An entire section of the Trump admin’s blue $14.2 million waterproofing paint layer has detached off the floor in one area of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, following days of chemical treatment by the NPS to remove the algae blooms

Days after Trump’s $14.2 million renovation for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the water is neon green with algae blooms The Interior Department has been saying the algae is “residual” from supply lines that were dormant for eight weeks during construction

The Ellipse —

BREAKING: Trump says the US completed an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.“

Trump will be doing flagpoles at the White House tomorrow morning, per his Truth post. Unclear whether this suggests possible US action in Iran is not imminent

BREAKING: Judge Breyer grants temporary restraining order blocking Trump from deploying National Guard to Los Angeles and returns control of the Guard to Gov Gavin Newsom

NEW: Judge Beryl Howell has ruled that Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional; permanently blocks the administration from implementing or enforcing the order in any way @guardian story TK storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

NEW: Judge James Boasberg finds probable cause that the Trump administration acted in contempt of his temporary injunction to turn around deportation flights while the matter was litigated. Details TK

New: Judge Paula Xinis rejects the Trump administration's narrow reading of "facilitate" in the Supreme Court ruling, says it requires them to seek his release beyond removing domestic barriers storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

New: Chief Judge Boasberg sets a hearing on Thursday at 3p ET re whether the Trump administration violated his court order that temporarily barred deportations under the Alien Enemies Act

NEW: Trump directs AG Pam Bondi to inform the White House of "frivolous" lawsuits against the admin or agencies -- as she sees fit -- so Trump can consider punitive exec orders that revoke security clearances as he did against Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie and Covington, per new memo

New: Chief Judge Boasberg orders the DOJ to have an admin official directly involved in the Cabinet level discussion about invoking State Secrets privilege over Venezuelan deportations by March 21 and decide whether they are actually invoking the privilege by March 25

At the White House, the briefing room screens are claiming “victory”after a federal judge denied a request from the AP to restore their access to WH press pool events. WH aide just said it was a “preview” for something tomorrow

The problem with conflicts is that they could undercut any conclusions of impropriety even if they are colorable claims, such as the allegation that a top prosecutor once tried to strong-arm a defense lawyer into flipping his client against Trump. And any case brought in court could be dismissed.

The possible conflicts are varied: some of the DOJ officials were defense lawyers in the very cases they will now be investigating, while others signed onto positions defending Trump in civil and criminal matters.

New tonight Elon Musk retweets a post contemplating DOGE or the Trump administration defy a court order imposed by a federal judge “I don’t like the precedent it sets when you defy a judicial ruling, but I’m just wondering what other options are these judges leaving us”

1.20.25

At the Trump inaugural committee’s Cabinet Reception, there was very little of the actual cabinet nominees who appeared for maybe 5min; Donors would’ve had better luck for a meet and greet at the party yesterday hosted by Don Jr and allies Jeff Miller and Arthur Schwartz

New — Trump files an amicus brief w the 11th Circuit trying to block the entire Special Counsel report from becoming public by arguing Jack Smith’s proposal to just release the Jan. 6 volume would still prejudice Nauta and De Oliveira in the classified docs case

BREAKING -- Judge Cannon temporarily blocks Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing his final report until three days after the 11th Circuit resolves Trump's "emergency motion" to stop it becoming public

New — Trump’s lawyers asked AG Garland in an emailed letter today to remove Special Counsel Jack Smith and stop the release of his Final Report, per court filings

Trump statement on Judge Merchan setting sentencing for next week from his comms director —

New — Fulton County DA Fani Willis files notice that she will appeal her disqualification from the Trump case to the Georgia Supreme Court

Trump on Chris Wray announcing his resignation as FBI Director in January: “I just don’t know what happened to him”

New — Trump says he’s making Dave Warrington the top White House lawyer, which appears to mean he’s pushing aside Bill McGinley, who was originally named White House counsel

New — Trump comms director Steven Cheung on the cancellation of Trump’s New York criminal case sentencing: