Aug 13 (Reuters) - The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to add an inscription ​bearing President Donald Trump's name to the building's exterior, according to Democratic ‌U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, a move that could set up a clash with a federal judge who previously ordered his name removed from the facade.

"In its meeting today, the board ​voted to change the front of the building’s facade to read 'The John ​F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By ⁠President Donald J. Trump,' and renamed the physical site 'the President Donald J. Trump ​Plaza,'" said Beatty, an ex officio member on the center's board.

A second ​source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the decision.

The New York Times, citing a resolution, reported earlier on Thursday "that the center desires to recognize and honor President Trump’s existential and unprecedented ​contributions to the survival of the center by all legal means."

The board - ​dominated by Trump loyalists - also voted to close the Kennedy Center for two years, according to ‌Beatty, ⁠who sued the Trump administration and the center over what she called an unlawful name change and the planned closure.

Ruling put on hold for two weeks, allowing administration to appeal to US supreme court

A US federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of the US president’s $400m White House ballroom, in a fresh blow to the controversial project.

Donald Trump, who demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for planned ballroom, has repeatedly touted it as “a gift” to the US people.

But in a major setback in a case testing ⁠his presidential authority, the Washington-based US ⁠court of ​appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upheld a preliminary injunction in a divided 2-1 order on Friday.

The appeals court put ⁠its ruling on hold for two weeks, allowing the administration to appeal to the ​US supreme court.

Explaining their majority decision, Judges Patricia Millet and Bradley Garcia wrote: “Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence.”

The judges also said it was for US Congress to determine whether the ballroom could ultimately be built. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” they wrote.

“This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy,” the judges added. “This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom.

“What it does mean is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the constitution and laws require.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/50181937

A small town in south-eastern Colorado was recently declared abandoned after all of its local public leaders resigned amid a drinking water supply crisis.

The office of Colorado’s secretary of state, Jena Griswold, announced the fate of Hartman on 29 July, a little more than a month after being advised in writing that the town “had lacked chlorine in its water for [more than] one month and the water was not potable and ‘smells horrible’”, according to public documents.

Hartman resident, landowner and voter Jessie Simmons had also written to Griswold’s office that “the town … had been under an order to boil water for months”, documents said.

The documents added that Hartman “had no board of trustees or town clerk, was unable to hold a [local] election, and owned infrastructure critical for the treatment or delivery of water to residents” that – barring a successful appeal – would become the responsibility of surrounding Prowers county’s government.

Hartman had a population of fewer than 60 at the time of the 2020 US census – before it was declared abandoned under a Colorado state law allowing for the dissolution of incorporated communities which can no longer maintain a government.

Colorado’s Denver Post newspaper described the administrative failure of Hartman as having “no analog in recent state history”.

A small town in south-eastern Colorado was recently declared abandoned after all of its local public leaders resigned amid a drinking water supply crisis.

The office of Colorado’s secretary of state, Jena Griswold, announced the fate of Hartman on 29 July, a little more than a month after being advised in writing that the town “had lacked chlorine in its water for [more than] one month and the water was not potable and ‘smells horrible’”, according to public documents.

Hartman resident, landowner and voter Jessie Simmons had also written to Griswold’s office that “the town … had been under an order to boil water for months”, documents said.

The documents added that Hartman “had no board of trustees or town clerk, was unable to hold a [local] election, and owned infrastructure critical for the treatment or delivery of water to residents” that – barring a successful appeal – would become the responsibility of surrounding Prowers county’s government.

Hartman had a population of fewer than 60 at the time of the 2020 US census – before it was declared abandoned under a Colorado state law allowing for the dissolution of incorporated communities which can no longer maintain a government.

Colorado’s Denver Post newspaper described the administrative failure of Hartman as having “no analog in recent state history”.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has dropped its case against a former Olympic canoeist charged in connection with damage to the Reflecting Pool, acknowledging their allegations against David “Davey” Hearn don’t hold water.

In a filing Friday afternoon, a supervisor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which is headed by Jeanine Pirro, wrote that officials obtained information that undermined “the evidentiary basis for the indictment” against Hearn.

Prosecutors said that after the indictment, the Interior Department “provided additional documents to the USAO-DC indicating that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings.”

DOJ said they “first became aware of information showing that the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism” after reviewing more documents.

The Justice Department filing said that based on its review of evidence, “it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”

A spokesperson for Pirro said the filing spoke for itself. Her office also moved to dismiss at least one of the other three misdemeanor cases that had been brought in connection with the Reflecting Pool.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/50068612

A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

A jury found Hadi Matar guilty of all the charges against him, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

A message seeking comment was sent to Matar’s attorneys.

Matar, 28, is already serving a 25-year New York state prison sentence on an attempted murder conviction in the August 2022 attack on an amphitheater stage. The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence.

Rushdie, who was about to speak on writers’ safety, was slashed 15 times in front of a stunned audience. He was gravely wounded and lost the sight in his right eye.

A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

A jury found Hadi Matar guilty of all the charges against him, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

A message seeking comment was sent to Matar’s attorneys.

Matar, 28, is already serving a 25-year New York state prison sentence on an attempted murder conviction in the August 2022 attack on an amphitheater stage. The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence.

Rushdie, who was about to speak on writers’ safety, was slashed 15 times in front of a stunned audience. He was gravely wounded and lost the sight in his right eye.

Swedish VPN vendor Mullvad is facing a backlash from some customers after co-founder Daniel Berntsson personally donated SEK 5 million (£385,000, $519,000) to the controversial populist Örebropartiet, which is running in Sweden's national elections for the first time.

Berntsson has this week published a blog post explaining the donation, alongside posts titled "Immigration," "Political individualism," and "Moral individualism." Before that, he had not posted since 2019.

The flurry of posts follows weeks of customer criticism over the donation – for example, Finnish blog Moonwriting's post "I'm done with Mullvad." Another blog, Unutterable, is more direct: "Mullvad funding the far-right and the problem with tech company ownership." The Hacker News discussion thread about the donations has reached a remarkable 1,784 comments so far.

Mullvad was co-founded and is still jointly owned and run by two CEOs, Berntsson and Fredrik Strömberg. Its name, as reflected in the company's logo, is Swedish for "mole." It also offers the Mullvad Browser, a privacy-enhanced fork of Firefox ESR co-developed with the Tor Project. Swedish socialist newspaper Flamman ("The Flame") revealed the donation in its story "High-profile techie gives millions to the Örebro Party."

In a post on X, the company said it was devoted to freedom of speech and tolerance, saying: "It should be obvious that Daniel's private donation to a political party is not part of Mullvad's values or mission, in the same way that someone's opinions on animal rights, taxes or public healthcare policy isn't."

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49691588

July 20 (Reuters) - Nicaragua's long-serving president Daniel Ortega said the Central American country will no longer hold elections, eliminating the possibility of an electoral challenge when his term ends next year and further ‌entrenching the rule he shares with his wife.

Ortega, who has continuously held power since 2007 following an earlier presidential term in the 1980s, said the move will close off any path to the opposition, although he did not provide details about carrying out the measure.

July 20 (Reuters) - Nicaragua's long-serving president Daniel Ortega said the Central American country will no longer hold elections, eliminating the possibility of an electoral challenge when his term ends next year and further ‌entrenching the rule he shares with his wife.

Ortega, who has continuously held power since 2007 following an earlier presidential term in the 1980s, said the move will close off any path to the opposition, although he did not provide details about carrying out the measure.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49498564

Nation's First Nature Library Opening in Thornton - Colorado

Anythink Nature Library, located at 6811 E. 136th Ave. in Thornton, will open its doors on Saturday, August 8, introducing the nation’s first public nature library and a bold new model for what a public library can be. Located on a 15-acre campus adjacent to the 140-acre Aylor Open Lands in Thornton, the library blends traditional library services with immersive nature experiences that inspire curiosity, environmental stewardship and lifelong learning.

“Public libraries have always evolved alongside the needs of their communities,” said Mark Fink, executive director of Anythink Libraries. “The Nature Library represents the next evolution: a place where books, nature, science and community come together to inspire curiosity and connection. We hope every visitor leaves feeling more connected to the natural world and empowered to continue exploring it long after they leave.”

Designed by Davis Partnership Architects in collaboration with THK Associates, the 33,000-square-foot project was constructed by GH Phipps. Grounded in the Environmental Kinship Model and pursuing LEED Gold certification, the Nature Library was created to help people build meaningful relationships with the natural world, regardless of their prior outdoor experience. Every aspect of the library, from its architecture and collections to its programming and surrounding landscape, encourages visitors to see themselves as part of nature rather than separate from it.

Designed with input from community members and Indigenous and Native American leaders serving on the Anythink Nature Library Advisory Council, the library reflects years of collaboration and a shared vision to expand access to nature through a trusted community institution. The project also responds to growing community demand for outdoor spaces and nature-based experiences. According to local community assessments, nearly half of Thornton residents want to see more natural open spaces, while more than half of Adams County residents consider parks, trails and open space essential to the county’s way of life.

Anythink Nature Library, located at 6811 E. 136th Ave. in Thornton, will open its doors on Saturday, August 8, introducing the nation’s first public nature library and a bold new model for what a public library can be. Located on a 15-acre campus adjacent to the 140-acre Aylor Open Lands in Thornton, the library blends traditional library services with immersive nature experiences that inspire curiosity, environmental stewardship and lifelong learning.

“Public libraries have always evolved alongside the needs of their communities,” said Mark Fink, executive director of Anythink Libraries. “The Nature Library represents the next evolution: a place where books, nature, science and community come together to inspire curiosity and connection. We hope every visitor leaves feeling more connected to the natural world and empowered to continue exploring it long after they leave.”

Designed by Davis Partnership Architects in collaboration with THK Associates, the 33,000-square-foot project was constructed by GH Phipps. Grounded in the Environmental Kinship Model and pursuing LEED Gold certification, the Nature Library was created to help people build meaningful relationships with the natural world, regardless of their prior outdoor experience. Every aspect of the library, from its architecture and collections to its programming and surrounding landscape, encourages visitors to see themselves as part of nature rather than separate from it.

Designed with input from community members and Indigenous and Native American leaders serving on the Anythink Nature Library Advisory Council, the library reflects years of collaboration and a shared vision to expand access to nature through a trusted community institution. The project also responds to growing community demand for outdoor spaces and nature-based experiences. According to local community assessments, nearly half of Thornton residents want to see more natural open spaces, while more than half of Adams County residents consider parks, trails and open space essential to the county’s way of life.

President Donald Trump's notification that the U.S. is again at war with Iran gives the administration another 60-day clock for military action.

President Donald Trump formally notified lawmakers this weekend that the nation is once again at war with Iran, giving his administration another 60-day clock to use the military in the region without congressional approval.

In a letter to Congress dated July 10, obtained by POLITICO, Trump stated that the strikes that began on July 7 represent “military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States’ interests both at home and abroad.”

The on-again, off-again war has proved very difficult for Trump to resolve, as the two nations wrestle over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital choke point for world energy supplies. Trump has fumed about an inability to strike a peace deal with Iran, while Republicans worry about being blamed for high gas prices ahead of the midterm elections.

Trump further ratcheted up military pressure against Iran on Monday, declaring that the U.S. will reimpose a blockade and will take over the strait, charging ships to transit the waterway.

The notification to lawmakers follows Trump’s declaration that the two-month ceasefire with Iran has officially ended. A truce, first declared in April, had been shaky from the start amid frequent attacks from both countries, though the Trump administration had repeatedly insisted that a full-on war hadn’t resumed.

Government had been forced to pay back duties to companies that imported goods into the US that were hit by Trump’s tariffs

The US government has already paid back tens of billions of dollars in tariffs it collected before the supreme court ruled them illegal, according to budget figures released on Monday.

Tariffs – taxes on imported goods – have been a key part of president Donald Trump’s game economic plan since he took office again last year.

But in February, the supreme court shut down a big chunk of the extra tariffs Trump ordered, forcing the government to return money to the companies that had paid them.

According to the budget data, the US has paid out $81bn in tariff refunds so far this fiscal year, which started in October 2025, compared to just $5bn during the same stretch last year.

A Treasury department official told reporters that the spike is almost entirely because of the supreme court decision, with most of the refunds happening in May and June.

Federal prosecutors turned over key evidence long sought by Minnesota investigators in their ongoing probe into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during pitched protests against an immigration enforcement crackdown earlier this year, state prosecutors announced Monday.

The progress came as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a motorist in Maine on Monday, and Houston prosecutors complained the administration was still withholding critical information in their investigation into a fatal shooting by an ICE officer last week.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the evidence turned over by U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen’s office included previously withheld hard drives containing statements, police body camera video and other materials in the Minnesota killings. Federal prosecutors also turned over Good’s badly damaged SUV, she said.

“The wonderful thing now is we have all the evidence,” Moriarty said. “Any time the government is responsible in whatever way of taking the life of a community member we need to have a full and thorough investigation.”

• Judge bars Trump from citing settlement in future proceedings

• Trump, IRS were not adverse to each other in case, judge finds

-Settlement set up since-abanoned 'weaponization fund' and sweeping tax protections

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Monday voided President Donald Trump's settlement with the IRS that gave him ‌and his companies sweeping tax protections and initially set up a nearly $1.8 billion government fund to pay victims of so-called government weaponization that was later abandoned.

Miami-based U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams found that Trump and the IRS, which he oversees as president, were not truly adverse to each other as is required in civil lawsuits under the U.S. Constitution. Williams referred a Trump lawyer in the case, Alejandro Brito, and senior Justice Department officials who signed off on ⁠the settlement to state bar authorities to determine if their actions violated legal ethics rules.

Reuters —

Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit this week that he cast as an unfiltered look at the human toll of Israeli occupation as he weighs a 2028 presidential run.

Speaking with Reuters on Thursday in a Palestinian village, Khanna said his group’s van was surrounded by settlers wielding M4 rifles a day earlier while touring a part of the southern West Bank where residents face frequent settler attacks.

“We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed, they had destroyed the school, they had destroyed that village, and we were just looking at it,” said Khanna, a progressive lawmaker from California in the US House of Representatives.

“And these hoodlums come in with machine guns – M4, an American-made machine gun – and they detain us. They block off the road. And then they call the IDF and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans,” Khanna said, referring to the Israeli military.

An aide to Khanna who was in the group, Cameron Kasky, said they were held for more than an hour and made appeals to the US Embassy in Jerusalem for help. A group of officers who appeared to be police eventually intervened, leading to their release, Kasky said.

The Israeli military said troops and police officers intervened after receiving a report of settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta, a small Palestinian hamlet whose residents were forcibly displaced by violent settler raids following the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49115663

New York —

This March, actress Brooke Shields made a reservation at a Mexican restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita under a fake name — but not to avoid paparazzi.

It was so the restaurant’s management team and owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are also the creators of “South Park,” wouldn’t know she was coming.

“The place is so big it took a while for management to realize we were there,” Shields told CNN. “And then word got out because, you know, I didn’t have a hat on and mustache or anything,” she said.

She was there to deliver a letter asking for better wages for Casa Bonita’s performers. The restaurant doesn’t just serve Mexican cuisine; performers provide entertainment from breakfast to dinner. Cliff divers jump and twirl into a blue lagoon, puppeteers put on tableside shows and magicians make the rounds. The live entertainment is why so many people know Casa Bonita.

But in April 2024, for the first time, Casa Bonita’s performers unionized, with about 80 of them represented by Actors’ Equity, led by Shields.

Shields said she’s escalating after prolonged negotiations over not just pay, but fundamental safety issues.

“It was slightly an ambush… you try doing things respectfully, and then you’re not met with equal respect… so you have to resort to other tactics,” said Shields, of her visit to Casa Bonita.

Since April of last year, Shields and Casa Bonita performers have been locked in negotiations with management. The group is asking for better protections for performers who say they got hypothermia and chlorine toxicity from the diving pool, as well as security for costumed performers who say they have been grabbed sexually by patrons. The group is also asking for a raise to bring them more in line with the servers, who they say make more. The union says it’s already made concessions at the bargaining table but with little offered in return to improve current conditions and wages.

Casa Bonita’s management said in a statement to CNN that “we value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.”

Parker and Stone did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

New York —

This March, actress Brooke Shields made a reservation at a Mexican restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita under a fake name — but not to avoid paparazzi.

It was so the restaurant’s management team and owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are also the creators of “South Park,” wouldn’t know she was coming.

“The place is so big it took a while for management to realize we were there,” Shields told CNN. “And then word got out because, you know, I didn’t have a hat on and mustache or anything,” she said.

She was there to deliver a letter asking for better wages for Casa Bonita’s performers. The restaurant doesn’t just serve Mexican cuisine; performers provide entertainment from breakfast to dinner. Cliff divers jump and twirl into a blue lagoon, puppeteers put on tableside shows and magicians make the rounds. The live entertainment is why so many people know Casa Bonita.

But in April 2024, for the first time, Casa Bonita’s performers unionized, with about 80 of them represented by Actors’ Equity, led by Shields.

Shields said she’s escalating after prolonged negotiations over not just pay, but fundamental safety issues.

“It was slightly an ambush… you try doing things respectfully, and then you’re not met with equal respect… so you have to resort to other tactics,” said Shields, of her visit to Casa Bonita.

Since April of last year, Shields and Casa Bonita performers have been locked in negotiations with management. The group is asking for better protections for performers who say they got hypothermia and chlorine toxicity from the diving pool, as well as security for costumed performers who say they have been grabbed sexually by patrons. The group is also asking for a raise to bring them more in line with the servers, who they say make more. The union says it’s already made concessions at the bargaining table but with little offered in return to improve current conditions and wages.

Casa Bonita’s management said in a statement to CNN that “we value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.”

Parker and Stone did not respond to repeated requests for comment.