Translation
The USA cannot go to war against Venezuela.
That is the same thing as saying that Mike Tyson would fight Justin Beiber. How long would that last?
We are under attack once more. Expect some delays and extra security precautions (your ID may have to be checked)
National, Regional and Local News
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ponchi101
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ti-amie
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
Idaho kicks off Affordable Care Act open enrollment as premiums are set to rise nationwide
About 25,000 Idahoans are likely to drop their coverage for next year when enhanced subsidies expire.
More than 100,000 people in Idaho got enhanced subsidies this year — about 87% of all state ACA enrollees.Patrick Sison / AP file
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-n ... rcna237298
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ponchi101
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
American insurance is insane.
I can get full coverage for about $900 A YEAR.
I can get full coverage for about $900 A YEAR.
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
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ti-amie
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
Coast Guard Buys Two Private Jets for Noem, Costing $172 Million
Public documents show the Department of Homeland Security has contracted to purchase a pair of top-of-the-line Gulfstream jets for the secretary and other top officials.
By Catie Edmondson
Reporting from the Capitol
Oct. 18, 2025Updated 10:42 a.m. ET
The interior of a G700 aircraft. The Homeland Security Department has signed a contract with Gulfstream to buy two “used” G700 jets, touted by the company as having the “most spacious cabin in the industry.” Credit...Gregg Newton/Reuters
The Department of Homeland Security has purchased two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem, the secretary, and other top department officials at a cost of $172 million, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The jets, which a department official said were needed for safety, are the latest expenditures on behalf of Ms. Noem to draw scrutiny from Democrats and other critics who have noted her lavish spending on living and other expenses during her time in public life.
The Coast Guard put in its budget earlier this year a request to purchase a new long-range Gulfstream V jet, estimated to cost $50 million, to replace an aging one used by Ms. Noem.
“The avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it’s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet,” Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, told members of Congress at a hearing in May.
He said a new aircraft was necessary to provide agency leaders with “secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement to go forward, visit our operating forces, conducting the missions and then come back here to Washington and make sure we can work together to get them what they need.”
Documents that were posted to a public government procurement website and reviewed by The Times show that the department has since signed a contract with Gulfstream to buy not one but two “used” G700 jets, touted by the company as having the “most spacious cabin in the industry.” The total contract value is listed as a little over $172 million.
It was not immediately clear where the funding for the jets came from.
In an emailed statement, a public affairs official at the Department of Homeland Security called the purchase “a matter of safety” and said the department’s existing jet was over 20 years old and “well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.” The statement did not respond to inquiries as to why the contract had expanded beyond the department’s initial budget request.
In a letter reviewed by The New York Times, Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, the top Democrat overseeing its homeland security panel, asked Ms. Noem to “clarify the funding source.”
“In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, the procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S.C.G. has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.’s operational needs, even during a government shutdown,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.”
Republicans included roughly $25 billion in new funding for the Coast Guard earlier this year in their marquee tax cut and domestic policy legislation, including about $2.3 billion for the “procurement and acquisition of rotary-wing aircraft.” Ms. Noem said this week that she was tapping some of those funds to ensure that members of the Coast Guard did not miss a paycheck during the shutdown.
Ms. Noem has implemented a requirement at the department that she personally approve any expense over $100,000. But her own spending habits have come under scrutiny.
She faced criticism this year from Democrats for staying rent-free at the waterfront home reserved for the Coast Guard’s commandant, as reported by the Washington Post, which also noted her frequent use of the Coast Guard’s private jet for personal travel.
A spokeswoman for the department said at the time that the housing arrangement was necessary to ensure Ms. Noem’s safety after she received an onslaught of threats. She also said the secretary had paid “tens of thousands of dollars” to reimburse the government for personal travel on the jet after the publication of the Post story.
Before coming to Washington, Ms. Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, also attracted attention for her spending habits. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported in 2021 that she had spent $68,000 in taxpayer money on a redecoration of the governor’s mansion that included rugs, chandeliers and the installation of a sauna.
The Associated Press reported in March that South Dakota taxpayers had covered about $150,000 in Ms. Noem’s personal and political travel costs including while she was campaigning for Mr. Trump; taking a six-day trip to Paris that included a speech at a right-wing gathering; and on a bear hunt in Canada with her niece.
Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/us/p ... =url-share
Public documents show the Department of Homeland Security has contracted to purchase a pair of top-of-the-line Gulfstream jets for the secretary and other top officials.
By Catie Edmondson
Reporting from the Capitol
Oct. 18, 2025Updated 10:42 a.m. ET
The interior of a G700 aircraft. The Homeland Security Department has signed a contract with Gulfstream to buy two “used” G700 jets, touted by the company as having the “most spacious cabin in the industry.” Credit...Gregg Newton/Reuters
The Department of Homeland Security has purchased two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem, the secretary, and other top department officials at a cost of $172 million, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The jets, which a department official said were needed for safety, are the latest expenditures on behalf of Ms. Noem to draw scrutiny from Democrats and other critics who have noted her lavish spending on living and other expenses during her time in public life.
The Coast Guard put in its budget earlier this year a request to purchase a new long-range Gulfstream V jet, estimated to cost $50 million, to replace an aging one used by Ms. Noem.
“The avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it’s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet,” Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, told members of Congress at a hearing in May.
He said a new aircraft was necessary to provide agency leaders with “secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement to go forward, visit our operating forces, conducting the missions and then come back here to Washington and make sure we can work together to get them what they need.”
Documents that were posted to a public government procurement website and reviewed by The Times show that the department has since signed a contract with Gulfstream to buy not one but two “used” G700 jets, touted by the company as having the “most spacious cabin in the industry.” The total contract value is listed as a little over $172 million.
It was not immediately clear where the funding for the jets came from.
In an emailed statement, a public affairs official at the Department of Homeland Security called the purchase “a matter of safety” and said the department’s existing jet was over 20 years old and “well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.” The statement did not respond to inquiries as to why the contract had expanded beyond the department’s initial budget request.
In a letter reviewed by The New York Times, Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, the top Democrat overseeing its homeland security panel, asked Ms. Noem to “clarify the funding source.”
“In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, the procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S.C.G. has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.’s operational needs, even during a government shutdown,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.”
Republicans included roughly $25 billion in new funding for the Coast Guard earlier this year in their marquee tax cut and domestic policy legislation, including about $2.3 billion for the “procurement and acquisition of rotary-wing aircraft.” Ms. Noem said this week that she was tapping some of those funds to ensure that members of the Coast Guard did not miss a paycheck during the shutdown.
Ms. Noem has implemented a requirement at the department that she personally approve any expense over $100,000. But her own spending habits have come under scrutiny.
She faced criticism this year from Democrats for staying rent-free at the waterfront home reserved for the Coast Guard’s commandant, as reported by the Washington Post, which also noted her frequent use of the Coast Guard’s private jet for personal travel.
A spokeswoman for the department said at the time that the housing arrangement was necessary to ensure Ms. Noem’s safety after she received an onslaught of threats. She also said the secretary had paid “tens of thousands of dollars” to reimburse the government for personal travel on the jet after the publication of the Post story.
Before coming to Washington, Ms. Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, also attracted attention for her spending habits. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported in 2021 that she had spent $68,000 in taxpayer money on a redecoration of the governor’s mansion that included rugs, chandeliers and the installation of a sauna.
The Associated Press reported in March that South Dakota taxpayers had covered about $150,000 in Ms. Noem’s personal and political travel costs including while she was campaigning for Mr. Trump; taking a six-day trip to Paris that included a speech at a right-wing gathering; and on a bear hunt in Canada with her niece.
Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/us/p ... =url-share
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ponchi101
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
I want to see the vanity bathroom.
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
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dryrunguy
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ti-amie
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Honorary_medal
Re: National, Regional and Local News
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ti-amie
- Posts: 32005
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Honorary_medal
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Artillery Shell Detonated Over Interstate 5 During Marines’ Celebration, California Officials Say
The mishap, during an anniversary celebration for the Marine Corps attended by the vice president and defense secretary, underscores safety concerns that Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced before Saturday’s event at Camp Pendleton.
A warning over a highway near Interstate 5 alerted drivers about the military using live weapons on Saturday.Credit...Patrick Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By John IsmayLaurel Rosenhall and Zolan Kanno-Youngs
John Ismay reported from Washington. Laurel Rosenhall and Zolan Kanno-Youngs reported from California.
Oct. 19, 2025Updated 8:25 p.m. ET
A 155-millimeter shell fired during a live-fire demonstration for the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday prematurely detonated, dropping fragments of the shell on a California Highway Patrol vehicle and motorcycle that were part of Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail, according to a patrol report.
No officers were hurt in the mishap, which dropped shrapnel onto the vehicles parked on a ramp to a major freeway that had been ordered closed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor had objected to the plan to fire over the freeway, Interstate 5, and ordered a 17-mile stretch closed — against the guidance of military officials, who had said it was safe for it to remain open.
According to the patrol report, one officer described what sounded like pebbles hitting his motorcycle and the area around him, and two others saw a two-inch piece of shrapnel hit the hood of their patrol vehicle, leaving a small dent. The report says shrapnel was also found on the road near the motorcycle.
Mr. Newsom had warned that the Marine Corps’ plans to fire artillery shells over Interstate 5, the West Coast’s main north-south artery, could pose hazards for motorists on the stretch between Los Angeles and San Diego. The closure he ordered on Saturday caused significant backups on the portion of the interstate, which is used by approximately 80,000 people daily.
“We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time, the vice president and the White House shouldn’t be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity projects,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement to The New York Times.
Lt. Col. Lindsay Pirek, a spokeswoman for the First Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, said the Corps was aware of the report of a possible airborne detonation, and an investigation was underway.
“We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions,” Colonel Pirek said. The statement did not provide additional detail on the munitions used during the exercise.
A spokesman for Mr. Vance declined to comment and referred reporters to the First Marine Expeditionary Force.
According to the report filed by the California Highway Patrol, the artillery round was fired at 1:46 p.m. from White’s Beach, approximately three-quarters of a mile south of Las Pulgas Road, where the highway patrol officers were parked after escorting Mr. Vance to the event.
The exercise — which the report said was expected to include the firing of approximately 60 155-millimeter shells — was terminated after the round prematurely exploded, the patrol said. Patrol officers checked the interstate for shell fragments but found none, and declared it clear before reopening it to vehicular traffic at 2:20 p.m.
The demonstration was part of a larger exercise marking the Corps’ 250th anniversary, attended by Mr. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A Marine spokesman accompanying reporters witnessing the exercise was pulled aside by another Marine after the initial volley was fired by M777 howitzers, then told members of the news media that the initial plan for multiple volleys had been scaled back. The spokesman, Lt. Col. Brian Coleman, noted that there had been a lengthy back and forth between officials in the days leading up to the event, but gave no further information.
The decision to fire live artillery shells from the oceanfront training area was described as unusual by an active-duty Marine artillery officer and a former Marine artillery noncommissioned officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared reprisal. Those Marines said the only howitzer training they had previously observed at Camp Pendleton had taken place at approved artillery ranges on the main side of base, east of the interstate, which they said were a much safer option for training.
A highway patrol official based in the area also described it as an “unusual and concerning situation.” Tony Coronado, the highway patrol’s border division chief, said in a statement that “it is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur near an active freeway.”
Such mishaps are exceedingly rare, according to an active duty Marine who has spent more than 20 years as an artillery officer. The Marine, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that the most likely explanation for such a mishap was a fault in the projectile’s fuze — a mechanical or electromechanical device fitted to the nose of the shell that causes it to explode.
The Marines fired howitzer shells across Interstate 5 on Friday evening as a rehearsal, evidently without incident.
The Marine Corps said before the event that the exercise would occur on “approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols” without the need to close public roads.
“All air, surface and ground movements are scripted and rehearsed in accordance with standard operating procedures and established safety checklists,” the Marines said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/us/p ... =url-share
The mishap, during an anniversary celebration for the Marine Corps attended by the vice president and defense secretary, underscores safety concerns that Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced before Saturday’s event at Camp Pendleton.
A warning over a highway near Interstate 5 alerted drivers about the military using live weapons on Saturday.Credit...Patrick Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By John IsmayLaurel Rosenhall and Zolan Kanno-Youngs
John Ismay reported from Washington. Laurel Rosenhall and Zolan Kanno-Youngs reported from California.
Oct. 19, 2025Updated 8:25 p.m. ET
A 155-millimeter shell fired during a live-fire demonstration for the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday prematurely detonated, dropping fragments of the shell on a California Highway Patrol vehicle and motorcycle that were part of Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail, according to a patrol report.
No officers were hurt in the mishap, which dropped shrapnel onto the vehicles parked on a ramp to a major freeway that had been ordered closed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor had objected to the plan to fire over the freeway, Interstate 5, and ordered a 17-mile stretch closed — against the guidance of military officials, who had said it was safe for it to remain open.
According to the patrol report, one officer described what sounded like pebbles hitting his motorcycle and the area around him, and two others saw a two-inch piece of shrapnel hit the hood of their patrol vehicle, leaving a small dent. The report says shrapnel was also found on the road near the motorcycle.
Mr. Newsom had warned that the Marine Corps’ plans to fire artillery shells over Interstate 5, the West Coast’s main north-south artery, could pose hazards for motorists on the stretch between Los Angeles and San Diego. The closure he ordered on Saturday caused significant backups on the portion of the interstate, which is used by approximately 80,000 people daily.
“We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time, the vice president and the White House shouldn’t be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity projects,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement to The New York Times.
Lt. Col. Lindsay Pirek, a spokeswoman for the First Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, said the Corps was aware of the report of a possible airborne detonation, and an investigation was underway.
“We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions,” Colonel Pirek said. The statement did not provide additional detail on the munitions used during the exercise.
A spokesman for Mr. Vance declined to comment and referred reporters to the First Marine Expeditionary Force.
According to the report filed by the California Highway Patrol, the artillery round was fired at 1:46 p.m. from White’s Beach, approximately three-quarters of a mile south of Las Pulgas Road, where the highway patrol officers were parked after escorting Mr. Vance to the event.
The exercise — which the report said was expected to include the firing of approximately 60 155-millimeter shells — was terminated after the round prematurely exploded, the patrol said. Patrol officers checked the interstate for shell fragments but found none, and declared it clear before reopening it to vehicular traffic at 2:20 p.m.
The demonstration was part of a larger exercise marking the Corps’ 250th anniversary, attended by Mr. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A Marine spokesman accompanying reporters witnessing the exercise was pulled aside by another Marine after the initial volley was fired by M777 howitzers, then told members of the news media that the initial plan for multiple volleys had been scaled back. The spokesman, Lt. Col. Brian Coleman, noted that there had been a lengthy back and forth between officials in the days leading up to the event, but gave no further information.
The decision to fire live artillery shells from the oceanfront training area was described as unusual by an active-duty Marine artillery officer and a former Marine artillery noncommissioned officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared reprisal. Those Marines said the only howitzer training they had previously observed at Camp Pendleton had taken place at approved artillery ranges on the main side of base, east of the interstate, which they said were a much safer option for training.
A highway patrol official based in the area also described it as an “unusual and concerning situation.” Tony Coronado, the highway patrol’s border division chief, said in a statement that “it is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur near an active freeway.”
Such mishaps are exceedingly rare, according to an active duty Marine who has spent more than 20 years as an artillery officer. The Marine, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that the most likely explanation for such a mishap was a fault in the projectile’s fuze — a mechanical or electromechanical device fitted to the nose of the shell that causes it to explode.
The Marines fired howitzer shells across Interstate 5 on Friday evening as a rehearsal, evidently without incident.
The Marine Corps said before the event that the exercise would occur on “approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols” without the need to close public roads.
“All air, surface and ground movements are scripted and rehearsed in accordance with standard operating procedures and established safety checklists,” the Marines said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/us/p ... =url-share
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ti-amie
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Honorary_medal
Re: National, Regional and Local News
Ron Filipkowski
@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
· 2h
This is why they had the Marines fire artillery rounds over I-5. For a JD Vance TikTok.
@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
· 2h
This is why they had the Marines fire artillery rounds over I-5. For a JD Vance TikTok.
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ti-amie
- Posts: 32005
- Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:44 pm
- Location: The Boogie Down, NY
- Has thanked: 6181 times
- Been thanked: 4198 times
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Honorary_medal
Re: National, Regional and Local News
White House begins demolishing East Wing facade to build Trump’s ballroom
The president had claimed construction of the $250 million ballroom wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing White House structure.
Updated
October 20, 2025 at 5:34 p.m. EDT 29 minutes ago
This photograph obtained by The Washington Post shows ongoing construction on the East Wing of the White House as President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom is built, on Monday. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
By Jonathan Edwards
and
Dan Diamond
Demolition crews on Monday began tearing down part of the White House to build President Donald Trump’s long-desired ballroom despite his pledge that construction of the $250 million addition wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing building.
Construction teams were demolishing a portion of the East Wing, with a backhoe ripping through the structure, according to a photo shared with The Washington Post and two people who witnessed the activity and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it.
A cluster of people, including members of the Secret Service, stood on the steps of the Treasury Department to watch the construction unfold, said one of the people. Sounds of construction were also audible on the White House campus, although the project was not easily visible to the public given fencing on the grounds.
Trump acknowledged the project in remarks Monday afternoon in the White House’s East Room, gesturing to the wall behind him.
“Right on the other side, you have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” the president said at an event honoring the LSU and LSU Shreveport baseball teams. He subsequently posted on his TruthSocial platform that the “much-needed project” had begun.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.,” the president wrote.
Trump has long touted his plans for a 90,000-square-foot structure that would nearly double the footprint of the main building and its East and West wings. He had also suggested that the construction would not affect the existing White House.
“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said during an executive order signing in July. “It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”
(...)
Officials declined to provide an explanation for Trump’s earlier comments that the new construction would not interfere with the existing building. Officials have separately said that the ballroom would replace the East Wing, noting the many changes made to that structure long before Trump’s presidency.
“The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942,” the White House said in July.
The National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, did not respond to inquiries about how much of the East Wing would be destroyed. In a 56-page document about maintaining the fundamental character of the White House and the surrounding grounds, NPS said in 2014 it would work with presidential administrations, the U.S. Secret Service and other agencies “to ensure both the preservation and use of one of the most recognized houses in the world.”
The East Wing has traditionally been used by the first lady and her team. Offices for the president and his top deputies have long been located in the West Wing.
Trump last week also touted his planned ballroom during a dinner with executives from the tech, finance and defense industries, telling them that the project was fully financed after receiving donations as large as $25 million from dozens of companies, including Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Coinbase. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
Trump hosted that dinner in the East Room, currently the largest room in the White House — a frequent frustration for the president, who has insisted the building needs a bigger venue to host large groups of VIPs. He also has said he repeatedly offered to construct a ballroom, but officials in the Obama and Biden administrations turned him down.
“I was going to build a beautiful, beautiful ballroom like I have at Mar-a-Lago,” Trump said in February, adding that he had made the offer to the Biden administration. “It was going to cost about $100 million. I offered to do it, and I never heard back.”
Trump has said the ballroom will seat up to 650 people, more than triple the capacity of the East Room.
Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... -ballroom/
The president had claimed construction of the $250 million ballroom wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing White House structure.
Updated
October 20, 2025 at 5:34 p.m. EDT 29 minutes ago
This photograph obtained by The Washington Post shows ongoing construction on the East Wing of the White House as President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom is built, on Monday. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
By Jonathan Edwards
and
Dan Diamond
Demolition crews on Monday began tearing down part of the White House to build President Donald Trump’s long-desired ballroom despite his pledge that construction of the $250 million addition wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing building.
Construction teams were demolishing a portion of the East Wing, with a backhoe ripping through the structure, according to a photo shared with The Washington Post and two people who witnessed the activity and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it.
A cluster of people, including members of the Secret Service, stood on the steps of the Treasury Department to watch the construction unfold, said one of the people. Sounds of construction were also audible on the White House campus, although the project was not easily visible to the public given fencing on the grounds.
Trump acknowledged the project in remarks Monday afternoon in the White House’s East Room, gesturing to the wall behind him.
“Right on the other side, you have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” the president said at an event honoring the LSU and LSU Shreveport baseball teams. He subsequently posted on his TruthSocial platform that the “much-needed project” had begun.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.,” the president wrote.
Trump has long touted his plans for a 90,000-square-foot structure that would nearly double the footprint of the main building and its East and West wings. He had also suggested that the construction would not affect the existing White House.
“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said during an executive order signing in July. “It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”
(...)
Officials declined to provide an explanation for Trump’s earlier comments that the new construction would not interfere with the existing building. Officials have separately said that the ballroom would replace the East Wing, noting the many changes made to that structure long before Trump’s presidency.
“The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942,” the White House said in July.
The National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, did not respond to inquiries about how much of the East Wing would be destroyed. In a 56-page document about maintaining the fundamental character of the White House and the surrounding grounds, NPS said in 2014 it would work with presidential administrations, the U.S. Secret Service and other agencies “to ensure both the preservation and use of one of the most recognized houses in the world.”
The East Wing has traditionally been used by the first lady and her team. Offices for the president and his top deputies have long been located in the West Wing.
Trump last week also touted his planned ballroom during a dinner with executives from the tech, finance and defense industries, telling them that the project was fully financed after receiving donations as large as $25 million from dozens of companies, including Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Coinbase. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
Trump hosted that dinner in the East Room, currently the largest room in the White House — a frequent frustration for the president, who has insisted the building needs a bigger venue to host large groups of VIPs. He also has said he repeatedly offered to construct a ballroom, but officials in the Obama and Biden administrations turned him down.
“I was going to build a beautiful, beautiful ballroom like I have at Mar-a-Lago,” Trump said in February, adding that he had made the offer to the Biden administration. “It was going to cost about $100 million. I offered to do it, and I never heard back.”
Trump has said the ballroom will seat up to 650 people, more than triple the capacity of the East Room.
Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... -ballroom/
The Spirit of Lorenzo the Cat
@lorenzothecat.bsky.social
· 1h
Destruction of the White House East Wing began today. Here it is in better times with better residents.
True Blue Sea
@truebluesea.bsky.social
· 1h
This is what Trump is currently doing to the White House East Wing. Look at the broken and unusable windows destroyed and just hanging off their hinges. no attempt to save anything for re-use or history. Such respect for the People's house, eh?
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ti-amie
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Honorary_medal
Re: National, Regional and Local News
From comments
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... link-share
Did the White House even bother to check with the D.C. Planning Commission before proceeding with demolition? That body is supposed to sign off on any/all changes to federal edifices in the District, and there is no exemption for the president. Just another law the Trump regime has brushed aside as inconvenient, it appears.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... link-share
President Donald Trump ousted Joe Biden’s appointees to the National Capital Planning Commission, the obscure panel that oversees urban planning for the Washington area. And instead of the usual wonky architecture types, the replacements are sharply political White House heavyweights: Staff Secretary Will Scharf, Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair and Stuart Levenbach, an aide to Office of Management and Budget chief Russell Vought
Already stacked with cronies that oversight board
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ti-amie
- Posts: 32005
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Honorary_medal
Re: National, Regional and Local News
themissus2.bsky.social
@themissus2.bsky.social
· 11m
This is punishment for Saturday. If you’ve ever been in an abusive relationship and you make your abuser angry they will find a way to make you sorry for whatever it was that ticked them off. He’s showing us it doesn’t matter what we do, he can do what he wants and he is in charge. So very sad.
https://bsky.app/profile/themissus2.bsk ... ochhyl5s2p
@themissus2.bsky.social
· 11m
This is punishment for Saturday. If you’ve ever been in an abusive relationship and you make your abuser angry they will find a way to make you sorry for whatever it was that ticked them off. He’s showing us it doesn’t matter what we do, he can do what he wants and he is in charge. So very sad.
https://bsky.app/profile/themissus2.bsk ... ochhyl5s2p
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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ponchi101
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
What are the chances he gets his face carved at Mount Rushmore?
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
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ashkor87
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
the fact is, american healthcare is too expenseive, the insurance is only the tip of the iceberg. I have spent exactly 0 on healthcare over the last 5 years .. (unless we count tennnis as being preventive medicine, which it is!)..my insurance, which I have never had cause to use, costs me less than $400 a year. It is all private, government insurance is practically free.
I have a longer post on this somewhere but the real causes are:
1. defensive medicine - running every test you can think of, lest you get sued.. so the root cause is a legal system which awards huge damages to patients, and lawyers who encourage everyone to sue for every little thing.
2. cartel-like behavior of the AMA who make it impossible for foreign doctors to practice
3. complex business models at the hospital system - too many business models are being run on the same infrastructure, making each of them inefficient.
Maybe Ai will solve some of these problems...
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ponchi101
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Re: National, Regional and Local News
AI will not solve ANY problems, medical or not.
It will be a re-complicating effect.
It will be a re-complicating effect.
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
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