CHICAGO (WLS) — Anticipation is building as the Obama Presidential Center gears up to open its doors in just over two weeks. Positioned on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, this new landmark promises to offer both a historical journey and a cultural hub for the community.

Nestled conveniently near the iconic Museum of Science and Industry, the center stands proudly off Stoney Island. Before even entering, visitors are greeted by the plaza, a space dedicated to the memory of civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis. This thoughtful touch sets the tone for the center’s celebration of history and progress.

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As you step into the heart of the plaza, your attention is drawn to the Forum building. Within its walls is Tafari’s Kitchen, a tribute to the late Tafari Campbell, the Obama family’s cherished private chef. Campbell’s life was tragically cut short in 2023 during a paddleboarding accident in Martha’s Vineyard, and the restaurant serves as a poignant homage to his legacy.

The menu at Tafari’s Kitchen is both fresh and inclusive, featuring comforting staples such as grilled cheese and red beans, a reflection of Campbell’s culinary expertise and his passion for accessible, delicious food. This commitment to accessibility extends throughout the center, ensuring all visitors can engage with the experiences offered within its walls.

The fresh and accessible menu of foods like grilled cheese and red beans pays homage to his culinary skill. And speaking of accessibility.

“So our campus is open to the public,” Valerie Jarrett said. “All but four floors of the museum are free for people to explore from our gardens to the walking trails to the playground and to the women’s garden in the front. All of it is free.”

Also on campus is a library and it is a real working public library. People from the neighborhood can just walk right in on these grounds that have been dedicated to the legacy of a president. They made sure to include this quiet space full of books for the people who live here.

The President’s Reading Room, gorgeous space in the library, a curated collection of titles and texts from the president himself and the Obama Foundation. And all of those books live here.

There’s also space inside the library branch reserved for interactive media, where you can record podcasts and more, but there’s one more thing the kids will love.

You know, Michelle Obama said, every day kids wake up believing in the magic of what might be. And what more magical place than a playground.

And the one here on campus is huge. Opens up at 6 a.m. and closes at 9:00 p.m.

Inside the Presidential Center is the Sky Room. Taking a look at this towering ceiling, what you look at are hand stamped words, from one of the president’s speeches.

There are incredible views. Stoney Island, Home court, Jackson Park golf course and continue on over west. And it goes all the way around with gorgeous lake views.

And there are ways to use this space for events, in fact some people are already thinking about having weddings here.

Level five of the museum is almost at the top, and it’s called, “We The People.” This interactive exhibit has thousands of little dots. Each one of the dots represents one person.

The idea is that one dot does not do much but you put it all together and you’ve got a movement, and that’s not it. You can also type your name and your name will pop up on the screen. Strangers that all ended up in this space and place together.

On the fourth floor of the museum is called, The People’s House. It’s dedicated to how the Obama’s opened up the White House over those two terms.

One of those moments in the East Room in 2014- the Women of Soul concert And then the next year, this is 2015 the Obama invited the girl scouts there and they camped out on the lawn.

Another highlight on the floor – the fashion of First Lady Michelle Obama, including dresses from inaugurations state visits, state dinners even the one she wore here in Chicago back when the president officially won the White House in 2008.

And the space that gets all of the talk, replica of the Oval Office, from the area rug on the floor – all the way up to the ceiling, everything that you see in this room is exactly like it was when the president was in office, down to the pictures that are behind the resolute desk.

Now, the resolute desk itself isn’t exactly the same. It’s now ADA compliant. It’s a little wider. But what’s inside the desk is exactly as it was, down to the presidents Blackberry, his pet rock and then the letter that was written from president George Bush to Barrack Obama when he took office here.

In celebration of their daughter Princess Lilibet’s fifth birthday, Harry and Meghan have delighted fans with a new family portrait.

The charming photograph, which captures Prince Harry cradling Lilibet while Meghan gazes lovingly at their daughter, was shared with Meghan’s impressive 4.6 million Instagram followers.

Lilibet’s strawberry blonde locks cascade over her shoulders, partially concealing her face from the lens.

Another picture depicts the young princess exploring the garden of their £11 million Montecito residence, captivated by the blossoms around her.

Meghan’s caption read: ‘Our dream girl. Happy fifth birthday, Lili.’

In these images, Lilibet dons a light yellow sundress, a piece previously featured in behind-the-scenes snapshots from her mother’s lifestyle brand, As Ever.

And it appears that Meghan’s ‘mini me’ is developing a style similar to her mother’s; in the photo, she sported a thin gold bracelet that looked very similar to the Duchess’s £5,800 Cartier ‘Love Bracelet’.

Meghan first gave royal fans a proper glimpse of Lilibet on her fourth birthday, when she shared a black-and-white photograph that showed her eyes and the top half of her face.

Lili had previously only been pictured as a toddler, including when the Sussexes released a portrait taken by their family friend Misan Harriman during a relaxed picnic held at their former home, Frogmore Cottage, on the royal estate to celebrate her first birthday.

 Lilibet was dressed in an adorable blue frock, with a white bow in her hair.

Meghan Markle has marked her and Prince Harry’s daughter, Princess Lilibet’s fifth birthday with two new photos on Instagram

Another photo showed the Sussexes’ youngest child standing in the garden of the family’s Montecito home as she admired some flowers

The couple held an informal garden party on the royal estate, with a birthday cake, balloons, party games and picnic snacks. 

It is believed Lilibet’s second cousins, Zara and Mike Tindall’s three children, Mia, then eight, Lena, then three, and Lucas, then one, as well as Savannah, then 11, and Isla, then 10, daughters of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, attended the party. 

Prince Archie’s godfather, Charlie Van Straubenzee, and his brother Tom, godfather to Princess Charlotte, were also invited, the Daily Mail reported at the time. 

‘It was a lovely do and had everything you’d expect from a child’s birthday party,’ a source told The Sun. ‘The idea was for it to be very relaxed and casual, with people free to pop in and out as they wished.’

Lilibet’s latest birthday post comes after branding and PR experts told the Daily Mail that there has been a ‘noticeable shift in Meghan’s approach to featuring her children on public social media’ over the last year, adding it ‘reinforces the idea that As Ever is an extension of her life as a mother and homemaker’.

Like her older brother Archie, seven, Lilibet spent the first four years of her life shielded from the spotlight while growing up thousands of miles away from the Royal Family.

Such was the Sussexes’ dedication to privacy that they never followed up her first birthday portrait – depicting the angelic toddler enjoying the sunshine during a picnic at Frogmore Cottage – with any more official snaps that showed her face.

When she turned four, Meghan also posted the now-famous video of her and Prince Harry dancing in a hotel room to induce Lilibet’s birth, with the Duchess twerking to Starrkeisha’s viral Baby Mama song.

Lili had been pictured as a toddler when the Sussexes released a portrait taken by their family friend Misan Harriman during a relaxed picnic held at Frogmore Cottage to celebrate her first birthday

Meghan first gave royal fans a proper glimpse of Lilibet on her fourth birthday, when she shared a black-and-white photograph that showed her eyes and the top half of her face

Days later, she documented the family’s two-day Disneyland holiday on Instagram, including sharing the moment Lilibet and Archie met Elsa from Frozen, as well as a picture of the Duke enjoying a theme park ride with his daughter.

The social media blitz continued as Meghan paid tribute to her daughter on International Day of the Girl, gave millions of followers a glimpse into their Halloween celebrations and released the Sussexes’ annual holiday card.

Harry, 41, is shown with his hands cupped protectively around Archie’s head. The father and son are staring at one another lovingly, both with smiles on their faces.

Next to them on a bridge are Meghan and Lilibet. The Duchess is bent down to rest her forehead against her daughter’s while holding both her hands.

In dappled California sunshine, Lilibet’s face is covered by her hair, which comes down to her shoulder blades.

While Lilibet’s face was hidden in earlier photos, fans finally saw what she looked like in Meghan’s Valentine’s Day post.

The Instagram snap showed Harry smiling as he held the princess in his arms while Lilibet clutched a bunch of red balloons.

It sent fans into overdrive with people commenting on her red hair ‘like her father’ and her being ‘beautiful just like her daddy’.

Meanwhile, Archie’s face has not been seen in a photo since the Sussexes’ Christmas card in 2021.

While Lilibet’s face was hidden in earlier photos, fans finally saw what she looked like in Meghan’s Valentine’s Day post this year 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have both advocated for stronger protections for children online, including backing a social media ban for under-16s brought in in Australia.

In April last year, the couple unveiled a memorial in New York City to young people who lost their lives due to the harmful effects of social media and met families who believe social media played a part in the deaths of their youngsters.

Some five months later, Harry warned that the impact of social media on children is ‘one of the most pressing issues of our time’, as he spoke at a gala in New York.

At the same event, Meghan said she and her husband often discussed how they would protect their own children as they grow older.

Commenting on the increasing frequency with which Lilibet appears on Meghan’s Instagram, branding expert Megan Dooley told the Daily Mail that there has been a ‘noticeable shift’ in the Duchess’s social media policy that may be linked to her brand.

The head of London-based TAL Agency said: ‘We certainly have seen a noticeable shift in Meghan’s approach to featuring her children on public social media, especially when we compare it to hers and Harry’s earlier dedication to privacy.

‘But a closer look suggests that these appearances are very selective and intentional rather than casual and unplanned.’

Instead of interpreting it as a ‘reversal on their privacy-oriented stance’, Megan suggested it was a ‘strategic recalibration of what they post’.

She added: ‘Meghan is allowing more of a glimpse behind the curtain into their family life – carefully curated, of course – to support the positioning of the As Ever lifestyle brand as warm and aspirational, with its roots in home, motherhood and authenticity.’

Back in the early 2000s, travelers had legitimate concerns about the possibility of terrorists using shoulder-fired missiles to bring down aircraft, especially in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Such fears were not unfounded as these weapons were seen as a significant threat to air travel safety.

Although this specific danger has diminished over time, a new and more elusive threat is arising from the conflict zones in Ukraine. This emerging risk poses a unique challenge due to its subtle nature and complex mitigation requirements.

Surprisingly, elements of this threat can be purchased on platforms like eBay.

In response to a 2002 incident in Mombasa where an al Qaeda-associated group attempted to down a civilian aircraft using an anti-aircraft missile, airports globally bolstered their security zones. This incident catalyzed a worldwide reassessment of airport security measures.

The U.S. initiated a program to reclaim Stinger missiles originally distributed to groups such as the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, while Israel took steps to safeguard its passenger planes by equipping them with specialized jamming systems.

But the old missiles floating around the world’s black-market arms bazaars became less of a threat over time: rocket fuel degrades, coolant gas leaks, thermal batteries expire.

Law-enforcement efforts, and an international treaty called the Wassenaar Arrangement, meant that fewer missiles were diverted from arsenals into criminal hands.

In any case, such missiles are expensive, costing at least $60,000 each.

With no known attempts at terrorist missile attacks on airliners since 2009, the missile scare has gradually receded.

Meanwhile, as Ukraine fights back against Russia’s invasion, air defense has rapidly evolved.

Both sides have fielded large numbers of low-cost attack drones like the Shahed — too many to be shot down by expensive missiles like the Stinger.

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have responded by developing small, low-cost interceptor drones.

The initial versions of these were slightly adapted from the First-Person-View racing drones used to attack ground targets like tanks: To carry out an intercept, the drone operator spotted an enemy drone and rammed it.

Ukraine’s latest versions are more aerodynamic, bullet-shaped craft optimized for high-speed operation, often capable of accelerating to 200 mph or more and carrying a small explosive warhead.

Small enough to hold in one hand but with a range of several miles, interceptors like the Sting made by Ukrainian group Wild Hornets are responsible for around 40% of Kyiv’s drone kills.

The Russians, in contrast, favor a simpler design: The odd-looking Yolka (“Fir Tree”) interceptor, with a double x-wing that makes it resemble a Christmas tree with four propellers.

It weighs about three pounds, and it’s fired simply by pointing it in the general direction of an incoming drone and pulling the trigger.

Stereo cameras linked to an AI control system lock on to the target and home in on it at around 80 mph.

It’s a point-and-shoot weapon with no skill required, and costs just $500 to make.

Interestingly, Yolka has no explosive warhead: It relies purely on impact speed to bring down the target.

That’s apparently because its developers wanted to get it into service fast — and the Kremlin’s bureaucracy adds a lot of red tape to anything involving explosives.

Yolka is a crude, basic weapon that only works in good weather conditions, failing when lighting is bad; its effective range is limited, perhaps three miles.

But there are plenty of videos of Yolkas bringing down targets, and it’s considered reliable enough to arm Vladimir Putin’s own security detail as an anti-drone measure.

Yolka is the Kalashnikov of drone interceptors: not as good as slicker alternatives, but simple to use, cheap, and readily produced in large quantities.

And while the current version is trained to seek and attack drones, a small software upgrade could redirect it to seek a helicopter cockpit, or the jet engine of an aircraft.

These small drones can be turned out at scale, with a production cost of just a few hundred dollars each.

Right now, copycat versions of them can be had via eBay for under $7,000.

That means they’re likely to get everywhere.

And even though the risk they pose to passenger aircraft is far less than that of a supersonic missile — it could only hit an airliner during take-off or on its landing approach —  the danger is real.

The problem will come when weapons like Yolka flood the international market.

With no explosives, it’s technically not even a weapon, just a high-speed drone, meaning it would slip easily through existing controls.

In the United States, you wouldn’t need a firearms license to buy one.

At a bare minimum, all nations need to update their regulations to prevent these drone interceptors from falling into the wrong hands.

“Dual use” drones that can be used for warfare as well as civilian applications need to be scrutinized especially closely.

Law-enforcement agencies must be aware of how easily interceptors can be made at home from commercial components; Ukraine’s vast array of interceptors are being made by start-ups in garage workshops.

The risk to aircraft from interceptor drones is theoretical at present — but it’s foolish to wait for an attack before acting.

David Hambling is the author of “Swarm Troopers: How Small Drones Will Conquer the World.”