White House Attack Plot, SpaceX's AI Bet & Soccer Fans Drink Boston Dry - Wednesday, June 17, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Wednesday, June 17th. We'll tell you about a plan to send deadly drones toward the White House, how investigators say it was stopped before it could actually happen. Also, the latest steps to dismantle the US. Department of Education, and some of Vice President JD Vance's biggest criticism, compliments and regrets, according to his new memoir. Plus, what new research found about working parents, the first big purchase for SpaceX since going public, and which soccer team's fans seem to be causing a beer shortage in Boston? Those stories and even more news to know coming up.
Welcome to The News Worthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
Authorities say they stopped an attack on last weekend's UFC fight night outside the White House. Court papers made public yesterday describe plans to fly drones loaded with explosives over the crowd, set them off, and then shoot down people as they ran away. Authorities say the suspects spoke in great detail about their plot, singling out specific officials they hoped to target, and mapping out locations for launching drones and escaping. It's not clear how close their plot came to reality, though. Authorities were apparently tipped off by one of the suspect's mothers. He's a 19-year-old man who has apparently confessed, admitting he wanted to attack politicians and wealthy people as a way to start a revolution. Since then, the Justice Department says a total of five people have been arrested across four states. But some suspects are still at large. In fact, at least 10 more people are wanted for questioning. News of this plot was actually first shared on social media by FBI Director Cash Patel. Reports say Secret Service officials are pretty angry with him for posting about it prematurely. Though later, the FBI and Secret Service put out a joint statement saying they're proud of their working relationship and that the attack was prevented because of work by both agencies.
15 people are now facing criminal charges for aggressively opposing the Minnesota immigration crackdown. They're accused of doing things like using their vehicles in blocks of ice to block or slow down immigration agents, using homemade shields to physically resist law enforcement, throwing ice blocks at them and more. And prosecutors say they have proof the suspects spoke to each other about their plans ahead of time. Well, after the Justice Department announced these latest charges, more protests broke out in Minnesota, with people calling the case a political attack. And once again, videos have been posted on social media, showing protesters facing off with federal law enforcement agents who appear to be pepper spraying the crowds. Earlier this year, controversial decisions to prosecute protesters led to several high-profile departures from the US. Attorney's Office in Minnesota. And since then, the office has returned to full staffing and has continued bringing charges related to the crackdown.
It seems Iran could be getting a big economic boost for agreeing to the latest deal with the US. Reuters, Bloomberg and other outlets are now reporting on a $300 billion private fund meant to encourage investment into Iran. They say companies based in the US., Gulf Arab states, Asia, South America and Africa have agreed to put money into the so-called Reconstruction and Development Fund. The investments apparently span many industries like energy, manufacturing and transport. And that could be a big deal for Iran, since the country has attracted almost no significant foreign investment in the past four decades because of international sanctions. Yet the country could still be a draw for foreign companies since it has substantial oil and natural gas reserves as well as a young, educated population. Besides the Development Fund, Iran is expected to get the right to sell its own oil right away. And reports say eventually the country will be able to access its frozen assets if it holds up its end of the agreement. As we've told you, the deal is designed to end months of fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and start negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. Still there are questions. American lawmakers in both parties have asked for more details. For now, a signing ceremony is set for Friday.
There are growing concerns that the US has burned through a lot of weapons during the war with Iran, like hundreds of millions of dollars worth and that there's now a shortfall. Well, to address those concerns, President Trump is invoking the Defense Production Act. Remember, that's the law that lets the White House order private companies to do something for the good of the country, and he's using it to increase production of important munitions. This should help contractors work together in a way that might normally violate antitrust laws if it weren't for the Defense Production Act. Now, to be clear, the Pentagon has been pressing defense companies to accelerate weapons production since well before the Iran War began, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the shortage now has been foolishly overstated since the military does have what it needs to keep Americans safe. Still, the hope is this action replenishes the stockpiles.