THE ART OF THE PEEL: President Trump dispatched the National Guard to protect the newly-refurbished National Mall reflecting pool which he claims was the target of vandals destroying the blue bottom rather than failed workmanship. In Trump’s mind there is never responsibility, only blame.

   Over the weekend a 67-year-old former Olympic canoeist was charged with vandalism after touching some of the blue bottom coating floating to the surface. Trump claimed on his Truth Social that, “Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool.”

  Aerial views show about a third of Trump’s “American Flag Blue” bottom coating have peeled away. Trump claims that vandals poured corrosive chemicals into the pool. But the National Park Service had dumped in hydrogen peroxide to kill the algae that had turned the pool green.

  Yet Trump posted, “What these terrible Vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly.” He said the pool will likely need to be drained for repairs.

  David Hearn, the former Olympian who had a business making materials for canoes, said he stopped his bicycle by the pool out of curiosity to feel a piece of blue coating that had floated up and was taken into custody. He was accused of destruction of government property. “I was just a curious, concerned citizen,” he told the NY Times. “I guess I was there at the wrong place, wrong time.” 

THE WAR ROOM: Iran insisted on an end to fighting in Lebanon as a condition for further peace talks while President Trump renewed his perpetually renewable threats to continue his war. Trump said in a Fox News interview that he could do “whatever I want” after the expiration of the current 60-day ceasefire.

  The Iranians are reported to have stormed out of the meeting after Trump sent in a message threatening to “blow the shit out of them.”

  Vice President JD Vance, who attended the 80-minute negotiation in Switzerland, said, “We’ve seen great progress over the last couple of days in ensuring that the cease-fire holds in Lebanon,” and that, “These things are always a little bit messy.”

  Iran claimed again over the weekend that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz once more because of the fighting in Lebanon. The US said the strait is still open, although traffic is far from normal. 

  Trump is in a hissy fit over NY Times analysis of the war under the headline, “What Changed After Almost Four Months of War? Analysts Say Not Much.”

  Trump blistered on his social media once again that Iran’s military is destroyed and; “The way the Corrupt and Failing New York Times is covering stories on a very battered and beat up Iran, through FAKE & MADE UP “FACTS” is, in my opinion, “TREASONOUS.” I will be adding all of their false and ridiculous reporting to my multi Billion Dollar lawsuit against them. They are Criminals!”

INFINITE SCROLL:

— President Trump posted on his Truth Social that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was going to resign, catching Britain by surprise and maybe even Starmer himself.

  But then Starmer actually did resign as leader of the Labour party, but he’s staying on as prime minister until a new party leader is selected, by September, rather than fight to remain in the job. 

  Starmer was graceful in his announcement, unlike Trump who posted that, “He failed badly on two very important subjects – IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY,” Trump wrote, and, “(OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!).”

— A Catholic diocese in Las Cruces, New Mexico is fighting to protect the land surrounding a mountain topped by a 29-foot limestone crucifix that has been the destination for religious pilgrims from around the world.

  The Department of Homeland Security is attempting to use eminent domain to seize 14 acres of desert from the diocese. “The wall is a physical manifestation of this government’s attitude toward migrants,” the diocese said in a legal brief. “Nothing could be less Catholic.”

COURTSIDE: After entering the women’s doubles with her sister Venus after four years of retirement, tennis great Serena Williams accepted a wild card invitation to also play in the women’s singles at Wimbledon.

  Williams last played singles at the 2022 US Open, losing in three straight sets. She said at a news conference, “I want to play singles and we’ll see if I get there and if not, that’s not my journey right now.”

THE SPIN RACK: The Society of Family Planning reports that despite the overturning of the nationwide right to abortion in 2021, there were twice as many abortions in 2025 because of the availability of abortion drugs by mail. — Aurora Phelps, a 44-year-old dual Mexican-American who used dating apps to lure older men then looted their finances, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison by a Mexican court for the disappearance of an American retiree whose body was found dumped along a road outside of Guadalajara. She was convicted not of murder but of a crime known as “disappearance committed by private individuals.” —  Frustrated Iowa morning news anchor Dustin Nolan announced his departure from the news business on air Friday telling viewers he believes “that we as a local news station have to be more than trends or sanitized news” and that, “That’s why the facts matter and that’s why we do what we do here.”

BELOW THE FOLD: President Donald Trump over the weekend posted a picture of a blonde woman sitting on a sofa, telephone in hand with the message, “Great daughter,” and “My Honor!!!”

  The woman is neither one of Trump’s daughters.

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