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President Donald Trump’s protracted Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool saga may not be ending anytime soon. Records first reported Wednesday by The Independent offer a clue as to how long the public’s view of the monument may remain obstructed by fencing that currently surrounds the pool’s perimeter.Trump’s renovations to the Reflecting Pool, including installing an “American flag blue” lining, have been dogged by algal blooms and peeling paint, requiring repeated drainings and refillings. Further, at least according to the president, progress has been stymied by left-wing vandals.Meanwhile, the project’s price tag has rocketed from an initial estimate of $1.8 million to more than $16 million, and its deadline has been pushed from July 4 to who knows when.Purportedly to fend off those alleged saboteurs, fencing now surrounds the pool. Workers have also added opaque mesh screens to the barrier. Chain-link fencing was first installed on June 23—more than three weeks ago as of Wednesday—by the Department of the Interior.Records show that the federal government awarded an in-progress $37,000 contract to a construction company, National Construction Rentals, for “REFLECTING POOL TEMPORARY FENCE” that started last week. According to the contract summary, the contract is not set to end until January 8, 2027.The revelation raises questions: Is the renovation going to take that long? Is the possibly illusory specter of left-wing defacement really expected to persist for almost half a year longer? If the administration’s past handling of the Reflecting Pool renovation is any indication, we’re not likely to get clear or sensible answers anytime soon.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is demanding “testosterone deficiency” testing for U.S. soldiers to ensure they’re masculine enough to be a part of his anti-woke military.Hegseth unveiled the new screening, which will be mandatory for service members over the age of 30, in a video announcement Wednesday.“Today, I’m authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members—ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best. Because it’s well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels often, naturally, drop,” Hegseth said. On X, he captioned the video, “The High-T Department of War.”“Warfighters aged 30 and older are gonna be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessments.... Those under 30 can voluntarily choose to get the test as well,” Hegseth continued. “If treatment is recommended, it’s entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy.”The High-T Department of War. pic.twitter.com/hlAUq3j2cD— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) July 15, 2026It’s unclear what will happen to soldiers over 30 who have “low testosterone” and don’t want to engage in the military’s gender-affirming services.This is about as Hegsethian as it gets. It’s no surprise that the man who proclaimed, “I’m straight up just saying, we should not have women in combat roles” just one week before his confirmation now thinks that having higher testosterone levels is a real, urgent priority for soldiers in the midst of a war.“This is the absolute dumbest thing imaginable for the Secretary of Defense to be focused on. We are literally at war and this idiot is in his office doing two camera make up videos on testosterone. What a complete clown show,” wrote Army vet, podcast host, and Democratic congressional candidate Fred Wellman. “I’m so sorry for our poor service members who have to deal with this ridiculous man.”

Lionel Messi has quietly built relationships with companies and security firms closely linked to Israel's military-intelligence establishment. From becoming the global face of Israeli AI company OrCam staffed by former Unit 8200 officers to relying on ex-Israeli operatives for personal security, MintPress investigates the football icon's connections to Netanyahu's security network The post Lionel Messi’s Ties to Netanyahu, The Israeli Military and Its Elite Spying Unit 8200 appeared first on MintPress News.

The old divisions reopened between the party’s establishment and its swaggering young progressives won’t heal easily, despite Graham Platner’s exit.

Tech’s ambition is to work so well that it fades into the background of our day-to-day, but removing friction in some of the most personal aspects of life may not actually improve an experience.