U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is sending approximately 200 Marines to Florida in support of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) interior immigration enforcement mission.Marines attached to Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 and Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina are responding as part of a request by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).Secretary of Defense Sean Parnell requested backup in support of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas with critical administrative and logistical capabilities at locations as directed by ICE.PENTAGON RELEASES 150 NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS FROM SECURITY MISSION DEPLOYMENT IN LA AS WILDFIRE THREATS MOUNTParnell approved a mobilization of 700 in all to include active, National Guard and reserve forces. The Marines are in the first wave of USNORTHCOMs support."Service members participating in this mission will performstrictly non-law enforcementduties within ICE facilities. Their roles will focus on administrative and logistical tasks, and they arespecifically prohibitedfrom direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain," according to a statement released by USNORTHCOM.Parnell stated in his statement that the support will relieve some of the unnecessary strain on law enforcement.TROOPS AT THE BORDER: HOW THE MILITARYS ROLE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS EXPLODED UNDER TRUMP"This support provides critical resources to support ICE's mission, freeing up law enforcement personnel to focus on law enforcement tasks and missions. The Department remains committed to securing 100% operational control of the border," the statement said.TheU.S. Air Forceand Navy have also taken over positions on federal land along the southern border, under a directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.The area, a roughly 250-mile stretch, located in Texas Cameron and Hidalgo counties, is being transferred to Air Force control and will fall under the jurisdiction of Joint Base San Antonio. It will be managed as part of a newly established National Defense Area (NDA).In June, a battalion of 500 U.S. Marines mobilized to Los Angelesin response to anti-immigration enforcement riots, causing an outcry from liberal critics such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.The governors office both downplayed the troop movement and called it "completely uncalled for."The moves are part of a broader mission managed by the Joint Task Force Southern Border (JTF-SB), a joint effort between the Air Force and U.S. Northern Command to consolidate and strengthen military presence along the border.

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, identified as "Black or African American" on his 2009 Columbia University application even though he now says he does not consider himself Black, The New York Times reported Thursday.According to The Times, the internal data came from a leaked database of past Columbia applications which was part of a recent hack targeting the Ivy League school.Mamdani, then a high school senior, also checked "Asian" and reportedly wrote in "Ugandan" in the space for additional background. He was ultimately not accepted to Columbia even though his father is a professor at the elite school.Now 33, Mamdani told The Times he identifies as "an American who was born in Africa," and said checking multiple boxes was an effort to reflect his "complex background," not to gain an edge in the competitive admissions process.FORMER CLINTON ADVISOR SOUNDS '9-1-1' ALARM FOR DEMOCRATS AFTER SOCIALIST'S NYC MAYORAL VICTORYBut at the time, Columbia, like many elite universities, used race-conscious admissions, a system the Supreme Court struck down in 2023."Even though these boxes are constraining," Mamdani said, "I wanted my college application to reflect who I was."Mamdani told The Times that aside from those college forms, he doesnt recall ever identifying as Black or African American.SHARPTON URGES NYC MAYORAL HOPEFUL TO MEET JEWISH LEADERS, TAKE ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC 'OFF THE TABLE'His parents are both of Indian descent. His father, Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, has lived in East Africa for generations, but Mamdani said there had been no intermarriage in the family with native African groups.Mamdani has leaned into his South Asian and Muslim identity on the campaign trail. During a June speech at Al Sharptons National Action Network, he also stressed his African roots: "I was born in Kampala, Uganda... I was given my middle name, Kwame, by my father, who named me after the first Prime Minister of Ghana."President Donald Trump brought up Mamdani at a rally Wednesday, saying if he interferes with immigration laws "well have to arrest him.""Look, we dont need a communist in this country, but if we have one, Im going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation," Trump added.Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, dismissed the remarks, accusing Trump of "an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFox News Digital has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment.

President Donald Trump announced a UFC fight will take place at the White House next year to celebrate Americas upcoming 250th birthday."Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America250 and I even think were going to have a UFC fight," Trump said in a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday in an address on the eve of the 4th of July.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? Were going to have a UFC fight. Were going to have a UFC fight think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there."Were going to build a little were not, Dana is going to do it. Dana is great, one of a kind going to be UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20,000 to 25,000 people, and were going to do that as part of 250 also."JAKE PAUL NOW ELIGIBLE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT AS HE OFFICIALLY ENTERS WBA CRUISERWEIGHT RANKINGSThe match would appear to take place on the White House lawn, though no formal permits or logistical details have been confirmed.The National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, has not publicly commented. UFC has not released a statement confirming or denying the plan.Trump, who is a known close friend of UFC CEO Dana White, attended a UFC fight Newark in June.A thunderous roar befell the sold-out crowd at "The Rock" when Trump walked into the building with White ahead of a UFC 316 stacked main card on June 7.Trump did his signature dance as he walked along the arena floor, greeting UFC fans as he made his way to his seat ringside.This was a similar welcome he got at the Kaseya Center in Miami at UFC 314, where he had a large entourage with him, including his granddaughter Kai Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel, among others.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

North Korean officials accused the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of running "an absurd smear campaign" after announcing that it had unraveled several schemes by the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea (DPRK) to fund the regime through remote information technology work for U.S. companies.Earlier this week, the DOJ said North Korean actors were helped by individuals in the U.S., China, the United Emirates and Taiwan to obtain employment with over 100 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 companies.The scheme allegedly involved the workers getting laptops from the companies that hired them and allowing remote North Korean IT workers to remotely access the computers. In another scheme, North Korean IT workers used false identities to gain employment with a blockchain research and development company in Atlanta, Georgia, and steal over $900,000 in virtual currency.As part of its announcement about the North Korean scheme, the DOJ unsealed a five-count indictment against Zhenxing Wang, a U.S. national living in New Jersey, who has since been arrested.FEDS BUST ARMENIAN FRAUD RING ACCUSED OF STEALING $30M IN COVID, SMALL BUSINESS LOANSWang and his co-conspirators, the DOJ said, obtained remote IT work with U.S. companies and generated over $5 million in revenue.Also charged in the indictment are Chinese nationals Jing Bin Huang, Baoyu Zhou, Tong Yuze, Yongzhe Xu, Ziyou Yuan and Zhenbang Zhou. Taiwanese nationals Mengting Liu and Enchia Liu were also charged in the indictment.Also indicted was U.S. national Kejia "Tony" Wang, also of New Jersey, who was charged separately.North Korean news agency KCNA reported that a spokesperson for the DPRK Foreign Ministry lambasted the U.S. judicial system for its actions against DPRK citizens on the suspicion of a cybercrime.FOREIGN NATIONALS CHARGED AMID TRUMP VISA CRACKDOWN FOR SCHEME TO SMUGGLE US MILITARY EQUIPMENT INTO CHINA"The recent incident is an absurd smear campaign and grave violation of sovereignty aimed at tarnishing the image of our state as it is a continuation of the hostile move of the successive U.S. administrations that have talked much about the non-existent cyber threat from the DPRK," the spokesperson reportedly said. "The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK expresses serious concern over the U.S. judicial authorities' provocation which is threatening and encroaching on the security, rights and interests of our citizens by fabricating the groundless cyber drama, and strongly denounces and rejects it."The spokesperson accused the U.S. of creating "international cyberspace instability," and not the DPRK."The U.S. has long been posing a constant threat to the cybersecurity of the DPRK and other sovereign states by making cyber space a scene of battle and abusing the cyber issue as a political weapon to tarnish the image of other countries and impair the exercise of their legitimate rights," the spokesperson said."The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has the right to take a proper and proportionate countermeasure to thoroughly protect the security and rights of its citizens from the judicial enforcement for a sinister political purpose, and to call to strict legal account the outsiders who took malicious action," the spokesperson concluded.The DOJ said the indictment alleges that from 2021 and through most of 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators compromised the identities of over 80 people in the U.S. to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 companies. As a result, the victim companies incurred legal fees, computer network remediation costs and other damages and losses to the tune of at least $3 million.NORTH KOREAN IT WORKERS INFILTRATED FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES IN MASSIVE FRAUD SCHEMEKejia and Zhenxing, along with at least four other U.S. facilitators, allegedly helped overseas IT workers with various parts of the scheme.Kejia and Zhenxing allegedly established shell companies with websites and financial accounts to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate businesses in the U.S. Once established, the two allegedly received money from U.S. companies, and the funds were transferred to co-conspirators overseas.In exchange for their services, Kejia, Zhenxing and the other four conspirators in the U.S. received at least $696,000 from the IT workers.The DOJ said one of the companies the schemers allegedly accessed data from was a defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technology. By accessing the companys data, the schemers were privy to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the DOJ said.TWO CHINESE NATIONALS ARRESTED FOR SPYING ON US NAVY PERSONNEL AND BASESThe DOJ also announced that the FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) seized 17 web domains used as part of the scheme, along with 29 financial accounts holding tens of thousands of dollars, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime.The DOJ unveiled another part of the scheme, which resulted in a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment against four North Korean nationals: Kim Kwang Jin, Kang Tae Bok, Jong Pong Ju and Change Nam II.The suspects are accused of scheming to steal virtual currency from two companies, with a value of over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder the proceeds.All four nationals, the DOJ said, are at large and wanted by the FBI.

An illegal alien on the "Top 10 Most Wanted" list in Honduras has been arrested in New York after evading a 44-year prison sentence in his home country.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Olivin Martinez Coto was arrested on Long Island on Tuesday, where he was reportedly in hiding.Coto had been sentenced in Honduras for aggravated femicide, which ICE said is when someone kills a woman because she is a woman. He was also convicted of attempted homicide and forcible home invasion."Weve already deported him TWICE and hes NEVER entered the country legally," ICE wrote in a social media post. "He has no respect for our nations immigration laws and isnt the least bit pleased about getting caught."DHS ARRESTS 'WORST OF THE WORST' MIGRANTS IN LA DESPITE RIOTERS, POLS PUSHING BACKICE added that it did not know where Coto entered the U.S. the third time, and accused him of sneaking in."We know only that it was sometime after his second removal on Feb. 27, 2019," ICE wrote. "We will continue to seek out, arrest and deport international fugitives. Lets set the record straight. THE UNITED STATES IS NOT A SAFE HAVEN FOR CRIMINAL ALIENS."When President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he immediately began acting against criminal illegal aliens in the U.S., which has resulted in a drastic drop in illegal entries and daily encounters.ICE FILES DETAINERS AGAINST 2 ILLEGAL ALIENS, INCLUDING 1 FACING ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR SHOOTING SPREEWhite House border czar Tom Homan announced this week that southern border apprehensions in June were incredibly low and that nobody was released into the U.S. after being detained."Total Border Patrol encounters for the entire month of June 2025 was 6,070. That is less than a single day under Biden," Homan posted to X on Tuesday, touting "the Trump effect."The report shows a 15% dip from March, and a major drop from when Joe Biden was president. In fact, in December 2023, there were an average of about 11,000 encounters each day.TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES SHOCKINGLY LOW NUMBER OF ILLEGAL ALIENS COMPARED TO BIDEN YEARS: 'UNPRECEDENTED'There were only 8,039 apprehensions on a national scale by Border Patrol, which is lower than the record set in March. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the first three days of June 2024 had over 11,000 apprehensions, with the southern border alone having over 7,000 apprehensions in the first two days of that month.Homan said the total number of encounters in June is less than half of a single day under Biden on several of the days in the month.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"Also, none of the 6,070 were released into the U.S. ZERO. President Trump has created the most secure border in the history of the nation and the data proves it," Homan said. "We have never seen numbers this low. Never. God bless the men and women of the US Border Patrol and God bless the men and women of ICE. The interior arrests and consequences help to drive down illegal immigration. The TRUMP EFFECT keeps America winning."Fox News Cameron Arcand, Peter Doocy and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated Congress' passage of his "big, beautiful bill," describing the sweeping measure as "the biggest bill of its kind ever signed" and promising, "it's going to make this country into a rocket ship. It's going to be really great."Earlier in the day, the House narrowly approved the package by a 218-214 vote after a marathon overnight session on Capitol Hill the final hurdle after the Senate passed the measure earlier in the week.He noted that only two Republican lawmakers, Reps. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, and Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania, voted against the bill. Zero Democrats backed it.CONGRESS SENDING TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' TO HIS DESK AFTER DRAMATIC ALL-NIGHT HOUSE VOTE"Well, I was disappointed that [Fitzpatrick] did that. There were two of them that voted down, so I was disappointed that he voted no," Trump said.He hailed the outcome as a sign of GOP unity heading into the Independence Day weekend."When you go over the bill it was very easy to get through the House," Trump said.TRUMP URGES HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO IGNORE 'GRANDSTANDERS' AND DELIVER HIS 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' BY JULY 4Trump touted the bills broad scope, adding that it provides the "biggest tax cut in history" along with major investments in border security and the military."Great for security, great on the southern border, immigration is covered, we covered just about everything. Again, it's the biggest bill ever signed of its kind," the president said."We'll have growth in record numbers," he added.The White House stated that the bill will "create historic economic growth to usher in Americas Golden Age.""The bill provides Americans with the largest tax cut in history, paired with a host of other pro-growth policies that will slash our deficits and debt. America is going to take off like a rocket ship!" White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.The president also previewed a patriotic signing ceremony set for Independence Day.Trump said he will officially sign the bill at the White House on Friday around 5 p.m., with an array of U.S. Air Force jets soaring overhead in celebration.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"We're signing at about 5:00 p.m., and at about 5:00 p.m. we're going to have B-2s and F-22s and F-35s flying right over the White House... so we'll be signing with those beautiful planes flying right over our heads," he told reporters on the tarmac.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is calling out the hypocrisy of progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said the agency is "acting like a terrorist force," pointing to an earlier attempt by the congresswoman to shift blame away from an actual terrorist.In a social media post this week, Jayapal claimed "ICE is acting like a terrorist force" and that "people across the country of all legal statuses including U.S. citizens are being kidnapped and disappeared off the street by masked men."Jayapal asserted that the federal operations are being carried out with "no oversight, no accountability" and are "completely lawless."During an interview with Brianna Keilar on "CNN News Central," Jayapal doubled down on her statement, saying, "What is deranged and cruel and outrageous is that, literally, we are seeing ICE agents, I assume theyre ICE agents. They say they are. They dont have any identification. Theyre wearing masks. Theyre in plain clothes. They are coming and kidnapping and disappearing people on the streets of the United States.ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS TAKE OVER LOS ANGELES BRIDGE AS ACLU FILES LAWSUIT"I never in a million years thought that that is something that I would see here in America," she added. "And so I think it is the administration that has to apologize to U.S. citizens that have been rounded up to legal, permanent residents, to people with legal statuses across the country who are getting swept up, people who have been here for 20 years and committed no crimes, getting swept up by masked men who are kidnaping them and deporting them."LA OFFICIALS CHARGE OVER 40 ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS WHO ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED OFFICERS, HORSES AND THREATENED CHILDIn response, Lyons said after "an actual Antifa terrorist tried to blow up ICEs Northwest Processing Center in Rep. Jayapals home state of Washington in 2019," she "tried to blame the violent attack on rhetoric from the right, in defense of an actual terrorist who tried to murder detainees and employees alike!"Now, she labels ICE officers enforcing immigration law set by Congress terrorists," said Lyons. "This, at a time when officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults, is in part due to the type of rhetoric she spews.""Never in a million years did I think I would witness a sitting member of Congress prioritize regard for violent criminals over the law enforcement officers protecting her community from actual public safety threats," he said. "The only apology needed is from the congresswoman to the people who voted for her."The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News earlier this week that assaults against ICE officers and federal agents conducting immigration enforcement are up 690% compared to the same time last year.In an interview with Fox News Digital, a special agent working deportations voiced concern about the escalating violence and the effect of Democrats pushing policies to de-mask officials, which they said threatens their families and communities.ICE AGENT SHARES FEARS ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY AS ASSAULTS ON OFFICIALS SURGEThe agent said that "whatever happens to us, my family," Democratic leadership is "directly responsible for it."

Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was found guilty of rape by an Oregon jury Thursday.The jury in Clackamas County found McLemore, the 32-year-old ex-Portland Trail Blazers player, guilty of raping a woman in 2021 after an 11-day trial.McLemore, who pleaded not guilty to all counts, was found guilty on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe jury also found him not guilty on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse."We recognize there are those who fear individuals with celebrity status or a position of prominence can avoid prosecution. Not in Clackamas County," Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth said in a statement, according to ESPN."This case demonstrates my office prosecutes criminal acts regardless of the offender's community status."CLIPPERS' JAMES HARDEN FACES NEGLIGENCE ACCUSATION AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWSUIT AGAINST NEPHEWThe incident occurred in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in October 2021, when McLemore was identified as a suspect by authorities after the womans complaint.In February 2024, a Clackamas County grand jury listened to evidence in the case, which included the womans testimony saying McLemore assaulted her. McLemore was arrested two months later by U.S. Marshals.During the trial, Scott Healy, a Clackamas County prosecutor, told the jury the woman passed out on a living room couch around 2 a.m. after drinking heavily. She regained partial consciousness the next morning, when McLemore sexually penetrated her with his fingers and then proceeded to have sex with her.McLemores team of attorneys disputed the claims, saying she initiated sexual contact and consented to it. The lawyers also claimed the woman was sober enough to consent to sexual contact.McLemore, a Kansas product, played nine seasons in the NBA, five with the Sacramento Kings, who took him seventh overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.He bounced around the league toward the end, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and, finally, the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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. Thats bad news for a state that depends on young people to power its workforce and its future," the editorial stated.he Tribunes 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 nearlyhalf of the states 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, theyre not coming back," Pritzker said at a news conference in March. "Thats 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 CLAIMSThe 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

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 didnt 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.COMIn 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 couldnt 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 MLBs 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."Ortiz has pitched 16 times for the Guardians this season, recording a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

FIRST ON FOX: Vivek Ramaswamy is putting his money where his mouth is.The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader fueled his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination with over $30 million of his own money.And in a Fox News Digital interview Thursday, Ramaswamy revealed that when it comes to his 2026 Republican campaign for Ohio governor, "we are prepared to invest at the same scale or greater.""Whatever is required to ensure that we're successful in really leading the state to the next level," Ramaswamy said. "Losing this race is not an option. Winning is the only option, and we're going to win it. And I think that that will require resources of every form."CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON VIVEK RAMASWAMYRamaswamy was interviewed the day after his campaign announced that he had raised nearly $10 million in a little over four months since he announced his gubernatorial candidacy in late February. Ramaswamy's campaign touted that the money raked in set a "record for the largest first-quarter fundraising total in state history.""I think it says that we have unprecedented support in our state, and that is a beautiful thing to see this early in a Republican race," Ramswamy said. "And I think that that's a powerful signal of unity."RAMASWAMY LAUNCHES BID FOR OHIO GOVERNORRamaswamy, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, noted he's the only major Republican candidate right now in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine."I'm running unopposed in a Republican primary in a state that is certainly leaning reliably red, and I'm proud to say that we have united, not just the Republicans in Ohio, but we are beginning to draw support from a wide range of nontraditional Republican backers, entrepreneurs, younger people," he added.State Attorney General Dave Yost launched a gubernatorial campaign but dropped out of the race in May.Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a former longtime Ohio State University head football coach who later served as president of Youngstown State University, said earlier this year he was considering a run for governor. But speculation surrounding Tressel has faded in recent weeks after his initial comments were not followed by any announcement.Asked if he has any concerns about facing a competitive primary, Ramaswamy said, "None, zero.""I like Jim a lot. He and I have had some great conversations, none of which were about this race," Ramaswamy said. "I actually consider him to be a guy who is bringing a great spirit and tenor to Ohio. And I view Coach Tressel as an asset that I want to see our state continue to use to revive our sense of unity and spirit and ambition and pursuit of success."TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISERS TO PLAY KEY ROLES IN RAMASWAMY CAMPAIGNIn the race for the Democratic nomination in the onetime battleground turned red state, former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton launched a gubernatorial bid in January.But all eyes are on former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his Senate seat in last year's election to GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno.Brown is thought to be a potential candidate in either the Senate or gubernatorial races.Ramaswamy said he "would love the Democrats to have a competitive primary while I continue to run unopposed in this race."But he suggested it didn't matter who the Democrats nominate because "it's not who we're running against, it's what we're actually running for.""I think we have incredible strength," he added before predicting "that we're going to defeat whoever we are up against by, I believe, a decisive margin."The 39-year-old Ramaswamy launched his presidential campaign in February 2023 and quickly saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination, as part of a field of candidates challenging Trump.He campaigned on what he called an "America First 2.0" agenda and was one of Trump's biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the "most successful president in our century."Ramaswamy dropped his White House bid early last year after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail.Trump, in the days after his November presidential election victory, named Elon Musk, the world's richest person, along with Ramaswamy, to steer the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency initiative, better known as DOGE.But in January, as Trump was inaugurated, the new administration announced Ramaswamy was no longer serving at DOGE. Ramaswamy's exit cleared the way for Musk, Trump's top donor and, at the time, a key ally, to steer DOGE without having to share the limelight. Ramaswamy quickly moved toward launching a run for governor.Ramaswamy was raised in Evendale, Ohio, in suburban Cincinnati by parents who emigrated from India. His father worked as an engineer at General Electric Aviation, and his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist. Ramaswamy and his family live in suburban Columbus.The candidate noted that "one of my core areas of focus that I think is really resonating, is elevating the standards of educational achievement in our state.""The No. 1 issue that I see resonating across the board, in a non-partisan manner, is the recognition that we are in the middle of this educational achievement crisis," he added.And Ramaswamy insisted that "anybody who's a parent, or even anybody who's a young person recently graduating from school, recognizes that this is going to be an issue that we have to turn around, to preserve our place, the leading country in the world, and that is the project that we are going to make Ohio ground zero for in the United States."Fox News' Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report

A Gaza aid group says that reports from theAssociated Press claiming U.S. contractors fired on Palestinians that were seeking aid are false."GHF launched an immediate investigation when the Associated Press first brought these allegations to our attention," the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said in a Thursday X post."Based on time-stamped video footage and sworn witness statements, we have concluded that the claims in the APs story are categorically false," the foundation said, and noted that they were responding to videos in the AP report.HAMAS WORKING TO 'SABOTAGE' TRUMP-BACKED AID GROUP WITH 'FAKE NEWS': ISRAELI OFFICIALA story published Wednesday by the APreported that "American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food."The story says that two U.S. contractors who spoke to the AP anonymously said that their counterparts often hurled stun grenades and pepper spray toward Palestinians trying to get aid."They said their colleagues regularly lobbed stun grenades and pepper spray in the direction of the Palestinians," the story reads. "One contractor said bullets were fired in all directions in the air, into the ground and at times toward the Palestinians, recalling at least one instance where he thought someone had been hit."The AP story included videos they say were given by one of the contractors that "show hundreds of Palestinians crowded between metal gates, jostling for aid amid the sound of bullets, stun grenades and the sting of pepper spray. Other videos include conversations between English-speaking men discussing how to disperse crowds and encouraging each other after bursts of gunfire."TENSIONS RISE AS ISRAEL STRONGLY DENIES FIRING ON PALESTINIANS AT GAZA HUMANITARIAN SITEThe Gaza Humanitarian Foundation posted a lengthy statement on Thursday addressing the APs reporting."GHF launched an immediate investigation when the Associated Press first brought these allegations to our attention," read the statement posted to X. "Based on time-stamped video footage and sworn witness statements, we have concluded that the claims in the APs story are categorically false. At no point were civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site. The gunfire heard in the video was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, who was outside the immediate vicinity of the GHF distribution site. It was not directed at individuals, and no one was shot or injured."The statement also alleges that the main source for the APs story was a former employee "who was terminated for misconduct weeks before this article was published.""That fact, combined with the APs refusal to engage in good faith prior to publication, undermines the credibility of their reporting," the statement reads. "Their coverage of our aid operations has increasingly echoed narratives advanced by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health."The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said that it will be pursuing legal action.Israel has agreed to President Donald Trump's request for a 60-day ceasefire. Trump has said he hopes to work with the Qataris and Egyptians to deliver a deal for Hamas and bring peace to the Middle East.Fox News Digital reached out to the Associated Press for comment and an AP spokespersonsaid the outlet stands by the story.The IDF was also reached out for comment but didn't immediately respond.