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AI builds virtual homes where robots learn from their mistakes
Ask a robot to put a coffee mug in the cabinet, and you quickly see how complicated an ordinary chore can become. You know where the mug belongs. You can step around a chair, avoid the clutter on the counter and open the right cabinet without giving it much thought. A robot has to work through every part of that process.
That helps explain why today's robots can look impressive during a demonstration but still struggle with basic jobs around a home or factory. They need experience in many different rooms and situations before they can work reliably. Teaching them everything in the physical world takes time and plenty of hands-on supervision.
Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Toyota Research Institute believe virtual training could help. Their system, called SceneSmith, uses AI agents to create detailed 3D indoor environments from simple text prompts. Robots can then practice tasks and expose weak action plans inside those AI-generated spaces before they enter a real home or workplace.
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WOULD YOU TRUST A TINY DENTAL ROBOT?
Robots learn through experience. However, engineers cannot easily stage every room layout or object arrangement a machine may encounter. Physical testing also requires someone to reset the scene after each attempt. A tipped chair or misplaced bottle can change the next test. Meanwhile, a failed movement may damage the robot or something nearby.
Simulation offers a safer alternative. A robot can repeat a task without breaking a dish or tying up a real workspace. Still, many earlier simulation systems created rooms that felt sparse. They often lacked the clutter, movable furniture and physical details found in everyday spaces. SceneSmith makes those training environments feel much closer to the real world.
Other developers are also using AI video technology to speed up humanoid robot training, turning small amounts of real footage into synthetic training environments.
SceneSmith starts with a simple written request. A researcher could ask for a garage with a car and workbench, then add tires in the corner and a ladder against the wall. From there, three AI agents powered by GPT-5.2 work together to build the space. A designer starts creating the room. A critic checks whether everything looks realistic. An orchestrator manages the back-and-forth and decides when the design is ready.
SceneSmith builds each environment one layer at a time. It starts with the floor plan and furniture, then adds objects to the walls and ceiling. Smaller items that a robot can pick up or move come last. The critic also catches choices that feel out of place. For example, it might suggest removing a bathtub from the living room. The orchestrator can even send the project back a few steps when part of the design needs more work.
Once the agents agree, SceneSmith adds the physics that control how objects move and react. The result gives researchers a working virtual room where a robot can open cabinets and handle objects instead of a 3D scene that only looks realistic.
A robot needs more than realistic scenery. It needs objects that respond when touched. SceneSmith can place cabinets with working doors. It can also create movable objects and estimate physical properties such as mass or friction. Those details affect how an item reacts when a robot grabs, pushes or drops it.
For standard objects, the system can use a text-to-image-to-3D process. It retrieves articulated items with moving parts from a curated library. This approach keeps cabinet doors and drawers functional inside the simulator. The system also checks for overlapping objects and lets gravity settle them into stable positions.
Researchers reported that 96% of objects remained stable during simulation. Fewer than 2% of object pairs collided with one another. That work matters because a robot cannot learn much from a virtual kitchen where cups float or furniture sinks into the floor.
Better virtual practice could also support advances like this new AI brain that helps robots move more like humans, especially when a task requires precise hand movements.
HUMANOID ROBOT CLEANS FIRST US APARTMENT
The researchers used SceneSmith to generate more than 1,300 scenes. The collection included familiar spaces such as bedrooms and hotels. It also produced unusual settings, including a pottery store and a Minecraft-themed gaming room. Some scenes contained up to six times more items than those from earlier methods. As a result, robots can encounter the type of clutter that makes real-world tasks difficult.
A robot might need to move a soda can from a shelf to a table. Another task could involve placing a cup in the sink. Each scene changes the surroundings, so the robot cannot depend on one carefully staged layout. That variety gives engineers a better way to see whether a robot's plan works beyond a single demonstration.
In robotics, a policy tells a machine how to act based on what it observes. SceneSmith gives researchers a way to test those policies across many environments. The team generated 100 evaluation scenes covering four manipulation tasks. A robot policy attempted each chore in simulation. Then, an AI evaluator checked the result using simulator data and visual observations.
The evaluator reached 99.7% agreement with human labels. That result suggests researchers could use the system to screen robot attempts at scale without manually judging every run. The headline's phrase "learn from their mistakes" needs one important distinction. SceneSmith reveals where a policy fails. Engineers can use those failures to revise later versions of the robot's behavior. In this study, the system focused on scene generation and automatic evaluation rather than continuous self-retraining after every mistake.
A virtual room can look realistic to a person and still behave poorly during robot training. Therefore, the team tested SceneSmith through physical interaction inside the simulator. Researchers placed an independently trained robot policy into generated scenes. The policy predated SceneSmith and had never trained on its environments or assets.
In one demonstration, the robot moved an apple from a bowl to a cutting board after receiving a language instruction. The team also teleoperated a robot through the virtual spaces. Researchers guided it as it opened cabinets and put away bottles. These tests showed that the environments could support more than visual inspection. Together, the demonstrations provide early evidence that SceneSmith's rooms can support useful robotics experiments.
People preferred SceneSmith's virtual rooms
The researchers asked 205 people to compare SceneSmith with earlier scene-generation methods. SceneSmith recorded an average 92% win rate for realism. It also earned a 91% average win rate for following the original prompt.
In practical terms, participants usually thought its rooms looked more believable and matched the request more closely. Those results support the visual side of the system. However, robot performance remains the more important test. SceneSmith's ability to combine realistic design with usable physics gives the project its strongest advantage.
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Detailed virtual rooms take time to build. MIT says SceneSmith may need several hours to produce one scene because the AI agents create and inspect many objects. More computing power could speed up that process. Even so, generating a large training library would require substantial resources.
The current system also has limited support for deformable objects such as sponges. These materials change shape when touched, which makes them harder to reproduce in simulation. The researchers hope larger 3D libraries will help them expand that capability.
Real-world testing will still play a vital role. Homes contain unpredictable people and objects that wear down or break. Simulation can reduce risky trial and error, but engineers must still prove that robots behave safely outside a digital room.
A future household robot could practice inside hundreds or even thousands of virtual rooms before it ever rolls into your kitchen. That gives developers more chances to catch a bad move or weak action plan while the robot remains inside a simulator. SceneSmith can also expose a robot to rooms filled with different furniture, objects and layouts. That matters because your kitchen will look nothing like the carefully arranged space where a robot first learned a task.
That kind of preparation could eventually help machines like this home robot designed to cook, clean and handle the clutter and surprises found in everyday homes.
The technology remains in the research stage, and robots will still need plenty of testing in the physical world. Still, SceneSmith tackles a problem robot makers need to solve: How do you prepare a machine for homes where chairs move, counters get cluttered and almost nothing stays in the same place?
SceneSmith gives robots a safe place to get things wrong. Engineers can spot a bad move inside a crowded virtual home before the machine risks damaging something or moving too close to a person. What makes this system interesting is that the rooms actually work like physical spaces. Cabinets open, objects move and robots can interact with what is around them. The biggest drawback is speed. Building one detailed scene can take hours. Still, these AI-generated environments could help developers catch more problems before a robot ever enters your home.
Would you trust a household robot more if it had already made thousands of mistakes inside AI-generated homes? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Comedian was 'broke' in $3M house after water shut off during divorce
Laura Clery is giving fans an inside look into some of her darker moments in her memoir.
In her new memoir, "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Hotter," the 39-year-old actress and comedian opened up about her relationship with her ex-husband, Stephen Hilton, and their tumultuous separation.
The "Shanked" star described the day she found out Hilton had allegedly been cheating on her by visiting massage parlors that seemingly offered "happy endings." She explained that "it was hard not to take it personally," as they had just been intimate earlier that day, and even though it left her feeling she wasn't "enough," she writes what she "mainly felt was hurt, and empathy toward him."
"It wouldn’t be my lack that drove Stephen to a stranger," she alleged in her memoir. "It would be his. It would be the thing we’d both tried to fill with drugs and alcohol and sex—the hole in the soul that, if we weren’t careful, could take us down to the rock bottom we both knew so well. I decided that I would meet him with grace and love and empathy, because if he was spiraling, the last thing he would need is to feel alone."
After Hilton returned home, Clery allegedly confronted him, noting she was initially met with apologies and promises to call his sponsor, which left her feeling as if "Stephen and I could manage this challenge together" and eventually "move forward."
Later that night, however, she claims her ex-husband called her and allegedly began hurling insults at her, telling her, "I don’t have a problem. This is your fault! You’re just so f---ing controlling!" Following the phone call, she checked his location and found he was allegedly at yet another massage parlor.
"If I could say anything to my then-self, I’d tell her to buckle up," Clery wrote. "Change the locks. Call your mom, call your lawyer, call your best friend. Believe the voice inside your head when it tells you that something is wrong. Be smart, be brave, and you’ll get through this."
The following day, Clery recalled a family trip to Malibu, during which Hilton allegedly began screaming in front of their young children that he planned to take his life. She alleged that he screamed "I’m going to kill myself, and it’s your f---ing fault!" He then left the house and Clery called the police, but once they found him, he presented as "a man who was absolutely fine—a man with a crazy, overdramatic wife."
She claims that she woke up the next day to messages asking if she was okay, and discovered Hilton had taken to social media and shared details of the incident with his followers. She says he allegedly didn't seem to care that she was upset about his videos, helping her realize he didn't care about salvaging their relationship, and that they needed time apart. She also alleged she later found out that Hilton had relapsed in his drug addiction at this time.
"I realized in a flash of clarity—truly, it felt like life b-----slapping me in the face—that I had deluded myself into thinking that the worst was over," she wrote. "I knew in my bones that we were a ways from better days. We had to separate."
From there, Clery writes that the separation evolved into years of legal disputes, financial hardship and a painful process of rebuilding her life as a single mother.
Clery alleges Hilton later broke into her home, leading to his arrest, hacked her social media accounts and launched an online community that portrayed her as Satan, claims she says further damaged both her finances and emotional well-being.
The couple announced their separation in August 2022 and filed for divorce in June 2023. In the memoir, Clery also goes into detail about her financial struggles following their separation and divorce.
She recalled staying in mediation with Hilton for too long, because she "was scared to let go of my creative partner" and "scared to stop sharing the bills with him," but also thought that by continuing to work with him, she could help him, but noted, "You can’t pay your water bill with good intentions."
"That fear cost me two years and so much money," she wrote. "Thousands and thousands of dollars gone, until I didn’t have the money left to even keep the endless mediation going. Maybe that was Stephen’s plan all along. Maybe he wanted me to bleed out financially. And maybe I played right into it."
Clery described "living from massive paycheck to massive paycheck," claiming she was paying both her mortgage and Hilton's mortgage, along with two years of mediation.
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She explained that during their marriage "Stephen handled the money," and after her water was shut off one evening, she "realized I had handed away my power with every bill I refused to look at."
"My water got shut off. In my three-million-dollar house. Yes, you read that correctly. I was broke. In a three-million-dollar house," she wrote. "Having my water shut off? Yeah, that was my bottom. But it was a lesson I needed to learn. Look at the d--n bills. Face the scary thing. Because if you keep ignoring it, you’ll get something much scarier than dry taps and overflowing toilets."
In the midst of their separation, Clery endured false allegations against her that she abused her children, but ultimately was awarded full custody, with Hilton getting supervised visitation, but she is hopeful about his recovery.
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"One day, maybe, Alfie and Poppy will be able to spend time with their dad without court supervision. Maybe Stephen will stay sober. To his credit, by mid-November, he passed one hundred days of sobriety. Maybe this chapter of our lives might finally be coming to a close. Maybe. Time will tell," she concluded. "For now, my guard is up, my boundaries are firm, and I’m cautiously inching toward hope again."
Hilton has publicly discussed his struggles with addiction and his mental health in the years since their separation.
Owe child support? The Trump administration may revoke your passport
A parent’s passport can be revoked if they fail to pay child support thanks to a new Trump administration enforcement policy. The tool has proven effective in putting children first, compelling many noncustodial parents to immediately pay thousands in overdue child support, some making single payments of upwards of $100,000.
Since 1996, the State Department, in partnership with the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has used the Passport Denial Program as a mechanism to compel child support payments. The program focused on denying new passport applications and renewals for parents owing $2,500 or more in child support.
While our office has found this has been effective, generating more than $660 million in reported collections since its inception, passports only need to be renewed every 10 years. That means the program has missed opportunities in many cases to compel immediate action — until now.
In May, the Administration for Children and Families launched an initiative in collaboration with the State Department to actively revoke passports held by individuals owing substantial child support arrearages. Now, passports are being revoked for parents who owe $50,000 or more in child support, and there are plans to lower this threshold. The program has already compelled a number of noncustodial parents to make large child support payments.
FLIGHT PASSENGER BLASTS 'INCOMPETENT PARENTS' AFTER UNRULY CHILD FORCES PLANE DELAY
A father in Nevada wanted to take his son abroad this summer to celebrate the young man’s graduation from high school. But the father’s passport had been revoked due to his failure to pay child support. No problem — the dad made a $119,000 child support payment to receive his new passport and take his son abroad.
A Connecticut noncustodial parent needed to travel to Europe for a business trip, so he made a nearly $180,000 child support payment and secured his passport. After not making a child support payment since 2021, a parent in Maryland paid over $100,000 after receiving a passport revocation notice. A dad in Montana paid $147,000 in past-due child support to a mother of four children. Another parent in Arizona paid their full balance, plus interest, of over $170,000. A father in Texas made a $16,000 payment to ensure he did not lose his passport privilege. After seeing media coverage of the new passport revocation action, another father in Texas preemptively made a $6,000 child support payment.
DHS ISSUES $84B IN FINES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
In total, parents have paid nearly $1.5 million in past-due child support since the new passport policy was implemented in May, and the State Department has revoked more than 6,000 passports and continues to revoke about 1,000 a week. While the law has long allowed for passports to be revoked for failure to make child support payments, enforcement was not undertaken because it was considered burdensome and required extensive collaboration between the State Department and the Office of Child Support Enforcement at HHS.
For the Trump administration, however, the benefits — not only to a parent raising children, but to the furtherment of a responsible society — outweigh logistics concerns.
For many Americans, passports are critical to their livelihood and ability to travel for personal reasons, which is why revocation is such an effective tool. The message from the Trump administration is clear: if you haven’t paid what you owe to your children, we are going to prevent you from using your passport, which is a privilege, not a right.
In addition to leveraging passports to compel payments, the Office of Child Support Enforcement assists child support agencies in collecting past-due support through a variety of mechanisms, including federal tax refund offsets, liens and levies against property and financial accounts, and insurance claim intercepts.
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Child support programs also use tools like property seizures, and driver’s license and professional license suspension to collect delinquent support, but the most common enforcement mechanism is income withholding from a noncustodial parent’s employer. In 2024, 74% of child support collected was from an employee paycheck.
The administrative financial investment in child support collection programs has also proven to be highly cost-effective. In 2024, the child support program collected $4.24 for every $1 spent, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement.
The Trump administration is prioritizing the needs of children and families, and the Office of Child Support Enforcement will use every available tool to ensure non-paying parents are held accountable.
Alex J. Adams is the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.
Fox News Power Rankings: The top races to watch as 36 states choose their next governor
The battle to control Congress always dominates midterm discussions, but should it?
More voters will elect a governor than a U.S. senator this year.
Among the key contests are what might be the GOP’s only flip opportunity, races that will show how key voter groups are responding to President Trump’s second term, and even a test for Democrats in the Northwest.
These elections could also decide which party holds a majority of governorships. More than half of the nation’s governors have been Republicans since 2010. But with Democrats currently holding 24 of the 50 offices, that advantage is two states away from disappearing.
TOP DEMOCRAT GOVERNORS ARE HOPING TO RIDE THEIR RECORDS TO THE WHITE HOUSE. CAN THEY?
Here are the top races to watch this year.
Democrats have been going to war with each other over ideology, character, and electability all across the country this year – in Wisconsin, the party is fighting all three battles in one race.
At least seven notable candidates are vying for the nomination, including Democratic socialist and State Rep. Francesca Hong and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who lost a U.S. Senate race here four years ago.
This week, the primary got even messier. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run after discovering she was short hundreds of thousands of dollars, and nine days after suspending his run, county executive David Crowley got back in, touting an endorsement from sitting governor Tony Evers.
TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN
Wisconsin is as competitive as it gets. It’s one of only two states that has voted for both parties for president and the Senate while also being run by governors from both parties during the Trump era (the other is Arizona).
While the Democrats figure out who their candidate is, Republicans have a clear frontrunner: U.S. House Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has Trump’s backing and $3 million in the bank.
It’s too early to say which party will have the edge in November. This state is a toss-up.
Iowa’s Senate race is a toss-up, as Tuesday’s Power Rankings revealed, but on the governor’s side, the Democrats have opened up quite a lead.
Rob Sand, the Democratic state auditor who claims he’s not a fan of either party, had the support of 53% of voters in the latest Fox News Poll, nine points ahead of his Republican opponent, Zach Lahn, a local farmer.
Lahn was the surprise winner of his party’s primary after Trump endorsed a different candidate (the president has since endorsed Lahn), and appears to have consolidated his support with the GOP base.
But his support for the state’s six-week abortion ban and recent relocation from Kansas could be electoral liabilities.
Sand is raising more money than Lahn, and from more local donors.
It’s a highly competitive race, but it starts at Lean D.
In 2022, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo’s victory over a Democratic incumbent in Nevada was proof that Hispanic voters were drifting rightward.
Two years later, more confirmation, when the state voted for a Republican president for the first time in 20 years.
Now there are signs that those voters are unhappy with Trump: 69% said they disapproved of the president in Fox News’ June survey.
Lombardo is touting results on cutting business regulation, crime reduction, and new housing projects for working-class Nevadans.
He’ll face Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, who says voters with affordability and immigration concerns have Trump to blame.
It will be a close and expensive race. It’s a toss-up in this forecast.
Republicans’ best chance at flipping a state this year comes in Kansas, where Governor Laura Kelly can’t seek a third term.
Kelly is a rare species in American politics: she is one of only two Democratic governors serving in states that Trump won by double digits in 2024 (the other is Andy Beshear of Kentucky).
This year, leading Democrats include State Sens. Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson, who have made affordability the center of their messages. Seven Republicans are in the race, including President of the Kansas Senate Ty Masterson, who picked up Trump’s endorsement in May.
Among the big issues in the Sunflower State? Kelly’s $4 billion deal to bring the Kansas City Chiefs across state lines, which Masterson and Corson support, but some Democrats have called a "scam."
It’s a competitive race, but without their incumbency advantage, the Democrats are vulnerable. This is a Lean R race.
Finally, an eyebrow-raising race in the Northwest, where incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek is in a more competitive race than she should be against Republican State Sen. Christine Drazan.
Oregon voted for Vice President Harris by 14 points in the last presidential election, and the state hasn’t voted for a Republican governor since 1982.
Kotek is in some trouble, though, as she defends her record on housing, education, and mental health services. According to local reports, the governor is far short of her goal of 36,000 new units per year, and the state has some of the worst education rankings in the country.
That has given Drazan an opening, and not for the first time: she came within 3.5 points of defeating Kotek in 2022 (though that race included a third-party candidate).
Partisanship should keep this state in Democratic hands. But not without a fight. It’s a Likely D race in this forecast.
Obama Center subcontractor shuts down amid $4M fight, lays off 25
Weeks after the Obama Presidential Center’s star-studded opening in Chicago, a subcontractor who previously claimed his company was stiffed for nearly $4 million has shut down operations and laid off 25 union workers.
Mike Owen, the owner of Chicago-based Adamson Plumbing Contractors, told Fox News Digital that the financial fallout forced the company to abandon about half a dozen other construction jobs and left it on the verge of collapse. Owen described the shutdown as a painful decision he believed was necessary to save the company from bankruptcy.
"Laying off close to 30 people is something that no owner in our industry wants to do," Owen said. "It’s a hard thing to do, especially when you know you can finish them and the company can still make money. But we were put in a pretty bad corner."
Adamson, which performed its work on the center under the name Marsh-Adamson, has since filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the property, escalating the payment dispute into a legal fight.
The company is one of several subcontractors to report financial trouble after working on the center, which was promoted as a transformative economic opportunity for small and minority-owned businesses.
A previous Fox News Digital investigation identified several subcontractors — including Black-owned firms the project was specifically intended to support — that said they were owed money or had absorbed losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions. The largest dispute involves the Concrete Collective, which is seeking more than $40 million in additional payment.
Before the center opened, Owen said the project had left his company with $3.9 million in losses tied to delays, rework, labor overruns and changing project demands. He said he spent months negotiating with Lakeside Alliance, the project’s construction manager, before going public after failing to reach a resolution.
Against the backdrop of that larger dispute, Owen said the breaking point came around the time of the Obama Presidential Center’s opening celebration.
Owen said Adamson and Lakeside Alliance reached an agreement under which Adamson would provide two journeyman plumbers to perform last-minute "housekeeping" work on campus at premium nighttime rates.
In return, Owen said, Adamson was supposed to receive part of its outstanding payment days before the center opened on June 19. An email reviewed by Fox News Digital shows a Lakeside representative telling Owen that $100,000 would be released through Adamson’s May payment application.
Adamson completed the requested work, but the payment did not arrive on time, according to Owen, who said it was the company's breaking point and left him with no choice but to suspend operations on June 25.
"We negotiated it in good faith," he said. "Against my better judgment, I agreed [to do the work]."
"Not getting that large sum of money just kind of pulled the brakes on the train. It was just the final death blow to the company," he added. "Rather than try to stretch it out and go bankrupt, I just decided the responsible thing was to shut it down. We’ll regroup, and we’ll see where we’re at come September."
Owen said that the promised $100,000 retainage payment and around $35,000 for change orders payments have since arrived from Lakeside Alliance — more than two weeks after he suspended operations and laid off 25 workers.
Owen said the money helped reduce the company’s debt to one supplier but did not reverse the shutdown.
"It’s almost like too little, too late," Owen said. "It probably would have just prolonged the inevitable at this point," he said. "We’re still deep in the hole of what they owe us."
Owen said Adamson has now moved out of its building and that he is working from home while turning the dispute over to his attorneys and determining whether the company has a future.
OBAMA CENTER ISN'T A TRADITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY. CRITICS SAY IT'S AN ACTIVISM CENTER.
Owen has escalated his nearly $4 million payment fight.
Documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show that Marsh-Adamson filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the Obama Presidential Center property, alleging it remains owed money for plumbing work performed on campus. A mechanic’s lien is a legal claim filed against a property by a contractor or supplier alleging that it has not been fully paid for completed work.
The lien is considerably lower than the approximately $3.9 million Owen says Adamson lost over the course of the project. Owen said the lien covers the amounts he believes are most readily documented, including unpaid fees, logged change orders and labor overruns supported by company records.
"It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to pursue the $3.9 million in change that we lost overall," Owen said. "I’m still working with my legal team on that $3.9 million figure because I feel that it’s only right that we still hold ownership at the presidential center accountable."
Owen said he had initially avoided filing a lawsuit or lien while attempting to negotiate a resolution.
"I’m not a litigious person, but at the same time, our legal system is there to protect the small guy," Owen said. "I’m just going to have to fight this out legally from here on out, and these aren’t cheap costs."
Last week’s payment will be deducted from the $1.72 million, he said.
Lakeside Alliance, a joint venture led by Turner Construction and four Black-owned Chicago construction firms, served as the project’s construction manager. The other firms are UJAMAA Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, Brown & Momen and Safeway Construction.
In a previous statement, Lakeside said approximately 475 contractors worked on the center. In its latest response, the alliance pointed to the project’s scale and said "contractual closeout continues long after the doors have opened" on major projects of such complexity.
"Lakeside Alliance remains committed to working through all outstanding matters to successfully close out the project," a spokesperson said. Lakeside Alliance did not directly address Owen’s allegations, the layoffs or the $1.72 million lien.
WATCH: Subcontractor says his company is owed nearly $4M for work on Obama Center project
The Obama Foundation, former President Barack Obama’s private nonprofit organization that oversees the construction, said Lakeside was responsible for managing and paying subcontractors and that the foundation had no outstanding disputed charges with the alliance.
While it did not directly address Adamson’s allegations, the foundation said its financial support for firms working on the project exceeded industry standards.
"Our commitment began with a 15-day payment cycle, which is largely unheard of in major construction projects," the foundation said in a statement, adding that it sometimes accelerated payment timelines or advanced payments months before work was completed.
The center has also faced scrutiny over its soaring price tag and promised taxpayer protections. Construction costs, initially projected at approximately $350 million, had climbed to $830 million by 2021 and have since reportedly surpassed $1 billion.
Meanwhile, just $1 million has been deposited into a promised $470 million reserve intended to protect Chicago taxpayers if the center encounters financial trouble.
Those questions have drawn added scrutiny because the Obama Foundation secured the 19.3-acre Jackson Park site through a 99-year lease requiring a one-time $10 payment.
Owen said the ordeal has left him financially and emotionally drained and uncertain whether he will ever restart Adamson Plumbing.
"This entire process really drained me out financially and emotionally," Owen said. "So that’s where I’m at — just kind of in a holding pattern."
Owen said the opening ceremony — which featured performances by Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, John Legend and U2’s Bono and The Edge, among others — only sharpened his anger. Against that celebratory backdrop, he said, the struggles of the workers who built the center went largely unrecognized.
Owen argued that Chicago’s proud protest culture had been conspicuously absent — and that the reaction would have been markedly different if the project were associated with figures such as Elon Musk or Ken Griffin, the Chicago billionaire whose name adorns the neighboring Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
"There would be holy hell to pay," Owen said. "They would be picketing. They would be storming the castle."
Owen also singled out Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, questioning why the pro-union governor had not addressed the layoffs or payment disputes.
"But he hasn’t said anything publicly about the union companies at the presidential center getting stiffed," Owen said. "And it bothers me."
Pritzker’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Owen said he was not accusing former President Barack Obama of personal responsibility but believes the foundation should publicly acknowledge the subcontractors’ complaints and help seek a resolution.
"It’s become perfectly obvious to me that the ownership group there — they truthfully just don’t care," he said. "I don’t know any other way to say it."
Owen said contractors had held out hope that their disputes would be resolved once construction ended.
"But I think a lot of us out there, the main subcontractors, all still had this feeling that it was going to be worked out in the end — until it wasn’t," he said.
Now, with Adamson’s future uncertain, Owen said the project has left him facing a personal turn he never saw coming.
"I mean, the only leverage I have now is just to continue speaking out and see where it goes," he said. "But my career — it’s funny — I’m going to have to go find a job, which is fine. It’s just that I did not anticipate the completion of this project would take this turn."
WATCH: Black subcontractors at Obama Presidential Center still seeking payment as Juneteenth opening nears, advocate says
Vacation hot spot tells tourists in skimpy beachwear to cover up or face steep fines
An Italian town is warning tourists against strolling through its streets shirtless or in swimwear — threatening hefty fines for visitors who ignore the rules.
Varenna, a popular lakeside village on Lake Como in northern Italy, recently updated its urban police regulations to prohibit visitors from walking around town shirtless or wearing only swimwear.
"Throughout the entire municipal territory of Varenna, it is prohibited to remain shirtless or wearing only swimwear, except on beaches, piers and boat docks," says the town's tourism website.
POPULAR CRUISE LINE’S BIKINI CRACKDOWN COULD SURPRISE PASSENGERS AT ISLAND PORTS
The fine can range from about $57 to about $228 — or €50 to €200.
Officials said the new rules are aimed at addressing the effects of overtourism, as hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the village each year.
"Varenna is a wonderful village, and we are proud to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year," Mauro Manzoni, Varenna's mayor, told The Guardian.
"However, our residents’ quality of life cannot be sacrificed on the altar of mass tourism."
ISLAND CRACKS DOWN AS TOURISTS ARE SLAPPED WITH NEW FEES, FED-UP LOCALS REVOLT
Italy's national statistics agency says that Varenna spans about 4.85 square miles and has a population of 646 residents — highlighting the challenges that mass tourism can pose for the small village.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Municipality of Varenna for comment.
On a Reddit forum discussing the new rules, many users voiced support for the policy.
STUNNING VACATION HOT SPOT TURNS INTO OVERCROWDED NIGHTMARE AS TOURISTS FLOOD STREETS
"Their town, their law," one person wrote.
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"I wish more places would do this," another commenter said.
A third person chimed in, "They should implement this in Thailand too."
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One Redditor said that the penalties were more surprising than the rule itself.
"I’ve seen a few small towns around Europe that have signs about no swimwear when you're off the beach and walking around town," the user wrote. "I haven’t seen fines for it, though."
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The move follows similar action taken in France last summer.
In 2025, the seaside resort of Les Sables-d'Olonne reminded locals and tourists that walking around town topless or in swimwear was prohibited.
"It’s a question of respect for locals who don’t want people wandering around their town half-naked," the town mayor wrote at the time.
President Trump urges Atlanta Braves fans to continue doing controversial 'chop' at home games
Donald Trump has put his foot down on one of the biggest issues in all of sports ...
Nope. It's got nothing to do with Caitlin Clark, or the WNBA, or anything in the the transgender category. Nothing to do with the NFL, or CTE, or the MLB and the looming labor dispute.
Not college football or the NIL, either, or the crumbling LIV Golf situation.
I'm talking about the famous Tomahawk Chop at Atlanta Braves baseball games. Trump wants it back, and he wants it back NOW!
Take a look:
TRUMP DRAWS MUCH DIFFERENT REACTION AT NBA FINALS THAN HE DID AT CFP NATIONAL TITLE GAME
Amen, Mr. President! Say it again, this time even louder for the Libs in the back! Make sure they hear it.
Trump was in the Atlanta area Wednesday night, visiting a Cobb County high school to promote economic policies ahead of those pesky midterms.
Anyway, former Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker — who is now an executive with the team — was in attendance, so, naturally, Trump called him to the stage.
That's when fans started to do the famous chant, and the infamous chop. Yes, that chop. The one that used to be incredible, but now you rarely see it anymore because the wokes have kinda-sorta canceled it.
"Ohhh listen... they say you are not allowed to do that.. do it!" Trump said.
Look, there's no real ban on the chop at Braves games that I'm aware of, but I went to last year's season-finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and I noticed a major difference.
Yes, they still do the chant during the game, but it's not nearly as often as they did back in the heyday. The music still plays, but it weirdly stops halfway through — right when it's about to get good.
It's a mood-killer. A vibe-killer. I noticed it right away.
Yes, you still see the chop, but it ain't what it once was. Folks still do it, but it's odd. It's not the same. It's lost some of the juice.
And that's because society has weirdly taken aim at the chop over the past decade, which is, frankly, a perfect reflection on how silly society has become. Sports media, which is 90% left-wing, HATES the chop.
Well, scratch that. They act like they hate it, which is good enough. Same with the Cleveland "Guardians." They didn't care that they were the Indians, but America went insane after 2020 and all of a sudden they needed the name changed.
That's what we have with the Tomahawk Chop in sports. Yes, they still do it at Braves games, but it ain't the same.
And relax, FSU fans. This isn't about you. I know you all still do it. Chop on!
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Bottom line? Trump likes it, which should surprise absolutely nobody. Kamala Harris, had she won, would've probably made it a felony by now. Trump wants everyone to keep doing it.
Choose your fighter, America.
Chop on.
Former intel community chief James Woolsey dies at 84
Former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey Jr. died Tuesday at the age of 84.
The Washington Post and the New York Times both reported that his wife, Conchita Sarnoff Woolsey, noted that a stroke was the cause.
She indicated that her husband had been facing deteriorating health in recent years due to "Havana syndrome," the Post reported.
"We have traveled the world trying to find a cure and a treatment," she noted, according to the report, "which sadly we never found."
As director of central intelligence from 1993 to 1995, Woolsey oversaw the U.S. intelligence community and served as head of the CIA during the first two years of President Bill Clinton's first term.
ALDRICH AMES, CIA OFFICER WHO SPIED FOR RUSSIA, DEAD AT 84
"CIA extends our condolences to the family and loved ones of former Director James Woolsey. He was a great patriot who served his country as Director of Central Intelligence, Undersecretary of the Navy, Ambassador, and attorney," the CIA noted in social media posts.
Woolsey served as undersecretary of the Navy during a portion of President Jimmy Carter's White House tenure. He later served as ambassador to the Negotiation on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe during part of President George H.W. Bush's term.
EX-CIA CHIEF ACCUSED OF ORCHESTRATING 'RUSSIA HOAX' SUES TRUMP ADMIN FOR 'VINDICTIVE PROSECUTION'
In a Facebook post, the CIA added, "Director Woolsey advocated for the Agency during a time of budget uncertainty and tumult at the end of the Cold War, preserving officer morale and building a relationship between the Intelligence Community and law enforcement. That partnership continues to this day and has enabled some of our greatest successes."
Trump launches Gold Eagle to hunt cyber flaws with AI
Most of us tap Update Now and move on. However, a lot happens before that security patch reaches your phone or computer. Researchers must find the flaw. Someone needs to confirm it. Then the developer has to create a fix that will not cause a new problem.
Now, artificial intelligence can uncover software weaknesses much faster. That sounds promising, but it can also create a flood of vulnerability reports. Worse, attackers can use similar AI tools to hunt for the same openings.
The Trump administration wants to help defenders move first. The White House just announced the Gold Eagle AI cybersecurity clearinghouse. Officials say the program has already started receiving and prioritizing vulnerability reports.
Gold Eagle will connect federal agencies with private companies, critical infrastructure operators and open-source software teams. Its goal is to uncover serious flaws faster and coordinate the work needed to patch them.
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Gold Eagle is a federal coordination center for software vulnerabilities. The Treasury Department leads the effort with support from CISA and other federal partners. President Trump ordered the creation of the clearinghouse through Executive Order 14409 on June 2, 2026. The order directed Treasury to work with the National Cyber Director and other agencies.
Gold Eagle must coordinate vulnerability scanning and reduce duplicated work. It will also help validate findings before teams spend time fixing them. Finally, the program will support the distribution of patches once they are ready. The White House calls Gold Eagle a "force multiplier." In other words, the government wants each participating security team to accomplish more by sharing reliable information.
Gold Eagle does not replace the developers who maintain the affected software. Instead, it creates a central place where government and industry can coordinate their response. That distinction is important. Finding a bug does not automatically fix it. Developers still need to understand the weakness and build a safe update.
AI models can review large amounts of computer code quickly. They can also examine how software reacts when someone sends it unusual commands or unexpected data. That speed may help researchers uncover weaknesses that survived years of conventional testing.
A senior White House official said closed-source AI models will participate in Gold Eagle's vulnerability work. That includes Anthropic's Claude Mythos, which the company designed for advanced cybersecurity research. Anthropic says Mythos-class models can find software vulnerabilities and develop ways to exploit them. The company also warns that those abilities could make attacks easier if the models fall into the wrong hands.
That creates an uncomfortable reality. The same AI that can help protect a system may also help someone break into it. Therefore, Gold Eagle's success will depend on more than the model's ability to find bugs. The program must control who receives the details and how quickly developers get a warning.
Imagine several repair crews checking the same water pipe while another leak goes unnoticed. Cybersecurity teams can face a similar problem. Several organizations may scan the same popular software without knowing that another team already found the flaw. Meanwhile, less visible software may receive little attention.
Gold Eagle aims to coordinate those searches. It can help participating teams avoid repeating work and direct their attention toward software that still needs review. The clearinghouse will also try to cut through low-quality reports. AI models can generate convincing findings that turn out to be harmless or inaccurate.
As a result, human validation remains essential. Security engineers need to reproduce the reported flaw and confirm that it creates a real risk. After that, developers must test the repair. They also need to release the update without breaking the product for existing users.
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Gold Eagle will use technology developed with Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute. The system is called the Vulnerability Information and Coordination Environment, or VINCE. Carnegie Mellon's CERT Coordination Center already uses VINCE to accept vulnerability reports and communicate with affected software vendors.
Gold Eagle can use that platform as an intake point for AI-discovered vulnerabilities. Reports can then move through validation and coordination before details become public. This controlled process matters because revealing a serious vulnerability too early can give attackers a head start. Ideally, the software company receives enough time to prepare a patch before technical details spread.
However, several operational questions remain unanswered. The administration has not publicly identified every company participating in Gold Eagle. It has also released few details about daily oversight or the way sensitive reports will move between participants. The government has not said how many findings have resulted in completed patches either.
Open-source code sits inside a huge range of commercial products. It can power parts of a browser or business platform without the average user ever knowing its name. However, many open-source projects operate with limited resources. Some rely heavily on maintainers who contribute their time alongside other jobs.
AI could help those teams find dangerous flaws. At the same time, it could overwhelm them with reports that require careful review. Gold Eagle may offer a useful filter. The clearinghouse could validate a report before sending it to a project that lacks a large security department.
It could also connect maintainers with government or industry engineers who can help assess the problem. Anthropic has already worked with open-source groups through Project Glasswing. The company says its partners used Mythos Preview to find more than 10,000 high or critical-severity vulnerabilities. Those figures come from Anthropic and do not represent Gold Eagle's results. Still, those findings show why the government expects AI-generated vulnerability reports to arrive at a much greater scale.
The government's recent handling of Claude Mythos 5 shows how sensitive these capabilities have become. On June 12, 2026, the U.S. government applied export controls to Mythos 5 and Claude Fable 5. Anthropic suspended access because it could not immediately verify the nationality of every user.
The government lifted those restrictions on June 30. Anthropic restored Mythos 5 access on July 1 to a selected group of approved U.S. organizations. Anthropic currently limits Mythos 5 to vetted partners because the model could support defensive research or harmful activity.
CyberGuy previously took a closer look at how Anthropic's Mythos AI changed cybersecurity and why its ability to uncover thousands of hidden software flaws is raising concern.
Gold Eagle is betting that controlled access can give defenders an advantage. However, other advanced models will continue improving. That means Gold Eagle will need to move quickly. A flaw loses much of its defensive value once an attacker independently discovers it.
The idea behind Gold Eagle makes sense. Security teams should share validated findings and avoid wasting time on duplicate scans. However, coordination can become slow when too many organizations must approve each decision.
Gold Eagle will need clear rules for who validates a vulnerability. It also needs a reliable way to decide which reports deserve immediate attention. Transparency will matter too. The government should eventually publish useful performance information without revealing dangerous technical details.
For example, it could report how many findings were validated and how quickly affected developers received them. It could also show how many vulnerabilities led to released patches. The program faces a legal deadline as well. Its information-sharing process relies on protections in the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015.
Congress temporarily extended that law through September 30, 2026. The administration says a lapse could undermine the cooperation Gold Eagle needs from private companies. Companies may hesitate to share sensitive information when they feel uncertain about legal protections. That could weaken the clearinghouse before it has time to prove itself.
FAKE PASSWORD-MANAGER ALERTS COULD PUT YOUR VAULT AT RISK
Gold Eagle works mostly behind the scenes. However, the patch still has to reach your device. You also need to install it. Here are several ways to reduce your exposure while companies work to close newly discovered flaws.
Enable automatic updates for your phone and computer. You should also update your browser and regularly used apps. Many software updates close security holes. Automatic installation reduces the time that a known flaw remains open on your device. However, review major operating system upgrades before installing them on a device you rely on for critical work. A short delay may make sense when an update has widely reported compatibility problems. For step-by-step help, see CyberGuy's guide on how to update all of your devices and keep them safe at cyberguy.com
Your router may not display update reminders as visibly as your phone. The same problem can affect security cameras and other connected devices. Open the manufacturer's app or support page and check for firmware updates. Some newer routers let you enable automatic updates. Also, change any default administrator password that came with the device. For additional router checks, see how Russian hackers hijacked old Wi-Fi routers and the steps you can take to protect yours.
A device can continue working after its manufacturer stops supporting it. However, newly discovered vulnerabilities may remain unpatched. Check the manufacturer's support policy when you own an older router or connected product. Consider replacing the device when it reaches the end of its security-update period. CISA warns that unsupported network equipment can increase an organization's attack surface.
A real vulnerability can inspire fake update messages. Criminals may send an email that claims you must download an urgent security patch. Do not install software from an unexpected email or text message. Instead, open your device settings or the manufacturer's official app. You can also visit its verified support page directly. CISA recommends downloading patches from validated sources.
Strong antivirus software can help detect malicious files that try to exploit a weakness on your computer. Keep the protection active and allow it to update automatically. New detection information helps the software recognize recently identified threats. Still, antivirus software cannot make an unsupported device safe. It works best as one layer alongside regular updates. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
A current backup can help you recover if malware damages your files or ransomware locks them. Use a trusted cloud backup service or an external drive. When using an external drive, disconnect it after the backup finishes so malware cannot easily reach it. Finally, confirm that your backup is working. A backup you have never checked may fail when you need it most. For help choosing a method, check out our article on how to back up your devices the right way.
What stands out to me is how quickly AI is changing the cyber fight. It can help researchers uncover serious software flaws faster, but finding the problem is only half the battle. Someone still has to confirm it, build the fix and get that update onto your device before criminals take advantage. Gold Eagle could make that process less scattered by giving government agencies, private companies and open-source developers one place to coordinate. That could save valuable time when a major vulnerability appears. The real test will be what happens next. We need to see whether Gold Eagle can protect sensitive findings and help turn them into patches people actually receive. There is also a legal deadline coming in September that could affect how freely companies share threat information. For now, do not wait for a federal program to protect every device you own. Keep your software updated and take a closer look at older routers or smart devices that may no longer receive security fixes.
Would you feel safer knowing AI is hunting for software flaws, or more concerned knowing attackers can use the same technology? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Sean Penn reveals chilling thought after finding himself alone with the 'Night Stalker' in jail
Sean Penn admits he briefly considered attacking one of America's most infamous serial killers after the two unexpectedly came face to face behind bars.
In a recent interview with VICE News, the actor recalled spending 34 days in Los Angeles County Jail during the height of his early Hollywood success. Penn said he was in his mid-20s, had already starred in "Taps" and filmed "Colors," and was married to Madonna when he crossed paths with the "Night Stalker."
"I got moved out of general population because of some kind of threat," the 65-year-old told the outlet. "... And a lot of guys on this department... they invest a lot in pretending not to give a s--- about Hollywood culture, but they sure do like to gossip [about] what they see."
LISA RINNA REVEALS HOW HER MOTHER SURVIVED BRUTAL HAMMER ATTACK BY NOTORIOUS ‘TRAILSIDE KILLER’
"So, I slept with one eye open, of course," he said. "... Then I got moved to [an] eight and a half by 11 by myself for most of the time. And through a little wire glass door, there's Richard Ramirez, not 20 feet away. And we're both insomniacs."
Shackled and belly chained for a phone call, the actor said he was escorted into an otherwise empty room — only to discover Ramirez sitting beside him.
WATCH: SEAN PENN DISCUSSES DOCUMENTARY ON UKRAINE WAR
"I came out of my cell for a phone call," Penn told the outlet. "So they take you shackled and belly chained, and they take one cuff off, put it on the eye hook so that you've got a hand for the phone. And Ramirez is seated right next to me. He's going to [make] a call also."
"There's nobody else there," said Penn. "There's nobody in there because somebody was throwing feces at somebody. It was a crazy kind of thing happening. And I did have that question. I knew what he did to some of these people. This wasn't today's phones or your cellphone, right?"
"I'm right next to him," said Penn. "I could, I could ..."
"Flatten him out," said the host.
The Oscar winner admitted he thought better of it despite having access to him "twice."
"But who was I?" said Penn. "It was just another person. And I'm so glad I didn't think I was important enough to do that, but you have the thought."
Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders during a killing spree that gripped Southern California in 1984 and 1985.
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His reign of terror peaked in the summer of 1985, when he slipped into homes through unlocked doors and windows before murdering victims, sexually assaulting women and burglarizing homes. He also left satanic symbols at several crime scenes.
The press dubbed him the "Night Stalker" as authorities warned Southern California residents to lock their doors and windows after dark.
Ramirez's slayings ended in 1985 after residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood recognized him from news reports, chased him down and beat him before police took him into custody following a failed carjacking.
During his trial, the Texas native attracted a following of young women who regularly attended court proceedings and sent him love letters.
Ramirez died in 2013 at age 53 from cancer while awaiting execution on California's death row at San Quentin State Prison.
Years before, Penn revealed another bizarre detail about their time behind bars: The serial killer wanted his autograph. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, Penn said Ramirez sent word through a deputy requesting a signed keepsake.
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"He wrote me [a letter]," said Penn. "I was down here on Bauchet Street, in LA County Jail, in the cell kind of across from him. And after a month of seeing each other around, he wanted my autograph. So, he sent one of the deputies over, [and the] deputy came to my cell and told me, ‘Hey, Richard Ramirez wants your autograph.’ And I didn’t trust the deputy because I’d gotten in some trouble inside there and just passing a piece of paper is contraband, so you can get extra days for that, and I already had extra days and I didn’t want more."
"So, I said, ‘Bring the sergeant down here, and I’ll talk to him, and if he approves it, then I want him to write something first, and I’ll write him something back,’" said Penn. "So, the sergeant came down and approved it, and they went over to Ramirez — this guard basically wanted to play cupid, in some way. So, I get this thing from him, and it says, ‘Hey Sean, stay tough and hit them again — Richard Ramirez, 666,’ with a pentagram and a rendition of the devil."
Penn wrote back.
"I said, ‘You know, Richard, it’s impossible to be incarcerated and not feel a certain kinship with your fellow inmates. Well, Richard, I’ve done the impossible. I feel absolutely no kinship with you. And I hope gas descends upon you before sanity does, you know? It would be a kinder way out.’"
"And they gave it to him," said Penn. "And then my house burned down years later, and that damn thing of his burned with it."