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A Guide to Chicago’s South Side, Home of the New Obama Center

The Obama Presidential Center, opening on June 19, is poised to attract visitors to an often-overlooked area. Here’s what you’ll find in Hyde Park and beyond.

The $850-million Obama Presidential Center will introduce visitors to an area they have largely overlooked in favor of downtown attractions. Above, the sculpture of the Obamas outside the center was created by StudioEIS, a Brooklyn-based design studio.

Amtrak Speeds Up Trip From Vancouver to Seattle for World Cup Fans

10 June 2026 at 21:58
Passengers heading from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seattle will now clear U.S. customs before boarding instead of stopping once they’ve crossed the border.

© Alamy

Amtrak’s Cascades line takes about four hours to get from Vancouver, British Columbia, which is hosting seven World Cup matches, to Seattle, which is hosting six.

Are You Traveling to the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup? We’d Like to Hear From You.

9 June 2026 at 21:29
Tell us about your experience buying tickets, finding a place to stay, making travel arrangements and, if you’re coming to the U.S., dealing with entry requirements.

© Angela Weiss/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will be hosting eight World Cup matches.

One of Pope Leo’s Best Friends Works in Spain. They Talk About Cars.

9 June 2026 at 10:12
Pope Leo and Armando Jesús Lovera have known each other for decades. They have watched World Cup games together, gone on road trips and once searched for a teddy bear for Mr. Lovera’s future wife.

© Gianfranco Tripodo for The New York Times

Armando Jesús Lovera in Valladolid, Spain, at the local headquarters of the Augustinian order.
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