Reflecting Pool peeling probably caused by application flaws, experts say
www.washingtonpost.com

... The lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool peeled away in at least seven places along seams that were created when the material was applied in large rectangular sections, indicating likely problems in how it was installed, according to a Washington Post analysis of visuals and interviews with experts. ...

Post reporters visited the Reflecting Pool on June 25 and identified seven locations where the lining " a waterproof membrane that was painted onto the concrete basin " had partially or entirely peeled away. The peeling occurred in irregularly shaped patches that stretched alongside the long edges of the pool. The pieces ranged in size from a few inches to as long as six feet. In one case, the concrete was visible underneath. (Reporters could not see the condition of the lining in the middle of the basin.)

By comparing the seven locations with satellite imagery, photos and videos taken during the renovation process, the analysis found that all of the failures occurred at the seams " lines between two areas that were painted at different times.

Four experts in waterproofing materials -- who have decades of experience and have served as educators and expert witnesses in pool-related construction lawsuits -- reviewed The Post's findings and said the failure pattern strongly suggested errors in the application process. They said that while a precise cause cannot be determined without on-site examination and lab testing, such seams require careful attention and are especially prone to failure. ...

In five of the spots, the dark blue Pipeliner 5000 coating had peeled off to reveal more of the same material. Experts said this appears consistent with an adhesion failure caused by an overlap of the dark blue over a dried layer of the same material at the seams. For any overlapping Pipeliner 5000 to adhere, the underlying layer would need to still be wet or, if not, steps would need to be taken to prepare the surface.

Pipeliner 5000 dries within four hours, according to technical documents, depending on temperature and humidity. The Post confirmed that in each of the five spots, five hours or more had elapsed between when adjacent sections were sprayed.

At a sixth spot The Post identified, the dark blue Pipeliner 5000 had peeled back to reveal the light blue Rhino 406 primer. The Pipeliner 5000 should be applied within 24 hours of the primer, according to technical specifications. Photos and a video of the renovation process showed that, at this location, it was applied more than 24 hours after the primer, which experts said made it less likely that the two materials bonded properly. ...

Family dog chases off bear charging toward young boy in Connecticut
www.msn.com

... A Connecticut family is praising their husky after the dog sprang into action and chased off a bear that charged toward a young boy in the family's driveway over the Fourth of July weekend.

Video obtained by KTLA shows the bear running up the driveway toward the child before Bella, the family's husky, sprints in to intercept it. The dog appears to bite the bear's hind leg, causing it to veer away from the boy before Bella continues chasing the animal down the driveway.

The child was unharmed, and Bella also escaped the encounter without injury.

The incident happened July 4 outside the family's home in Torrington, Connecticut, according to a report by People magazine, which cited local television station WTNH. ...

Trump's Fixation' on Male Beauty Alarmed Admin Staff, Maggie Haberman Says: The President Has a Type'
www.yahoo.com

Malcolm McLaren - Swamp Thing (1985)
www.youtube.com

Trump Media pitched $100,000 monthly fee for fastest feed of US president's posts, sources say
www.reuters.com

... Trump Media has also pitched $60,000 monthly three-year plan, people familiar with the matter said. Truth API will deliver posts from 10 influential accounts faster than for regular push notifications. Trump's trust holds about 114.75 million TMTG shares, or roughly 41% of outstanding stock, filings showed.

Donald Trump's social media company has discussed charging Wall Street traders and investment firms as much as $100,000 a month for faster access to the U.S. president's posts on his Truth Social platform, according to people familiar with the matter.

Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT.O), opens new tab, which owns Truth Social, has in recent weeks also pitched a discounted plan of $60,000 per month if the firms sign up for a three-year plan, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential. ...

Canada's U.S. Travel Boycott Is Forcing Las Vegas To Acknowledge The Consequences (August 2025)
www.thetravel.com

... The World Travel & Tourism Council's 2024 Economic Impact Trends Report revealed the United States was the world's most powerful travel and tourism market in 2024, contributing a record-breaking $2.36 trillion to its economy in 2023 alone.

Following such tourism success, travel forecasting company Tourism Economics anticipated back in December 2024 that the U.S. would have nearly 9% more international arrivals in 2025 than the previous year, but that was before global perception of the U.S. shifted following the Trump administration's political controversies, which have been driving international tourists, many from big-spending allied countries, into the arms of Canada instead.

Since then, the company has revised its predictions to a 9.4% drop, while warning the steepest tourism declines could be from Canada -- and it was right.

Canada's travel boycott of the U.S. is hitting America's travel and tourism sector hard.

20.2 million Canadians visited the U.S. in 2024, spending over $20 billion and supporting 140,000 American jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association and recent figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

That total represents 26% of America's 77 million tourists last year and makes Canada the largest source of visitors to the U.S.

This year, though, their absence -- and that $20 billion potential dent in the United States' pockets -- is being felt as Canadians' boycott continues into its seventh month; just as Tourism Economics announced on 22 August that overseas arrivals to the U.S. dropped 3.1% in July 2025 (a year-to-date downturn of 1.6%), it also noted Canadian visitation continues on a downward spiral"down 25.2% year to date, which includes a 37.0% drop in land arrivals in July alone, as well as air bookings from Canada to the U.S. down by 35.6% to 43.0% compared to this time last year. [can you say, "run-on sentence?" I knew you could.] ...

Las Vegas tourism drop leaves Nevada workers scrambling for shifts amid declining visitor volume (October 2025)
www.foxbusiness.com

... Visitor volume fell 11.3% in June as hotel occupancy rates declined across southern Nevada ...

The poor job market comes as tourism remains weak, a problem that's persisted for several months.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which releases a monthly summary of tourism data from several agencies including the LVCVA, Harry Reid International Airport, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the NV Dept. of Transportation (NDOT), reported that southern Nevada's tourism sector showed clear signs of strain in June 2025 with visitor volume falling 11.3% compared to the same month last year. ...

So, why might that visitor volume diminished?

www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov

Now things look clear because a front came in from the north.

Tomorrow may be different, though the rain may wash the smoke out of the air ...

(fwiw, that's a fav weather link for me ...)