Bashful Barack Obama Simply Can't Handle Michelle Singing His Praises: 'I'm Gonna Look Down'Barack Obama wasn't ready for Michelle Obama's flattery during her speech at the opening of his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday."Please indulge me for a moment, because I'm gonna take a little time to do something that I know my husband will not do today, and that is to fully sing his praises," the former first lady said from the podium as the grinning former president's eyes darted down."Barack, you gotta look at me," she continued."I'm gonna look down," he said, dramatically shaking his head. She went on to point out all the racist vitriol her husband faced during his time in office, including "claims that a U.S. senator and constitutional law expert wasn't qualified for the job, the lies about your birthright, your faith, your patriotism.""How absurd it is to even imagine that you might have buckled under the pressure, even once lashed out in frustration, lost your temper," she continued. "How absurd it is to imagine that you might have done anything but make our family and this entire country proud -- proud every step of the way. Love you, baby."Latest Live UpdatesViewership Of Trump's UFC Fight Didn't Get Anywhere Near ‘Super Bowl-Type Numbers’Viewership numbers for last weekend's UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House fell far short of what its supporters were predicting, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics data shared by Paramount+."We’re expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight,’’ UFC CEO Dana White said earlier this month. The 2026 Super Bowl averaged 125.6 million viewers. Likewise, Secretary of State Marco Rubio envisioned a fight in which a billion people tuned in.But Paramount+ reported just 17 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America during UFC Freedom 250, meaning White was short by about 108 million viewers, and Rubio by approximately 980 million.It’s also worth noting that Paramount, which exclusively streamed UFC Freedom 250, only has about 80 million subscribers.Still, the event, which President Donald Trump dubbed “one of the most exciting days in the History of our fabled White House,” did break a January UFC record of five million average viewers for UFC 324.Jonathan David's Hat Trick Powers Canada To First Ever World Cup Victory Over QatarJonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round with a 6-0 victory over Qatar on Thursday.Qatar was reduced to nine players because of red cards in the chaotic match. Assim Madibo was handed a red early in the second half after a tackle on Ismaël Koné, who was stretched off with a serious injury to his lower left leg. Homan Ahmed was sent off in the first half for a challenge on Tajon Buchanan.Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the match after missing the team’s opener in Toronto last week because of the G7 summit in France. He sat with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.Cyle Larin scored his second goal of the tournament on a rebound in the 16th minute. Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada punched away David’s volley but it fell to Larin, who pointed to his ears in celebration as the red-clad crowd roared.David doubled the lead with a right-footed volley in the 29th, for his first goal in the run of play in more than a year.Read more from the Associated Press here: ICE Makes Major Reversal On Plans To Use Warehouses As Detention Facilities: NYTIn a major reversal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is offloading multiple warehouses it procured for use as detention facilities, according to a New York Times report. Per documents obtained by the publication, the agency is selling or giving away seven warehouses, while moving forward with plans for four others. The move signals the agency’s shift away from an initiative championed by former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after it drew environmental lawsuits and outcry from a number of local communities. Read more from the Times: Missing Congressman Plans To Return At The End Of The MonthRep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) will return to Congress on June 30 after a nearly 3-month absence, his office told several outlets. “Congressman Kean is eager to return to in-person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,” Harrison Neely, Kean’s spokesperson, told NOTUS and other outlets on Thursday. Kean, has been missing from Washington since early March, which his office has said is because of an unknown medical issue. He is expected to reveal what the condition is when he returns at the end of the month. Luigi Mangione's Legal Team Walks Back Planned Psychiatric DefenseLuigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down a healthcare CEO on a Manhattan sidewalk, will not invoke a psychiatric defense in his upcoming state trial.Mangione's legal team said Wednesday they planned to invoke a psychiatric defense, arguing he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance when he allegedly killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomspon.Just one day later, Mangione's defense team walked it back."The defense respectfully withdraws CPL § 250.10 notice at this time," a one-line notice by his defense team said in a Thursday court filing.If a jury had accepted a psychiatric defense, Mangione would have been convicted of manslaughter and would have faced up to 25 years in prison. Jury selection for Mangione's state trial is expected to begin September 8.DC Is Set To Add to A Growing Number Of Democratic Socialist MayorsWashington D.C. is poised to be the latest city to elect a democratic socialist mayor, as of Thursday’s primary results.D.C. council member Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist who ran on issues like universal childcare and lowering utility costs, is projected to win the city’s Democratic primary for the job, according to The Associated Press. Given D.C.’s Democratic skew, the primary winner is widely expected to win the general election in November as well. As NBC’s Natasha Korecki reports, there’s been an uptick in democratic socialist mayors across multiple cities signaling voter discontent with both President Donald Trump and the status quo.New York City’s Zohran Mamdani and Seattle’s Katie Wilson, both democratic socialists who also ran on platforms addressing affordability, were elected in the last year. In Los Angeles, Nithya Raman, a city council member and democratic socialist, also recently advanced in a top-two primary for the job. Read more from NBC News: Trump's $14M Reflecting Pool Paint Job Is Now Peeling Off In ChunksPresident Donald Trump positioned himself as a swimming pool expert as he touted the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovations he ordered this year, having put in “more than 100” over his career. But after spending $14 million, the reflecting pool now looks arguably worse than it did before.Aside from the green hue of the water, the product of what is reportedly one of the largest algae blooms in recent years, the “industrial-grade swimming pool topping” that Trump chose is already peeling off in sheets. Visitors took notice of the floating material on Thursday. A man who gave his name as Sean told HuffPost that he had experience working on swimming pool coatings in the past, and did not seem surprised to see the peeling. “This is an epoxy,” he said of the coating. “This is something you would do on a concrete — on a shot concrete sort of pool where you have leaking. And then you spray this out. But in a pool, you’re dealing with a whole lot less square feet. So you can do special treatments on it … so it isn’t going to come back up.”HuffPost observed some people taking samples of the coating with them as a souvenir of Trump's Washington.Trump accused his Democratic predecessors of causing problems with the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool which he then supposedly had to fix.Jen Bendery1/22/2Mamdani Delivers Inspiring Speech At Knicks Championship Parade: ‘This Is Our City. This Is Our Team.’New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered an inspiring speech at the Knicks' championship parade on Thursday. “Over these past weeks, as the Knicks kept winning, our city has come together as one. Neighbors invited neighbors over. Strangers high-five one another in the street. Subway conductors saying their announcements, and bus drivers dance behind the wheel,” Mamdani said. “So often when the city comes together, it is because we are forced to by a moment of tragedy or adversity. What a gift it is to be brought together by pure, unfiltered joy. For as long as we live, we will remember this feeling of a city together, a city alive, a city overcome by happiness.”He highlighted star players from over the years and emphasized the challenges the Knicks conquered to earn their victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.“The Knicks did not just win for New York City, they won like New York City,” Mamdani told the crowd. “What is New York if not your back up against the wall? A dream that feels just out of reach. A rent payment you don't know how you'll ever make. What is New York if not 99.6% of the world stacked against you? And who are New Yorkers if not people who hear those odds and smile, who look at a 0.4% chance of success and ask, why are you giving me a head start? This is our city. This is our team. For 53 years we watched. For 53 years we waited. Now we've won.”‘Wonderwall’ Is The World Cup's Newest AnthemThe Oasis classic “Wonderwall” is enjoying a new lease of life at this year's World Cup.After a 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas, England fans serenaded their team with a version of the 1995 hit as the song was played over the AT&T Stadium's speakers.Footage showed England stars including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham soaking up the rousing rendition of the Manchester band's most popular number, with some of the players joining in.Some pop songs have been universally embraced by soccer fans, so it's not a stretch for the Gallagher brothers' singalong to be added to the sport's songbook.Supporters from a number of countries at the tournament have been belting out Gala's 1995 Eurodance tune “Freed From Desire” — especially the “na na na na na naaaa na na naaaaa na na na” chorus.A chant based around the guitar line from The White Stripes' “Seven Nation Army” is another favorite likely to ring out across the three host nations into July.The “Wonderwall” reprise comes as the Britpop band have enjoyed a renaissance as result of a successful reunion tour in 2025.Watch here as the moment was captured by Fox Sports.Ducks Likely OK As Trump Admin Dumps Hydrogen Peroxide Into Green Reflecting PoolIn case you were alarmed by the images of ducklings floating around in the now-green Reflecting Pool, which the Trump administration has been dumping jugs of hydrogen peroxide into to try to contain an algal outbreak, they’re probably fine, says a D.C. wildlife group.President Donald Trump last month ordered the pool’s basin to be painted “American flag blue” as part of his so-called beautification of D.C. He not only drew a lawsuit over it, but apparently contributed to a surge of algae in the pool. Workers were spotted earlier this week pouring gallons of hydrogen peroxide into the water, which did nothing to counter the algae's takeover.Dr. Sophie Andrews, the medical director for D.C.’s Humane Rescue Alliance, said the duck families that have long congregated in the pool haven’t likely been harmed.“While it is generally recommended to avoid chemicals in water that animals come into contact with or ingest, in low concentrations such as those used to control algae populations, hydrogen peroxide is unlikely to have damaging effects to wildlife,” Andrews told HuffPost.See All Updates