White House seizes on delayed Obama presidential center opening to crown Trump ‘Builder-in-Chief’

The White House took aim at former President Barack Obama ahead of Friday's grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center, contrasting President Donald Trump's government construction projects to the 44th president's.

"President Trump continues to implement long-overdue and necessary renovations to beautify Washington, D.C., and our nation’s treasured monuments as we approach our historic 250th anniversary of independence. Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, these projects are being completed on time and under budget — a stark contrast to the errantly run Obama administration, which overspent and underdelivered," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital when asked for comment about the museum.

The Obama Presidential Center, which opens to the public Friday following a decade of planning and construction, has faced scrutiny over rising costs, construction delays and public infrastructure spending. The White House seized on those criticisms as Trump promotes a series of renovation and construction projects.

"President Trump is ensuring our nation’s capital will be properly honored and maintained in excellent condition for generations to come," Ingle added.

BUREAUCRATS HIDE TRUE PRICE OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER AS TAXPAYERS HIT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

An Obama Presidential Center Dedication held Thursday featured a slew of former diplomats, officials and celebrities such as former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Oprah, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, and Steven Spielberg.

Taxpayers footed hundreds of millions of dollars in public infrastructure costs for Obama’s museum that constructed roads, transit, and utility updates around the campus. 

Overall construction costs were reported to be $830 million in 2021 and have likely climbed past the $1 billion mark.

A recent Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.

SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS, FACE FINANCIAL RUIN, AFTER HELPING BUILD OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

Meanwhile, Trump has been on a mission to fulfill last year’s executive order titled, "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful."

"I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the world. It will soon be that again," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in August.

Obama, along with democratic officials, have taken swipes at Trump over his renovations to Washington, D.C., the White House and America 250 projects, criticizing them as frivolous.

PHOTOS: THE MAKING OF TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, A LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS

Trump "has been focused on critical issues like paving over the Rose Garden so folks don’t get mud on their shoes, and gold plating the Oval Office and building a $300 million ballroom," Obama said during a rally in October.

Trump directed the addition of stone pavers in October to the Rose Garden lawn, a change designed to better accommodate press conferences and ceremonial events. There has also been construction at the White House as workers build a ballroom expected to be done before 2028.

"It’s shameful that Trump is building his fancy ballroom while working families struggle to afford a basic meal during the holidays," wrote former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW

Trump previously said the future White House ballroom will not just be an event venue, but serve as a hardened security structure designed to support presidential operations and large gatherings.

He has also planned installation of a Memorial Circle 250-foot arch for America’s 250th birthday that will be gilded.

"Your taxes might be going up. But don't worry — at least $15 million of it is going toward Trump's arch project," posted California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office on X. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

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My job was to watch hours and hours of abuse caught on camera at Muckamore Hospital

Central to those investigating what went on at Muckamore Abbey Hospital was hundreds of thousands of hours of CCTV footage.

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Verhoeven says appeal against loss to Usyk dismissed

Rico Verhoeven says his appeal against the result of his defeat by unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk last month has been dismissed.

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Golden Knights make surprise decision on John Tortorella after shock hire led team to Stanley Cup Final

John Tortorella came in to be the Vegas Golden Knights' savior, and he was oh-so close. But now, his time with the team is up.

Two days after falling in the Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Golden Knights announced that Tortorella would not return to its bench for next season.

The Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy on March 29 following a stretch in which they had lost 12 of 17 games ahead of the playoffs and hired Tortorella. Vegas then went 7-0-1 in its final eight games of the regular season, and won the Western Conference before falling in the Cup Final in six games.

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"We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March," general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a release.

"When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season. Torts’ experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final. We are grateful for Torts’ passion, sincerity, and commitment to our organization, and we wish him and his family the best."

HURRICANES LEGEND TURNED COACH ROD BRIND'AMOUR MAKES HISTORY AS TEAM WINS STANLEY CUP OVER GOLDEN KNIGHTS

The Golden Knights defeated both the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in six games before a stunning sweep of the Colorado Avalanche, whose 121 points were, by far, the most in the NHL.

Vegas got out to a 2-1 series lead in the Cup Final, with its first loss coming from a blown 2-0 lead in the third period in Game 2 before dropping three in a row to give the Canes their first Cup since 2006.

The Golden Knights were Tortorella's sixth NHL team -- this was his first Cup Final since winning it with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04. He has twice won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL's Coach of the Year, winning in 2004 and 2017.

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Up to 15,000 England fans head to Dallas for World Cup opener

England fans have had a longer wait than most for their 2026 World Cup campaign to get under way. But now supporters are starting to arrive in Dallas.

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Counter-UFC ‘Rise Up, Sing Out’ event mocked as ‘cringe’ after viral backlash

Hollywood celebrities, led by Jane Fonda, used a Sunday night "Rise Up, Sing Out" concert in New York City to criticize President Donald Trump and his administration during an event held to counter the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 programming.

Fonda, who helped revive the Committee for the First Amendment, said Americans' rights were under government attack.

"This isn’t the first time that Americans’ rights have come under attack," Fonda said. "But this time, what is really different from the last century is that the attacks are coming from every part of the government: the executive, the legislative, and the Supreme Court."

She compared the moment to the House Un-American Activities Committee era of the 1950s. 

JANE FONDA WARNS AMERICA FACES 'EXISTENTIAL' CRISIS AS SHE URGES TURNOUT AT 'NO KINGS' PROTESTS

"I think the Un-American Activities Committee right now is coming from the White House," Fonda said.

Actress Julia Roberts paid tribute to Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a Jan. 7 immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. DHS said agents were trying to make arrests when Good allegedly tried to use her vehicle as a weapon, prompting a federal agent to fire in self-defense.

"Renee Nicole Good is not a symbol," Roberts said. "She is an American woman, a queer woman who was doing the very best she could do to be good in an unjust world."

Robert De Niro told the crowd at New York's Town Hall that he could not separate patriotism from Trump’s second term.

"I can’t love a country that’s led by Donald Trump and his sycophant Congress," De Niro said.

JEFF DANIELS SLAMS TRUMP'S 'DECENCY' AFTER PERFORMING 'NO KINGS' SONG ON MSNBC

The actor opened by referencing the competing mixed martial arts event at the White House.

"Welcome to all of you who couldn’t get tickets to the White House cage fight," De Niro said.

De Niro said he remained devoted to the First Amendment but argued that the country had become "not so lovable right now."

The White House dismissed the celebrity criticism after De Niro, Fonda and others used the event to attack Trump and his administration.

"Nobody in their right mind cares what out-of-touch woke celebrities in Hollywood say or think," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.

DEM LAWMAKER SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM WITH 'CRINGE' ANTI-TRUMP GUITAR PERFORMANCE: 'TALK ABOUT TONE-DEAF'

The anti-Trump concert also leaned heavily on protest music and audience sing-along sections. During one call-and-response performance, members of Singing Resistance led the crowd through a repeated refrain.

"No one is getting left behind," the performers sang. "No one is getting left behind this time."

OutKick writer and author Ian Miller compared the event unfavorably to a conservative alternative entertainment spectacle.

"It is impossible to describe how much worse this is than Kid Rock doing an alternative Super Bowl halftime show," Miller said.

Writer and Daily Wire author Emily Zanotti reacted to the dueling spectacles.

"I truly cannot tell you which option is less of an acid trip. I know I’m not high. I know I’m not. But somehow, I don’t know," Zanotti said.

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Former West Virginia state Del. Derrick Evans said the moment reflected a broader cultural problem for Democrats.

"Why is the left always singing the dumbest things?" Evans said on X. "The left is definitely losing the culture war in America right now."

Gunther Eagleman, a conservative social media personality, called the clip "cringe and stupid."

Fonda told the crowd that "hundreds of thousands" were registering for watch parties shortly before the program, while a full YouTube stream listing for "Rise Up, Sing Out" showed about 194,000 views by Monday.

The UFC event drew far larger in-person audience metrics than the New York concert, with ESPN reporting nearly 200,000 people passed through the Ellipse over the two-day weekend and that UFC-related topics dominated X trends Sunday night, alongside the World Cup.

UFC Freedom 250 streamed exclusively on Paramount+, and exact viewership figures had not been released by Monday. UFC President Dana White said after the event that the fights exceeded Paramount’s expectations and called the numbers "monstrous."

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Vozinha heroics help Cape Verde hold Spain to goalless draw

European champions Spain were held to surprise 0-0 draw by debutants Cape Verde in their World Cup opener, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha producing a standout performance for his side in their Group H clash.

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Comenencia scores Curacao's first-ever World Cup goal

Livano Comenencia makes national history scoring Curacao's first-ever World Cup goal against Germany in their Group E match in Houston.

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Record seaweed invasion leaves beachgoers gagging as fumes raise health fears

A record amount of sargassum seaweed has been washing ashore across South Florida, frustrating beachgoers and creating a growing challenge for coastal communities.

The brown seaweed has piled up along beaches throughout the region, leaving behind large mounds that many visitors say are affecting their beach experience.

Scientists at the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab reported that sargassum levels reached a record high for the month of May, according to FOX Weather.

BEACH BACTERIA WARNINGS PLAGUE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND PLANS NATIONWIDE

Researchers estimate that at least 4% of the ocean's surface is currently covered by floating mats and clusters of the seaweed — with levels expected to increase further throughout June.

While the seaweed itself can be unsightly, many residents say the odor it produces is an even bigger problem.

As sargassum decomposes, it releases hydrogen sulfide gas, creating a smell often compared to rotten eggs, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Health officials say the gas can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and may be especially troublesome for people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.

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Residents who have discussed the issue online described the smell as one of the most unpleasant aspects of the ongoing seaweed buildup.

"The smell is so noxious where I live from all the decomposing sargassum," one Reddit user wrote. 

"It’s really bad."

Others said the odor has become so recognizable that even photos of the seaweed trigger memories of it.

"I can literally SMELL these photos," another commenter wrote.

Another beachgoer said the seaweed made spending time in the water less enjoyable than usual.

"I was at the beach today, and honestly it was annoying," the commenter wrote. "You can't enjoy the water."

Images shared online showed thick bands of seaweed stretching across portions of the shoreline.

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"Pictures don't really do it justice," one Reddit user wrote. "You had to walk through what felt like a foot of seaweed just to reach the water."

Sargassum is a naturally occurring brown algae found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, FOX Weather noted.

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While it serves as an important habitat for marine species including sea turtles, crabs, shrimp and fish, unusually large blooms have become a recurring issue region-wide.

Most of the sargassum was historically located in the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic — but in 2011, the geographic range expanded, creating the "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt," according to the National Ocean Service. 

"A newly established population, driven by shifting wind patterns, is now thriving in the open ocean," the service says. 

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Fight is on for Hamilton as he and Russell reset successfully

Lewis Hamilton says "the fight is on" as he and fellow Briton George Russell prepare to start at the front in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

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'Top Gun: Maverick' star James Handy's official cause of death revealed as new details emerge in murder case

James Handy's official cause of death has been revealed.

The circumstances surrounding the "Top Gun: Maverick" actor's murder came into sharper focus after new findings revealed the veteran performer died from a stab wound and neck compression, Fox News Digital can confirm.

The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office listed Handy's manner of death as homicide.

Michael Gledhill, 44, was charged with one count of murder with a special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon, a knife, on June 5. Police claimed officers found the 81-year-old actor stabbed in the chest and lying unconscious outside a home in Los Angeles days before. Handy was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

'JUMANJI' ACTOR JAMES HANDY'S GIRLFRIEND'S SON CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER ACTOR FOUND STABBED TO DEATH

Gledhill did not appear at his arraignment on June 5, where Superior Court Judge John H. Reid ordered that Gledhill be sent to mental health court and undergo psychological evaluations. Another judge will decide whether he is competent for trial.

Gledhill remained behind bars after the court hearing with bail set at $2 million. He faces up to 26 years in prison if convicted.

Gledhill is the son of Handy's girlfriend of 30 years, Wendy Gledhill. Actor Brian Delate, who knew Handy for over four decades, told The Associated Press that a few times over the past couple of years, Handy mentioned in passing that his girlfriend's son had mental health problems.

"I didn’t think much of it, because he just kind of mentioned it casually," he said.

Handy's girlfriend had fixed up the garage so her son could live there, Delate said. Handy had his own home.

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Gledhill's arrest came after he confessed to the alleged crime. According to police, a 911 caller stated: "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin."

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According to investigators, Gledhill flagged down officers as they arrived and told them he was the person they were looking for.

Born in New York, Handy appeared in films and TV shows for decades.

He was known for his role as an exterminator in the 1995 film "Jumanji" and more recently as the bartender Jimmy in the 2022 film "Top Gun: Maverick," according to IMDB. He’s also appeared in some of the top TV crime dramas, including "NCIS: Los Angeles," "The Closer" and "Cold Case."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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'Deranged message' on National Mall sparks police probe as Trump security fears mount

Law enforcement officials responded to Washington, D.C.'s National Mall on Thursday after a giant "8647" message appeared to be etched into the grass, prompting an investigation as federal authorities remain on heightened alert over political threats and violence. 

"The deranged vandalism on our National Mall will not be tolerated," an Interior Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Any threat against the President is taken very seriously by the Department, and our U.S. Park Police will investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable."

The marking was etched into the grass between the Washington Monument and the World War II memorial. The administration has previously interpreted the number "86" as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th president.

The administration has previously treated "86 47" messages as threatening, arguing that "86" can mean to get rid of or remove, per restaurant industry slang, while "47" refers to Trump as the 47th president.

EX-FBI CHIEF COMEY’S POST TO ‘86’ TRUMP CONDEMNED BY WHITE HOUSE AS ATTEMPT TO PUT ‘HIT’ ON PRESIDENT

U.S. Park Police responded to the incident around noon, FOX 5 reported. Grass samples were also collected for testing and examination in the area by investigators.

"Anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital. "They should also immediately seek psychiatric help to treat their severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has warped their brains and made them sick in the head."

The incident took place days before Trump’s birthday on Sunday, which coincides with the UFC Freedom Fight taking place on the South Law, which is expected to attract 4,000 spectators to the White House.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship was set up near the Lincoln Memorial for a weigh-in event on Friday.

America’s 250th birthday brings major events to the nation’s capital as D.C. braces for massive crowds, tight security, road closures and heightened law enforcement presence.

FROM RALLY GUNFIRE TO WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING, THREATS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE TO MOUNT

Trump has repeatedly been targeted by violence, including just in April at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

There were two assassination attempts on Trump’s life in 2024, beginning in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear after a gunman climbed onto a roof during a rally on July 13, 2024.

The incident comes amid heightened administration scrutiny of "86 47" messages after the Department of Justice charged former FBI Director James Comey over a similar message. 

Comey was charged with two federal counts over an Instagram post last year showing seashells arranged to read "86 47," and faces a maximum 10 years in prison if convicted. Comey has denied wrongdoing, saying he did not intend the post as a call for violence and removed it once critics interpreted it as a threat.

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Bellingham set to start, but no Guehi - England's expected team

Jude Bellingham is expected to start England's opening game of the 2026 World Cup, as Marc Guehi could start on the bench.

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Trump nominates Jay Clayton, former SEC chairman, current US Attorney, as intelligence director

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that former SEC Chairman and current U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton will be the next permanent director of national intelligence.

The nomination followed a brief stint by acting Director William Pulte, who took over after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down.

"I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the former Head of Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most prominent and successful Law Firms anywhere in the World, and the current United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay," he added.

"I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible," Trump said.

This is a breaking story. Return for updates.

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Counter-terrorism police leading school stabbing inquiry

Two pupils, both 14, and a teacher were hurt in the attack at a school in Manchester.

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