☕ Demolition at the White House

Good morning!

The NBA is so back.

Last night, Oklahoma City Thunder players officially received their championship rings before beating the Houston Rockets by a single point in a double-overtime thriller. In the other game, the LA Lakers went down to Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors 119-109.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• Pentagon staffers must now get approval before sharing information with Congress under a new policy announced this week by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The policy restricts congressional oversight and follows the expulsion of dozens of journalists from the Pentagon last week for refusing to sign agreements not to release unapproved information. Hegseth said in a memo that unauthorized disclosures undermine Pentagon operations. The new restrictions come after months of scandals and leaks that have plagued Hegseth's tenure.

• Vice President JD Vance downplayed concerns about the Israel-Gaza ceasefire during a visit to Israel on Tuesday, telling reporters what he'd seen gave him "great optimism that the ceasefire is going to hold." The visit came as tensions increased after Israel accused Hamas of killing two IDF soldiers and responded with airstrikes. Vance declined to give a timeline for Hamas's disarmament or the return of Israeli hostage remains but said the next 30 days would be crucial to the ceasefire's survival.

• The group that stole France's crown jewels from the Louvre on Sunday remains at large as fears grow that the priceless heirlooms may never be recovered. A French detective unit specializing in stolen artifacts has been assigned to the case, but prosecutors warn the jewels may have been cut into pieces for sale on the black market at around $10 million. The Louvre remains closed as investigations continue.

• Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began a five-year jail sentence this week after losing his appeal against convictions for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy is the first former French president to be jailed and maintained his innocence as he was driven to a Parisian prison. A separate French court will rule next month on his appeal of a six-month sentence in another campaign financing case.

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A planned meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been postponed after Russia rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire along the current front lines in Ukraine.

The breakdown came during a phone call between the countries' foreign ministers, with Russia insisting on territorial concessions and regime change in Ukraine before any peace deal.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting," President Trump said after the diplomatic impasse.

Context

After brokering a ceasefire deal with Hamas, President Trump signaled he was considering sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. The weapons would allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with precision.

The announcement prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to arrange an urgent meeting with President Trump. But while Zelenskyy was traveling to the U.S., Trump held a surprise phone call with Putin that resulted in two major announcements: a U.S.-Russia summit to be held in Hungary within two weeks, and Trump's reversal on providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

Trump's subsequent closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy was reportedly tense. After the meeting, Trump publicly backed Ukraine's position that any ceasefire must freeze the front lines at their current positions.

Why was the meeting postponed?

During planning for the Hungary summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call to discuss terms.

Lavrov repeated Russia's demands: full control of Ukraine's Donbas region, regime change in Kyiv, and a permanent ban on Ukraine joining NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of 32 countries including the U.S.).

"The U.S.'s new ceasefire demands conflicted with promises given to Putin during the U.S.-Russia Alaska meeting," Lavrov said, referring to earlier diplomatic talks.

Shortly after, the White House announced the postponement. "We'll be notifying [reporters] over the next two days" with updates, President Trump said.

What’s next?

Russia and Hungary say summit preparations continue, with Russian officials noting no official date was set during the Trump-Putin phone call.

A separate meeting of high-level diplomats from both countries has also been postponed. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

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Demolition of part of the White House's East Wing began Monday morning to make way for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom championed by President Trump.

The project, fully funded by private donations from major corporations, marks the biggest structural change to the White House since the 1940s.

The demolition contradicts President Trump's July statement that "the original White House would be preserved and no demolition would occur." Here's what you need to know.

Demolition begins

The Washington Post first reported the demolitions after witnesses photographed a backhoe tearing down part of the East Wing, where the First Lady and her staff typically work.

President Trump acknowledged the construction during a Monday press conference. "Right on the other side, you have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically," he said. He later posted on Truth Social that the "much-needed project" had begun.

The White House has not explained why demolition is occurring despite the President's earlier assurances, but officials said efforts were made to preserve historic objects.

Why a ballroom?

The new ballroom will nearly double the footprint of the White House's main building and accommodate up to 650 guests. This would eliminate the need for tents and marquees typically erected on White House lawns for large events.

President Trump has repeatedly criticized the White House's limited event space. Before entering politics, he offered to pay for a new ballroom himself, but the Obama administration declined.

Who’s paying?

The President told a group of tech, finance, and defense industry leaders last week that construction was fully funded through private donations. Donors can contribute up to $25 million each, which the President described as coming from "patriots."

Dozens of companies have contributed, including Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Coinbase. The project's cost increased from an initial $200 million estimate to $250 million.

Changes throughout history

The project represents the largest structural change to the White House since the 1940s, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt first extended the East Wing.

Smaller modifications have occurred since then, including a balcony addition by President Harry Truman and President Obama's conversion of the White House tennis court to accommodate basketball.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said in a statement last year that staff were working with "appropriate organizations" to preserve the White House's history.

Democrats

Democrats criticized the project. "Trump's billionaire ballroom. This is a disgrace. Welcome to the Second Gilded Age," said Representative Darren Soto of Florida.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said the President should focus on the ongoing government shutdown instead.

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