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Obama Presidential Center subcontractors file fresh payment claims totaling nearly $900K

Obama Presidential Center subcontractors file fresh payment claims totaling nearly 0K

Three more subcontractors that worked on the Obama Presidential Center have filed legal claims saying they are owed nearly $900,000, adding to a growing list of payment disputes surrounding the project. The companies each filed mechanics liens against the Obama Presidential Center property, a routine legal tool used on construction projects to recover unpaid construction costs. The subcontractors claim they are owed money for structural steel, excavation and concrete, and gymnasium flooring work performed on Home Court, the Center’s 60,000-square-foot basketball and events facility. Structural steel subcontractor Area Erectors is seeking nearly $620,000, excavation and concrete subcontractor CSI 3000 — the only Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) of the three — claims it is owed about $236,000, and gymnasium flooring specialist Floors Incorporated says it is owed nearly $25,000. Unlike previous payment disputes reported by Fox News Digital, which largely involved work across the main campus, these claims relate specifically to Home Court, which was built under a separate construction contract. It comes as Home Court is hosting several high-profile WNBA All-Star Weekend events this week which the former president attended. The Home Court claims are the latest in a series of subcontractor payment disputes previously reported by Fox News Digital involving the broader Obama Presidential Center project, located in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park. The disputes add to a growing list of challenges during construction, including the project’s ballooning cost — from an initial estimate of about $350 million to more than $1 billion — and legal challenges over contracting practices and diversity requirements. OBAMA CENTER SUBCONTRACTOR SHUTS DOWN AMID $4M FIGHT, LAYS OFF 25 The Home Court is located at the southern end of the campus and features a regulation-size NBA basketball court, training space and multipurpose meeting and event rooms. The basketball court is decorated with phrases associated with former President Barack Obama, including “Yes we can” and “No one does big things alone.” The Obama Foundation, Obama’s private nonprofit organization, oversees construction of the Obama Presidential Center. It hired Lakeside Alliance as the primary construction manager for most of the campus. Home Court, however, was built under a separate contract by Elevate Design Builders, a joint venture led by minority-owned BOWA Construction that served as construction manager for the facility. Although the mechanics liens are filed against the Obama Presidential Center property, they do not determine which entity is legally responsible for the disputed payments. The newly identified liens were recorded around the time of the Obama Presidential Center’s June 19 opening. The Cook County Clerk’s Office told Fox News Digital there is typically a four-to-six-week delay before recorded documents appear in its online property records database, meaning they only recently became searchable online. Elevate and the Obama Foundation did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the three subcontractors. SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS, FACE FINANCIAL RUIN, AFTER HELPING BUILD OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER Fox News Digital also identified an additional three previously unreported mechanics liens totaling about $557,000 involving other portions of the Obama Presidential Center project. Unlike the Home Court claims, which stem from work performed under contracts managed by Elevate Design Builders, the additional liens involve subcontractors, suppliers and benefit funds seeking payment further down the project’s contracting chain. For instance, O’Leary’s Contractors Equipment & Supply is seeking about $184,000 in allegedly unpaid equipment rental invoices. The Cement Masons’ Union Trust Funds alleges more than $326,000 in unpaid fringe benefit contributions, while Intek Construction Products is seeking about $47,000 for labor and materials it says it supplied to the project. Jeffrey Molchan, whose company Intek Construction Products filed one of the liens, told Fox News Digital the company was seeking payment on its final invoice from another contractor and that “the project did not go as well as we anticipated in terms of the timeliness of the payment.” The additional liens involve portions of the project managed by Lakeside Alliance. In a statement, Lakeside said the Obama Presidential Center involved multiple structures, hundreds of trade partners and community businesses, and that contractual closeout continues after the center’s opening. The joint venture said it remains committed to working through outstanding matters. Fox News Digital previously reported that Black subcontractors alleged they were owed millions of dollars for work on the project, while Concrete Collective filed a mechanics lien seeking more than $40 million. The lien was later replaced by a court-approved surety bond while the underlying dispute continues in court. Adamson Plumbing also said it suspended operations and laid off workers after claiming it was left nearly $4 million in the red. Fox News Digital also previously reported that at least four other companies filed mechanics liens during construction, while two subcontractors — Glass Management Services and Vision Painting & Decorating Services — later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Court records do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those bankruptcies. Since that reporting, two of the previously identified mechanics lien claims have been withdrawn, including one after the claimant said it recovered the amount sought through the lien, though the owner told Fox News Digital the company still lost about $200,000 on the project overall. One previously reported lien remains unresolved. WATCH: Black subcontractors at Obama Presidential Center still seeking payment as Juneteenth opening nears, advocate says

From locker rooms to Congress: Jay Feely latest athlete seeking to take lessons in leadership to Capitol Hill

From locker rooms to Congress: Jay Feely latest athlete seeking to take lessons in leadership to Capitol Hill

Former NFL placekicker Jay Feely is the latest professional athlete poised to transition to a congressional career, where leadership, performing under pressure and handling public scrutiny are essential in both arenas. Fox News Digital reached out to Feely, who spent time with the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals before becoming an “NFL on CBS” commentator, for his take on why professional sports prepared him for public life as he seeks the seat of retiring Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz. “Especially as a kicker — to be a successful kicker in the NFL, you have to be able to handle pressure, and you have be able handle failure. And I think those two attributes are very tangible attributes that will help you as you try to navigate the political field and try to be effective,” Feely said Friday in an interview with Fox News Digital. He said the NFL also exposed him to teammates from different backgrounds and viewpoints, helping prepare him to represent a diverse constituency. STATE OF PLAY: DEMS BATTLE FOR SHOT AT CRUCIAL ARIZONA HOUSE SEAT AMID GOP’S RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY “[T]he greatest advantage of being an NFL player was to be in those locker rooms where racial walls were broken down and conversations happened and you got to know people which otherwise you might not ever get to know.” He recalled rooming with LeVar Arrington and Brandon Short while with the Giants in East Rutherford, sharing stories about their different life experiences and personal views as they played chess and other games. NFL GREAT PATRICK PETERSON SAYS LOCKER ROOM POLITICAL DISCOURSE WAS ‘UNNECESSARY,’ MOST PLAYERS ARE UNINFORMED “Your job is to represent everybody and i think those experiences certainly are an asset,” Feely said. He also mentioned a trip to the infamously unfriendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field to play the Philadelphia Eagles right after the “worst game of [his] career” against the Seahawks. The prior night he had been “spoofed” on “Saturday Night Live,” and while preparing for what was a game-winning kick after an apparent icing timeout, Philadelphia played a montage of his Seattle misses on the Jumbotron to mock him. HALL OF FAMER TONY DUNGY ENDORSES MICHELE TAFOYA IN CROWDED MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR U.S. SENATE “They tried to deter me, but I made the kick and my career goes on for another nine years – you learn a lot through those processes,” Feely said. Feely added that he got to know another athlete-turned-public official through their time with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). “There’s so many different correlations with the people in sports, and a lot of the best people I know that I met in sports have thought about getting into politics,” he said, reflecting on his time working with HUD Secretary Scott Turner, a former Washington Redskin. He said he also hopes to see other athletes regardless of viewpoint who have acted on issues close to them, like former New Orleans Saints Drew Brees and Benjamin Watson. Feely will face former state Rep. Amish Shah, D-Phoenix, who also worked for about two years as the New York Jets’ team doctor. Just over two decades ago, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner was on the NFL gridiron, playing cornerback for the Washington Redskins and then-San Diego Chargers. The skills and lessons learned on the field helped Turner grow into his new role at HUD, which was also preceded by a stint in the Texas House of Representatives. “The Lord used football to change the course of my life, and through the game,” Turner told Fox News Digital. “He taught me lessons that continue to guide me every day in public service: discipline, teamwork, perseverance, humility, and working toward a mission bigger than yourself.” “Those values inform how I served in the Texas state legislature and how I lead HUD today. My experience on football teams shaped how I lead, how I serve, and the example I hope to set for the next generation.” Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., had a successful mixed martial arts career before shifting from dodging fists to political blows on Capitol Hill. Davids, who tried out for “The Ultimate Fighter,” compiled a 5-1 amateur record before a brief professional MMA career in 2013, when she went 1-1. “Turns out getting punched in the face is pretty good preparation for Congress,” Davids told Fox News Digital on Friday. She first left the octagon to support Native American communities, focusing on community development and expanding economic opportunities for Native people. Davids later won her 2018 congressional bid in an upset against Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., in the largely red state. “But really, fighting professionally taught me that you don’t solve every challenge by throwing punches. You have to stay disciplined, work hard, respect your opponent, and keep moving forward — and that’s how I approach this job, too,” she told Fox News Digital. Former Auburn Tigers Coach Tommy Tuberville transitioned to the U.S. Senate in 2021 after compiling a slew of outstanding stats as a head coach. The Republican — now running for governor of Alabama — declined comment for this story but spoke in 2020 about the parallels between success in athletics and government. Asked about his then-11-month campaign against incumbent Democrat Sen. Doug Jones, Tuberville told the Alabama Daily News he had to approach it at “full speed” just like a football coach. “We put together a good, good team. And a lot of people told me when I first got started they said, coach, this is just like being a head coach. You’re only as good as the team around you,” he said. One of the most recognizable Republican figures of the last century was former HUD Secretary and former Congressman Jack Kemp. Kemp’s political peak came in 1996 when he was the vice presidential running mate of Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., against President Bill Clinton. Prior to that, Kemp led the same agency Turner did under the first Bush administration, and previously represented western New York

Here’s what you missed from Trump’s first WHCA Dinner as president: 5 takeaways from his night with the press

Here’s what you missed from Trump’s first WHCA Dinner as president: 5 takeaways from his night with the press

President Donald Trump attended the annual White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) Dinner Friday night for the first time in either of his two presidential terms. The event was rescheduled from its original April 25 date after a crazed gunman allegedly tried to assassinate the 47th president, bull rushing security with several weapons and firing a shot before he was taken into custody. Here are five top highlights from the dinner: TRUMP HEADS BACK TO CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER MONTHS AFTER GUNFIRE FORCED EVACUATION Trump and the press typically find themselves at odds, and while Friday night had its share of uncomfortable moments, both sides were able to find some common ground — especially after sharing a scary moment at the originally scheduled dinner in April. Before presenting one of the many awards of the night, ABC’s Jon Karl thanked the president for his attendance. “Mr. President, I want to say it matters that you came here tonight,” said Karl. “For more than 100 years, presidents have chosen to sit in a room of reporters who asked tough and often uncomfortable questions, and who report without fear or favor. It’s important. Thank you for being here.” TRUMP PRAISES PRESS AFTER WHCD SHOOTING, SAYS UNITY AT DINNER WAS ‘BEAUTIFUL’ WHCA outgoing President and the dinner’s emcee Weijia Jiang also had kind words for the president, just before she introduced him to speak and after discussing the importance of the First Amendment. “President Trump, I’ve covered you for a long time, and so have many reporters in this room. When we ask questions, you push back, you give us answers and we push back,” she said. “You have always been a deal guy. Well, that’s the deal. And the First Amendment is a done deal. And that’s what we toast tonight. The freedoms that brought us back together even after they were threatened.”  “So let’s raise a glass to what makes ours a beautiful country.” Later in the night, Trump concluded his speech with a warm message for the press delivered in his own style. JOURNALISTS DEMAND WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION ‘SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER’ IN NEW DINNER WITH TRUMP “I just want to say, this room — I have tremendous respect for the people in this room,” Trump said.  “Sometimes I don’t feel you treat me fair, maybe you do, I don’t know,” he continued. “I don’t feel that. But sometimes you treat me fairly, and I have a lot of respect for your profession. It’s amazing. And I just want to thank you for having me, and it’s been fun.” Trump made a series of jokes throughout his speech, some targeting the press, and others targeting people he appointed to positions of power. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was on the receiving end of a quip from the 47th president after Trump told attendees he hoped they enjoyed their beef tenderloin dinner. “I want you all to know that Bobby Kennedy, who’s right here, personally ran over the cow with his car,” he jabbed. “And he cut it up and he brought it here for you to eat tonight.” Kennedy is well known for his eccentric history with animals, including once saying he captured a raccoon and cut its genitals off, viral videos of him catching dangerous snakes and once using a chainsaw to remove the head of a dead whale that washed up on Cape Cod. “Bobby also suggested an appetizer featuring his favorite cut of male raccoon roadkill. But we drew the line at that,” the president went on. “We said, ‘No, we’re not doing that.’” Kennedy is also known for pushing a more red-meat centric diet and has embraced the push for restaurants to use beef tallow to fry their food instead of seed oils.  Trump also joked about the shooting at the first WHCA dinner earlier this year, which pro-MAGA rapper Nikki Minaj attended. “But after hearing the gunshots, many people yelled, ‘get down, get down!’ Which caused Nicki Minaj to start twerking, do you believe? Get down! She’s the only one that really understood what that meant,” Trump joked, earning laughter from the tough crowd. Throughout his speech, he repeatedly used one of his famous phrases — referring to the press as “fake news,” but took some direct shots at certain outlets and figures. He unexpectedly flipped the script in a misdirection from what seemed like an update on the Iran war. “A once feared and powerful regime that relentlessly attacked America has finally been toppled,” he said. “Their former leaders have been removed and they’re now being run by a gay dictator facing internal divisions. But I, for one, wish Bari Weiss all the best at CBS News.” Trump’s nemesis, Kaitlan Collins of CNN, was also on the receiving end of a brutal blow. “I thought Kaitlan Collins had really made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney,” he said, referencing the beer brand’s failed marketing campaign featuring a transgender influencer. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is currently in the confirmation process to take on the job full-time, became part of mentalist Oz Pearlman’s routine to close out the night. In a convoluted bit, Oz asked Blanche to make up an amount of money he had in his wallet. Blanche said $130, but Oz guessed the correct amount — $85. Then, Oz asked a man sitting next to Blanche to choose a single bill from Blanche’s wallet, and then had Blanche sign it. Blanche signed it, and was instructed to sit on it. For the remainder of the act, Oz asked members of the crowd to stand — including Fox News’ Kevin Corke — and dream up a person dead or alive who they wished they could interview. He guessed several of interview subjects’ names correctly, and even enlisted the help of a member of the crowd, who also made correct guesses. After

Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House next week amid Iran war escalation

Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House next week amid Iran war escalation

Visit will be Netanyahu’s seventh to White House, underscoring US commitment amid war with Iran, genocide in Gaza. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next Tuesday, the PM’s office said. It added that the meeting coincides with Netanyahu’s visit for the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. The Republican, who was one of the staunchest supporters of Israel in Washington, died suddenly last week. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3US court affirms release of pro-Palestine scholar as legal battle continues list 2 of 3Israel carries out blasts across south Lebanon despite ‘ceasefire’ deal list 3 of 3Trillion dollar US defence bill would deepen military ties with Israel end of list “At President Trump’s invitation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart for Washington on Monday for an official visit,” the statement said. “As part of the visit, the prime minister will meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday and will attend the funeral service for Senator Lindsey Graham.” The visit will be Netanyahu’s seventh at the White House in Trump’s second term, far outpacing any other world leader and underscoring the administration’s continued commitment to Israel. It comes as the US-Israeli war with Iran has again escalated following a breakdown earlier this month of a ceasefire reached as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the US and Iran. Israel had opposed the MoU, with its ongoing military operations in Lebanon repeatedly threatening to derail diplomatic overtures. The Trump administration has been overseeing talks between Lebanon and Israel aimed at ending the war that do not include Hezbollah. Both Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a plan meant to turn over Israeli-occupied areas to the Lebanese military, although the facts on the ground have remained largely unchanged since March. In a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun earlier this week, Trump did not offer a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal. Also on Friday, US Central Command said its forces completed their 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran. Iran has retaliated daily against US assets in the region, killing three US soldiers in a strike on a base in Jordan last week. Washington has also increasingly shifted military assets to Israel, in what some analysts see as a sign of a larger escalation on the horizon. The visit also comes as Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza goes on, with the Israeli military continuing to issue displacement orders and launching near daily attacks, despite the US-backed “ceasefire” that began last October. An analysis from UN agencies has found that an estimated 1.4 million people, representing 67 percent of Gaza’s population, are still suffering “crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity”. All told, at least 73,311 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to local health authorities, including 1,185 people since the current “ceasefire” began. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli raids have again escalated, with four Palestinians killed on Friday in an attack by Israeli forces and settlers southwest of Nablus, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. Israeli health officials reported that an Israeli settler was killed and others injured in the area. At least 86 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis across the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the year, including 21 shot by settlers. Threats to arrest The US visit comes as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called on federal officials to arrest Netanyahu, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges related to war crimes committed in Gaza. Mamdani had previously threatened to use the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu, but acknowledged earlier this week he did not have the “authority to do so”. Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly in September. The US is not a signatory of the ICC’s founding document, the Rome Statute, and is therefore not subject to the court’s jurisdiction. The Trump administration has further taken an offensive approach against the court, vowing an “all-of government” campaign that has included sanctioning ICC officials and groups that support its investigations. Trump has rejected the prospect of Netanyahu’s arrest while in the US. “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” he posted on Truth Social on Monday. He instead hailed Israel’s role in fighting Iran. The US Congress is also currently considering a defence budget that would see the US and Israel integrate their militaries, in a major deepening of ties. But public opinion polls have shown Israel’s standing in the US has plummeted amid the war in Gaza. More recently, several influential right-wing figures have charged that Israel dragged the US into the war with Iran. The conflict has stretched on for five months with no end in sight. Adblock test (Why?)

LIVE: Israeli settlers attack West Bank’s Nablus, shooting leaves six dead

LIVE: Israeli settlers attack West Bank’s Nablus, shooting leaves six dead

Live updates, Four Palestinians and two Israelis killed after about 20 settlers raid the village of Tal in occupied West Bank. Video Duration 01 minutes 08 seconds 01:08 Four Palestinians and one Israeli killed after armed settlers raid Palestinian village By Yashraj Sharma Published On 24 Jul 2026 At least four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed after a settler attack on the village of Tal. About 20 Israeli settlers descended on the village, shooting at people and their homes. Adblock test (Why?)