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Former President Barack Obama blamed a splintered media landscape for the lack of a second Obama-like political figure emerging on the national stage during an interview on Tuesday.

NBC "Today" co-host Craig Melvin talked to the former president about the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on his "Glass Half Full" podcast and told him, "You’ve always represented a lot of different communities, but there has always been this singularity to your story. Earlier this week, one of your former aides was talking on one of these cable shows and said Democrats should stop looking for Obama 2.0. Not gonna happen."

"Do you think in the current climate that someone like you with your background and your story, do you think that you could break through now the same way you did back in ’07, ’08?" Melvin asked Obama. 

"I do think it’s harder because of the nature of your business, the media, it’s more splintered," Obama said.

OBAMA CHOOSES SUPPORTER STEPHEN COLBERT FOR DEBUT INTERVIEW AT CONTROVERSIAL PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

"I hadn’t even been elected yet to the U.S. Senate," he continued. "I had won the primary. I’d won the nomination — Democratic nomination to be the senator of Illinois, but nobody really knew who I was except outside of Illinois. And when I gave that speech at the convention, suddenly I’m a national figure because all the networks covered it. And if you’re on the cover of Time magazine or Newsweek back then, suddenly everybody knows who you are because we all shared one culture."

Obama said that people "who are just as gifted or in some cases more gifted" than him were not breaking through because of a splintered media.

He suggested the country was in a transition period.

"So I think we’re in a transition period where there are a lot of Barack and Michelle Obamas out there doing cool stuff, but politics hasn’t quite given them the platform yet. Media hasn’t shined a spotlight on them yet. If we can help focus on the great work they’re doing, then that’s one of our core missions," he said.

OBAMA REMAINS DEM HEADLINER WHILE PRESIDENT WITH MOST VOTES EVER FADES INTO BACKGROUND: 'IT WAS ALL A DREAM'

Obama said during the dedication of his presidential center in Chicago earlier this month that America’s Founders fell "terribly short" of the Declaration of Independence’s promise, while casting the nation’s story as one of generations coming together to make the union "more perfect."

"The success of this experiment was never a given," Obama said in his speech, referring to the nation's founding ahead of America celebrating its 250th anniversary on the 4th of July.

"In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property," he said. "But in drafting a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, they did have the foresight, the genius, to provide us with a framework that allows each generation to make our union more perfect."

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The 44th president devoted much of his speech to outlining the work he believes America still has ahead, echoing themes he has emphasized in past appearances on the campaign trail and during his time in the White House.

Fox News' Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.

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Former San Jose State volleyball player Brooke Slusser called Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of states protecting women’s sports the "biggest win" female athletes have had yet.

Slusser appeared on Fox News’ "The Faulkner Focus" after the high court ruled 6-3 in favor of West Virginia and Idaho in two landmark transgender athlete cases. The ruling upheld state laws requiring student-athletes to compete on sports teams that correspond with their biological sex at birth rather than their gender identity.

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For Slusser, who became one of the most prominent voices in the fight to protect women’s sports after speaking out about a transgender player on her volleyball team in 2024, the decision was deeply personal.

"I mean, it’s amazing," Slusser told Harris Faulkner. "It’s the biggest win we’ve had yet, so I couldn’t be happier. We couldn’t ask for more right now."

Slusser filed a lawsuit last year over her experience at SJSU, where she said she was not told that teammate Blaire Fleming was transgender despite sharing team spaces, including hotel rooms, locker rooms and living quarters.

"I found out from other student-athletes at the university, so it wasn’t even the institution itself that informed us, which makes it even worse," Slusser said. "My whole team had to find out on their own through other student-athletes."

Slusser said the issue was not limited to competition. She argued that female athletes were deprived of the ability to make informed decisions about their own privacy and comfort in intimate spaces.

"It’s taking away the student-athlete’s choice to choose which safe spaces they’re in," she said. "You’re going into locker rooms, or for my situation, my living space, and being told these are all women, thinking I’m comfortable doing whatever I need to be doing, changing and getting dressed where I want to. And then I found out the whole time that I’ve been sharing hotel rooms, locker rooms, my living space with a man."

Slusser continued, "They’re stripping me of my choice to basically choose where I want to get ready and who I am getting ready around. That’s the biggest issue. It’s not even just about safety in the sport as well, it’s about everything else that goes into it."

SUPREME COURT MAKES RULING ON TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

The SJSU volleyball controversy became one of the most high-profile examples in the debate over trans-identifying athletes in women’s sports. Multiple Mountain West teams forfeited matches against San Jose State during that season amid concerns about Fleming’s participation.

Slusser told Faulkner that even as Fleming’s teammate, she still had concerns about the physical differences in practice.

"I just had to practice with him. I wasn’t even playing against him in a real game," Slusser said. "So the bare minimum, at least I got to know his tendencies so I could keep myself a little bit safer. But even then, I’m still getting slammed in my body. I had bruises on my legs from getting hit with a ball."

She added that opponents were put in an even worse position because they didn’t have the same familiarity before stepping on the court.

"These other teams don’t know what they’re walking into," Slusser said. "That’s even worse than what I had to go through going into practice every single day, trying to keep myself safe."

The Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox gives states the authority to maintain separate women’s and girls’ sports categories based on biological sex. The decision is a major victory for advocates who have argued that Title IX was designed to protect female athletes, not force them to compete against biological males.

Slusser said San Jose State failed its female athletes by prioritizing Fleming over the rest of the roster.

"The fact that they allowed these student-athletes that were men pretending to be women be protected under those Title IX rules that were meant for women to be protected in is the biggest fault that happened," Slusser said. "My institution itself, SJSU, they decided to protect a man and not worry about the 18 other women that should have been protected as well."

Slusser also referenced former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb, who suffered serious injuries after being hit in the face by a spike from a transgender opponent in 2022.

"This could ruin people’s lives, not even just in athletics, but overall," Slusser said. "Payton McNabb will never be the same from what happened to her, and that’s what we’re trying to stop."

For Slusser and other women who have fought this battle publicly, Tuesday’s ruling marks a legal victory that’s been a long time coming.

And for the states that passed laws protecting women’s sports, the Supreme Court has now made clear they have the constitutional authority to enforce them.

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EXCLUSIVE: Federal immigration authorities arrested more than a dozen illegal immigrants with criminal histories over the weekend, many of whom had convictions for charges including homicide, rape, child sex crimes, and drug trafficking.

The 15 arrests came as the Trump administration continues to ramp up its deportation agenda through sweeping interior enforcement, while simultaneously removing protections for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and drastically expanding detention capacity.

"Over the weekend, while Americans attended the Great American State Fair and enjoyed their summer weekends, the men and women of ICE were hard at work arresting criminal illegal aliens convicted of homicide, child sexual abuse, assault, rape, and drug trafficking," said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE will continue to protect Americans by arresting and removing criminal illegal aliens from our country."

‘GHOSTS’ ON FLORIDA HIGHWAYS: ROADSIDE STINGS SNARE 249 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, OFFICERS WARN MANY MORE HIDING

Those arrested over the weekend include:

WEEKEND ROUNDUP: CONVICTED MURDERERS, CHILD SEX ABUSERS AMONG ILLEGAL ALIENS NABBED BY ICE ACROSS US

Nine others arrested had criminal convictions for a range of offenses, including child sex crimes, assault with a deadly weapon and witness tampering.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently stated that the agency is on track to surpass deportation figures from 2025, a year that saw 442,000 formal deportations and removals, with DHS reporting over 605,000 total removals overall.

"In fact, within the next six weeks, we'll probably pass what we deported in all of 2025," Mullin said in a video posted Monday by the Trump administration's Rapid Response account on X.

In addition to targeting violent criminals for deportation, immigration authorities have also focused on those committing fraud and those who obtained U.S. citizenship fraudulently.

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Supporters attending President Donald Trump's rally on the National Mall acknowledged feeling the pinch from higher gas prices, but they largely declined to blame Trump — instead pointing to the Iran conflict and lingering frustration with inflation under former President Joe Biden.

"My least favorite president ran gas up to about $5 a gallon for no reason, and that was Mr. Biden," said Billy of North Carolina.

Fox News Digital spoke with Americans who gathered on the National Mall Wednesday evening for President Donald Trump's rally kicking off the "Great American State Fair" celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary, where attendees weighed in on whether they are feeling pain in their pockets as affordability concerns loom over the war with Iran and midterm elections in November.

"Affordability has a lot to do with just interest rates that went up the highest in 48 years under President Biden, so it's going to take some time to get those prices back down to where we were before that," said James McNair of Maryland.

GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH

"I'm not that concerned about the affordability thing. I think that our president is probably the best businessman to ever be president, and things will turn," added James’ brother, David.

"Being in Gen Z, everything's very expensive now," William of New York said in summary.

Many attendees shared that while they recognize gas prices are high, they attribute the recent spike to the escalating conflict with Iran—a development they continue to support.

TRUMP PROMISED LOWER COSTS; THE IRAN CONFLICT NOW THREATENS THAT PLEDGE

"I don't think the prices in general have gotten any worse than when Biden was in the administration," said Lisa of Maryland.

Before the war, the national average price of gasoline was $2.98 per gallon. Prices climbed to a peak of $4.56 per gallon in late May before gradually declining to $3.87 per gallon by the end of June.

Lisa and her husband, Matt, both served in the Army and expressed diverging opinions on affordability and Trump’s handling of Iran.

PENTAGON ESTIMATES IRAN WAR COST $11.3B IN THE FIRST SIX DAYS IN CLOSED-DOOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING: REPORT

"Prices have definitely gone up and they do get my attention," said Matt of Maryland.

Matt shared that his drill sergeants were warning him of being deployed to Iran back in 1985. "Here we are today in 2026, still dealing with this problem."

"If we're worried about gas prices, we're going to be worrying again and again and again until we get a handle on regimes that just don't share our values," said Matt.

BLACKROCK CEO LARRY FINK ARGUES US-IRAN CONFLICT WON'T DERAIL ECONOMY AS GAS PRICES SURGE

Norma Holm of Indiana also said she believed Iran would eventually have to be dealt with and that it was better to address the issue head-on than leave it for the next generation.

"We are taking it for the team with the gas prices and everything else, but things are stabling, and President Trump, don't underestimate him."

Washington and Tehran agreed to halt military strikes in the region with delegations scheduled to meet June 30 in Doha, Qatar for talks.

Other attendees are hoping that a resolution to the Iran conflict will lead to lower prices.

"As the Iran war comes to an end and the peace deal hopefully gels, we'll see. I think gas prices are already coming down, not tremendously, not where we would like to see, but those things take time," said James of New York.

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Two sisters and a friend were charged with murder after a 32-year-old Texas mother of five was stabbed multiple times in broad daylight and later died, authorities said.

Kitty Mia Diaz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, were arrested Thursday on charges of murder in connection with the fatal attack, the Del Rio Police Department wrote in a press release posted to Facebook.

The victim was identified as Caroline "Caro" Peña, 32, according to local media reports.

"She was one of those people that she was born to be a mom," Peña’s childhood friend, Zelina Ochoa, told KENS 5, fighting back and wiping off tears. "She really loved being a mom."

AUBURN GRAD WHO JUST LANDED DREAM JOB ALLEGEDLY SHOT AND KILLED BY BOYFRIEND'S FATHER IN ALABAMA

Del Rio is a city of 35,000 in southwest Texas near the Mexican border.

Police said officers responded around 2:10 p.m. Thursday to Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report that a woman had arrived with multiple stab wounds from an assault at a busy intersection.

"This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley; this happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight," Ochoa told KENS 5.

Because of the severity of her injuries, the woman was taken to a San Antonio medical facility for emergency treatment, police said. Investigators were notified around 9 p.m. that she had died after being stabbed twice in the back and a third time in her stomach.

BELFAST BURNS AFTER SUDANESE MIGRANT ARRESTED IN BRUTAL KNIFE ATTACK

Detectives reviewed surveillance video, processed evidence and interviewed witnesses before identifying Kitty Diaz, Cookie Diaz and Faz as suspects, police said. Kitty Diaz and Cookie Diaz were arrested without incident around 4 p.m. local time Thursday, and Faz was arrested a short time later.

Another friend, Christina Salinas, told the outlet she missed a call from Peña shortly before the stabbing and later recognized her in a photo suffering from the wounds circulating on a community page.

"I feel like if I would have answered that call, honestly I would have been there with her," Salinas said. "It wouldn’t have gotten like that."

Police have not publicly released a motive.

PENNSYLVANIA MOTHER OF THREE FATALLY SHOT WHILE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO PROTECT WOMAN OUTSIDE BAR: REPORT

Salinas said she rushed to the hospital and was able to say goodbye before Peña was flown to San Antonio.

"That girl, she was a fighter: She was still standing her ground," Salinas said.

All three suspects were booked at the Del Rio Police Department before being transported to the GEO Correctional Facility, where police said they remained pending court hearings.

The investigation remains active, and police said additional charges could be filed as detectives continue gathering evidence.

Peña is survived by her five children – the oldest a 17-year-old son – and a twin sister, according to reports.

"If you needed something and she had it, even if it was her last, she’d give it to you," Ochoa told KENS 5.

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Survivors of Venezuela's devastating earthquakes are being cared for at a makeshift hospital formed on the site of a country club in

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A man who admitted to setting a Virginia city council member on fire over an alleged affair was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday.

Shotsie Buck-Hayes pleaded guilty in April to attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding over his attack on Danville City Council Member Lee Vogler.

Witnesses told the court that on July 30, 2025, Buck-Hayes stormed into Vogler's Danville office and doused him with gasoline before chasing him out of the building and setting him on fire, according to Cardinal News.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman told reporters that Buck-Hayes spoke at his sentencing hearing and offered "what he claimed to be an apology" while maintaining that he was motivated by an alleged affair between Vogler and Buck-Hayes' wife, Mary Alice.

ARIZONA EXECUTES MAN WHO KILLED VICTIM BY DOUSING HIM IN GASOLINE AND SETTING HIM ON FIRE IN 2002 ATTACK

Mary Alice filed for divorce in mid-July 2025, about two weeks before the attack, according to court records cited by Cardinal News.

In September 2025, during the grand jury phase of the case, Sgt. Gerrit Clay with the Danville Police Department testified that Buck-Hayes intended to kill the married father of two over this alleged affair, an accusation that has never been substantiated.

'HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER' ACTOR NICK PASQUAL SENTENCED TO DECADES IN PRISON FOR STABBING EX-GIRLFRIEND

Blair Vogler, the council member’s wife, testified that the attack left her husband with second- and third-degree burns across 60% of his body.

After the attack, Vogler was immediately airlifted to the burn unit at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and spent months recovering.

"In order to correct those burns, they had to take an additional 35% of his skin, so there was a time when he was 95% open," Blair Vogler testified, according to Cardinal News. "That has led to infections, he’s had burn shock, septic shock… a smoke inhalation injury, and burns to his lungs, so he had pneumonia."

CONVICTED KILLER KARMELO ANTHONY CLAIMS HE IS 'PENNILESS' IN APPEAL DESPITE MAJOR DONOR-FUNDED LEGAL CAMPAIGN

Circuit Judge James Reynolds sentenced Buck-Hayes to life in prison. He gave him 10 years for attempted murder and a life sentence for aggravated malicious wounding, but suspended part of both sentences, giving him a 40-year term.

Attorneys for Buck-Hayes say they are planning on appealing his sentence. They also said he is not a U.S. citizen and that in the future, he will likely return to his home country, the United Kingdom, according to ABC11.

After the attack, doctors believed Vogler would have to stay in the hospital for six months. According to his GoFundMe, he was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 21, 2025, roughly three months earlier than expected.

That same day, Vogler attended his first city council meeting since the attack and was warmly welcomed back by his colleagues.

"Recovery remains a long road—months to years—and will include orthopedic surgeries for a condition called heterotopic ossification, as well as future cosmetic and laser procedures to improve functionality, range of motion, and everyday independence," Blair Vogler wrote in a December 2025 update on the GoFundMe. "One of Lee’s greatest challenges right now is working to regain use of the left hand due to nerve damage."

Vogler was elected to the city council in 2012 at the age of 24, making him the youngest person to ever be ascend to that position.

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