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Obama Presidential Center’s $470M safety net under scrutiny as subcontractors say they’re owed millions
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Concern is mounting that taxpayers could be left holding the bag if the Obama Presidential Center runs into financial trouble, as the foundation behind it has yet to establish a promised $470 million safety net to guard against a public bailout.
The scrutiny comes as a Fox News Digital investigation found multiple contractors and subcontractors claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions on the project, with some alleging they remain locked in payment disputes and face financial ruin just days before the center’s grand opening.
Under its agreement with the city, the Obama Foundation pledged to create the fund, known as an endowment, as part of its 99-year deal to take control of the publicly owned 19.3-acre section of Jackson Park for a one-time payment of just $10.
Fox News Digital previously reported that the foundation had deposited just $1 million into the reserve fund in 2021 and that the balance remained largely unchanged in its most recent publicly available filings.
A split image shows the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side and former President Barack Obama. Questions have been raised about the center’s endowment funding and long-term financial safeguards as the project prepares to open. (Fox News Flight Team; Angelina Katsanis-Pool/Getty Images)
VALERIE JARRETT EARNED $740K AS OBAMA INSIDERS FILLED TOP ROLES DURING $850M PRESIDENTIAL CENTER BUILD
Concerns about the center’s financial state have raged for years, especially since construction delays and costs have ballooned from an original estimate of roughly $330 million to at least $850 million based on 2021 figures. An updated final projected cost has not been made public.
Endowment concerns
«One of their core promises was they were supposed to create an endowment as basically an insurance policy so the taxpayers wouldn’t get stuck with the bill,» Illinois GOP Chair Robert Grogan told Fox News Digital outside the center last week as worker vehicles entered and exited the center.
«They promised hundreds of millions of dollars for it. It’s still sitting at the $1 million mark [where it stood] when they opened it up. So I don’t believe that they’ve kept that promise.»
The contractor disputes have renewed concern of the endowment because critics argue the fund was intended to serve as a backstop if the project ever encountered financial distress. The Obama Foundation disputes suggestions that taxpayers face exposure and said the project is funded through private contributions.
Grogan said reports that contractors and subcontractors remain locked in payment disputes make the largely unfunded reserve even more problematic.
«The fact that they have created this probably unsustainable edifice to an ego and then, eventually, if it goes under, who’s going to be caught with the bill time and time again? It’s the taxpayers of the city, citizens of Chicago and the state of Illinois.»
A «Bring Change Home» banner is displayed outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
BUREAUCRATS HIDE TRUE PRICE OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER AS TAXPAYERS HIT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
Richard Epstein, a New York University law professor who has spent years challenging the project in court, said the reserve fund was intended to protect against exactly this type of uncertainty.
«The whole point of an endowment is to fund future expenses,» Epstein told Fox News Digital, adding that the endowment acts as a financial backup if future fundraising falls short.
«If the endowment hasn’t been filled, the building [could] fall into neglect, it then becomes a safety risk, and it turns out that nobody’s going to pay the bill,» Epstein said. «The city therefore, is going to have to assume additional obligations to make sure that thing is kept in place.»
Grogan said reports that contractors remain unpaid only reinforce the need for closer scrutiny and called for an investigation if allegations that subcontractors were left holding the bag prove accurate.
Subcontractor disputes raise new questions
A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.
Outside the center last week, Adamson Plumbing President Mike Owen provided company spreadsheets to Fox News Digital, which he said showed that his firm is nearly $4 million in the red. He said that unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.
In addition, Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center last Saturday that several Black-owned contractors are also in financial difficulty due to the project.
Mike Owen, president and owner of Adamson Plumbing, stands outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
The claims raise fresh worries about the center’s long-term financial sustainability because an endowment is intended to provide a permanent source of income that can help fund future operations and cushion against financial stress. Endowments are typically invested, with a portion of the earnings used to support an institution over time.
The Obama Foundation told Fox News Digital that it is in compliance with its agreement with the city, noting that the pact required the creation of an endowment but did not specify a dollar target.
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER DEPOSITS JUST $1M INTO $470M RESERVE FUND AIMED TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS
The foundation said the Obama Presidential Center is «fully funded» and that it plans to make «significant investments» in the endowment in the coming years.
«On the eve of our Grand Opening celebrations, we are pleased to reiterate that the Obama Presidential Center is fully funded with generous private contributions,» the Obama Foundation said in a statement.
The $470 million figure emerged during public discussions surrounding the project and was later cited in the Obama Foundation’s 2020 annual report, which featured a fundraising chart stating:
«$470M of our fundraising goal will go toward seeding an endowment that will sustain Obama Foundation activities and the operations of the OPC for generations to come.»
The foundation previously estimated annual operating costs could reach approximately $40 million.
Illinois GOP Chair Robert Grogan stands outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Grogan criticized the Obama Foundation over its handling of the center’s endowment and raised concerns about potential taxpayer exposure if the project encounters future financial difficulties. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
Nonprofit endowments are typically structured so that only a small percentage of the fund — often around 4% to 5% annually — is spent each year while the principal remains invested. The goal is to generate investment income that can help support operations over the long term without relying entirely on future fundraising. The Obama Presidential Center consists of a museum tower, digital library, athletic facilities, conference space and offices for the Obama Foundation on Chicago’s South Side. The Obama Foundation is overseeing its construction and will run its day-to-day future operations.
Epstein disputed the foundation’s interpretation, arguing that an endowment is intended to provide meaningful financial protection and that a promise to raise money in the future is not the same as having a funded endowment in place.
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«On their view, putting a penny in an endowment fund covers all the risks,» Epstein said.
«There has to be a pile of cash to fund any particular process and then ensure some kind of robustness against radical changes in the market.»
costs, fox news, barack obama, fund raising, fox news investigates, politics
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La fecundidad en Centroamérica cae por debajo del reemplazo demográfico en varios países
En Centroamérica, menos hijos deseados y más obstáculos para tenerlos marcan una tendencia regional. Según el último informe del Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas, el 39% de quienes desean tener hijos señala a la economía y la inestabilidad laboral como los principales frenos para formar la familia ideal.
María, de 28 años, se casó hace poco más de dos años y, junto a su pareja, evalúa la posibilidad de formar una familia. “Aunque contamos con más de dos ingresos, nos asusta la posibilidad de pasar carencias con un niño”, admite.
El trabajo eventual y la atención a clientes les dejan poco margen de tiempo y, también de ingresos, esa, dice la joven salvadoreña, es la principal razón por la que hasta hoy, han postergado la decisión de convertirse en padres, aunque reconoce que no han pensando en más de uno.
“Pensamos en tener solo un hijo, después de los 30, porque me preocupa no poder acompañarlo hasta el final de su formación”.
Las cifras muestran un descenso sostenido. En El Salvador, la tasa global de fecundidad bajó de 6.2 hijos por mujer en 1950 a 1.3 en 2024 y es la tasa más baja de todos los países de la región. El último Censo de Población y Vivienda del Banco Central de Reserva confirma esta cifra.
Costa Rica registra 1.32 hijos por mujer, mientras que en Nicaragua y Panamá los valores rondan los 2.2. Guatemala, aunque mantiene la fecundidad más alta de la región, cayó de 6.7 hijos por mujer en los 80 a 2.8 en la actualidad.
Estos niveles sitúan a varios países por debajo del umbral de reemplazo demográfico de 2.1 hijos por mujer y reconfiguran la estructura por edades. La Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) estima que la tasa de fecundidad promedio en la región es de 1.8 hijos por mujer en 2024.
La transición hacia familias más pequeñas no ha sido homogénea. Existen diferencias entre áreas urbanas y rurales, y entre sectores con mayor o menor acceso a educación y salud.
El descenso de la fecundidad no responde a una sola causa. La expansión de la educación femenina, la urbanización y la incorporación de las mujeres al mercado laboral cambiaron las aspiraciones y prioridades. La presión económica, marcada por salarios bajos, empleos inestables y altos costos de crianza, se combina con la falta de servicios públicos de cuidado infantil y la persistencia de roles tradicionales de género.
“En Centroamérica, muchas personas no pueden decidir cuántos hijos tener ni cuándo”, advierte el Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas. La brecha entre el número deseado y el real se mantiene, ya sea porque se tienen menos hijos por restricciones materiales o más de los planeados por falta de acceso a anticonceptivos y salud sexual.
El embarazo adolescente sigue afectando a jóvenes rurales, indígenas y afrodescendientes, y perpetúa ciclos de pobreza y desigualdad.
En sectores urbanos y de clase media, la tendencia es postergar y limitar la maternidad. En contextos rurales y empobrecidos, la fecundidad alta y los embarazos tempranos siguen siendo frecuentes, asociados a bajos niveles educativos y barreras en el acceso a servicios.
El trabajo no remunerado de cuidados recae mayoritariamente en las mujeres y representa entre el 20% y el 30% de la economía doméstica invisibilizada, según el Banco Mundial. La falta de servicios de cuidado infantil y de licencias parentales equitativas limita las posibilidades de conciliación laboral y familiar.
El acceso a métodos anticonceptivos mejoró, pero las diferencias persisten entre países y dentro de ellos. Mientras en Costa Rica y Colombia más del 75% de las mujeres en edad reproductiva usa algún método anticonceptivo, en Haití, Guyana y Guatemala menos de la mitad accede a métodos modernos.
La falta de educación sexual integral y las restricciones legales sobre el aborto agravan las dificultades, sobre todo en El Salvador, Honduras y Nicaragua. Uno de los problemas más persistentes es la maternidad adolescente. Las adolescentes afrodescendientes en la región presentan un 50% más de probabilidades de ser madres antes de los 19 años respecto de otras jóvenes.
La tasa de fecundidad adolescente en América Latina y el Caribe es una de las más altas del mundo, con 76 nacimientos por cada mil adolescentes de entre 15 y 19 años.
Las recomendaciones del UNFPA insisten en que las políticas no deben centrarse en controlar la cantidad de nacimientos, sino en garantizar derechos y condiciones para decidir.
Propone fortalecer los servicios de salud sexual y reproductiva, facilitar el acceso gratuito y confidencial a anticonceptivos, promover el empleo formal femenino y desarrollar sistemas públicos de cuidado.
En sectores urbanos, muchas mujeres tienen menos hijos de los que desean por no poder conciliar trabajo y familia. En zonas rurales y pobres, la maternidad forzada y el embarazo adolescente siguen siendo frecuentes.
bebés,recién nacidos,hospital,gemelos,nacimiento,pediatría,cuidado neonatal,salud,maternidad,cuna
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Progressive Talarico knifes Biden’s open border, tries moderating stance on key issues in Texas Senate race
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The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas torched former President Joe Biden’s open borders policies as he races to clean-up past comments amid criticism he is too radical to be elected in Texas.
James Talarico hardened his stance on border security and pitted himself against the former president during a podcast interview on «Cogdell Law Uncensored» earlier this week.
The Democrat member of the Texas legislature has a far-left track record that includes calls to «tear down» Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), an agency which he has called «secret police,» and claiming the border should act as a «welcome mat» for illegal immigrants.
He is now the Democratic nominee taking on Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton in the race for a Senate seat in Texas in November.
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico addresses supporters at a rally in Houston. (F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
JAMES TALARICO SAYS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS CONVINCED BORDER SECURITY WAS ‘RACIST’
«I called out Joe Biden for failing to secure our southern border and I got a lot of heat from my own party for doing that,» he told podcaster and attorney Dan Cogdell. «But I remember talking with my colleagues in the legislature who represent border communities and they told me about the utter chaos caused by President Biden’s policies.»
Those calls and his more moderate immigration stance emerged only after Talarico launched his Senate bid in the most populated U.S. red state where the most illegal immigration happens.
When asked repeatedly by Fox News Digital, Talarico’s campaign officials could not produce evidence to support the progressive candidate’s claims he was ever at odds with Biden on the issue of border security before his Senate campaign began and while Biden was still in office.
Millions of illegal aliens poured undetected into the United States during the previous presidency, while Talarico occupied his seat in the Texas House legislature.
Talarico said in the podcast: «The Democratic Party, we’re the ones that should be about making government work for people and our immigration system is a prime example of government not working for people. So I’m a border security Democrat. I believe we’ve gotta have a sane, orderly process to ensure that we know who’s coming into our country.»
President Joe Biden speaks during an official transition event to thank Ron Klain for his work and to welcome his successor Jeff Zients. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
While he has accused ICE of «terrorizing our country,» called for Americans to «stand up and fight back» and in 2019 slammed Texas Republicans for passing an «anti-immigrant bill» that funded President Donald Trump’s border wall project, Talarico said on the podcast this week that public safety should be a priority.
TEXAS DEM TALARICO’S ‘CULTURE OF VIOLENCE’ REMARKS RESURFACE AS HE DENIES DEFUND POLICE TIES
«But I also think we need to keep out folks who want to do us harm, and public safety is the most important thing the government does,» he said.
Under Trump, ICE has been tasked with zeroing in on the «worst of the worst» illegal aliens for arrest and deportation, especially those with violent criminal records.
«James has never supported abolishing ICE and supports more border security — which is why he’s authored legislation to modernize our ports of entry and called for more Border Patrol agents,» Talarico’s press secretary JT Ennis told Fox News Digital.
«Both parties have failed us on the issue of immigration, so James is running for Senate to keep our country safe by deporting criminals instead of hunting down moms, babies, and small business owners who have been contributing to our economy for decades.»
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a runoff election night event in Plano, Texas, on May 26, 2026. (Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Speaking to Cogdell, Talarico also pitched himself as a defender of the Second Amendment while simultaneously calling for strict gun control methods.
TEXAS DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATES SIDESTEP ISLAMIC TERRORISM CONCERNS FOLLOWING DEADLY AUSTIN ATTACK
«I am a believer in the Second Amendment. I don’t pick and choose between the Bill of Rights. I believe in the Second Amendment just as much as I believe in the First,» he said. «We have a right to bear arms, to protect ourselves, our families. We have a right to own weapons for sport or for hunting, but like any freedom in the Bill of Rights, it’s not absolute.»
«We’ve gotta keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. We’ve gotta make sure that we’ve got safe storage laws and background checks so that we’re keeping everybody safe,» the candidate qualified.
He positioned himself during the conversation as a moderate Democrat, chastising people on the political left who are «trying to take away people’s guns» and people on the political right who «don’t want to see any regulations.»
MS NOW ANALYST ADMITS TALARICO ‘NOT A MODERATE,’ HAS PROGRESSIVE VIEWS LIKE CROCKETT
But only a few months ago, Talarico said he favored «red flag laws,» which allow judges to order Americans to be stripped of their firearms if they think a person is a danger to themselves or others. Talarico also once accused Republicans of loving guns more than children.
Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally in Round Rock, Texas, on Sept. 9, 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
«You can’t be the party of freedom and control women’s bodies,» he said at a 2024 event with the Travis County Democratic Party. «You can’t be the party of family and love your guns more than our kids. You can’t be the party of faith and worship at the feet of Donald Trump.»
Ennis said that the candidate has «always believed, like the vast majority of Texans, that we must protect the Second Amendment while also enacting popular, common sense measures like universal background checks that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.»
MARK HALPERIN: IS DEMOCRAT JAMES TALARICO THE REAL DEAL — OR BETO 2.0 HEADED FOR A TEXAS FLOP?
Talarico also distanced himself from child sex change surgeries, sometimes called «gender affirming care,» and said he does not support them despite often earning criticism for his comments regarding children who identify as the opposite of their biological sex.
«I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors,» he told Cogdell, claiming «the people that are in power» are trying to distract from «corruption in our government.»
«So they’re gonna use a tried and true playbook to get out of this,» he said. «Distraction and division. That is how corrupt public officials stay in power.»
‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY
Talarico’s emphatic support for transgender children has raised eyebrows since he’s entered the national spotlight.
He has said he loves them on multiple occasions, including on a podcast in 2023 when he was asked to name something that he loved other than his friends and family.
«I love, I’m just saying this because it’s all on my mind, the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state capitol to advocate for their humanity,» he said on the Superbloom Podcast.
At the time, he had voted against a state bill to ban cross-sex hormones for minors.
Rep. James Talarico, Vanessa Fuentes and Jessica Weitz attend the Featured Session: State Of Being: How To Care in 2024 at the SXSW Conference and Festivals held at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, on March 8, 2024. (Jason Bollenbacher/SXSW Conference & Festivals)
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«I just want to say, I love you and so do a lot of people in this room, and so do a lot of people around this big state. I know it may not seem like it tonight, but you are loved beyond measure,» Talarico also said in 2023 on the Texas House floor, according to the Houston Chronicle.
«James opposes gender reassignment surgery for minors,» said Ennis. «While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texas families.»
Paxton’s campaign did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Talarico’s apparent flip-flop on the border, Second Amendment or transgender youth
border security, texas, democrats elections, immigration, joe biden, republicans, politics
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El Ejército de Guatemala y la PNC activan el operativo Mercado Seguro en tres departamentos
El Ejército de Guatemala y la PNC iniciaron este sábado el operativo conjunto Mercado Seguro en los departamentos de Guatemala, Sacatepéquez y Chimaltenango para reforzar la seguridad en centros de comercio que han sido golpeados por la delincuencia y por extorsiones, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
La operación también incluye patrullajes de seguridad en distintos puntos y avenidas del Mercado Central y del Mercado Colón de la ciudad capital, a cargo de la Primera Brigada de Policía Militar Guardia de Honor, de acuerdo con el texto oficial difundido por la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
El despliegue fue presentado como una estrategia para fortalecer la presencia de las autoridades en mercados cantonales y centros de comercio de esos tres departamentos, con el objetivo de prevenir hechos delictivos y dar condiciones de seguridad para comerciantes y compradores, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
El segundo comandante de la Brigada Militar Mariscal Zavala, Ángel Carrera Sandoval, explicó a la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias que el inicio de estas operaciones busca mantener un entorno protegido para quienes trabajan y compran en esos espacios. En su declaración, sostuvo: “El Ejército de Guatemala y la Policía Nacional Civil llevan a cabo el inicio de las operaciones denominadas Mercado Seguro. Con esta operación, el Ejército de Guatemala continúa garantizando un entorno seguro para los comerciantes y visitantes, en donde puedan trabajar y comprar con total confianza”.
La respuesta central del plan es directa: Mercado Seguro consiste en acciones de verificación, monitoreo y patrullaje en mercados de Guatemala, Sacatepéquez y Chimaltenango que han sufrido ataques de la delincuencia y han sido objeto de extorsiones, en apoyo a las fuerzas de seguridad civil, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
Carrera Sandoval agregó a la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias que el acompañamiento de las fuerzas de seguridad civil busca “dar la certeza a todos aquellos mercados que han sufrido de estos embates de la delincuencia y que han sido objeto de extorsiones y han amedrentado a nuestra población”.
Estas acciones se desarrollan en áreas de alta afluencia de personas y están orientadas a reforzar la vigilancia, proteger la economía local y devolver la tranquilidad a la población guatemalteca, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
La misma información oficial remarca que el trabajo interinstitucional pretende sostener acciones permanentes de vigilancia y prevención para proteger a la población y garantizar espacios seguros, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
La justificación del operativo parte del peso económico y social de estos espacios. Los mercados son presentados en el texto oficial como lugares de trabajo, encuentro y sustento para miles de familias guatemaltecas.
Bajo esa premisa, el despliegue en Mercado Central y Mercado Colón, así como en otros centros de comercio de los tres departamentos, busca que comerciantes y visitantes desarrollen sus actividades diarias con normalidad y que las comunidades mantengan su dinámica económica, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias.
En otra declaración recogida por la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias, Carrera Sandoval afirmó: “Aunado con esto, las fuerzas de seguridad civil nos acompañan para dar la certeza a todos aquellos mercados que han sufrido de estos embates de la delincuencia y que han sido objeto de extorsiones y han amedrentado a nuestra población”.
El mando militar añadió en la misma intervención, según la Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias: “Estamos para servirles y cuando a un soldado se le pide una mano, tenemos dos para poder apoyar”.
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