Chicago nonprofit shaping civic leadership and the Barack Obama Presidential Center.
The Obama Presidential Center has opened to the public amid ongoing scrutiny of its cost, timing and design. A new museum tower and campus provide digital, interactive exhibits and community spaces, while critics and Trump have highlighted the political dimensions of the project.
The Obama Presidential Center has opened on Chicago’s South Side with a star-studded dedication ceremony and performances. Four living former presidents attended the invite-only event; President Donald Trump did not. The $850 million, 19-acre campus will open to the public on Juneteenth and will house a museum, public library branch, athletic facilities and public spaces.
A weekend of shootings in Chicago has drawn renewed calls for federal intervention. President Trump has urged Gov. Pritzker to request federal help, while local officials defend policing strategies. The city is suffering a surge in shootings and has reported multiple fatalities during Juneteenth weekend.