Saudi prince’s secret Trump meeting sparks ‘progress and optimism’ on Iran tensions
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman secretly met with President Donald Trump and other key officials in the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, multiple sources confirmed with Fox News.
Khalid, also known as KBS, is the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Multiple sources told Fox News Channel’s chief political anchor Bret Baier about the meeting.
According to sources, the talks included discussions about de-escalation with Iran and getting to the negotiating table.
TRUMP TAKES WELL-EARNED VICTORY LAP FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE TRIUMPHS
The talks were also reportedly about ending the war in Gaza and negotiating the release of the remaining hostages – whether dead or alive – and about working toward peace in the Middle East.
Although the talks were not exclusively about the possibility of normalization with Israel, sources said the conversation dealt with steps that needed to occur to get there.
Sources also said, “there was progress and optimism on all fronts.”
4TH ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS ENDS AS TRUMP SET TO EMBARK ON HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST TOUR
The Saudis are in the process of finalizing a defense and trade deal with the U.S., and the message shared between the two allies, sources added, is that they see eye-to-eye on all issues.
The meeting comes days after Trump said other nations have suggested they would like to join the Abraham Accords amid recent Middle East shakeups that saw Israel and the U.S. inhibit Iran’s nuclear ambitions during what has been dubbed the “12-Day War.”
The Abraham Accords, which sought to normalize relations between Israel, Sunni Gulf States and North African countries, was signed at the White House during the first Trump administration in September 2020.
US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on June 25 that expanding the accords is one of the president’s “key objectives” and predicted that the administration will have some “big announcements” on countries coming into the accords soon.
TRUMP TARGETS MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN FIRST MIDDLE EAST TRIP
Last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt named Syria as one of the nations the president was keen to join, noting their historic meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier in the year.
One of the largest Hebrew-language outlets, Israel Hayom, reported Tuesday that Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi believes those countries are Syria and Lebanon as the top Middle East states who could join the Abraham Accords.
In May, Trump asked Syrian President al-Sharaa to fully normalize relations with Israel in exchange for sanctions relief.
“The barriers of entry for expanding the Abraham Accords are incredibly low. It will not surprise me if President Trump expands the Accords within his second term,” Robert Greenway, former senior director for the National Security Council and key architect of the Abraham Accords, told Maria Bartiromo, on “Mornings With Maria” on FOX Business.
After the completion of the Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020, there was a growing expectation among U.S. officials and Middle East experts that Saudi Arabia would follow suit.
In February, Fox News Digital reported that Trump administration officials said the White House was seeking an expansion of the Abraham Accords.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Biden administration faced criticism for failing to expand the Abraham Accords and for picking fights with states who made peace with Israel as part of the landmark agreement.
Supreme Court hands Trump administration victory in migrant deportation battle
The Supreme Court on Thursday handed President Donald Trump a key immigration win, clearing the way for the deportation of eight migrants from Djibouti to South Sudan, a country not listed in their original removal orders.
In a short, unsigned opinion, the justices granted the administration’s request to “clarify” a prior ruling, confirming that their June 23 stay of a lower court injunction also blocked a follow-up remedial order issued May 21.
That remedial order had required the government to give the migrants notice and a chance to raise claims under the Convention Against Torture before being sent to a third country.
SUPREME COURT SIDES AGAINST MIGRANT IN DEPORTATION CASE
“The motion for clarification is granted,” the court wrote. “The May 21 remedial order cannot now be used to enforce an injunction that our stay rendered unenforceable”.
The decision gives the Trump administration a green light to move forward with third-country deportations under its executive order, even to destinations not previously clarified in court-approved removal documents.
Earlier, a district judge had found the government violated its April injunction by failing to provide a “meaningful opportunity” for six of the migrants to make their case against removal. The Supreme Court stayed that injunction in June, and Thursday’s clarification makes clear the lower court’s follow-up order can’t stand either.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented sharply, accusing the court of enabling deportations that could lead to torture or death.
SUPREME COURT RULES ON TRUMP’S THIRD-COUNTRY DEPORTATIONS, IN MAJOR TEST FOR PRESIDENT
“Today’s order clarifies only one thing: Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial. Respectfully, I dissent,” Sotomayor wrote.
“The Government seeks to nullify [basic rights] by deporting noncitizens to potentially dangerous countries without notice or the opportunity to assert a fear of torture.”
The ruling strengthens the Trump administration’s hand as it enforces its third-country deportation policy.
The Department of Homeland Security celebrated the ruling, releasing a statement Thursday afternoon: “These sickos will be in South Sudan by Independence Day,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “A win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people.”
The eight individuals include violent offenders with convictions for murder, robbery, armed assault, and sex crimes involving minors. Among them are Enrique Arias-Hierro, convicted of homicide and armed robbery, Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quinones, convicted of attempted first-degree murder; and Kyaw Mya and Nyo Myint, both convicted of serious sex offenses involving minors or vulnerable victims.
DHS referred to them as “barbaric criminal illegal aliens” being removed by ICE under Trump’s executive authority.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X regarding the ruling, writing, “This is another incredible victory for America. Thank you to the Supreme Court for ruling on the side of law and order, and affirming the executive authority of the President.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Today’s decision makes clear it is district court judges who are defying Supreme Court orders, not the Trump administration,” David Warrington, White House Counsel wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “This decision is a clear rebuke of such judicial overreach.”
Prairie state’s population crisis has Pritzker scrambling as young talent flees
Illinois’ population of young people is dwindling, an editorial from the Chicago Tribune warned.
“A dwindling youth population means shrinking potential — not just economically, but in civic energy, creativity and community life. That’s bad news for a state that depends on young people to power its workforce and its future,” the editorial stated.
he Tribune’s editorial board described the conditions of an aging population in Illinois, adding that the Prairie State is “aging faster than the rest of the country.”
The board urged Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D., to take action on the issue, citing that the state “desperately” needs to “retain and attract young people.” Pritzker signed legislation making college more accessible and affordable. The move came after Pritzker cited the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s research showing that nearly half of the state’s high school graduates were fleeing to colleges outside the state and not returning.
CHICAGO SCHOOLS FACE ENROLLMENT CRISIS WITH 150 BUILDINGS HALF-EMPTY
“There is a 70% likelihood that when they get to whatever that university is outside of Illinois, they’re not coming back,” Pritzker said at a news conference in March. “That’s a real problem, so we want to keep our best and brightest in the state.”
Other factors are driving the state’s aging population.
Illinois’ retiree population is growing. Currently, the median age is 39.4, five years older than in 2000, according to the editorial.
That is “rising steadily,” the board added. However, the state was younger than the rest of the country, on average, 25 years ago.
ILLINOIS PROJECTED TO SPEND $2.5B ON MIGRANTS BY END OF 2025, REPORT CLAIMS
The number of “prime-age working adults” declined in Illinois by 1% from 2020 to 2024, while the rest of the country increased by 2%.
The board detailed the cause of the declining population of young people is due to population loss, “outmigration,” and low birth-rates.
“Illinois faces a demographic double bind. Not only are fewer women of childbearing age remaining in the state because of persistent outmigration, but those who stay are having fewer children than their counterparts elsewhere. Our birth rate already lags behind most states — particularly those in the South and West — and the gap is growing,” the Tribune wrote. “The long-term implications for our workforce, tax base and economic vitality are hard to ignore.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Biden claims European leaders are asking him to ‘get engaged’ in Trump era
Former President Joe Biden claimed during a rare public appearance on Wednesday that he keeps getting calls from officeholders and European leaders asking for advice during the Trump era.
Biden gave a keynote speech at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) convention in San Diego and later sat down with SHRM president and CEO Johnny Taylor in a video published by Democratic operative Chris Jackson on X.
The two talked about how he has been spending his time since leaving office. After touting his accomplishments, the former president said he still stays engaged with world efforts and is constantly told by international leaders to get more involved.
BIDEN SCOLDS REPORTERS SAYING HE ‘KNOWS MORE WORLD LEADERS’ THAN THEY DO IN THEIR WHOLE ‘GODDAMN’ LIVES
“I’m getting calls. I’m not going to go into it, I can’t, from a number of European leaders asking me to get engaged,” Biden said. “I’m not, but I’m giving advice. Because things are different.”
“How can you just walk away?” Biden added. “You don’t see me out there publicly doing a lot of this. But I’m also dealing with a lot of Democrats and Republican colleagues, all of them, wanting to talk, not because they think I have the answer, just to bounce things off me. I’m seeing a lot of officeholders… I’m not looking for them. They asked to see me, I see them.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment.
Biden also revealed that he was working on a memoir since “every president is expected to write a memoir.” He described himself as “working like hell” to write a 500-page book that his publisher wants out by “March of this year.”
BIDEN’S MEDIA BLITZ MET WITH DEMOCRATIC DISDAIN, WISHES HE WOULD ‘GO AWAY’
Since leaving office, Biden has largely stayed out of the public spotlight. Biden didn’t give his first public speech as a former president until April, almost three months after leaving the White House.
His brief return to the limelight in May was met with backlash by his fellow Democrats.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
‘They want babies born just to get shot’: Dem’s accusation sparks House chaos
Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat, sparked a firestorm during Tuesday’s House Rules Committee hearing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, accusing pro-life Republicans of caring only about children during infancy.
Frost, who represents Orlando and is the first Gen Z member of Congress, was seated as a witness in the hearing when he described how gun violence shaped his decision to seek public office and made the remark that sparked the uproar.
The situation heated up after ranking member James McGovern, D-Mass., said it “blows my mind there’s more passion and energy” in Congress for Second Amendment advocacy than healthcare access for cancer patients, an apparent reference to Medicaid-centric debate on the budget bill.
ILHAN OMAR QUASHES SENATE BID RUMORS WITH RE-ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
“That tells you all you need to know about the difference between Republicans and Democrats on this,” McGovern said, yielding to Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M.
Leger Fernandez said Democrats have been the party of pursuing their “convictions,” citing former Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama knowing he’d be beaten by police for protesting in support of civil rights before ceding the floor to Frost.
Frost said he got involved in politics at age 15 after the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut and was one mile from the Pulse Nightclub when 49 people were murdered there.
“[Shooter Omar Mateen] didn’t like them because they were gay and Latino. Three months later, I survived an instance of gun violence in Downtown Orlando.”
Frost, a progressive who, while not a member of “The Squad,” has said he has “plenty of love and admiration” for the group, went on to claim gun rights groups want to lobby Congress to pass amendments to “sell more guns” even if “more people [are] dying.”
FAR-LEFT LAWMAKER BREAKS SILENCE AFTER UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POST IGNITES FIRESTORM
He claimed former President Joe Biden worked to reduce gun violence and contrasted that with his pointed allegation of Republicans.
“They say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets,” he said, before being cut off by an enraged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
Foxx began slamming her gavel and reprimanding Frost, though her initial comments could not be discerned because her microphone was not on.
“You’ve gone over the cliff. We are all going to be quiet now,” she commanded.
“I meant every word,” Frost retorted.
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., made a motion to strike Frost’s words after Foxx suggested she wanted the same.
But Scott soon relented when Foxx said it “might be better to leave them on” the record for the public to view.
“You are not going to come into this room and impugn our integrity. You will not. We are pro-life people from conception to natural death; most of us are.
“Don’t you come in here and say we want to preserve life so people can get shot,” the Smoky Mountains congresswoman added.
Foxx adjourned the hearing shortly after Leger Fernández used up her remaining time, but the fireworks weren’t over just yet.
As lawmakers and witnesses stood up, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called out, “I might remind my Democrat colleagues of Proverbs 13:5,” prompting a raised murmur on the left side of the dais.
“You can add [Proverbs] 14:5 to that too,” Clyde added after Rep. Deborah Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., reprimanded Scott for using the term “Democrat Party” instead of “Democratic Party.”
The shorter name largely originated as a pejorative from former Rep. Joe McCarthy, R-Wis., during his investigations into the creeping of communism into American society and institutions.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The term “Democrat Party” was preferred to “Democratic” by former radio icon Rush Limbaugh and occasionally President Donald Trump.
Proverbs 13:5 says, “The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.”
Clyde’s second referenced Bible passage said, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.”
Rubio recalls US diplomat after ‘reprehensible’ claims from Colombian officials
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday that he recalled the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim from Bogotá, Colombia, after what he said were “baseless and reprehensible statements from senior Colombian government officials.”
The State Department said in a release that John T. McNamara, the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim for the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, was recalled to Washington for urgent consultations regarding the “baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia.”
“In addition to the recall of the Chargé, the United States is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship,” the press release read. “Despite policy differences with the current government, Colombia remains an essential strategic partner,” the release continued. “We are committed to close cooperation on a range of shared priorities, including regional security and stability, and we remain engaged in efforts that improve the lives of Americans and Colombians alike.”
No further details were available regarding the diplomatic recall, though the decision comes after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused “right-wing extremists” of plotting to overthrow him.
LEADER OF COLOMBIA SAYS TRUMP ADMIN REVOKED HIS US VISA
The Associated Press reported in May that Petro’s former foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva, accused him of being a drug “addict” for the second time in three weeks.
Leyva also reportedly published a seven-page letter on X calling for Petro to resign, alleging that the president is “dependent on substances that affect emotional and mental equilibrium.”
Petro, who was elected in 2022 and has a year left in office, denied the accusations during a speech in Bogota, in which he claimed to be a “revolutionary” who will not be “enslaved” by drugs.
HOUSE DEMS DEMAND ‘PROOF OF LIFE’ OF ABREGO GARCIA AFTER BEING DENIED MEETING IN EL SALVADOR
Leyva had previously accused Petro of being on drugs in a letter published on April 22. In the letter, Leyva said Petro “went missing” for a couple of days during a state visit in Paris, attributing the absence to purported drug use. Petro, though, said he had taken time off to visit relatives in France.
As for relations between the U.S. and Colombia, the two countries agreed in March to deploy biometric capabilities to help authorities manage migration and stop criminal activity.
The agreement came months after President Donald Trump and Petro clashed over the treatment of Colombians on deportation flights from the U.S.
RUBIO FIRES BACK AFTER DEM SENATOR SAYS HE REGRETS VOTING FOR HIM, SPARKING TENSE EXCHANGE
In January, U.S. officials sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens back to their country of origin, though Petro rejected the flights, saying the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”
Petro also demanded the U.S. establish protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before his country receives them.
In response, Trump threatened to unleash a slew of punishments, including ordering a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia. After a week, Trump added, the tariffs would rise to 50%. Trump also ordered a travel ban and visa revocations for all Colombian government officials, plus “allies and supporters.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ultimately, the two countries came to an agreement and deportations resumed, though Petro has urged Colombian migrants to return home.
Congressman’s last day in office revealed after vote on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
U.S. Rep. Mark Green‘s last day in office will be July 20, Fox News has learned.
Green, a Republican from Tennessee, previously announced his intention to resign after the vote on President Donald Trump‘s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
The retired U.S. Army officer voted in favor of Trump’s spending bill, sending it to the president’s desk.
Following his last vote, Green posted to X to share his thoughts.
TRUMP REACTS TO TILLIS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, SENDS WARNING TO ‘COST CUTTING REPUBLICANS’
“Today was my last vote in Congress,” he wrote. “My time here started with a fire to serve veterans, it continued with leading the historic impeachment of a cabinet secretary, and now it ends with achieving real border security. I am grateful my last vote was for the one Big Beautiful Bill.”
TILLIS’ RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT DRAWS REACTIONS FROM TRUMP CRITIC JEFF FLAKE, BERNIE SANDERS: ‘A CULT’
Green first announced he would retire nearly a month ago, but had not clarified a date.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up,” he wrote in a June 9 statement. “As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package.”
“Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress,” he continued. “By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me.”
THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP
Green has served as the Republican chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee since 2023.
Before being elected to Congress, he served as a Tennessee senator representing the 22nd district, from 2013 to 2018.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In 2024, Rep. Green led the effort to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors. Mayorkas was successfully impeached by the House of Representatives on Feb. 13, 2024.
Cleveland starter under scrutiny as curious pitches trigger MLB probe
Cleveland Guardians starter Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave hours before he was scheduled to take the mound against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, MLB announced.
While MLB didn’t disclose the nature of its investigation, ESPN reported it was related to gambling.
Two pitches thrown by Ortiz during a start are being scrutinized.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
In June, betting integrity firm IC360 relayed the two pitches to sportsbooks, according to ESPN, and the first was on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners.
The firm flagged unusual betting action on the first pitch thrown by Ortiz in the bottom of the second inning to be a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz spiked a slider into the ground far away from the strike zone.
Then, on June 27, more unusual betting action came in on a pitch from Ortiz in the top of the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Once again, the bets were on a ball or a hit batsman, and Ortiz proceeded to spike another pitch the catcher couldn’t handle.
While instances like this happen to even the best of pitchers, the league is looking into the situation.
The bets came in from Ohio, New York and New Jersey, according to ESPN.
The non-disciplinary leave for Ortiz is scheduled to run through the MLB All-Star break, with games resuming for the second half July 18.
The Guardians released a statement on the matter after MLB’s announcement.
“The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation.
“The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ortiz has pitched 16 times for the Guardians this season, recording a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts.
Trump admin vows to take action after congressional intern killed in capital
A Congressional intern was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. on Monday night.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, died after he was shot around 10:28 p.m. on the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest in Washington, D.C. on Monday night, according to police, and died on Tuesday. An adult female and a 16-year-old male were also shot and taken to local hospitals.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, multiple individuals exited a car and began firing at a group of people. Tarpinian-Jachym isn’t believed to have been the intended target of the shooting, officials said.
A White House spokesman told Fox News Digital the Trump administration will ensure justice for Tarpinian-Jachym.
“President Trump was elected to Make America Safe Again, and he’s empowering his Justice Department, federal, state, and local law enforcement, and prosecutors to hold violent criminals accountable and deliver justice to grieving families, like the family of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym,” the spokesman said. “This Administration will ensure full justice is served and is working tirelessly to end the senseless killing of innocent lives at the hands of those who seek to commit heinous acts. May God bless Eric’s memory, and may God bless and keep his loved ones.”
SENATORS CONDEMN FATAL SHOOTING OF ISRAELI EMBASSY EMPLOYEES AS FAMILIES MOURN
Tarpinian-Jachym was an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), according to a statement from his office. He was a rising senior majoring in finance with a minor in political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tamara and Robert Jachym, Eric’s parents, said they are “devastated” by his death.
“We are devastated by the tragic and senseless loss of our beloved Eric, a 21-year-old young man full of promise, purpose, and heart. Eric was an exceptionally bright and kind soul, with a deep love for the outdoors,” his parents said. “He found joy and peace in nature—whether hiking through the woods or casting a line into a quiet stream while fishing. He loved deep sea fishing, fishing off the shore in the Atlantic, and river fishing.”
“Eric was passionate about learning and dedicated to public service. His recent internship with Representative Ron Estes in Washington, D.C. meant the world to him. He believed deeply in using his voice and talents to make the world a better, more just place,” they added.
HOUSE STAFFER VICTIM OF ARMED CARJACKING IN POPULAR WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD
“I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile,” Estes said. “We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country. Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time.”
Phillip Peterson, one of Tarpinian-Jachym’s friends, told Fox News Digital that he “was a very easy-going person to be around.”
“We met in early January and we really started to hit things off,” Peterson said. “After the program we discussed becoming roommates, but I didn’t want to move back to D.C. because I despise the culture so much. Unfortunately that fell through. I legitimately do regret now not going back to D.C. just so I could have spent more time with my friend.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Tarpinian-Jachym also participated in a spring fellowship with The Fund for American Studies.
The Metropolitan Police Department is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to an arrest and conviction, and are encouraged to contact (202) 727-9099.