21 mins ago
Pinned
Fox News gets exclusive look inside historic drone boat Strait of Hormuz rescue of downed pilots
Fox News got an exclusive look at Saronic, the Texas-based defense startup behind the drone boat platform used in the autonomous rescue of two American pilots after their Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump hailed it as an American first, a major milestone for unmanned military technology.
“The U.S. military does not leave people behind,” Saronic CEO and former Navy SEAL Dino Mavrookas said. “We were able to rescue them with an autonomous platform without putting additional sailors or soldiers in harm’s way. That’s massive.”
The mission comes as the Pentagon looks to expand autonomous naval technology that can be produced at scale and used in high-risk missions without putting more U.S. troops in danger.
Fox News also got a first look at Saronic’s next-generation autonomous ship, the Mirage, which is designed to travel farther, carry heavier payloads and handle more complex missions.
Fox News’ Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.
Posted by Eric Mack
27 mins ago
World’s middlemen: Swiss to host US-Iran MOU signing Friday at Bürgenstock
Switzerland has pitched itself as the world’s neutral room — the place warring powers go when they are not ready to trust each other, but are finally ready to talk.
Now, that role is back in the spotlight, with the U.S. and Iran set to put pen to paper above Lake Lucerne.
Swiss foreign ministry officials said Tuesday that a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran will take place Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near Luzern.
The site, perched above Lake Lucerne in central Switzerland, was proposed by Pakistani and Qatari mediators, along with the U.S. and Iran.
The ministry said it has been in close contact with all four countries about the possible signing, which follows announcements over the weekend by U.S. and Iranian officials that they had reached an understanding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Posted by Eric Mack
39 mins ago
Trump open to sending MOU to Congress for approval: ‘Who wouldn’t approve it?’
President Trump said Tuesday he is open to sending his emerging Iran agreement to Congress for review, a move that could help lock in Republican support but also expose the still-secret deal to sharper scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
“I like the idea, send it to Congress please,” Trump said during a Tuesday meeting with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the G7 summit in the French Alps.
“I mean who wouldn’t approve it.”
The remark comes as lawmakers in both parties press the administration for details about what Trump has described as an agreement to end the war in Iran.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who has failed to pass some of Trump’s key agenda items like the Save America Act, is raising opposition on Trump cutting an Iran deal while cutting out Congress.
Republicans are signaling they want more than verbal assurances.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., argued that a lasting agreement should be approved by Congress, saying executive agreements last only as long as the president who signs them. Sen. John Kennedy, meanwhile, voiced skepticism about Iran’s trustworthiness.
Democrats are also demanding the text. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the “devil is in the details” and criticized Trump for not yet revealing the substance of the memo of understanding (MOU).
The administration says more details are expected in the coming days, potentially around a formal signing ceremony in Switzerland.
This story included excerpts from Fox News’ Alex Miller’s reporting. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
Posted by Eric Mack
1 hour ago
Trump wants to destroy Iran’s enriched uranium, not take it
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is not looking to keep Iran’s enriched uranium, but to destroy it.
“We’re not looking to take it,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting at the G7 in France. “We’re looking to destroy it. We have plenty of it.”
Trump said the uranium is being monitored and suggested there is no immediate rush to remove it.
“We have cameras from space on it,” Trump said. “We know everybody that goes there, which is like nobody.”
Trump said B-2 bombers struck the site and claimed “the entire mountain collapsed inside it,” making excavation difficult.
“It’s a very tough excavation,” Trump said. “Nobody else can do it but us and probably China. They have the equipment. We have the equipment.
“We’re in no rush, but we get it, and when we get it, we’ll destroy it.”
Posted by Eric Mack
1 hour ago
Vance says Trump Iran plan could reshape Middle East for generations
Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump’s Iran peace plan could have “transformative impacts” on the Middle East for generations.
Vance said Gulf Arab countries opposed the Obama-era JCPOA because they believed it empowered Iran, but he said they view Trump’s plan differently.
“Do you know what they think about the President Trump peace plan? They love it because they think that it’s turning over a new leaf to a new Middle East,” Vance said in an interview Tuesday on “Fox & Friends.”
“What we’ve done here is actually unite the Gulf together,” he added.
Posted by Eric Mack
1 hour ago
Vance: Trump offering Iran ‘hand of peace’ if regime changes behavior
Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump is offering Iran a path toward a better relationship with the United States, but only if Tehran changes its behavior.
“What the president is trying to do is actually extend the hand of peace,” Vance told Tuesday’s “Fox & Friends.”
Vance said Iran’s leaders must “step up and change their behavior” if the Iranian people want “greater prosperity.”
“If they do, great,” Vance said. “If they don’t, the United States has already gotten a lot from what we need.”
Posted by Eric Mack
1 hour ago
Vance in Fox News exclusive sit-down: Iran deal gives Tehran 60 days to prove it has changed
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News Digital in an exclusive sit-down interview that Iran is entering a 60-day test period under President Donald Trump’s agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Tehran must show through its actions that it has abandoned nuclear weapons development and support for terrorism.
“The thing I’ve learned from the President of the United States is whether friend or foe, you shouldn’t trust anybody, you should trust people’s actions,” Vance said.
Vance said Iran has “two pathways”: behave like a “normal country” and receive benefits such as sanctions relief and renewed international ties, or attempt to rebuild its nuclear program and continue backing terrorism, forfeiting any benefits under the deal.
He said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz strengthens the U.S. hand by allowing oil and gas to flow again and helping bring energy prices down for Americans.
“It fundamentally allows us to see are they serious or not,” Vance said.
These quotes came in Ashley DiMella’s Fox News Digital exclusive sit-down with the vice president.
Posted by Eric Mack
2 hours ago
Vance: ‘Not a single cent of American money’ goes to Iran under deal
Vice President JD Vance vowed “not a single cent of American money” will go to Iran under President Donald Trump’s proposed peace deal, pushing back on reported dollar figures and calling them “Iranian propaganda.”
“Not $300 billion, not $24 billion, not any of the money, the dollar figures that I’ve seen floating around,” Vance told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
The deal centers on a “firm commitment backed up by verifiable action” that Iran will not develop or buy a nuclear weapon, Vance stressed.
“We’re not giving them a red cent of American money,” Vance said, contrasting the deal with the Obama-era JCPOA.
Vance said Gulf Arab countries could invest in Iran only if Tehran “perform[s] their end of the obligation,” adding that any benefits depend on Iran “behaving properly.”
Posted by Eric Mack
2 hours ago
Trump: My MOU is ‘wall against nuclear weapon’ for Iran; Obama ‘paid a fortune, we pay nothing’
President Donald Trump said his Iran memorandum of understanding is “a wall against a nuclear weapon,” contrasting it with the Obama-era JCPOA being a “road map” for Iran’s nuclear enrichment.
“Mine is a wall against a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “He paid a fortune for it. We pay nothing.”
Trump said he plans to release the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and may hold a press conference to read the document aloud, saying he wants the press to cover it accurately.
“I will actually not only release it, I’ll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word,” Trump said, rebuking the “fake news.”
Posted by Eric Mack
2 hours ago
CENTCOM shows USS Delbert D. Black replenishment in Arabian Sea
U.S. Central Command said the USS Delbert D. Black completed a vertical replenishment-at-sea with the USNS John Lewis while transiting the Arabian Sea on June 15.
The operation allows sailors to receive supplies, mail and other needed items without the ship having to pull into port, according to CENTCOM.
The update comes as U.S. naval assets continue operating in the region amid heightened Middle East tensions before a potential memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony Friday.
Posted by Eric Mack
2 hours ago
Trump signals Ukraine peace is next, meets with Zelenskyy at G7
President Donald Trump said he had a “good meeting” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging Russia to move toward a deal to end the war.
“Ukraine is losing a lot of people,” Trump lamented at the bilateral meeting with Qatar at the G7 on Tuesday morning in France.
“So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”
Trump added, “Russia should make a deal.”
“Russia’s lost tremendous amounts of people, and so has Ukraine,” he continued.
“I don’t like to see 25,000 young people die every month,” Trump said. “The whole thing is ridiculous.”
Trump said he recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, after making peace in the Middle East, the U.S. would now turn more focus toward the war in Ukraine.
Posted by Eric Mack
Breaking News3 hours ago
Trump warns Iran of ‘ultimate consequences’ if regime obtains nuclear weapon
President Donald Trump warned Iran would face “ultimate consequences” if the regime obtains a nuclear weapon, saying during a G7 news conference that Tehran “will not” be allowed to develop, purchase or otherwise acquire one.
“And if they do, they suffer unbelievable consequences,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with Qatar early Tuesday morning. “Not just a little bit — I won’t even tell you the consequences, but the consequences are the ultimate consequences.”
Trump said the issue was central to his memorandum of understanding on Iran, stressing that the agreement language had to go beyond barring Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“They will not develop, purchase, buy or any other thing,” Trump said. “They’re not going to acquire a nuclear weapon. If they do, all hell will rain down on them.”
The president added that he hopes the U.S. can have “a very good relationship” with Iran, but said preventing the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains the priority.
Posted by Eric Mack
3 hours ago
Iran slaughter of protesters ‘took place during the first and second regimes’ more, Trump says
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has discussed Iran’s killing of its own people, calling the killing of the regime protesters “a terrible thing.”
“We talked to them about it,” Trump said at a bilateral meeting with Qatar.
“The majority of that took place during the first and second regimes, much more so than them. It was much more severe, but it’s a terrible thing.”
Trump said the U.S. is dealing with Iranian officials he described as “very rational people,” adding that they were “strong” and “smart” during negotiations.
“The first group, they’re all dead; the second group, they’re dead,” Trump said. “A part of the third group is gone. And we’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people, and they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people.
“I think actually they’re smarter than the first and second group, but they’re not radicalized and they’re, you know, looking to help their country.”
Trump said he was not focused on regime change, arguing that past efforts have failed.
“I never cared about regime change,” Trump said. “I’ve watched regime changes for years. They never work.”
Posted by Eric Mack
3 hours ago
Trump: Netanyahu must be ‘more responsible’; ‘don’t knock down’ a building looking for someone
President Donald Trump said he is not frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but criticized Israel’s handling of Lebanon and Hezbollah.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump during a bilateral meeting with Qatar.
Trump said he was “not happy” with the way Israel has handled the situation, saying the conflict “goes on forever” and creates complications for broader regional diplomacy.
“When you ask me about Bibi, an unbelievable relationship,” Trump said, while adding that Israel “would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved.”
Israel’s campaign to root out Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon pales in comparison to the threat of a nuclear Iran.
“I consider that the minor war – Iran the big one – but we have that a little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head, and that’s Hezbollah,” Trump said.
“And I’ll tell you what, Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed.
“And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah that I can tell you.”
Posted by Eric Mack
3 hours ago
Trump praises Qatar on ‘front line’ of Iran war, touts major investment in US
President Donald Trump praised Qatar for its handling of recent tensions in the region, saying the country was “really on the line” amid the closure of the Hormuz Strait and the Iran war.
“We’re very, very impressed with Qatar and the way they’ve handled things,” Trump said. “They were in the front line.”
Trump also said Qatar is expected to make major investments in the United States.
“Qatar is going to be investing much more than $1 trillion in the United States,” Trump said. “Qatar has been a great investor.”
Trump said the U.S. has “the hottest country in the world right now” and credited Qatar with helping strengthen investment ties.
Posted by Eric Mack
3 hours ago
Trump: Iran ‘would have done tremendous damage’ under Obama nuclear deal
President Donald Trump said Iran would have posed a greater threat had the U.S. not withdrawn from the Obama-era nuclear deal, arguing the agreement put Tehran on a path toward obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s a big thing,” Trump said at a bilateral meeting with Qatar. “If they had a nuclear weapon, they would have blown up Israel. They would have blown up the Middle East, and they probably would have taken a shot at us.”
Trump said canceling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) prevented Iran from doing “tremendous damage.”
“You would have had them having a nuclear weapon five years ago,” Trump said. “That expired. That was a road to a nuclear weapon.”
Posted by Eric Mack
4 hours ago
Trump beats back ‘fake news’: US is ‘not investing any money’ in Iran deal
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is “not investing any money” in an Iran deal, despite what he has rebuked as “fake news” reports of a payoff in the yet-to-be released memorandum of understanding (MOU).
“We can talk about the Iran deal all day long, and we’re not investing any money,” Trump said at a bilateral G7 meeting with Qatar. “We have the right to if we want, but we’re not investing any money.”
Trump said he is not going to repeat former President Barack Obama’s mistakes in his handling of Iran’s nuclear weapons aspirations.
“We didn’t pay for it like Obama did: He paid billions of dollars,” Trump added. “He paid $1.7 billion from an airplane, all green cash. He was crazy, I watched that, I couldn’t believe it.
“But the one thing that’s happening that’s of note, frankly, the only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear. They’re not going to develop it. They’re not going to buy it. They’re not going to do anything with it.”
Posted by Eric Mack

Wall Street rallied today, with the Nasdaq climbing 3% and the Dow marking a record-high close after the United States and Iran struck a preliminary agreement to end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, leading to an easing of inflation fears as crude oil prices dropped.
The deal framework — expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday — did not address key issues such as Tehran’s nuclear program and the Israel-Lebanon conflict.
Still, U.S. crude futures settled down 4.9% following the news and hit their lowest level since March, aiding shares of energy-sensitive airline and cruise stocks and hurting energy shares.
Rate-sensitive technology stocks rallied as investors were more comfortable taking on riskier bets with lower oil prices easing inflation fears.
“Markets are higher on a classic relief rally. We have a U.S.-Iran deal that’s driving oil sharply lower. This is easing inflation fears and basically pushing investors back into risk assets like technology,” said Gene Goldman, chief investment officer at Cetera Investment Management, in El Segundo, California.
The three main indexes marked their third consecutive session of gains, recovering after Middle East tensions and a pullback in AI-related stocks had put Wall Street’s record climb on pause more than a week ago.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 468.77 points, or 0.92%, to 51,671.03, while the S&P 500 gained 122.83 points, or 1.65%, to 7,554.29.
The Nasdaq Composite gained 795.10 points, or 3.07%, to 26,683.94 for its strongest one-day percentage gain since March 31.
One hope among investors is that a resumption of oil flows from the Middle East and easing crude prices could give the Federal Reserve, which is grappling with inflation, room to hold interest rates steady instead of raising borrowing costs.
Along with the Iran deal, another big focus for the week is the central bank’s next policy update, which is due on Wednesday, after Chair Kevin Warsh’s first policy meeting since he took over from Jerome Powell last month. The meeting follows May inflation data that showed higher energy costs filtering into consumer prices.
Traders expect the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged this week, but are still pricing in a nearly 42% probability for a 25-basis-point hike by the end of the year, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.
Among the 11 major S&P 500 industry sectors, the S&P 500 tech index led the gainers with a 3.4% advance. The S&P 500 energy index was its biggest laggard, finishing down 3.6%.
In individual stocks, SpaceX shares rallied 19.6% in their second day of trading after the Elon Musk-led firm’s blockbuster IPO pushed its valuation above $2 trillion. The stock’s $192.46 close today compared with its $135 IPO price.
Investors had been relieved by its strong market debut on Friday as they hoped that its landmark Nasdaq launch would bode well for the broader market and for the highly anticipated OpenAI and Anthropic IPOs expected later this year.
Elsewhere, airlines were among the leading transport sector gainers with United Airlines rallying 3.9% on hopes for cheaper jet fuel with oil prices falling. Cruise companies also rallied, with Norwegian Cruise adding 3.7% and Carnival Corp climbing 3.2%.
The CBOE Volatility Index, Wall Street’s fear gauge, slipped for its third day in a row after rising to a more than two-month high the previous week.
The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index finished up more than 5% for a record-high close after dropping more than 12% below its most recent record before staging a three-day comeback rally.
Big boosts today came from chip giant Nvidia, which rose 3.5%, and Micron, which soared 10.5%, after at least two brokerages sharply raised their price targets for the stock.
In other movers, shares in Fox tumbled 16.8% after the company said it would buy Roku in a $22 billion deal. Roku shares fell 1.9%.
On U.S. exchanges, 21.29 billion shares changed hands compared with the 20.82 billion average for the last 20 sessions.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.77-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, where there were 502 new highs and 90 new lows. On the Nasdaq, 3,034 stocks rose and 1,900 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.6-to-1 ratio.
The S&P 500 posted 41 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 202 new highs and 89 new lows.

Several of the skydivers killed when their plane crashed moments after taking off from a Missouri airfield were experienced jumpers, including one of the nation’s leading female jumpers.
Federal investigators were at the crash site Monday, a day after the plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers slammed into a field and burst into flames, killing all on board, authorities said.
Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson.
Authorities have not released the victims’ names, but friends and colleagues began paying tribute.
The United States Parachute Association, skydiving’s governing body, said its technology director, Jen Sharp, was among those killed.
“Jen was a remarkable force whose passion for the skies was matched only by her dedication to the people in our sport,” said Albert Berchtold, the organization’s executive director.
Sharp taught skydiving instructors, wrote educational materials and made 6,800 jumps since her first one in 1989, according to her website.
She once jumped into Denver’s Coors Field ballpark while dressed as the queen of England and was part of the Everest Skydive in the Himalayas, her site said.
Kevin Payne, who had jumped with seven of the skydivers on the plane, said they were all different in nearly every way, except that they were all brought together as a “sky family.”
“There is a joy and peace and freedom to what we do. That’s what most people never understand,” Payne, of Parkville, Missouri, wrote in an email. “It’s not about the adrenaline. It’s about really flying together with your family in that brief, exquisite instant that people who live their lives on the ground will never understand.”
It will be about a month before the National Transportation Safety Board issues a preliminary report, but weather did not appear to be a factor.
READ MORE: Skydiving plane crash investigations often reveal poor maintenance and weak safety oversight
Investigators have interviewed some witnesses, NTSB Vice Chairman Michael Graham said. The plane didn’t have a “black box” like those that record crash data on commercial planes, but investigators will look for other kinds of devices that could provide insights, he said.
Skydiving plane went down soon after taking off
Witnesses say the plane was roughly 100 feet (30 meters) from the ground when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing.
It appeared to be losing power, and the pilot may have been trying to reach a highway to land when the plane stalled and went down nose first, said Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager of Butler Memorial Airport.
The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, he said. The crash site in the small town of Butler is roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.
Skydive Kansas City said in a statement that its team and the skydiving community were in shock.
“This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community,” the company said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost.”
Plane made multiple flights over the weekend
The Pacific Aerospace 750XL — a single-engine turboprop plane — is a popular model in skydiving because it’s designed for the sport and can quickly take parachutists to jumping altitudes while using short runways.
This particular aircraft, built in 2010, made nine successful flights in the days before the crash, including two on Sunday morning, according to FlightAware, a digital flight tracking company.
Red flags raised about skydiving oversight
Federal investigators have voiced concerns about oversight for skydiving operators in past crash investigations and have cited the need for maintenance guidelines, training for pilots and stronger aircraft inspections. The NTSB said after a crash killed 11 people in Hawaii that the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulatory system isn’t strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights.
The FAA has yet to act on the NTSB’s recommendations but said Monday it recently established a committee to recommend ways to increase skydiving safety and will consider the safety board’s proposals.
“It’s always frustrating when we see things the FAA hasn’t acted on,” said Graham, of the NTSB. “And then we continue to see accidents in those arenas.”
Skydiving businesses operate under the same FAA rules that apply to any small plane owner as long as their flights don’t venture more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) away. Those rules also cover tourist helicopters and other local flights because the FAA considers those operations less complicated than a charter company or airline.
But aircraft owners are expected to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and recommendations.
The United States Parachute Association said in a statement that Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all FAA maintenance requirements.
The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.
Associated Press reporters Kristen M. Hall in Kansas City, Missouri; Cathy Bussewitz in New York; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

Several of the skydivers killed when their plane crashed moments after taking off from a Missouri airfield were experienced jumpers, including a leader at one of the sport’s biggest organizations.
Federal investigators were at the crash site, about an hour south of Kansas City, on Monday, a day after the plane carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers slammed into a field and burst into flames, killing all on board, authorities said.
Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson.
Authorities have not released the victims’ names, but friends and colleagues began paying tribute.
The United States Parachute Association, skydiving’s governing body, said its technology director, Jen Sharp, was among those killed.
“Jen was a remarkable force whose passion for the skies was matched only by her dedication to the people in our sport,” said Albert Berchtold, the organization’s executive director.
Sharp taught skydiving instructors, wrote educational materials and made 6,800 jumps since her first one in 1989, according to her website.
She once jumped into Denver’s Coors Field ballpark while dressed as the queen of England and was part of the Everest Skydive in the Himalayas, her site said.
Kevin Payne, who had jumped with seven of the skydivers on the plane, said they were all different in nearly every way, except that they were all brought together as a “sky family.”
“There is a joy and peace and freedom to what we do. That’s what most people never understand,” Payne, of Parkville, Missouri, wrote in an email. “It’s not about the adrenaline. It’s about really flying together with your family in that brief, exquisite instant that people who live their lives on the ground will never understand.”
It will be about a month before the National Transportation Safety Board issues a preliminary report, but weather did not appear to be a factor.
Investigators had interviewed some witnesses by Monday afternoon but not the company’s owner, NTSB Vice Chairman Michael Graham said. The plane didn’t have a “black box” like those that record flight data on commercial planes, but investigators will examine the wreckage for other clues, he said.
Skydiving plane went down soon after taking off
Witnesses say the plane was roughly 100 feet (30 meters) from the ground when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing.
It appeared to be losing power, and the pilot may have been trying to reach a highway to land when the plane stalled and went down nose first, said Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager of Butler Memorial Airport. On Monday, Graham said investigators are only beginning to interview all those witnesses and gather photos and videos of the crash, so it’s too early to say definitively what happened.
The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, he said. The crash site in the small town of Butler is roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.
Skydive Kansas City said in a statement that its team and the skydiving community were in shock.
“This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community,” the company said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost.”
Plane made multiple flights over the weekend
The Pacific Aerospace 750XL — a single-engine turboprop plane — is a popular model in skydiving because it’s designed for the sport and can quickly take parachutists to jumping altitudes while using short runways.
This particular aircraft, built in 2010, made nine successful flights in the days before the crash, including two on Sunday morning, according to FlightAware, a digital flight tracking company.
Red flags raised about skydiving oversight
The NTSB has voiced concerns in past crash investigations about whether skydiving operators get enough oversight and inspections to ensure their planes are safe and their pilots are well trained.
The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to adopt the NTSB’s recommendations, but said Monday it established a committee in April that will recommend ways to increase skydiving safety and will consider the safety board’s proposals.
“It’s always frustrating when we see things the FAA hasn’t acted on,” said Graham, of the NTSB. “And then we continue to see accidents in those arenas.”
The FAA said its inspectors are required to examine certain aspects of skydiving businesses every year, including several safety items related to the aircraft and pilots. But the NTSB said previously that those inspections failed to identify a twisted wing on a skydiving plane that later crashed in Hawaii in 2019 and killed 11 people.
Skydiving businesses can operate under the same FAA rules that apply to any small plane owner as long as their flights don’t venture more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) away. Those rules also cover tourist helicopters and other local flights because the FAA considers those operations less complicated than a charter company or airline.
But all aircraft owners are expected to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and recommendations.
The United States Parachute Association said in a statement that Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all FAA maintenance requirements.
The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.
___
Associated Press reporters Kristen M. Hall in Kansas City, Missouri; Cathy Bussewitz in New York; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

President Trump wanted the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial to look pristine. Photosynthesis had other plans.
Days after the Trump administration completed a $14.2 million project to coat the Reflecting Pool’s concrete floor with dark blue waterproofing material, clumps of algae dotted the surface on Sunday and Monday, giving parts of the pool a green hue.
The pool was gleaming last week after the work, which was meant to fix two longstanding problems, leaks and algal blooms, before the country’s 250th birthday. But after several hot and humid days, the algae returned in force.
A spokeswoman for the Interior Department, which manages the site, said the project involved the successful installation of a water-treatment system called a nanobubbler. She said the algae would be gone soon.
“Due to deploying the advanced nanobubbler technology, the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak,” the spokeswoman, Katie Martin, said in an email. “We thank President Trump for fixing the Reflecting Pool for good.”
Last week, Ms. Martin had said the algae was “residual” and came from supply lines that sat dormant during the renovations.
President Trump said last month that the pool had been “filthy” and “dirty” for years. He said his changes would make the site “beautiful,” adding that the waterproofing material on its floor was a color called “American flag blue.”
To repair the pool, Mr. Trump’s administration awarded no-bid contracts to two handpicked vendors, bypassing a legally required process of seeking competitive bids because of what officials declared an urgent need. (The administration said the urgency was justified because of the nation’s 250th birthday party.)
The first no-bid contract went to a Virginia-based company, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, to seal leaky joints between the pool’s concrete slabs and coat the slabs with the dark blue waterproofing material. The second went to Ohio-based Greenwater Services to add an upgraded water-purification system.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings completed its work on June 4, and the pool was refilled soon after. Greenwater Services has also finished installing the new purification system.
On Sunday, workers with the National Park Service waded in the Reflecting Pool and appeared to skim some algae blooms off the surface. They were joined by workers with Pearl Purity Water Solutions, a Maryland-based company that has held a contract since 2021 to treat the pool’s water.
Representatives for Greenwater Services and Pearl Purity Water Solutions did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On Monday, as Park Service workers continued to clear the algae, throngs of tourists strolled around the pool in the summer sun. Bonnie Garvin, a teacher from Monticello, Ga., said she was unbothered by the green hue.