Justice Dept. admits Reflecting Pool renovation was flawed, drops case against former Olympian

The DOJ moved to dismiss its indictment of former Olympic canoeist David Hearn over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, now saying the damage was caused by a "botched installation" during a rushed $14 million renovation ahead of the America 250 celebration, not vandalism; a grand jury witness reportedly said the pool was already damaged before Hearn approached it, and Hearn's attorneys say the government "owes Mr. Hearn an apology."

 Posted on Jul 31, 2026  |  CNN

ABC says FCC seeks to intimidate network over news coverage

ABC said the FCC's early, years-ahead-of-schedule review of the broadcast licenses for its eight Disney-owned stations, ordered by Chair Brendan Carr and tied to a probe into Disney's diversity policies, is "a signal to every media company in the country" to accommodate the administration's preferred coverage or pay the price; the FCC is separately investigating whether "The View" violates equal-time rules for political candidates.

 Posted on Jul 30, 2026  |  Reuters

ICE detains Army veteran's wife at green card interview

ICE detained Airida Gould, a Lithuanian national who came to the U.S. in 2000 and is married to Army veteran Mark Gould, when she appeared for a green card interview in the Chicago area in May, citing a 17-year-old removal order tied to a missed hearing. Gould, a licensed massage therapist who had just marked her 20th year at the same business, was held at an out-of-state detention facility more than 300 miles from her husband and their two sons; as of the article's July 21 publication, her husband said she was being deported that night.

 Posted on Jul 21, 2026  |  Newsweek