.

Piker compared the question to asking whether other historic regimes should have continued to exist.

FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: WHO IS HASAN PIKER AND WHY CAN'T DEMOCRATS CONDEMN HIM?

"It’s like, for me, it’s like saying, does Nazi Germany have a right to exist, or does apartheid South Africa have a right to exist? Does Rhodesia have a right to exist? No, of course not," he said in a clip flagged by Mediaite.

He said he was referring to Israel's political structure rather than Israeli citizens.

"People have a right to exist. People do exist. Israel currently exists," Piker said. "It’s just a matter of, are they following international humanitarian laws? And they certainly are not. And I want to change that."

Charlamagne asked whether that was similar to saying MAGA "doesn't have a right to exist" as a movement, and Piker argued such claims are often mischaracterized by political opponents.

MEDIA TAPS TWITCH STAR WHO TOLD VIEWERS TO 'KILL' REPUBLICANS FOR COMMENT ON CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

"That doesn’t mean kill all Republicans or whatever, right?" Piker said. "I’m sure that’s how people would present it as."

Piker said the "right to exist" question is used to move attention away from Israel’s conduct toward Palestinians.

"The 'does Israel have a right to exist' deployment as a statement, as a question, is a technique to shift the conversation away from Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians," he said. "To make it seem like the opposition is actually being crazy and they want, like, all Jews to be exterminated, all Israelis to be exterminated, which is not the case."

JERRY SEINFELD SLAMS 'FREE PALESTINE' MOVEMENT, COMPARING IT TO HISTORICAL HATE GROUP

The exchange began after Charlamagne asked Piker about Jerry Seinfeld, who was asked to say "Free Palestine" outside a New York Knicks NBA Finals game and responded, "It doesn't exist." Piker called Seinfeld "a gross racist" and said denying Palestine exists is a common pro-Israel talking point.

"Palestine existed under Ottoman occupation initially under the Ottoman Empire, and then it became a British holdover occupied state, British-occupied Palestine," Piker said. "It’s existed for far longer than Israel has. Israel’s only existed since 1948."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Fox News Digital reached out to Seinfeld for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

WATCH: ICE officer makes heroic rescue after 6-year-old girl has pool emergency

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:51:12 -0400

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.

Israel launches 'Biblical Highway' amid campaign to erase Jewish history

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:50:05 -0400

The Israeli government on Tuesday approved designating Route 60 — the highway stretching from Nazareth in the north to Beersheba in the south and passing through some of the most significant sites in history—as the "Biblical Highway."

The designation is part of a broader initiative to create a Route 66-style experience for Bible enthusiasts, students and tourists.

The Biblical Highway has existed for more than 4,000 years. Running along Israel’s central mountain ridge, the route begins in Beersheba, the southern desert city where Abraham is said to have established an oasis and taught travelers about belief in one God.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS HOLD EMERGENCY SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM TO CONFRONT GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM

David Parsons, senior vice president and spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital that a proper understanding of the Bible can help immunize people against what he described as the "virus" of antisemitism.

"You would better understand who the Jewish people are, the special relationship God established with them for the benefit of all mankind, and the fact that this includes a land where they could become a nation and deliver those benefits down through history," Parsons said.

"The more you examine the archaeological record in the Land of Israel, and the more objectively you look at the evidence, the more you realize that the Bible is not a collection of fables and fairy tales, but an accurate account of a people and a land that have given the world ideas and values of universal benefit and inspiration," he added.

The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. The site is marked by a monumental structure built by King Herod some 2,000 years ago. Hebron was also King David’s first capital, where he was crowned king of Israel about 3,000 years ago.

HUCKABEE CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO ERASE JEWISH HISTORY TO THE HOLY LAND AS ‘ABSURD’

The route passes through Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and where Jacob buried the matriarch Rachel and which serves as the setting of the Book of Ruth, before reaching Jerusalem, the capital of modern-day Israel and home to Mount Moriah — the traditional site of the Binding of Isaac — as well as the location of the First and Second Temples.

Continuing north, the highway reaches Bet El, where Jacob, while fleeing his brother Esau, experienced the prophetic dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth and where, 20 years later, he returned with his family and received the name Israel. It then passes through Shiloh, which served as the spiritual center of the Israelites for nearly 400 years after their entry into the Land of Israel.

Farther north lies Shechem, where Joshua is said to have buried the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites carried from Egypt during the Exodus. The route then reaches Mount Tabor, where the prophetess Deborah sang her song of victory, and continues to Megiddo, the site of numerous battles involving the armies of Israel and invading forces throughout biblical history, before ending in Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus.

Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, told Fox News Digital he has been working on the project for many years.

"Finally, the government is recognizing it. We have been advocating for this idea, which is similar to other roads around the world," he said.

"In Germany, they have the Romantische Straße, or Romantic Road. In Spain, they have the Camino de Santiago. And in the United States, there is the famous Route 66. For us, it’s Route 60, the Biblical Highway.

'SQUAD' MEMBERS 'DECIDE TO LIE AND TWIST FACTS' ABOUT ISRAEL'S HISTORY, SAYS PROMINENT ARAB ACTIVIST

"I think it has educational, heritage and tourism value," Fleisher continued. "The government views the Bible as an important part of Israel’s identity. We’ve been teaching it, we’ve been promoting it, and they’ve embraced the idea. Ahead of the elections, I think they want to show people that they are committed to branding Israel as the land of the Bible."

The initiative also carries significance amid what Fleisher described as efforts by the Palestinian Authority to assert claims over sites of Jewish historical and biblical heritage.

He said there have been attempts to "erase" Jewish historical and biblical narratives, including efforts to reinterpret or displace long-held traditions associated with sites such as the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs.

"It makes perfect sense because if one undermines the biblical heritage of Israel and this land, they are undermining the pillars of the Jewish state and could replace it with a Palestinian one," he continued. "When we rename Route 60 or add the name ‘Biblical Highway,’ we are strengthening that pillar of our ancient identity in this land. Certainly, people who do not want to see Israel exist seek to remove that pillar."

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Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at City of David, said the initiative offers visitors an opportunity to experience biblical history through the geography where it unfolded.

"The Biblical Highway will enable millions of visitors to bring their faith, heritage, and identity to life by traveling through the very places where the Biblical story unfolded and where the values that continue to shape Western civilization were born," he told Fox News Digital. "It is an invitation to experience the Bible not only as a book, but as a living geography, as relevant today as it was millennia ago."

Parsons noted that there is also a King’s Highway in Jordan that the Israelites traveled along, which is marked as such by the Jordanians.

"So Israel is not doing anything different from what Jordan has done on its side. I don’t think there is anything particularly political about that; it is simply an acknowledgment of historical truth," he said.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it supports the name change and will work to incorporate "The Biblical Highway" into Israel’s marketing and branding materials. Visitor centers, observation points and multilingual signage are expected to be included.

OutKick defends NBA parity after ESPN argues that dynasties are better for the sport

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:47:59 -0400

Today, OutKick is going to defend the NBA against ESPN.

This week, ESPN commentator Vincent Goodwill argued that parity in the league is a problem. In his view, the NBA championship has become a "participation trophy."

"Dynasty is better for the sport," Goodwill said. "I like to know that greatness is validated. How do we know that any of the last eight champions are actually validated because they have not done it again? Giannis is itching to get out, Boston is thinking about trading Jaylen Brown, they don’t believe in their one championship. LeBron’s one championship in LA was not enough. So why would it be enough for us?"

For context, eight different franchises have won the past eight NBA titles. The Warriors were the last team to repeat as champions in 2018.

JEMELE HILL CLAIMS SHE'D HAVE A JOB SHE'S 'UNQUALIFIED FOR' AND A HIGHER SALARY IF SHE WERE WHITE

For decades, championship runs in the NBA were defined by sustained dominance. The Lakers and Celtics combined for eight championships in the 1980s. The Bulls won six titles in the 1990s. The Lakers and Spurs combined for 10 championships from 1999 to 2014. The Heat and Warriors accounted for six of the next eight titles.

Fans and media expected another team to follow that pattern this decade. At different points, the Bucks, Nuggets and Thunder each looked like candidates. Instead, every would-be dynasty has stalled before it could begin.

Which raises the question: Is the NBA weaker without dynasties?

Put simply, it depends on the dynasty.

The NBA was most popular during Michael Jordan's run in Chicago. It regained some of that interest when LeBron James' Cavaliers and Steph Curry's Warriors met in four consecutive Finals from 2015 through 2018. By contrast, the Tim Duncan Spurs won five championships across 15 seasons but were never box office.

An Oklahoma City run built around foul merchant Shai Gilgeous-Alexander probably wouldn't move the needle outside Oklahoma. A Knicks repeat, meanwhile, would have television executives and league partners celebrating behind closed doors.

NFL IS BECOMING THE NBA: RAMS TRADE FOR MYLES GARRETT RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT SUPERTEAMS, PARITY AND TANKING

The same is true in other sports.

The Chiefs' run helped fuel record NFL viewership. If the Seahawks and Sam Darnold reach the Super Bowl this season, don't expect the league office or ESPN to be nearly as enthusiastic.

That said, this is where we'll defend the current NBA product. Parity is fun. More importantly, it's rare.

Among the major American sports leagues, the NBA currently offers the most uncertainty. The last 10 Super Bowls have featured only nine franchises. Meanwhile, the Dodgers entered June as overwhelming favorites to win the World Series for the third consecutive year.

It's difficult to imagine the Dodgers not winning again, given the talent disparity between their roster and the rest of the league. In the NFL, there are a handful of contenders on paper, but they're largely the same teams that have won Super Bowls over the past decade: the Rams, Seahawks, Eagles, Chiefs and Patriots.

Recent history suggests that at least one NBA Finals team next season will enter the year with odds longer than +2000. That gives fan bases across the league hope, a feeling many didn't have during previous eras of the NBA.

While teams like the Spurs and Thunder are assembled to contend for years to come, the league's most recent collective bargaining agreement introduced a second-apron luxury tax that prevents teams from stockpiling talent the way the Heat and Warriors did in the 2010s.

"I believe that parity of opportunity is good for the league," commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN last year. "When more teams have a genuine chance at winning a championship, the competition on the court is more compelling, and fans in more markets are engaged.

"We didn't set out with the goal to have a different champion every year, and I'm not against dynasties so long as they are built within a fair system."

He's right.

We won't go full NBA fanboy like much of the media. That said, more teams are legitimate championship contenders today than at any point over the past 30 years. That's a positive.

It also doesn't make winning a title a participation trophy. If anything, parity has made winning a championship even harder.

Air Force identifies 8 crew members killed in B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:42:36 -0400

Officials on Wednesday identified the eight people who perished in Monday's deadly U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crash, noting that their focus "remains on supporting the families impacted and our installation team members."

A spokesperson for Edwards Air Force Base and Air Force Plant 42 said the eight victims included a mix of military personnel, government civilians and contractors.

The fallen were identified as: Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, a weapons system officer; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, a weapons system officer; Maj. Robert Dee, 40, a 419th Test Squadron pilot; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, a 419th Test Squadron pilot; Jeromy Smith, 32, a flight test engineer from the 419th Flight Test Squadron; Christopher Rischar, 41, a contractor and flight test engineer; Lt. Col. Miles Middleton (Ret.), 50, a Boeing pilot; and Col. Gregory Watson, 53, a weapons officer for Boeing and Air Force reservist — whose promotion to colonel was recently confirmed by the Air Force.

US AIR FORCE B-52 BOMBER CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA

The Cold War-era bomber crashed shortly after takeoff around 11:20 a.m. local time Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, Fox News Digital previously reported.

The crew was conducting a routine test mission to support the Air Force's sweeping modernization program for the B-52 fleet, which includes evaluating a new radar system, upgraded avionics and new Rolls-Royce engines designed to keep the bomber operational into the 2050s.

As the Air Force pauses flight test operations at the base, the investigation is expected to focus heavily on the aircraft's takeoff, looking for potential engine failures or controllability issues.

The probe will also likely examine maintenance records, especially after Smith's widow told local outlet KTLA the plane was experiencing issues on the Friday before the fatal crash, causing the flight to be delayed.

The Air Force has indicated the full investigation could take up to six months to complete.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Elon Musk demands prison for politicians who 'turned a blind eye' to grooming gangs as new report released

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:22:47 -0400

Elon Musk reignited international attention on Britain’s grooming gangs scandal this week, amplifying a citizen-funded report that accuses the U.K. government of failing to protect children and teenagers from organized sexual exploitation.

"The politicians who turned a blind eye to the Rape of Britain must go to prison," Musk wrote on X on June 16, after Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP and leader of Restore Britain, released a more than 200-page independent report into the scandal.

The report, authored by barrister Graham Smith and released through Rupert Lowe's independent grooming gangs inquiry, was funded through public donations. Its Crowdfunder page showed roughly $1.1 million raised from more than 23,000 supporters as of Wednesday.

Lowe’s report argues that many Britons no longer trust the government to investigate its own failures after years of outrage over grooming gang cases in towns including Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford, Oxford and Oldham, where girls were groomed, raped, trafficked and abused by groups of men, including a high number of Pakistani decent, while police, social services and local authorities repeatedly failed to intervene.

ELON MUSK DEMANDS UK ACT ON GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AMID GROWING CALLS FOR PROBE: 'NATIONAL INQUIRY NOW!'

The Lowe report claims that grooming gangs "operated with either the active or passive consent of public authorities" and describes the scandal as a "rotting stain" on Britain’s history. Its recommendations include a sweeping overhaul of sentencing guidelines, life imprisonment starting points for organized child rape, deportation of foreign nationals convicted of group-based child sexual exploitation, a dedicated Crown Prosecution Service unit, stronger protections for child witnesses and possible private prosecutions against officials accused of failing victims.

"If they fail to take the necessary steps, we will deploy private prosecutions to obtain justice at last," Lowe wrote in the report.

The report also makes claims about the ethnicity and religion of offenders, arguing that Muslim men, particularly men of Pakistani heritage, were overrepresented in organized grooming gang cases. It claims the number of victims could reach at least 250,000 when known local patterns are extrapolated nationally.

That figure has not been verified by the British government. Baroness Louise Casey’s government-commissioned 2025 audit found serious institutional failures and said authorities had often avoided difficult questions about ethnicity out of fear of racism accusations.

She wrote, "We found that the ethnicity of perpetrators is shied away from and is still not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators, so we are unable to provide any accurate assessment from the nationally collected data."

However, her report also stated that "Despite the lack of a full picture in the national data sets, there is enough evidence available in local police data in three police force areas which we examined which show disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds amongst suspects for group-based child sexual exploitation, as well as in the significant number of perpetrators of Asian ethnicity identified in local reviews and high-profile child sexual exploitation prosecutions across the country, to at least warrant further examination."

Her audit also identified other perpetrators, including White British, European, African or Middle Eastern individuals.

FARAGE SLAMS SECRET AFGHAN REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT TO UK, CLAIMS SEX OFFENDERS AMONG ARRIVALS

Emma Schubart, a research fellow at the U.K.-based think tank the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital: "The government should take this report seriously. While some of its headline figures rely on extrapolation and parts of its methodology will rightly be challenged, it raises questions about grooming gangs, institutional failures and offender demographics that cannot simply be ignored."

The British government has already launched a statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs across England and Wales. The inquiry was formally established in April 2026 and is expected to examine institutional failures, local and national responses, possible cover-ups and the role of ethnicity, religion and culture in group-based child sexual exploitation.

A Home Office spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "The grooming gangs scandal is one of the darkest moments and most shameful failures in our nation’s history, and we pay tribute to the immense bravery of those who have shared their experiences in the fight for justice."

"We are determined to get victims and survivors the answers they deserve. That is why we have launched the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs with legal powers to hold institutions to account for past failures, and backed the police with record funding to track down and put perpetrators behind bars," the spokesperson said. "There will be no hiding place for those responsible."

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Parliament last year that more than 800 previously closed grooming and child sexual exploitation cases had been identified for formal review, with the figure expected to rise above 1,000. She also said the government would introduce mandatory reporting, aggravated offenses for grooming offenders and new ethnicity and nationality data collection.

STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS UK OVER GROOMING GANG HANDLING: 'UNSPEAKABLE ABUSE'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously rejected attacks over his handling of the scandal, accusing critics of spreading "lies and misinformation" and saying some were more interested in politics than victims. Starmer has defended his record as former director of public prosecutions, saying he reopened closed cases and changed the prosecution approach to child sexual exploitation.

A central counterpoint to Lowe’s report is that Britain has already held multiple inquiries into child sexual abuse and grooming gangs, including the seven-year Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and that the urgent priority should be implementing recommendations and prosecuting offenders rather than launching parallel investigations.

But others say the very existence of a privately funded inquiry shows a deeper collapse of public trust. They argue that previous investigations exposed failures but did not deliver enough accountability for victims or consequences for officials who ignored warnings.

"Perhaps the most striking finding is not in the report itself but in how it was funded," Schubart told Fox News Digital. "The fact that more than 20,000 people contributed to a citizen-funded inquiry reflects a growing lack of confidence that public institutions are willing to confront the issue fully. Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, that loss of trust should concern policymakers just as much as the report’s findings."

The issue has also drawn public criticism from the Trump administration. The State Department previously warned the U.K. over its handling of the grooming gangs scandal, saying thousands of girls had suffered "unspeakable abuse" before authorities acted.

Lowe said that the government’s statutory inquiry risks becoming another long process that delays accountability, comparing it to other British scandals where official reckoning came only years later.

WNBA expands regular season to 50 games starting in 2027, the longest schedule in league history

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:18:28 -0400

If you've ever thought to yourself, "I simply cannot get enough WNBA," it's your lucky day.

The WNBA announced Wednesday it will expand its regular-season schedule from 44 games to 50 beginning in 2027, marking the longest season in league history.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE

"Demand for the WNBA has never been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

"This move reflects our commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for fans to watch the best players in the world and experience the extraordinary talent and competition that define the WNBA."

The move was made possible by the league's new collective bargaining agreement, which allows for up to 50 regular-season games in 2027 and 2028 before potentially increasing again to 52 games beginning in 2029.

WNBA MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL BALLOONS PAST $3 BILLION AFTER ADDING NEW BROADCAST PARTNERS

The WNBA has steadily expanded its schedule since launching in 1997. During the league's inaugural season, teams played just 28 games. That number eventually grew to 34 games, then 40 and finally 44 beginning with the 2025 season. The only exception came during the COVID years, when the schedule was temporarily reduced.

The announcement comes as the league continues an aggressive expansion push.

The league added the Toronto Tempo and Portland this season, bringing its total to 15 franchises. More growth is on the way, with expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia scheduled to begin play in 2028, 2029 and 2030, respectively.

The longer schedule also provides more inventory for the WNBA's growing list of media partners, which now includes ESPN, CBS, NBC, Amazon, ION and USA Sports.

Whether fans wanted six more games is another conversation entirely. But with a media rights deal worth more than $3 billion, the WNBA isn't in the business of putting fewer games on television.

Trump admin approves $351 million for White House security measures amid questions over ballroom funding

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:18:14 -0400

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.

Conservative Washington sheriff says effort to remove him from office stems from stance on transgender issues

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:00:44 -0400

A Washington state sheriff says a proposal that could ultimately remove him from office is being driven by political opponents angered by his outspoken views on transgender issues and other culture-war debates.

Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank is promising to fight a ballot proposal that would allow county leaders to appoint, rather than elect, future sheriffs, arguing the effort is less about government reform than silencing a sheriff who refuses to fall in line.

"They hate me," Swank told local outlet KOMO News in an article published Tuesday, referring to what he said was a partisan push to oust him. "They want to get rid of the sheriff. They want to get rid of me so they can have complete control. The sheriff is the last thing standing between anarchy and the people."

VIRGINIA’S MAP WAR LAYS BARE STATE'S SHARP PARTISAN TURN AS LEGAL FIGHT LOOMS

KOMO News reported that Swank is "known for his controversial statements about immigration enforcement and transgender issues," and that on Monday, the Pierce County Charter Review Commission voted to place a proposal on the November ballot that, if passed, would give the Pierce County executive authority to appoint the sheriff, rather than the sheriff being elected by the voters.

If approved, the Pierce County executive would appoint the sheriff, pending confirmation by the Pierce County Council.

KOMO News reported that if the ballot proposal is approved, the change would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Swank is not up for re-election until 2028.

SHERIFF UNDER FIRE AMID NANCY GUTHRIE CASE ALLEGEDLY BROUGHT LOADED FIREARM TO AIRPORT CHECKPOINT

"I'll have to be removed from office at the two-year mark of my four-year term," Swank told KOMO News. "The establishment likes the status quo. They don't want any pushback. They want to tell you what to do, and I'm saying I'm independently elected, and future sheriffs should be independently elected."

The effort to change from an elected sheriff to an appointed sheriff was introduced by Commissioner Jake Hunter, who reportedly said, "This wouldn't be a question if recent events hadn't raised serious concerns about accountability and governance for this office."

On June 8, Bethel School District, located in Pierce County, told Fox News Digital that they had removed testosterone vials from a Pride display at Graham-Kapowsin High School after administrators determined the vials had been added without authorization, including some vials that still contained a small amount of unknown liquid.

Prior to Bethel School District’s announcement that it had removed the vials, Swank wrote in a June 5 post on X that, "Pierce County Sheriff’s Office will be investigating this."

CALIFORNIA DEMS ACCUSED OF PUTTING SANCTUARY LAW OVER MIGRANT CHILD WELFARE CHECKS: 'REAL CHILDREN'

In a Monday post on X, Swank directly addressed biology and the transgender issue, writing, "‘Love is Love,’ they said. Now it’s biological men, cosplaying as women, beating and assaulting women in sports, shattering records, and reports of assaults in women’s jails. When feelings replaced biology, our daughters became the collateral damage."

Swank continued, "The slope wasn’t slippery; it was a cliff. And the left's suicidal empathy demands that we throw our wives and daughters off that cliff. Common sense check: separate categories by sex protect everyone. More this week. Should transgender women, men cosplaying as women, be allowed to compete in women's sports?"

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Bryan Dominique, communications manager for the Pierce County Council, said, "The Pierce County Charter was adopted by voters in 1980, and it established the Sheriff as an appointed position. In 2006, voters chose to make the position an elected one. This amendment simply gives voters an opportunity to reconsider that choice during this periodic review process."

Dominique added, "The Pierce County Charter Review Commission is a temporary, 21-member group of everyday residents—three commissioners per Council District—chosen through a nonpartisan ballot at a general election to look at the Charter and recommend changes through amendment proposals. This amendment proposal reflects that process playing out. Pierce County is home to nearly one million people, so it’s not surprising that ideas on this span the political spectrum."

Fox News Digital reached out to Hunter for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Jelly Roll's daughter calls fans out over divorce chatter as Bunnie Xo posts cryptic song lyrics

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:59:12 -0400

Jelly Roll's daughter, Bailee Ann, is "disgusted" over the recent chatter involving her dad's recent divorce filing from her stepmother, Bunnie Xo. .

On Tuesday, the 18-year-old posted a TikTok video after news broke that the country music star had filed for divorce from his wife of nearly ten years.

"Oh & one more thing I am disgusted at how invested everyone is in a very clearly private family matter," Bailee Ann wrote. "It's f---n crazy. Go on somewhere yall. Worry bout your house- not mine. I'm not speaking on it - yet."

DIVORCE BOOM MAY FOLLOW USE OF OZEMPIC AND OTHER GLP-1 DRUGS, EXPERTS WARN

"I can say on a more positive note — thank you to everyone who is showing me so much love and kindness through everything," she wrote in a separate post. "At the end of the day, no matter what, we are all humans with feelings and that is worthy of compassion."

"Thank you for the kind messages, the words of support, and those of you who go out of your way to make me feel protected & seen," she continued. "I love yall. I will never forget those of you that have shown me empathy when I’m seeing a lot of hate. Thank you. So much. And to everyone else, I hope humanity can evolve to a place where kindness comes first. I understand & respect opinions and that a public profile is a public profile, but that doesn’t have to mean we throw away our human decency. I love ALL of you."

Jelly Roll filed for divorce on May 18 in Williamson County, Tennessee, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. The 41-year-old country star listed the date of separation as May 9 and cited irreconcilable differences.

JELLY ROLL FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM WIFE BUNNIE XO AFTER ALMOST A DECADE OF MARRIAGE

A source told People that the two have "always had a complicated dynamic" throughout their relationship.

"When they first got together, they were both in a very different place in their lives," the source said. "There was a lot of chaos, ups and downs, and they built a life together through all of that."

The source noted that Jelly — who has been on a weight loss journey — has "changed a lot."

"He's very focused on his future, his health and being around for a long time," the source said, adding that "there wasn't a moment where everything fell apart."

On Tuesday evening, Bunnie posted a selfie on Instagram accompanied by the Heart's "Magic Man."

"'Come on home, girl' he said with a smile / 'You don't have to love me yet' / let's get high awhile /But try to understand, try to understand /Try, try, try to understand, I'm a magic man."

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Weeks before news broke that the country star had filed for divorce, the pair had seemingly been dropping subtle hints of marriage woes. From cryptic song lyrics to ditched wedding rings, the signs were there — they just went largely unnoticed.

On May 20, two days after Jelly Roll's filing, Bunnie took to TikTok to share some intuitive thoughts.

"Women’s intuition when that s--- don’t add up" she captioned the video.

JELLY ROLL'S WIFE BODY SLAMS HIM IN PLAYFUL TIKTOK VIDEO AFTER SINGER SHEDS 200 POUNDS

"She been dropping hints this whole time and we missed it lol," one fan commented, after the divorce news broke.

"Bunnie was dropping the tea in real time and we all did not clock it," another added.

On June 4, Jelly Roll performed at CMA Fest in Nashville sans his wedding ring.

JELLY ROLL SAYS 16-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IS 'SO MUCH SMARTER' THAN HE WAS AT THE AGE HE WAS ARRESTED

One day later, Bunnie shared a peaceful video of herself riding a horse in the countryside. She accompanied the video with lyrics from Aerosmith's "What It Takes" and a caption that read, "Wild hearts can’t be broken."

"There goes my old girlfriend / There's another diamond ring / And all those late night promises I guess they don't mean a thing / So baby, what's the story? Did you find another man?"

On June 6, Bunnie posted another video of herself enjoying the serene outdoors with some girlfriends. She paired the video with lyrics from the Goo Goo Dolls' hit "Name."

"Did you lose yourself somewhere out there / Did you get to be a star? / And don't it make you sad to know that life / Is more than who we are?"

WATCH: JELLY ROLL REVEALS SECRET TO HIS STRONG MARRIAGE TO BUNNIE XO

Hours before the divorce news went public on Monday, Bunnie posted a video of herself lip-syncing the lyrics to Nickelback's "How You Remind Me." Bunnie's wedding ring was visibly missing.

"It's not like you didn't know that / I said, 'I love you,' and I swear, I still do / And it must have been so bad / 'Cause living with me must have damn near killed you."

Representatives for Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo have not responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Long before they became one of country music’s closely watched couples, the pair weathered difficult truths — including the night Bunnie learned Jelly Roll's ex-fling was waiting for him "in a hotel room down the street."

"When I found out about it, I was devastated," she told Fox News Digital in February. "I was hurt because I didn’t think he would be the one person to do that. I thought he was different. And at that moment, my heart was broken. But instead of getting mad at him, I asked myself, ‘Why do I keep attracting these kinds of men?’"

Bunnie admitted she hadn’t envisioned a conventional marriage.

"I think a lot of people need to realize that coming into this marriage, we weren’t a traditional bride and groom," she explained.

"I was a working girl, and he was an ex-drug dealer — a gangster-turned-struggling artist. There’s a different set of rules on the street than there are in what I’d call traditional marriages. If you’ve never lived that lifestyle, you’re not going to understand. But of course, cheating is wrong across the board — it doesn’t matter."

Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and Sarah Sotoodeh contributed to this post.

Unnamed gambler wins $10.3M jackpot on $5 bet at Las Vegas casino

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:36:01 -0400

A Las Vegas gambler is a very rich person after hitting the jackpot of a lifetime.

As our loyal readers know, I'm a huge fan of Sin City, and I have a trip coming soon. Nothing gets the blood pumping like hitting the tables (I prefer blackjack) with an ice-cold drink in your hand.

Many walk away losers while riding the gambling lightning. Only a select few walk away winners, and that's exactly what happened on Tuesday.

The Westgate announced on X Wednesday night that an unnamed person turned a $5 bet on a machine into a staggering $10,292,912.32.

LAS VEGAS TOURIST WINS BIG BUCKS WITH JUST $25 AT CASINO ON HOLIDAY OUTING

Yes, you read that correctly.

A $5 bet turned into nearly $10.3 million.

You can check out the bet from Westgate below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

LAS VEGAS VISITORS SHOCKED AT 'CRAZY' COSTS, FROM $14 COFFEES TO $95 ATM FEES

The popular Las Vegas X account @LasVegasLocally reported that the winner is a man in his mid-20s who had only just started playing the machine.

Talk about incredible luck.

I have some crazy stories from Las Vegas over the years, and I've had my own runs of luck at the tables (I never play machines).

However, I've never witnessed anything like this. What does a person do after winning nearly $10.3 million? They should immediately call a lawyer and financial advisor.

Yet, we all know many people would throw the best party of their lives. That's simply human nature, and I wouldn't blame anyone who did it, despite it not being a financially sound decision.

What would you do if you won $10.3 million on a $5 bet? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

JD Vance wins grudging praise from Joy Behar on 'The View,' who tells him to run for president

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:31:52 -0400

"The View" co-host Joy Behar told Vice President JD Vance during a commercial break on the liberal talk show on Tuesday that he should run for president.

"You told him during the break that he should run for president because he has a good vibe," executive producer Brian Teta said during the show's "Behind the Table" podcast while speaking to Behar.

"I think that, even though, for a Republican. Mind you, I'm not a Republican," Behar confirmed.

Vance appeared on the show to discuss his new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," and was pressed on various topics, including Jeffrey Epstein, immigration, the economy and more.

JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM

"I think possibly, I voted for Michael Bloomberg once for mayor who was supposed --- Bloomberg supposedly was a Republican," Behar continued. "I don't mind a Republican on the city level because it needs a little discipline. But on the national level, I want somebody with a good heart. And those are more in the Democratic Party, in my opinion."

"They care about the poor. They help people," she added. "The Republican Party is much more about saving taxes for rich people. So, I'm not a Republican."

Behar, who regularly criticizes the Trump administration and Republicans on the show, also told Vance he was "fine" during a commercial break on the show on Tuesday.

Vance brought it up upon returning from commercial and said, "Joy said when we were off air that I’m 'fine,' which I think is about the best endorsement I’m gonna get out of Joy Behar."

Behar responded, "For a Republican."

JOY BEHAR CLAIMS UNDER OBAMA THERE WAS 'NOTHING TO MAKE FUN OF' FOR COMEDIANS

Behar floated Vance facing off in 2028 against California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

"Truthfully, as I said to you in the beginning of this conversation, I don't think that he's a bad guy," she said to Teta on "Behind the Table." "So, if he runs against, say, Gavin Newsom, that'll be an interesting debate to see those two because they're both intelligent."

Vance sparred with the co-hosts over the economy, immigration and Black history, which co-host Sunny Hostin repeatedly insisted had been erased by the administration.

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The vice president told "Gutfeld!" on Tuesday night that he was surprised by how the liberal hosts treated him.

"I expected them to be absolutely vicious, and they were only a little bit vicious. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," Vance said.

"I thought that Sunny, the woman to my left, was going to call me a racist. In reality, it was Whoopi, the woman to my right, who called me a racist. So expectations were defied," Vance joked.

Coast Guard opens fire on boat smuggling 25 Chinese nationals near Florida after it refused to stop

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:28:34 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — In a stark warning that U.S. borders are closed "by land or sea," the U.S. Coast Guard opened fire to disable a noncompliant vessel attempting to smuggle 25 Chinese nationals into the country off the coast of Florida.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital that on June 10, a boat carrying 25 illegal immigrants from China refused to comply with Coast Guard orders to stop one mile south of Key Biscayne.

Crews from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach initially deployed warning shots, but when those proved ineffective, they used "disabling fire" to successfully halt the vessel, according to DHS. No injuries were reported.

US COAST GUARD EXPANDS BORDER PATROL EFFORTS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Following the interdiction, the Chinese nationals were transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell for processing, and their boat was seized and towed to Station Miami Beach.

Special agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations launched a criminal investigation into the attempted entry, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations.

DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis delivered a stern warning following the bust.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS STORM US BEACHES AS COAST GUARD BATTLES MIGRANT SURGE THAT ROSE UNDER BIDEN

"This sends a clear message to illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States: don’t even think about it," Bis told Fox News Digital. "By land or sea, our borders are CLOSED."

Lt. Matthew Ross, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, emphasized local, state and federal maritime law enforcement partners remain vigilant against unlawful migration ventures.

"Anyone considering one of these dangerous voyages should understand that they are risking their lives at sea and can expect to be interdicted and repatriated," Ross said.

The enforcement action falls under Operation Vigilant Sentry, a layered approach by the Coast Guard and its partners to maintain a continuous presence across the Florida Straits, Caribbean Sea and surrounding waters to deter and prevent illegal maritime migration.