Overview
- The National Mall’s Reflecting Pool, which crews began draining Sunday after July Fourth fireworks, is being emptied so workers can remove debris, vacuum dead algae and repair torn sections of a newly installed industrial liner.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and President Trump say the damage was caused by deliberate cuts totaling roughly 300–350 feet and say investigators have photos they contend show intentional slicing, while Burgum also said nanobubbler technology eliminated the visible algae.
- The administration will not seek new bids and plans to use Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia firm that received a roughly $14.7 million no‑bid award, to perform warranty repairs and relining work.
- Federal authorities have arrested multiple people in connection with the pool damage and a federal grand jury indicted former Olympian David Hearn on a felony destruction charge; Hearn denies wrongdoing and his lawyers call the case politically motivated.
- Lawmakers and preservation experts are pressing for answers about the rushed schedule, no‑bid contracting and whether persistent algae and peeling reflect deeper plumbing and circulation problems that could require longer, more costly fixes and formal historic‑preservation review.