An Iowa teacher who died at a reservoir alongside one of her 10-year-old students made a desperate attempt to rescue the boy, his grieving father said Friday.

Ahmed Osman, a fifth grader at Borlaug Elementary School, entered the Coralville Lake Reservoir during a school field trip Tuesday. His teacher, 24-year-old Hannah Jorgensen, followed him into the water, Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Osman, told The New York Times.

“We didn’t believe he would leave us this soon,” Mohamed said. He described his son as a child with “a lot of dreams,” including hopes of becoming a doctor or professional soccer player.

Ahmed and his classmates had been taking part in a five-day educational trip at the MacBride Nature Recreation Area when the fatal incident occurred.

Authorities have not said exactly when Ahmed entered the reservoir. His body was located Wednesday, one day after search teams recovered Jorgensen’s remains.

The students were participating in the University of Iowa’s “School of the Wild” program, which gives children hands-on lessons about nature in the park. The recreation area is leased to the university by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to The Times.

Ahmed’s family came to the United States from Sudan in 2011. His father remembered him as an enthusiastic soccer fan and a gifted student who stood out for his ability in mathematics.

Mohamed said dozens of Sudanese immigrants traveled to the park to grieve and support the family after Ahmed’s death.

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Before joining Borlaug Elementary, Jorgensen had taught at several other schools across Iowa.

“Hannah and Ahmed were so much more than members of our school community,” the Iowa City School District said in a Facebook statement.

The district added that their loss would be deeply felt “in the classrooms and hallways of Borlaug,” by those who knew and loved them, and across the wider Iowa City school community.

A large search-and-recovery operation was launched at the reservoir. The response involved the Johnson County Metro Dive Team, area fire departments, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and medical personnel, authorities said.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also expressed her sympathy to Borlaug Elementary students, teachers and staff.

“This unimaginable loss touches the entire Borlaug Elementary community and Iowa City School District,” Reynolds said in a statement.

She added: “Please know that Iowans across our state are standing with you in the difficult days ahead.”

Utah Valley University has released a 158-page independent review examining the events surrounding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed during a public speaking appearance in the campus’s central courtyard last year.

The Lake Forest Group conducted the review at the university’s request. Its 10 “key findings” are intended to strengthen security at future events. The report concluded that no one at UVU acted “in bad faith or in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.”

The investigators found, however, that UVU applied its own policies “significantly inconsistently.” They also determined that security measures were inadequate for a high-profile outdoor gathering and that no member of the university police department had been assigned to monitor campus security cameras.

The reviewers also called for a reassessment of staffing levels and training to reflect the university’s size and the potential risks associated with major events.

The report noted that universities have developed systems to identify and prevent internal threats since the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Those safeguards did not apply in Kirk’s case, investigators said, because the man accused of killing him, Tyler Robinson, had no connection to UVU.

The review also assembled a timeline of major developments leading up to Kirk’s appearance at UVU, spanning July 10 through Sept. 9, 2025. It identified several “key decision points” beginning Aug. 25 and continuing through the day Kirk was killed, Sept. 10.

On Aug. 25, UVU officials had concerns about their ability to secure the outdoor courtyard, yet the location remained the planned venue, according to the review. The event was approved two days later without a documented security assessment plan. University police and TPUSA security held their “first direct security coordination” on Sept. 3, one week before the event.

On Sept. 8, TPUSA organizers voiced concerns about access to rooftops overlooking the area where Kirk was scheduled to speak. The report says UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long texted TPUSA security supervisor Dan Flood, “We got you covered.” Investigators said the message referred to the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway.

Flood came to campus in person with the TPUSA security team on Sept. 10.

“Dan Flood, TPUSA Security Supervisor, texted Chief Long advising that TPUSA security personnel had arrived on campus,” the report states. “Chief Long engaged in a series of text communications with Flood, to include several regarding individuals located on the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway and the Fountain Courtyard area where a canopy would be set up where Kirk would be speaking. These text exchanges revealed the primary security focus for TPUSA was the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway above the canopy.”

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That description differs from the Kirk family’s notice of claim against UVU, filed last week. The family’s filing identified the Sorensen Center rooftop—not the Hall of Flags walkway—as an area of concern.

The Hall of Flags walkway was closed during the event, but the review found that TPUSA security personnel never held an in-person meeting with university police.

Prosecutors allege that Robinson ultimately climbed onto the Losee Center, northeast of the courtyard, and fired the shot that killed Kirk.

The Hall of Flags walkway sits directly above the area where Kirk was speaking. The Sorenson Center is north of the courtyard, while the Losee Center is northeast of it.

“This report reaffirms the facts we laid out in our Notice of Claim: that UVU security was woefully understaffed and unprepared to manage the obvious risks associated with an event of this nature,” Kirk family attorney Brett Parkinson said in a statement to News Media Friday. “UVU hosted this event, and in doing so, assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Charlie.”

As the family alleged in its filing last week, University Police Chief Jeffrey Long allegedly told Turning Point USA organizers, “I got you covered,” after they raised concerns about rooftop access above the courtyard where Kirk was later shot and killed by a sniper.

“The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement,” Parkinson said. “Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU’s fatal shortcomings that day.”

A university spokesperson told Fox News that the school has no further comment beyond a statement released on behalf of UVU President Dr. Jon Anderson.

“September 10 will always be part of UVU’s history, but it will not define our future,” he said. “Our responsibility is to care for our community, learn from the findings of this review, and follow through on its recommendations. This requires humility, an honest examination of our policies and practices, and a commitment to act on what we learn.”

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has backed a clemency bid for a man convicted in the 2015 killing of a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Norman Smith, 30, appeared before the Nevada parole board after Ford, who is seeking reelection, sponsored his application.

Smith fatally shot Tinesha Adams on December 13, 2015, during a confrontation involving a large group in an O’Reilly’s parking lot. The dispute began after Adams confronted her on-and-off boyfriend, Chris Cooper, at an Applebee’s restaurant.

Smith was under house arrest when the incident occurred. In 2017, he received a sentence of 10 to 39 years in prison for an armed robbery conviction. Two years later, he was sentenced in Adams’ death, with the two terms ordered to run concurrently.

Ford’s involvement began after Smith’s mother, a cancer-stricken schoolteacher, asked him to place her son’s request for a sentencing change before the parole board.

A spokesperson for Ford’s office told 8 News Now that the attorney general agreed after receiving “a letter of support from the prosecutor in the case.”

The office said Ford made clear that he would not promise to support clemency or a sentence reduction. “But [he] informed Mr. Smith’s mother that he would not guarantee her that he would vote in favor of clemency or a sentence modification,” the spokesperson told 8 News Now.

In one letter, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael J. Schwartzer outlined the case and urged the board to consider the victim’s family, who attended court proceedings, as well as Smith’s earlier armed robbery conviction.

In a separate 2025 letter, Schwartzer wrote to the parole board in his personal capacity rather than as a representative of the attorney general’s office. In that letter, he said he supported granting Smith parole on the robbery sentence.

Schwartzer wrote that Smith had “taken responsibility” for his crimes and had received a “significantly higher prison sentence for his role in this [robbery] case than any of his co-defendants.”

The district attorney’s office told 8 News Now on Thursday that Schwartzer did not oppose probation in the robbery case because Smith would remain incarcerated for Adams’ manslaughter.

Smith appeared before the board on September 15. Ford was scheduled to attend but was absent because of a family emergency, according to 8 News Now.

The parole board rejected Smith’s clemency request.

After returning from the emergency, Ford declined to answer questions about his absence, Fox News reported. The decision has drawn sharp criticism, with some questioning whether Ford acted primarily out of sympathy for Smith’s ill mother.

The confrontation began at an Applebee’s, where Adams approached Cooper. He had been eating with Smith, Smith’s girlfriend Bobbi Williams, and Williams’ sister Alexzandrea Williams, who was dating Cooper.

Cooper spoke with Adams inside her car before returning to the restaurant and calling his mother to pick him and the others up.

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Adams allegedly followed the group of five from the restaurant to O’Reilly’s, where Cooper’s mom had pulled in after noticing that Adams was following them. 

Two other cars, holding Adams’ family members, arrived shortly after. The large group got into an argument, with many shoving and pushing people. Adams also pepper-sprayed multiple people, including Cooper. 

At one point, Smith, who prosecutors said did not get along with Adams, grabbed the pregnant woman and threw her to the ground. This caused Cooper to come over. He grabbed hold of his ex-girlfriend to ‘calm her down,’ and that’s when she pepper-sprayed him, the letter said. 

She then ran off to pepper-spray the Williams sisters, who were still inside Cooper’s mother’s car. Smith then pulled her out of the vehicle and threw her to the ground again. 

The two started to ‘go at each other,’ and at one point, Smith yelled: ‘I’m going to shoot!’ 

Seconds later, a ‘pow’ sound was heard by one of Adams’ family members, who was attempting to separate the pair. 

The family member later testified that she saw Smith with his right arm extended and a gun in his hand. 

When police arrived at the scene, they were informed that Smith had shot Adams, who was visibly pregnant. 

Smith would tell a police officer he found the gun on the ground and picked it up because he feared someone would shoot him. While attempting to put it in his sweatshirt’s pocket, he said he was pushed, causing his finger to pull the trigger. 

He admitted he was the one who shot Adams and claimed it was an accident. 

Smith, who was a part of the YNIC street gang, was on house arrest at the time for the armed robbery. He was later sentenced to 10 to 39 years in 2017. 

For the shooting of Adams, a jury later found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon in 2019. His sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the robbery one. 

Adams’ family showed up every day for the trial, Schwartzer noted.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Ford’s Office for comment.  

A record share of Americans now view socialism favorably, with nearly half saying they hold a positive opinion of the left-wing economic system, according to a new survey.

Forty-three percent of Americans said they feel optimistic about socialism, a Gallup poll released Wednesday found.

That is the first time the measure has surpassed 40% in Gallup’s trend data since 2010.

Meanwhile, traditional economic concepts—including free enterprise, big business and capitalism—have lost favor among the public.

The shift was fueled in large part by independents. Forty-five percent of them now view socialism positively, up from 37% last year.

At the same time, independents’ favorable view of big business fell to a record-low 32%, meaning the group now rates socialism more positively than big business.

Even so, small business, capitalism and free enterprise continue to receive more favorable ratings overall.

Democrats also contributed significantly to the rise in positive views of socialism, with support for the philosophy increasing sharply among the party’s voters.

Gallup found that 66% of progressives viewed socialism favorably, up from 50% in 2010.

Democrats have rated socialism more favorably than capitalism since 2016. Socialism is now tied with free enterprise among Democrats, with both receiving a 65% favorable rating.

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Democrats’ favorable view of capitalism dropped seven percentage points over the past year, falling from 42% in 2025 to 35% today, according to the survey.

Republicans’ views have remained comparatively stable. Large majorities in the party view small business, free enterprise and capitalism favorably, while only 14% hold a positive opinion of socialism.

Republicans’ favorable rating of big business has shifted somewhat over the past 16 years and now stands at 62%.

The differences were even more pronounced across demographic groups.

Younger Americans were considerably more likely to view socialism favorably, particularly in comparison with capitalism.

Among adults ages 18 to 34, 57% viewed socialism more positively than capitalism, while 43% said they favored capitalism instead—a 14-point gap.

By contrast, Americans ages 55 and older favored capitalism over socialism by a 65% to 34% margin, producing a 31-point difference.

Adults between 35 and 54 rated socialism and capitalism at roughly similar levels, Gallup reported.

Men viewed capitalism more favorably than socialism, 66% to 35%. Women expressed the reverse preference, with 49% approving of socialism compared with 45% for capitalism.

Higher-income Americans—those living in households earning at least $100,000 annually—were more likely to view free enterprise and capitalism favorably than households earning less than $50,000.

Colombia is backing President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new security alliance in the Western Hemisphere, Vice President José Manuel Restrepo said, while making clear that Colombian forces—not U.S. troops—would lead operations against armed groups inside the country.

Restrepo made the remarks in an on-camera interview with News Media, days after attending a Shield of the Americas meeting with Trump and other regional leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the gathering, Trump described the initiative as the “largest and most powerful alliance for economic and national security ever to convene in the Western Hemisphere.”

Trump has urged participating countries to treat what he calls “narco terrorists” as a shared threat and to impose sanctions on U.S.-designated terrorist organizations.

Restrepo said he discussed the region’s evolving political and security environment directly with Trump. Colombia’s shift reflects a wider rightward turn in Latin America, following De La Espriella’s June victory. Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and Panama have also moved to the right, driven in part by public anxiety over crime, weak economies and political instability.

“There is a wave of freedom, a wave of democracy, a wave of free market,” Restrepo told News Media. “There is a new momentum for the region and we have to take advantage of that momentum. That’s what I said to President Trump. If we want to keep and preserve democracy in the region, the Shield of the Americas is going to be the best opportunity to do it.”

Asked about Trump’s response, Restrepo said the U.S. president agreed with his assessment and expressed respect for Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella.

“Colombia is a new partner. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important partners for the United States in the region,” Restrepo said.

That relationship is already facing a significant test as the two countries confront drug trafficking and armed organizations.

In August, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Colombia had approved “joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terror networks.” He said Washington had discussed potential strikes with Bogotá against groups such as the National Liberation Army, or ELN, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization, as well as remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

“Designated terrorist organizations, with partnered governments, will be legitimate targets of the United States government,” including in Colombia, Hegseth said when asked whether such operations were expected, according to Reuters.

However, when News Media asked whether U.S.-Colombian strikes were still under consideration, Restrepo appeared to limit the prospect of direct American military action.

“The United States helps us on security, helps us information, helps us on technology, but the public forces of Colombia are those who are going to act in those places,” he said.

Asked whether Colombia would provide the “boots on the ground,” Restrepo answered: “We will have our group, our public forces on the ground.”

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The harder-line approach comes as Colombia faces renewed attacks by armed and drug-trafficking groups. This week, De La Espriella sent troops into Santa Marta after the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada, an illegal armed organization involved in drug trafficking, launched what it called an “armed strike.” The group reacted to the killing of one of its senior leaders with threats, roadblocks and attacks that shut businesses and disrupted public transportation. More than 500 soldiers and 600 police officers were deployed, according to the Colombian presidency.

The administration is also moving to dismantle former President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” strategy, which centered on negotiations with multiple armed organizations. Before taking office, De La Espriella said he would roll back major parts of the policy and reinstate arrest warrants for members of illegal armed groups.

Restrepo went further, accusing the previous government of promoting “the idea of impunity.” He said the new administration would instead pursue groups it classifies as terrorist organizations.

He said that when the new government took office, “around 30%” of Colombia’s regions lacked effective territorial control — a figure News Media has not independently verified — and said the administration was seeking to regain those areas through stronger security forces, intelligence gathering, drug eradication and extraditions.

Restrepo also argued that the same security debate should extend to the United Nations, where Colombia used its General Assembly address this week to call for reforms and an international definition of terrorism. The UN has had a global counterterrorism strategy since 2006, but member states have for decades failed to agree on a comprehensive international convention defining terrorism.

Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday also announced that the country was suspending all diplomatic relations with Iran.

“This sovereign decision aligns with the pillars guiding the Government’s foreign policy regarding national and hemispheric security, as well as the fight against transnational crime, taking into account alleged links between the Iranian government and international terrorist groups and other narcoterrorist groups that threaten the country’s security,” the Ministry wrote in a statement posted to X.

“I think this is a moment in which the United Nations have to reflect on its own future,” Restrepo told News Media, calling for greater efficiency and effectiveness as well as international agreement on terrorism.

“The only way to attain peace, which is one of the main objectives of the UN, is through confronting terrorism,” he said, arguing that countries need greater intelligence sharing, judicial cooperation and coordination.

With Secretary-General António Guterres set to leave office at the end of the year, Restrepo said the transition could offer the institution an opportunity to change.

“I think that the UN has a new moment and the UN has to take advantage of that opportunity,” he said.

Restrepo added that the institution also needed to address what he described as the inconsistent application of human rights standards.

“Human rights should apply to all, regardless of political considerations,” Restrepo said. “Ideology cannot decide to whom we are going to apply or not human rights.”

An American technology executive has been charged with allegedly concealing a Russian connection while helping Russian nationals gain access to the US Secret Service, the Department of War and other sensitive federal agencies.

Lee Reiber, 55, chief executive of Alexandria, Virginia-based digital forensics company Oxygen Forensics Inc., was arrested in Idaho on Sunday. The Department of Justice charged him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Oleg Davydov, a 52-year-old Russian national, was arrested the same day at London’s Heathrow Airport. The United States is seeking his extradition.

Prosecutors accuse the two men of hiding from US officials that Oxygen Forensics was owned by Russian nationals and that its software, which was used by the US Secret Service (USSS), had been developed in Russia.

If convicted, both men could face up to 20 years in prison.

In September 2024, Oxygen Forensics secured a five-year contract with the US Secret Service and its National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI). As part of the agreement, Reiber certified that the company did not have an immediate or highest-level owner who would trigger security concerns, including a group of Russian nationals.

The company’s software is designed to recover, preserve and analyze electronic data from digital devices. Its use at the NCFI, which trains law enforcement and judicial officials to combat cybercrime, heightened concerns among federal authorities.

The affidavit names several US agencies that were affected by the Russian-linked company, including the Department of War, the Department of Homeland Security and the department’s Inspector General’s office.

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US prosecutors further allege that the Russian owners’ names were removed from the company’s records in recent years, around the time Reiber became its chief executive.

“Reiber was installed as the company’s CEO, president, and chairman of the board in March 2022. The Russian owners were then removed from the company’s public corporate filings,” court documents state.

Prosecutors also allege that the software was widely used by Russian government security agencies.

Davydov developed the software in Russia in 2000. It had previously been sold to Russia’s Federal Security Service, Investigative Committee and Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to the allegations.

“In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Davydov, Reiber, and the Russian co-conspirators agreed to conceal Oxygen Forensics’ true ownership and the development of its software in Russia,” the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said.

Reiber allegedly warned Davydov in an email that the company’s Russian ties could not be exposed because doing so might “destroy this entire opportunity,” referring to the pending federal contract.

In another message, he allegedly said the company “hangs in the balance.”

Prosecutors allege that in March 2026 Reiber told government officials that no Russians had been involved in developing the software and that no one in Russia had access to it.

Federal prosecutors say that statement was false and allege the software was managed by a team based in Russia.

The White House referred the Daily Mail’s request for comment to the USSS. The USS did not immediately respond.