Former President Joe Biden appeared to linger on stage, uncertain of what he should do next, at the opening ceremony of former President Barack Obama’s new library and center in Chicago. As the dedication ceremony wrapped up on Thursday in Chicago, Biden was seen drifting back toward the stage while former President Barack Obama and former first lady Jill Biden exited. Video showed Biden lowering his sunglasses, looking into the crowd and asking, “Where’s my granddaughter?” A person familiar with the situation told Fox News that Biden was looking for his granddaughter, who was seated in the audience. Credit: Barack Obama via YouTube But after Biden’s disastrous final year in office, his frequent verbal stumbles and apparent confusion can no longer be viewed in isolation. The increasing number and frequency of such stumbles — both cognitive and physical — caused many to question over whether he was even capable of serving another term. While the Obama Center incident alone was not unique, it reflected the kind of public episode that had dogged Biden throughout the final stretch of his presidency and later became central to the debate over his eventually-abandoned re-election campaign. Those concerns, in spite of the administrations claims to the contrary, were not based only on viral videos or partisan commentary. A 2024 Daily Wire analysis of official White House transcript corrections found that Biden’s speaking errors doubled in the 12 months leading up to his June 27 debate against Donald Trump. The analysis reviewed nearly 400 official “speeches and remarks” transcripts, where White House staff and stenographers crossed out incorrect words or inserted corrected language in brackets. According to the analysis, the White House corrected 33 Biden errors in June 2023, a rate of 3.2 errors per 10,000 words. By May 2024, staff made 51 corrections, producing a rate of 7.2 errors per 10,000 words after Biden spoke roughly 70,000 words that month. The outlet noted that Biden spoke only about half his usual number of words in official remarks in June before the debate brought new scrutiny to his public performance. The corrections included misstated numbers, names, dates, and factual references. Biden mixed up billions and millions, debt and deficit, and even basic dates. In one widely circulated example after the debate, Biden attempted to reassure supporters that he would remain in the race and defeat Trump, saying, “I will beat him again in 2020.” A second Daily Wire analysis found that Biden’s tendency to stop mid-sentence, restart, correct himself, or drift into tangents appeared twice as frequently as it had when he was vice president. That analysis reviewed thousands of official transcripts across 11 years and found that Biden’s fragmented speaking patterns increased sharply between the end of his vice presidency in 2017 and the beginning of his presidency in 2021, then only became more pronounced during his term. Concerns about his mental acuity became more difficult to separate from Biden’s public image after his June 2024 debate against Trump, which intensified scrutiny of both his age and public performance. Less than a month later, Biden ended his re-election campaign. The Chicago video was a brief episode at the end of a public ceremony. But it follows the same pattern that made Biden’s public appearances a political liability during the 2024 campaign, as his verbal missteps and moments of confusion became harder to ignore.

Meme lovers throughout the Trump administration just posted a series of artificial intelligence remixes based on Grand Theft Auto VI, drawing on the viral internet craze behind the game.  After months of radio silence from Rockstar Games, the makers of the GTA series, the long-anticipated cover art for the new game finally dropped on Thursday — immediately taking the internet by storm. The White House, the Department of Labor, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection quickly capitalized on the craze, posting some of their own takes on the cover art. The Department of Health even came out with a short video. We really saved America before GTA 6 pic.twitter.com/W0ZRsLsVCj — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 18, 2026 We flipped the food pyramid before we got GTA 6. pic.twitter.com/UT1bSASfCk — Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) June 18, 2026 We really secured the border before GTA 6. Read more here: https://t.co/vrNPsYfD0X pic.twitter.com/prUvONQiLV — CBP (@CBP) June 18, 2026 We’re Making America Skilled Again before GTA 6

To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, two marathon runners have assembled a team to unite the country in a marathon relay from sea to shining sea.  The idea started when marathon runners Joe Nail and Wyatt Moss met and became friends while trying to complete 50 marathons in each of the 50 US states.  “As America’s 250th birthday came into view, Joe had an idea: do something epic to bring the country back together,” the Relay for America website said. “A coast-to-coast relay, carrying the American flag from one ocean to the capital. He asked Wyatt to partner — and Wyatt pushed it further. Don’t make it a private feat. Open it to everyone and build the first mass-participation flag relay across the country.” The idea for Relay for America was born – a marathon relay where more than 250 runners will carry the flag from California to the nation’s capital. Nail and Moss planned a route consisting of 3,016 miles, with each mile dedicated to one of America’s veterans.  The website mentions that the idea started with “a ragtag group of young people on a shoestring budget, with about two weeks to plan something most would spend years and hundreds of thousands of dollars on.” However, the founders of this movement mention that the spirit of American exceptionalism has kept the team going.  “We think that America is still an exceptional place,” Nail said during a Fox News interview. “There’s this narrative — people like to talk about all the things that are wrong with America, and really the spirit of this relay is showing all the things that are right with America.” The run began Sunday on Rodeo Beach in San Francisco when a group of about 15 people and the runner  touched the waters of the Pacific Ocean and started running east, as Moss told his audience on Instagram.     View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Wyatt Moss (@wyttmoss) The home page of the Relay for America has a map where viewers can see the flag’s current location and calculate the time the flag is expected to reach their state.  The relay will be expected to take around 20 days, ending in Washington D.C. on the evening of July 2. The runners are currently averaging about 161 miles per day, running through all hours of the day. As of Friday, the flag had been carried all the way to Utah. The website offers opportunities for volunteers to work for management, media, comms, operations, press, and bookkeeping to make sure that the flag reaches the nation’s capital on July 4.

The United States Men’s National Team punched its ticket to the knockout stage of the World Cup Friday, defeating Australia 2-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle and securing advancement from Group D with a match to spare. Playing in front of a packed Seattle crowd, the Americans overcame the absence of star midfielder Christian Pulisic and delivered one of their strongest performances of the tournament, moving one step closer to winning the group. The United States took control early and never looked back. Australia gifted the Americans the opening goal when a defensive miscue resulted in an own goal in the first half, giving the U.S. an early advantage and energizing the home crowd. The Americans doubled their lead just before halftime when defender Alex Freeman found the back of the net, finishing off a well-worked attacking sequence to put the United States firmly in control heading into the break. Neither team scored in the second half. The United States entered the match knowing a victory would secure a place in the knockout rounds after opening tournament play with a victory over Paraguay. Australia also entered the contest with three points after defeating Turkey on matchday one, making Friday’s showdown a pivotal battle atop Group D. Despite being without Pulisic, who was ruled out with a calf injury suffered during the opening match, the Americans showed little sign of missing one of their most important players. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino turned to Ricardo Pepi in the starting lineup The victory continues a strong run of form for the United States at Lumen Field. The Americans remain unbeaten in Seattle and improved upon a record that already ranked among the team’s best at any domestic venue. Friday’s result also marked another successful chapter in the growing rivalry between the United States and Australia. The Americans defeated the Socceroos 2-1 in their most recent meeting in October and now add another significant victory to the series. With advancement secured, the United States will now turn its attention to its final group-stage match as it seeks to lock up first place in Group D and improve its positioning for the knockout round. The Americans entered the tournament facing questions about depth and consistency, but through two matches they have answered those concerns with back-to-back victories and a place in the tournament’s final bracket.

“Cheers” co-creator James Burrows has died at the age of 85. Burrows’ family confirmed his death in a statement, reported by People. “We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family. For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world.” “Over the course of his unparalleled career, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television and was instrumental in creating some of the most iconic series ever produced, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and The Big Bang Theory, among many others,” the statement went on. “But beyond his remarkable achievements, Burrows will be remembered for something even greater: his kindness, generosity, and unwavering belief in the people around him. He possessed a rare ability to make everyone better and was known for remembering every person he met by name, making colleagues at every level feel seen, valued, and appreciated.” The director is well-known in Hollywood for directing cult classic shows including “Will & Grace,” “Cheers,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and for helping to create hit shows including “Friends,” “Taxi,” and “Frasier,” CBS News reported. Burrows directed episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men,” as well as the more recent reboot of “Frasier.”    Burrows won 11 Emmy awards and was nominated for many others, the outlet noted. “Burrows understood that great comedy was never simply about laughter. It was about humanity, connection, and truth. That understanding became the foundation of a career that forever changed television,” the statement said. “His influence will continue to be felt for generations through the countless artists he inspired, the stories he helped tell, and the millions of people whose lives were brightened by his work.” His family wrote in conclusion, “Above all else, Burrows was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his beloved wife, Debbie, his four daughters, and his seven grandchildren. He will be profoundly missed and forever remembered. Our thoughts are with Debbie, his children and grandchildren, his family, friends, collaborators, and all those whose lives he touched. May his memory be a blessing.”