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George Lucas spotted at USMNT World Cup opener where player nicknamed 'Jedi' helped deliver 4-1 win
There was a ton of buzz about the USMNT's World Cup opener — and you could argue even more buzz after they impressed everyone with a 4-1 win over Paraguay — and since it was in Los Angeles, there were plenty of celebrities on hand.
Including a certain legendary director responsible for the "Star Wars" saga... the better versions.
That's right, George Lucas was in attendance for the match, which was fitting considering he helped inspire one of the USMNT's most recognizable nicknames.
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One of the top players on the U.S. squad is 28-year-old Antonee Robinson. However, these days, he's often known by his nickname "Jedi."
Every nerd reading this just perked up a little...
Of course, "Jedi" comes from the world of "Star Wars." Lucas had a habit of taking words from other languages, and the name for his films' lightsaber-wielding heroes is believed to have come from the Japanese word jidaigeki, a term used for historical samurai.
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Well, Robinson was a huge "Star Wars" fan as a kid, and earned the nickname "Jedi." Eventually, according to The Sporting News, this became public knowledge, and it stuck.
Then, in a full-circle moment, there was George Lucas in the stands for Robinson and the USMNT's World Cup opener... and he was just annihilating some sandwich.
George Lucas is the man. He just is.
He's a billionaire creative genius who has worn the same flannels and Nike Air Monarchs for decades, and comes across as the same dude he has always been.
That's just the coolest thing ever.
Also, I really like the time he went bombing into a corner in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at Long Beach and crashed his already beat-up Scion TC.
What a guy.
We'll have to see if Lucas hits up any more matches, and if he does, I think someone has to find a way to get Jedi Robinson a photo with the guy who invented the term.
Obama Presidential Center's $470M safety net under scrutiny as subcontractors say they're owed millions
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
"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."
Trump picks James McDonald to lead powerful Southern District of New York after Jay Clayton's departure
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his intent to appoint James M. McDonald as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
The high-profile position is opening up following Trump's recent nomination of the district's current U.S. attorney, Jay Clayton, to serve in his cabinet as the nation's new director of national intelligence.
"I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as he has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, our Law Enforcement Patriots, the Legal Community, and the Judicial Bench," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the pick.
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McDonald, an Oklahoma native, previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the SDNY and worked during Trump's first term as the director of enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Like his predecessor Clayton, McDonald has strong ties to the prominent law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he currently serves as a senior partner.
His legal background also includes clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and graduating from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law.
AI-designed 'universal vaccine' passes first human clinical trial, could prevent future pandemics
A vaccine created using artificial intelligence that could potentially provide broader protection against multiple coronaviruses and help prepare for future outbreaks has passed its first human clinical trial.
Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton developed a "universal vaccine" designed to protect against multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses, which the university explained in a news release is "the large group of viruses that occur in nature including SARS-CoV-2, which caused the COVID pandemic."
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Traditional vaccines must constantly be updated as viruses mutate, and the process is "like a dog chasing its tail," said University of Southampton professor Saul Faust, the trial’s chief investigator.
"Viruses like Influenza, Coronaviruses and the Ebola group are evolving continuously, and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched – the current ‘reactive’ vaccine system struggles to keep pace," Faust said.
An antigen is the active ingredient in a vaccine meant to trigger an immune-system response and fight off infection. According to the release, the university scientists logged all the available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses and used AI used to design a "super-antigen" that contains the antigen features "common to this whole group of viruses – including ones that haven’t emerged yet."
The trial of the vaccine proved safe and triggered an immune response in 39 healthy volunteers, marking "the first time that a vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans," the release said.
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The trial vaccine was administered through a micro-fluid jet that delivers the immunization through the skin using a tiny, high-pressure stream of liquid and does not require a needle. The researchers said this method could make it "faster and easier to carry out in large numbers of people."
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"This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed," Faust said. "They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven’t yet emerged and spilt over to humans. If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved."
Some experts have raised broad concerns about using AI in medicine, primarily when it comes to making clinical decisions, not developing vaccines. Certain groups of people may be underrepresented in the data AI relies on, resulting in biased outcomes, some said.
AI also sometimes produces erroneous information, called "hallucinations," and determining who is liable for medical failings in such situations is a complex matter.
Others have expressed concern over patient privacy, as well as the need for human judgement that takes into account the scope of a patient’s health history, rather than a single dataset.
The universal-vaccine researchers said that a larger trial involving "a wider and more diverse population" is needed. They published their findings in Journal of Infection.
Vegas without William Karlsson for crucial Game 6 as Tortorella confirms forward not ready
The Vegas Golden Knights are headed back home for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, but they'll be hoping to force a Game 7 back in Raleigh.
However, things just got a lot tougher with news that forward William Karlsson will not be in the team's lineup on Sunday.
Karlsson exited Game 5 after taking a heavy hit from Carolina defenseman Sean Walker. The 33-year-old Swede initially returned to the bench, but after being evaluated by the team's medical staff, he headed to the locker room and did not return.
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On Saturday, Vegas head coach John Tortorella revealed that Karlsson will not be ready for Game 6, which is a big loss for the team.
After Vegas' Game 5 loss, Tortorella even pointed to that moment as a turning point in the game.
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"When we lose Bill, it kind of screws things up," he said, per Sportsnet. "We lost momentum when we went back-to-back in penalties. It was about the same time that we lost Bill. We’ve got to find a way."
"Wild Bill," as he's known, is one of just four players who were on Vegas' inaugural roster in 2017. Obviously, he's a big part of the locker room, and while injuries kept him out of all but 14 games during the regular season, he's got 9 points (3G, 6A) with a +/- rating of 10.
It remains to be seen who will replace Karlsson, but whoever it is will need to come up big.
The other piece of news from Tortorella is that Vegas will stick with goaltender Carter Hart in Game 6. He has allowed four or more goals in every game this series, leading to speculation that the Golden Knights might want to try backup Adin Hill — who backstopped them to a Stanley Cup in 2023 — to try to force a Game 7.
Rubio, Newsom share World Cup spotlight at US opener as 2028 presidential speculation swirls
Secretary of State Marco Rubio used Team USA's World Cup opener Friday night in California to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, according to a State Department official, as the Trump administration highlighted the secretary's diplomatic work during the quadrennial international soccer tournament.
"Secretary Rubio was honored to attend the first World Cup game in the U.S. [Friday] night and witness an incredible win for our country. Secretary Rubio never stops working to advance U.S. priorities and used the opportunity to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña during the game to discuss our strategic partnerships," an administration official told Fox News Digital.
The U.S. men defeated Paraguay, 4-1, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the opening match of its World Cup campaign.
Rubio's attendance also generated political interest after reports indicated he would be seated in the same suite as California Gov. Gavin Newsom during the match.
USMNT WORLD CUP OPENER GETS OFF TO A FLYING START WITH OWN GOAL PUTTING AMERICANS AHEAD OF PARAGUAY
The appearance placed two of the country's most prominent political figures from opposite parties at the same event as speculation continues about the 2028 presidential race.
Newsom has repeatedly faced questions about a potential White House bid and has acknowledged he has considered a presidential run, though he has not announced any plans to seek the office.
Rubio, a former Republican presidential candidate and one of President Donald Trump's most visible Cabinet members, has likewise been discussed by some political observers as a potential future contender for the White House.
The State Department did not provide additional details about Rubio's discussion with Peña, including whether the meeting had been arranged before the match or what specific issues were discussed.
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Paraguay has long maintained close ties with the U.S., and is one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies in South America, a relationship that has made the country strategically important in the region as the U.S. and China compete for influence across Latin America.
The World Cup is expected to draw government officials, world leaders and political figures from around the globe as matches are held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The State Department and Newsom's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
The administration's description of Rubio's meeting with Peña underscored that the secretary of state continued conducting diplomatic business while attending the tournament opener, which marked the beginning of Team USA's World Cup campaign on home soil.
United States shatters World Cup viewership record in first match vs Paraguay in Los Angeles
The United States men's national team put a beatdown on Paraguay in its first World Cup match on home soil since 1994, drawing a reported crowd of 70,492 at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium). It was a clinic, a spectacle, and perhaps the most encouraging performance many American soccer fans have seen in their lifetimes. The numbers on the scoreboard were impressive, and as it turns out, so were the viewership figures FOX Sports just released.
On Saturday, FOX Sports announced that the 4-1 win over Paraguay was the "Most-watched USMNT FIFA Men’s World Cup telecast in English-language U.S. history" with an astounding 15.986 million viewers. The team showed out and Americans followed suit.
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To put this in perspective, the 2022 USMNT group-stage opener against Wales averaged about 11.7 million viewers in the U.S. That's a whopping 106% increase in viewership. The peak viewership during Friday's rout was 18.86 million. We should have expected an uptick in viewership with the excitement of playing on home soil and one of the best men's teams constructed on paper, but this was historic.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs reportedly averaged just over 16 million viewers. That means the USMNT wasn't far behind the biggest sporting event in America at the moment — an impressive feat for a soccer match, even one played on home soil during a World Cup.
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If the team puts together another impressive performance against Australia on Friday, expect plenty of Americans who don't normally follow soccer all that closely to jump on the bandwagon and start feeling the patriotism flowing through their veins.
This is also an incredible opportunity to grow soccer in the United States, help Major League Soccer attract new fans, and turn some of these players into household names. The NHL capitalized on the momentum created by the 4 Nations Face-Off and international competition. MLS would be wise to do the same.
USMNT play Australia at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
Top federal prosecutor calls California a 'fraudster's paradise,' warns state officials could face charges
A top federal prosecutor in Southern California told Fox News that the state has transformed into a "fraudster’s paradise," accusing state leaders of allowing millions of dollars in fraud.
Speaking on "Saturday in America," First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli highlighted a string of federal busts, including a $45 million Medicare Botox scam. He added that federal investigators "will not hesitate" to prosecute any officials found to be enabling the fraud.
"California is truly the fraudster's paradise," Essayli said Saturday, later adding, "It's very hard to tell sometimes if it truly is just massive incompetence or corruption, and that's a very fine line sometimes."
"If we ever develop evidence that there are people inside the government who are benefiting from the fraud or who are enabling the fraud, we will not hesitate to charge them," he said.
Essayli said new leadership at the Justice Department is "laser-focused" on going after those committing fraud and saving the American people money. He discussed cases in his district, including what the FBI in Los Angeles called the "largest Botox fraud scheme in the United States."
Violetta Mailyan, a doctor in California, was convicted in a $45 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting claims for Botox injections that either were not given or were unnecessary.
"The Botox scheme was a conviction right here in Los Angeles, and we're going after those assets. We're [going to] get probably $20 million of her assets returned to the taxpayers after that conviction," he said.
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Essayli argued that the way California hands out medical licenses is helping to fuel fraud, questioning whether it's "incompetence or corruption" behind it and adding that state politicians "really don't care" because it’s federal money being used.
"A lot of this is just like reckless, massive incompetence and negligence to hand out this many licenses without vetting or checking that these are legitimate medical providers," he said. "You really are just handing the keys to the piggy bank over to these fraudsters."
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The prosecutor also had a message for potential fraudsters, telling them to "be on alert."
"You could be next," Essayli said. "And you probably will be next because we're not putting up with it here anymore."
In March, President Donald Trump chose Vice President JD Vance to lead the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Since then, the White House says it has identified several major fraud rings involving hospice care and childcare facilities.
In May, Vance, alongside Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, announced the administration would defer $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California due to oversight concerns.
At the time, Vance told Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany the administration’s anti-fraud task force was looking into whether government officials enabled the alleged scams. He warned that anyone who covered up the abuse "ought to go to prison."
Wyndham Clark trolls Canadian Open crowd with Team USA Jack Hughes jersey, gets showered in boos
Team USA star Jack Hughes’ golden goal over Canada in the Olympics was not that long ago, but golf star Wyndham Clark wants to make sure no one forgets about it.
Clark, playing in the RBC Canadian Open, took a dig at the Canadian crowd by donning a Hughes jersey on his way to the 14th tee box. As expected, the Canadian crowd showered boos down upon the Denver native.
Clark, 32, leaned into the boos as he turned around and pointed to his jersey. Clark took the jersey off for his tee shot, and upon hitting his tee shot, the boos returned.
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Most of the time, the crowd cheers after a golfer hits a shot, but that was not the case for Clark after he decided to conjure up some bad memories for Canadian fans with the Hughes jersey.
Clark quickly quieted the crowd when the ball landed just a few feet from the hole on the 134-yard par-3. The crowd wasn’t quiet for long, however, as Clark once again put the Hughes jersey back on for his walk to the green, and the boos rained down.
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Clark did not take the jersey off when he walked to the green, and buried a birdie putt to move to 9-under for the tournament. When the ball went in the hole, the boos continued, and Clark jokingly touched the brim of his cap and saluted the aggrieved Canadian crowd.
The 2023 U.S. Open champion continued his momentum after birdieing the 14th hole, as he also birdied the 15th and 18th holes to finish at 11-under. At the time of this writing, Clark is in second place.
He will look to embrace the villain role and take home the championship on Sunday. If he were to win, it would continue his strong run of play, as he won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May.
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Boston cop goes viral with keepy-uppies display that had kilt-wearing Scottish fans losing their minds
Soccer fans — or, as many of them would insist, "football fans" — from around the globe are pouring into the United States. While it's been fun watching them discover everything that makes America great, from Waffle House and Bass Pro Shops to Buc-ee's and ranch dressing, I don't know that there's any group I'd rather party with than Scotland's Tartan Army.
I mean, any fanbase that drinks a plane's beer supply bone dry is fine by me.
Scotland plays Haiti on Saturday night at Boston Stadium (also known as Gillette Stadium), which has led to a flood of Scottish fans in Boston ahead of the match.
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What I think has been cool about the World Cup in the early going is that short of any fans whose team took a beating (sorry, Paraguay), everyone seems to be having the greatest time.
This was the case at some kind of fan fest, it looks like, where fans from all over had gathered to have some fun, and it turns out one of Boston's finest even got in on it.
A Boston cop has gone viral thanks to his valiant display of keepy-uppies, which had some kilt-wearing Scots losing their minds.
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That cop must be a fiend with a hacky sack too.
I'm not a Scotsman who has been drinking since climbing aboard a flight in Edinburgh on Friday morning, and I would've been losing my mind too, because that was some impressive keepy-uppy-ing.
Normally, when you see someone do that, they're wearing soccer shorts, not a bulletproof vest and a belt with a gun and taser.
Keepy-uppies with those on you really separates the men from the boys.
I think we're going to see quite a scene on Saturday night at Boston Stadium, where Scotland is pretty heavily favored to come away with the win in their World Cup opener, according to FOX Sports.