The FBI thwarted a potential attack on Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Tuesday morning, and five people are said to be in custody.

That threat involved the use of explosive-laden drones and snipers and, according to Vice President JD Vance, “some serious coordination.” The alleged plot involved using drones to hit buildings near the event, forcing a mass evacuation that would steer crowds toward a waiting sniper team. A “second wave” of attackers would then storm the White House gate. Fox News first reported the FBI’s disruption of the plot.

“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region,” Patel said in a statement posted on X. “And thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multistate operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold.”

Five people are said to be in custody, with the total number of suspects involved reportedly numbering 23. A suspect was arrested in Cincinnati, CBS News reported, and investigators obtained Signal chats where the terror plot was discussed, leading to further arrests.

Three suspects have been identified in the plot, according to an arrest affidavit, Fox News reported Tuesday. The first suspect, Tycen Proper, 19, was taken into custody in Cincinnati. Two others, Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, were arrested in California for their alleged involvement in the plot and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Investigators say Thomas believes the U.S. government is run by elites who sacrifice and eat children, were connected to Jeffrey Epstein, and are protected by President Donald Trump, according to Fox News’ Bill Melugin. 

Proper allegedly told investigators the goal was to “jumpstart” a revolution in the U.S. A search warrant executed at the home of Proper’s parents, where the suspect lives, uncovered a “large quantity” of ammunition and tactical clothing.

According to the affidavit, Proper’s family became concerned by statements he’d made in recent months, including “sympathetic comments about Adolf Hitler” and antisemitic social media posts.

CBS News’ Pat Milton reported that law enforcement became aware of the threat when contacted by a relative concerned that a family member was talking about doing something nefarious in Washington, D.C.

Other suspects were arrested in Missouri and Nebraska, Fox reported.

According to Fox News, one suspect allegedly told investigators the plotters’ goal was to target “capitalist elites,” “billionaires,” and politicians who received money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

President Donald Trump, at the G7 summit in Evian, France, said he had not heard about the planned attack.

Vice President JD Vance called the plot “very, very dark stuff,” and said authorities were looking at the underground networks that would drive such violence.

“Twenty-three people do not get to the point where they’re going to commit a mass terror incident in Washington, D.C., without some serious funding, without some serious coordination,” Vance said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program.

“That’s not a few guys doing crazy stuff, that is a coordinated planned terrorist plot.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked the FBI and the Secret Service in a post on X Tuesday. “Thanks to their efforts, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events in history,” Leavitt stated.

Reuters contributed to this report.

As the Fourth of July approaches in this semiquincentennial year of the Declaration of Independence, the best commemorations will contain some element of civic education—a reflection on the words and deeds of the American Founding. In advance of celebrating what Frederick Douglass called “the first great fact” in our nation’s history, Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a civic cri de coeur at the University of Texas at Austin on the principles of the Declaration and the character necessary for maintaining the American way of life.

Exhibit A was the black American community in which he was raised. Identifying himself as “American by birth and Georgian by the grace of God,” Thomas showed his affection for a country where the black residents of Pin Point, Georgia, affirmed the nation’s “promised ideals” even as they experienced “the indelible mark of segregation and its companion evils.” Their moral fiber in the face of Georgia’s segregation laws and customs taught him his worth as a human being and his rights as an American. As Thomas put it, “At home, at school, and at Church, we were taught that we were inherently equal…. [T]hat you did not get your rights or your dignity from those governments, but from God.” That moral self-understanding, shaped by the ideals of the American Founding and a culture shaped by Christianity, was central to Thomas’s message about the Declaration of Independence.

The venue for Thomas’s civics lesson was UT’s new School of Civic Leadership (SCL), established, as he noted, to teach students about “Western civilization and the American constitutional tradition.” While applauding their efforts to “rejuvenate our fellow citizens’ commitment to the principles of the Declaration of Independence,” he pointed out that SCL’s mission was to offer civic education “as part of a larger quest for wisdom about how to live and how to lead.”

Where critics of these new civic centers view them as ideological silos, Thomas sees SCL as reclaiming the university’s mission as a truth-seeking institution. That means not just presenting answers—like the self-evident truths of the Declaration—but also having debates and arguments about them. “Indeed,” Thomas observed, “your School of Civic Leadership was created to host such arguments.” Foremost among the arguments against America’s Founding principles are those associated with the progressivism championed by Woodrow Wilson, which Thomas identified as bad for both America and the world.

On the domestic front, Thomas contrasted the principles of equality, individual rights, and government by consent of the governed with progressivism’s rejection of the founders’ natural rights philosophy and elevation of rule by experts. Faith in historical progress to determine the proper relationship between the citizen and the state replaced God and nature as the ground of human equality, civil liberties, and legitimate government. The result was a federal government that racially segregated its workforce and eugenics policies that supported the sterilization of persons deemed unfit to reproduce. Thomas demonstrated how a rejection of “the transcendent origin of our rights” led the government to violate equality under the law and basic human dignity.

As bad as these policies were in America, their effects internationally were far worse. Thomas identified Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Mao as the political monsters of the 20th century who claimed to rule in the interest of the masses but served the interests of the few. As Thomas soberly recounted, “Fascism—which, after all, was a national socialism—triggered wars in Europe and Asia that killed tens of millions.” He added, “The socialism of the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China proceeded to kill more tens of millions of their own people.” Thomas didn’t spend much time proving his case; he simply stated his conclusions, inviting any doubters to prove him wrong by considering the available evidence.

With so few college courses required in American history, let alone world history, it’s no surprise that students lack even a passing awareness of the human devastation resulting from the real-world application of theories claiming to supplant the self-evident truths of the Declaration.

To counter Wilson’s philosophic faith in progress, Thomas quoted another American president, Calvin Coolidge. On the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Coolidge praised its enduring legacy:

If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people.

Coolidge believed that progressivism was anything but progressive. He thought it was “reactionary…not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.”

Moreover, because progressivism “has coexisted uneasily with the principles of the Declaration,” Thomas argued, “it is not possible for the two to coexist forever.” By alluding to Lincoln’s 1858 “House Divided” speech, Thomas suggested that America is undergoing an identity crisis, one that will have to be resolved for the house not to fall. In 2026, a year of reflection on the nation’s founding truths, Americans must decide whether to follow those who sought to create “the supposedly enlightened world of Hegel, Marx, and their followers,” or return to the faith of our fathers, the Spirit of ’76.

Thomas’s speech was an attempt to help Americans see that despite their failures to live up to their noblest professions, they nevertheless produced “the freest, wealthiest, and most powerful nation in the history of the world.” Most importantly, he sought to inspire Americans to emulate the courage of their forbears in defense of their self-governing way of life, a courage Thomas has exhibited in his own life as a man and as an American citizen. In so many ways, Thomas’s speech declared his personal independence from elite society’s opinion of him, demonstrating the kind of character that produced the country of his birth and to which he has devoted his career as a justice of the Supreme Court.

Thomas closed by quoting the last sentence of the Declaration of Independence, which is not as familiar as the passages containing the fundamental truths justifying American independence. He argued that Americans must not only believe what their forefathers believed, but also act as they acted in its defense. Memorizing the words to their political creed won’t perpetuate their constitutional way of life. For every generation, the “land of the free” must be the “home of the brave” to remain a beacon of freedom and equality at home and abroad.

In sharing his past as a way to understand the nation’s history, Justice Clarence Thomas gave a civics lesson on how to become an American. May his words lead all Americans to have the same gratitude for their country, recognize the threats to its survival, and strengthen their resolve to defend it.

The post Justice Thomas’s Declaration appeared first on The American Mind.

This is an adapted excerpt from Delano Squires’ new book “The Vanishing Black Family: How Welfare and Feminism Made Marriage Optional and Children Vulnerable,” out June 16 from Sentinel. 

“Raise your hand if you’re married.” This was the opening line in a 1986 CBS documentary on black families in Newark, New Jersey.  

Bill Moyers, the journalist who narrated the television special, asked this question to about ten young black mothers sitting in a semicircle. None of the women raised their hands. He continued by asking how many of the mothers would like to be married to the father of their child. One hand went up.  

Moyers, clearly seeking to understand the women, asked “Don’t you think you might need help in raising that baby from a man?”  

One mother spoke up, and the camera shot also included her baby. The child—who appeared to be a little boy not quite two—looked up at his mother as Moyers asked the question. He was too young to understand his mother’s answer, but the viewers certainly could. “Not really,” she said. “I didn’t have a father.”  

You could see how her experience growing up without a father influenced her ultimate conclusion: “Male figures are not substantially important in the family.” 

That documentary, “The Vanishing Family: Crisis in Black America,” took an honest look at the breakdown of the traditional family structure in the inner city. Many of the mothers interviewed for the program were on welfare. One of the fathers said providing for his children was the responsibility of their mothers and the government.  

According to Moyers, “In cities all over America the traditional family no longer exists. It has vanished and something new is taking its place. Single women and the children they’re rearing alone are the fastest growing part of the black population.” 

This scene paints a picture of black family life that some people would rather ignore. Mothers who don’t think men play an important role in the home, dads who come in and out of their children’s lives, and kids caught in the middle of a family drama they had no hand in creating.  

While this certainly does not describe every black family, the fact is that 69% of black children today are born to unwed parents. Nearly 45% live with a single mother. This means the traditional family—a husband and wife raising their biological children—has given way to a culture where marriage is obsolete and fathers are optional in far too many neighborhoods.  

That needs to change.  

Decades of research prove what most people already know: Children raised in homes with their married biological parents do better on a host of outcomes—economic, social, educational—than children raised in other family arrangements, particularly single-parent homes.  

No matter the metric, the evidence is clear: A world in which every black child was raised in a loving household with a married mom and dad would do far more to advance racial equality than a new government program or social justice campaign. Marriage matters because families matter and families matter because children matter.  

There are only two responses to this reality.  

The first is to accept the current state of the black family as the result of complex social, political, and economic forces interacting in ways that are impossible to change. This response consigns more black children to poverty, crime, delinquency, and academic underachievement. Even those who succeed by these metrics will still be left with that painful existential question, “how come he don’t want me, man?”  

The second is to pursue the hard work of rebuilding the family, a multi-generational project that requires a cultural commitment to reviving the institution of marriage. Beyond its connection to improved social outcomes, this response will provide more black children with the ultimate privilege: growing up in a loving, stable, and secure home with a married mother and father. 

I saw the effects of the second option play out in my own life. As a teenager growing up in New York City, I often wondered why my life and the lives of my friends looked so much different than some of our less fortunate peers. It certainly wasn’t money. Our parents were not rich by any stretch.  

The difference is that all of us grew up in homes with parents committed to each other in marriage who raised us according to their Christian faith. Each of us grew up with a father in the home as well as a community of men who took their roles as providers, protectors, and role models seriously. The spiritual foundation our parents laid down in our youth explains why I believe a biblical blueprint is needed to rebuild the black family. 

So yes, I am a Christian, husband, and father—in that order and before anything else. But I’m also a black man with a deep appreciation for the template created by African American leaders in past generations. That includes Booker T. Washington’s focus on building and maintaining institutions as well as the moral clarity and conviction of Frederick Douglass.  

These men are often characterized as “conservative” in debates about race and politics, but like them, my conservatism is far more concerned with the pursuit of human flourishing in the family, community, and nation than with electoral politics. My work today as a researcher focused on marriage and family reflects these priorities.  

This combination of personal experience, professional expertise, and public advocacy are what brought me to this moment and inspired me to write this book.  

Thankfully, I am far from the only one who wants to end the injustice millions of black children are forced to endure when marriage becomes obsolete and fathers are seen as optional in the home.  

More people are waking up to the truth and know that it is impossible for any group of people to thrive without strong families. They share my desire to see the restoration of the traditional family structure in black America and want every child born into a home with a father and mother who have committed to each other as husband and wife. They want the marriage and family culture that began to unravel in the 1960s but don’t know what must be done today to restore it. 

This book is their answer. 

Source

Comedienne Rosie O'Donnell condemned President Trump and his fans as "racists, homophobic, and UnAmerican" following the UFC match at the White House over the weekend.

The post Rosie O’Donnell Trashes Trump and His Supporters: ‘Racists, Homophobic, UnAmerican’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Over the course of this week, Richmond will ring with stirring oratory, as it has many times before.

But this time it isn’t politicians or patriots who will be offering their opinions. The state capital is hosting the National Speech & Debate Tournament for the first time. The competition brings some 7,000 students from 1,500 schools to debate important topics. It’s billed as the largest academic competition in the country.

“We believe in the power of speech and debate to transform lives and shape the future,” Scott Wunn, the executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association, said. “Our mission is to empower young minds to become effective communicators, critical thinkers, and engaged citizens.”

More than 100,000 students competed this past year for the opportunity to come to Virginia this week. They took part in speech and debate competitions across the country—there are more than 100 National Speech & Debate Association districts—for a chance to qualify. Students compete in their geographic districts, and each district sends qualifiers to the national tournament. There will be group and individual competitions, which involve giving speeches and engaging in debates.

Virginia’s junior senator, Democrat Tim Kaine, kicked off the event on Monday morning. Kaine himself once took part in the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox will receive the 2026 Communicator of the Year award for his “Disagree Better” initiative. 

The bipartisan showing fits snugly with the host city’s stated goal: improving the civic debate for generations to come.

“Richmond is positioning itself as a next big leader in civil discourse and as a city that believes young people should learn how to disagree with respect, speak with evidence, and participate confidently in public life,” Maggie McVicar, the director of communications at The Richmond Forum, explained. Her organization hosts the nation’s largest Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative and brings internationally known speakers to the state capital each year.

The tournament is the culmination of years of work.

“In 2018, when we launched the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative, only 14% of local public middle and high schools had active speech and debate programs,” Heather Crislip, the executive director of The Richmond Forum, said. “Since then, we’ve been able to grow to 90% of high schools and about a quarter of all middle schools. We are the fastest-growing speech and debate initiative in the country.”

This week’s sessions will be held all week at locations including the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the Altria Theater, and six area high schools.

“Hosting this tournament in Virginia in 2026 connects the founding ideals of free expression and self-government with the young people who will carry those ideals forward,” The Richmond Forum’s McVicar said. “In a state where historic debates helped shape the nation, thousands of students will practice the same essential work by testing ideas, speaking with conviction, and learning how democracy actually functions. It turns an anniversary about the past into a living moment about the future.”

Indeed, the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday this year in large part because of the words used by citizens of the Old Dominion. That sometimes meant the written word, as with Thomas Jefferson’s efforts in the Declaration of Independence. It also involved stirring speeches, such as Patrick Henry’s famous words at St. John’s Church in 1775, which included the famous line: “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Henry spoke extemporaneously, and his speech wasn’t published until 1817, many years after his death. Still, the presentation inspired delegates at the Second Virginia Convention to pass Henry’s proposed resolutions, and it put Virginia on a path to independence from King George III. Patrick Henry himself would soon serve as the first governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

This week’s speakers probably won’t have such an immediate impact. However, there is no doubt that America’s future leaders will have the chance to speak in Virginia this week, as they so often have in the past.

The final rounds will be on Thursday and Friday and will be streamed live. The country will be listening.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

Grammy Award-winning musician Sheryl Crow spoke out against the UFC match at the White House over the weekend, calling it "disgraceful and void of decency."

The post Sheryl Crow: White House UFC Match ‘Disgraceful and Void of Decency’ appeared first on Breitbart.

If you’re wondering how a citizen of Haiti can rake in tens of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars through criminal fraud, your answer is the 340B Drug Discount Program.

The post Trump Administration Cracks Down on Haitian National Who Made $58 million in 340B Drug Clinic Fraud; Faces Years in Prison and Deportation appeared first on Breitbart.

An alleged explosive drone terror attack destined for Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn was thwarted by the FBI and five suspects are now custody, it was revealed Tuesday.

The post Reports: FBI Thwarted Alleged Drone Terror Attack Targeting White House UFC Freedom 250 Event appeared first on Breitbart.