Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drained again as Trump administration resumes repairs
Crews began draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday as the Trump administration launched another round of repairs following the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. The latest repairs come after problems emerged shortly after the initial restoration project was completed last month, which President Donald Trump largely blamed on vandals. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service (NPS), told conservative podcaster Katie Miller this week that the latest round of work had been planned and that crews also needed to remove debris left behind after the July Fourth fireworks celebration on the National Mall. BURGUM CLASHES WITH CNN HOST, BLASTS MEDIA FOR QUESTIONING VANDALISM OF LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL “Drain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff,” Burgum said. “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.” Trump ordered the restoration project earlier this year as part of his effort to refurbish the landmark ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project was later beset by an algae bloom, and sections of the new blue coating began peeling from the bottom of the pool. FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE Trump declared victory over the algae last Sunday, sharing photos on Truth Social showing the Reflecting Pool and its reflection appearing clear and blue. Court records previously indicated the National Park Service planned to drain the pool again after the July Fourth celebrations to repair damage authorities attributed to vandalism. According to court documents, U.S. Park Police responded to a report of damage at the Reflecting Pool on June 9. Investigators said caulk had been spread over foam sealant that had been cut with a “sharp knife or razor,” the newly applied surface coating had been damaged, and approximately 70 fence post caps had been thrown into the pool. JIM ACOSTA CLAIMS DONALD TRUMP VANITY PROJECTS LOOK LIKE ‘END DAYS OF SADDAM HUSSEIN’ Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty Thursday to damaging the recently renovated Reflecting Pool. Hearn was indicted last week on a felony destruction of property charge following his arrest on charges related to a June 19 incident at the pool. He has denied damaging the Reflecting Pool, saying he stopped during a bike ride and touched a loose piece of the peeling blue coating “to satisfy my curiosity as a citizen.” At least three other people have also been charged with misdemeanors on allegations they removed pieces of the Reflecting Pool’s coating, according to online court records. All three pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances Wednesday. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo, Ryan Canfield, Eric Mack and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump warns US would ‘decimate and destroy’ Iran over assassination attempt
President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran that the United States would “decimate and destroy” the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him. “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The president said he had already directed the U.S. military to be prepared to retaliate if Iran carried out an assassination attempt against him. ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT “Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!” Trump said. Trump’s comments came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence recently shared information with U.S. officials indicating Iran was considering a new plot to assassinate the president. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he remains Iran’s top target. TRUMP SAYS HE’S IRAN’S ‘NO. 1’ TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” the president said. Earlier Friday, Trump also told the New York Post he had left standing instructions to strike Iran if an assassination attempt against him succeeded. “I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.” TRUMP SAYS HE LEFT INSTRUCTIONS TO ‘BOMB’ IRAN ‘AT LEVELS’ NEVER SEEN IF HE IS ASSASSINATED Trump also dismissed reports that Israeli intelligence had uncovered a new Iranian assassination plot against him. “No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump told the newspaper. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.” The New York Times reported that following Trump’s trip to Turkey, the U.S. Secret Service recommended he travel aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as a security precaution amid renewed hostilities with Iran. The White House has not said whether the aircraft change was related to specific security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security features. “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously told Fox News Digital. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.” Iran has sought Trump’s assassination since he ordered the 2020 military strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. This week, mourners repeatedly called for Trump’s death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The comments also come as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire has unraveled in recent days. Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this week, prompting renewed U.S. military action, including a new round of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations and other military sites. Trump has since declared the ceasefire “over” and warned of further action if Iran continues its attacks. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the U.S. Secret Service for comment. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Trump takes unusual step, lets bipartisan housing bill become law unsigned amid SAVE pressure campaign
A bipartisan housing bill became law Saturday at midnight after President Donald Trump declined to sign it, capping a weeks-long saga over whether the president would veto the measure amid frustrations with Congress over his stalled agenda. Trump refused to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — legislation aimed at expanding the nation’s housing stock and lowering costs — in an attempt to pressure Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, despite the housing bill clearing both chambers with overwhelming majorities. “I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, which is polling at 97% with the Republican Party, and very high with the non-politician Dumocrats,” he declared on Truth Social Friday morning. The Trump-backed election measure, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and impose voter ID requirements, has struggled to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. Meanwhile, the House has not passed a version of the bill that includes the president’s proposed crackdown on mail-in voting and banning men from women’s sports. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump had 10 days, not including Sundays, to sign or veto the housing measure after the House formally transmitted the legislation to the White House in late June. The president ultimately chose neither option, allowing the measure to become law without his signature. Though Trump declined to veto the legislation, he sharply criticized elements of the bill and argued it should not have been a legislative priority in recent weeks. “It’s so unimportant … compared to the SAVE America Act,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in late June. “I think the SAVE America Act is exactly what it says. It’s saving America from crooked elections.” Trump went on to call the housing bill “a yawn,” adding, “compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.” It would have taken a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a veto — a margin the House and Senate exceeded when they passed the legislation. However, it remains unclear whether so many Republicans would have defied the president had he vetoed the bill. Trump also appeared to criticize the bill over a provision restricting Wall Street investors from purchasing single-family homes — a policy he first proposed during his January State of the Union address and later urged Congress to pass. Trump previously argued the investor ban would give individual homebuyers a leg up against private equity firms in the housing market. “I don’t want to hurt people that own houses, too,” Trump later told reporters, appearing to reference the provision. “These people, for the first time in their lives, they have valuable houses. They’ve become rich. I don’t want to hurt them either. What you want to do is what’s good for everyone, get the interest rates down.” The law also aims to boost housing supply by streamlining federal environmental reviews, loosening rules around the construction of factory-built homes, and incentivizing local governments to modify their zoning laws to allow more housing, among roughly 60 provisions. Trump’s souring on the legislation created headaches for Republicans, who touted the bill as an affordability win as voters grapple with high housing costs. “It’s irresponsible to postpone signing the Housing bill due to the SAVE Act,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a retiring lawmaker who lost re-election to a Trump-backed challenger, wrote on social media. “We need to start delivering relief to people for the high cost of housing ASAP!!” WARREN TELLS TRUMP TO ‘SIGN THE DAMN BILL’ AS BIPARTISAN HOUSING PACKAGE REMAINS STALLED IN WASHINGTON Trump abruptly canceled a signing ceremony for the legislation at the U.S. Capitol in June with GOP leaders. The stage had already been set, with at least one senior Republican arriving unaware the president had called off the event shortly before it was scheduled to begin. The president then declared he would not sign the legislation until Congress passed the SAVE America Act, despite Senate GOP leaders insisting the votes do not exist to advance the measure. Trump has also expressed frustration with the Republican-controlled Senate for declining to weaken the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation in the upper chamber. “GET SMART REPUBLICANS, IF YOU DON’T, YOU WON’T BE IN OFFICE FOR LONG!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. Before Trump came out against the bill, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history” and said it included an array of policies “long championed” by Trump. Meanwhile, Trump political operative James Blair touted the legislation for including the president’s Wall Street investor ban, which he referred to as a “signature commitment.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has argued that Republicans will still promote the landmark housing bill ahead of November. “We’ll still celebrate it, but he’s trying to make a point, and I think he’s making it very effectively,” the speaker recently told reporters, referring to Trump. “And the fact that you all ask me every three steps down the hallway illustrates that he has achieved the desired objective, and that is to make SAVE America the number one thing, because if we don’t get that right, everybody’s concerned about what happens next.”
Why the new US housing bill won’t fix the crisis
NewsFeed Edward Pinto, co-director of the American Enterprise Institute Housing Center argues that the new US housing bill is unlikely to significantly ease the country’s housing crisis. He says it’s too limited to address the core issues – like restrictive local zoning. For the full segment, watch Al Jazeera’s ‘This is America’. Published On 11 Jul 202611 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Zaporizhzhia’s mayor says Russian advance reaches city’s outskirts
NewsFeed Emergency crews are searching for survivors after a Russian air strike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least one person and injured 29, including two children. The city’s mayor says Russian troops have advanced to just over 20 kilometres away. Published On 11 Jul 202611 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Yamal does not mind lack of goals if Spain win World Cup 2026
Spanish star has scored just one goal in the World Cup, where he’s been sharing celebrations with his little brother. Published On 11 Jul 202611 Jul 2026 Despite not scoring a goal in Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium, Lamine Yamal was named the player of the match for his contributions and capped off the win by sharing a touching moment with his little brother during the post-match celebrations in Los Angeles. Yamal, who has not scored since Spain’s group-stage win over Saudi Arabia on June 21, said after the match on Friday that nobody will care about his lack of goals if Spain win the World Cup. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list At a tournament where stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have been prolific, 18-year-old Yamal has just one goal to date, in a routine 4-0 group drubbing of Saudi Arabia. He failed to find the net once again as Spain booked their place in the World Cup semifinals for the second time. “Obviously I want to score, but I don’t go onto the pitch thinking about that. I do it thinking about helping the team,” said Yamal. “If we win the World Cup, no one will remember whether I scored goals … The important thing is winning,” said the Barcelona star, after the victory in Los Angeles set up a semifinal clash with France. “I know I can contribute even if I don’t score. I know my movements draw in many opponents, so I do everything I can to help the team,” he said. Despite the lack of goals, Yamal has performed consistently for La Roja and has also broken records along the way. On Friday, he made his sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, the outright most by a player aged 18 or younger in the competition. Breakout star Two years ago, then aged 16, Yamal was the breakout star of the Spanish team that won the European Championships in Germany. Advertisement He only scored once during that victorious campaign – a stunning strike in a 2-1 semifinal win against France. “There’s an idea that I should be scoring more, like at the Euros, but we won the Euros with me scoring just one goal. And I have one goal here too, so I’m relaxed about it,” he said, with a smile. But Spain will be hoping Yamal, who turns 19 the day before the semifinal, can bag further goals if his side is to see off the free-scoring tournament favourites France. “There are two possibilities – either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We’ll see what happens,” said Yamal. “We aren’t afraid at all.” Yamal shares endearing moment with brother Keyne Amid Spain’s post-match celebrations, Yamal and his half-brother Keyne were caught in a sweet moment when the younger sibling was shown on the big screen. The three-year-old was screaming and stuck his tongue out when the camera panned on him. Keyne then blew a kiss at his brother, making the teen Spanish star laugh and wave at him. Keyne, who often accompanies Yamal to award shows and other public events, has been a fan favourite for the crowds at the World Cup. He has been picked up by the cameras on multiple occasions, drawing a chuckle from his older brother and cheers from the crowd around him. Kenye, younger brother of Yamal, is seen on the screen at the quarterfinal in Los Angeles [David Ramos/Getty Images via AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
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