The Daily Populous

Friday December 19th, 2025 evening edition

image for The White House ballroom will never be built

In October, Donald Trump traumatized all true patriots by tearing down the East Wing of the White House.

The move, he claims, will clear the way for a ballroom for holding large events that are typically held in tents on the South Lawn.

Two months later, it increasingly seems that such discussion was a wasted effort, as the chance this ballroom will actually be built is rapidly disappearing.

Trump keeps changing things, driven by a short-sighted impulsiveness that keeps pushing him to expand the scope of the project.

But as the White House hasn’t even scheduled meetings with the National Capital Planning Commission to start the process, meeting that deadline appears unlikely.

While talking up the ballroom project, his actual renovations of the White House have only been destructive, like demolishing the East Wing.

But that surface level shift will almost certainly be turned back before Trump’s belongings are moved out of his White House bedroom. »

Man Sues Tennessee County After Being Jailed Over Meme Linked to Charlie Kirk’s Killing

Authored by newzsquare.com

According to the 30-page complaint filed this week, Larry Bushart, 61, shared the meme ten days after Kirk’s killing in the comments of a Facebook post about a vigil in Perry County, Tennessee.

He was unable to pay the $2m bond and was jailed for 37 days.

“In fact, the Perry county school district has no records at all concerning Mr Bushart or the meme,” the lawsuit adds. »

Japan needs to possess nuclear weapons, prime minister's office source says

Authored by english.kyodonews.net

TOKYO - A source within Japan's prime minister's office said Thursday that the country needs nuclear weapons, remarks that deviate from the country's long-standing non-nuclear principles and could trigger backlash at home and abroad.

"I think we should possess nuclear weapons," said the source, who is involved in devising security policy under the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, while also indicating that such a move is unrealistic.

The prime minister's office source denied having a discussion with Takaichi about reviewing the non-nuclear principles. »

It’s time to accept that the US supreme court is illegitimate and must be replaced | Ryan Doerfler and Samuel Moyn

Authored by theguardian.com
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In Donald Trump’s second term, the supreme court’s conservative supermajority has seized the opportunity to empower the nation’s chief executive.

Too often, though, liberals are responding with nostalgia for a court that cares about its high standing.

In Trump’s second term, the Republican-appointed majority on the supreme court has brought their institution to the brink of illegitimacy. »

Ukraine Launches First Successful Drone Attack on Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Mediterranean

Authored by united24media.com
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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has, for the first time, successfully targeted a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker using drones in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ukrainian drones struck the Russian tanker, QENDIL, in the Mediterranean's neutral waters, causing significant damage and rendering the vessel inoperable.

⚡️ BREAKING: For the first time ever, a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker was critically damaged by drone strikes in the Mediterranean and is now out of operation, according to media reports. pic.twitter.com/O5W6nK7vzx — UNITED24 Media (@United24media) December 19, 2025. »