Former Olympian among those charged with vandalizing Reflecting Pool, Trump vows immediate repairs: report

2026-06-20 7:24pm EDT / Fox News

The incidents triggered a major security surge at the site weeks after a $14.8M restoration was completed

By Alexandra Koch Fox News

Published June 20, 2026 7:24pm EDT

Liberal media faces backlash for criticizing reflecting pool

Ben Ferguson joins Kayleigh McEnany to discuss the liberal media’s manufactured crisis over Reflecting Pool algae, calling it ‘Trump derangement syndrome.’

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Multiple people have been arrested this weekend after allegedly vandalizing the newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, prompting a strong response from President Donald Trump and an increase in security at the site.

Journalist Emily Miller posted a two-minute video on X Friday showing a man in lime-green racing gear questioning a National Guardsman before being handcuffed by U.S. Park Police.

The Washington Post later identified the man in Miller’s video as David Hearn, 67, a former three-time Olympian who was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property.

National Park Service employees and contractors use vacuums to remove green algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Thursday, in Washington, D.C.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS VANDALS USED CHEMICALS TO DAMAGE NEWLY RENOVATED REFLECTING POOL NEAR LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Hearn told the outlet he had just finished a 52-mile bike ride when he noticed a “partially detached piece” of the new pool liner and “reached into the water to see what it felt like.”

While Miller claimed in her post that Hearn “grabbed” a hose that National Park Service workers were using to remediate algae growth, Hearn told The Washington Post the hose “may” only have been touched by his bike tire.

“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told the outlet.

Paint peels from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.(Annabelle Gordon/Reuters)

TRUMP TAKES MOTORCADE INTO REFLECTING POOL, BLASTS PAST ‘$38M DISASTER’ FIX UNDER OBAMA

Hearn, who was arrested in 1996 on charges of canoeing on the Potomac River, but later had them dropped, said, “I didn’t destroy, break, or peel anything. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already being handcuffed.”

Miller reported Saturday that seven people were detained in separate incidents on Friday for getting into the pool, which has led to a major security surge.

Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn was arrested after allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.(David Madison/Getty Images, File)

Trump addressed the recent incidents Saturday afternoon on Truth Social, confirming Park Police arrested “multiple” people for vandalizing “our Nation’s magnificent Reflecting Poll.”

“Who would do such a thing?” the president wrote in the post. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.”

National Guard members walk past a National Park Service employee using a vacuum to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Friday, in Washington. D.C.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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Trump on Friday noted Park Police has had “real problems” with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, as the administration faces scrutiny over peeling paint and algae growth just weeks after a $14.8 million restoration project was completed.

The White House, U.S. Park Police and Miller did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

中国代表：应尊重各国自主选择的人权发展道路

2026年6月21日 07:18 / 联合早报

中国常驻联合国日内瓦办事处和瑞士其他国际组织代表贾桂德说，文明具有多样性，应尊重各国自主选择的人权发展道路。

据中新社报道，联合国人权理事会第62届会议星期五（6月19日）举行人权理事会成立20周年高级别对话会，贾桂德出席会议并阐述中方立场。

贾桂德说，联合国人权理事会成立20周年是重温初心、审视当下、面向未来的重要时刻。加强和改进人权理事会工作，要奉行主权平等、遵守国际法治，坚持普遍、公正、客观、非选择性和建设性对话合作等原则，反对将人权问题政治化。

他说，要倡导以人为本、践行多边主义，平衡推进公民政治权利和经济社会文化权利，将发展权置于多边人权议程的突出位置。要注重行动导向、促进普惠公平，在当事国同意基础上，加大能力建设和技术援助投入。

贾桂德说，文明具有多样性，应尊重各国自主选择的人权发展道路，处理好人权普遍性与文明多样性的辩证关系。中国高度重视促进和保护人权，坚定不移走中国人权发展道路，愿同各国共同促进国际人权事业健康发展，携手构建人类命运共同体。

对话会上，联合国秘书长古特雷斯发表视频致辞，联合国人权事务高级专员图尔克、联合国人权理事会主席苏里约迪普罗等同与会各方对话。

https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20260621-9239028
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国际特稿：自嘲“小强”掀抗议巨浪 印度青年敲响体制警钟

2026年6月21日 05:00 / 联合早报

本月早些时候，席卷亚洲与世界多国的Z世代抗议浪潮延烧到南亚大国印度，自嘲为“蟑螂”的年轻人在政治讽刺团体“蟑螂人民党”的号召下走上街头，要求教育部长为近年一系列教育与考试制度丑闻引咎辞职。当生命力顽强的“小强”汇成抗议大军，这场源于网络恶搞的“蟑螂运动”，能否为印度年轻人带来他们渴望的改变？

（合成图／蔡新友）

“有些年轻人就像蟑螂一样，他们找不到工作，在职业领域没有立足之地。”

今年5月，印度首席大法官坎特（Surya Kant）在一场听证会上，把失业年轻人与活动人士比作“蟑螂”与“社会寄生虫”，引发舆论哗然。尽管坎特后来澄清，他并非针对所有年轻人，而是指那些靠假学位进入法律、媒体等行业的人，但风波已难平息。在社交媒体助推下，被视为在年轻人伤口上撒盐的“蟑螂论”迅速发酵。

这番言论促使远在美国的印度青年迪普克（Abhijeet Dipke，30岁）开始思索：“如果所有蟑螂都团结起来，会发生什么事？”他很快创立了一个以蟑螂为吉祥物的戏谑政党，并号召广大“蟑螂”加入，以自嘲和反讽回应大法官对年轻人的羞辱。

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6月20日，在瑞士苏黎世国际机场，一架载有伊朗代表团的飞机降落后，一支车队停在飞机旁。 （路透社）

伊朗代表团已抵达瑞士，美国副总统万斯也启程前往瑞士参加会谈。

据伊朗国家电视台IRIB报道，代号为“Minab 168”的伊朗谈判代表团星期六（6月20日）晚些时候已抵达瑞士。

伊朗官方广播公司称，代表团成员包括议长卡利巴夫和外交部长阿拉格齐。外交部发言人指出，代表团将“要求对方履行”协议下的承诺。“否则，整个协议都将面临风险。”

与此同时，美国副总统万斯也于当天下午乘飞机前往瑞士参加会谈。

美国副总统万斯星期六（6月20日）在马里兰州安德鲁斯联合基地登机前，向记者发表讲话。（路透社）

他在登机前告诉记者：“我只能在那里待一两天。我希望我们能在核问题和黎巴嫩停火问题上取得进展。我认为这两个问题是我们应该重点关注的。我相信伊朗方面也有他们想要讨论的问题。”

万斯也说，黎巴嫩局势“实际上正在好转”。“我们需要持续不断地努力，确保以色列和黎巴嫩的安全。”

他说：“最大的问题在于，一方开枪，另一方就会还击，这就陷入了先有鸡还是先有蛋的困境，我们必须阻止枪击持续足够长的时间，才能让停火协议得以维持。”

美国谈判代表库什纳和威特科夫此前已抵达伊朗，负责处理“一些技术性问题”，并称“进展顺利”。

调解方巴基斯坦称，将于星期天（21日）在瑞士布尔根施托克举行“技术层面会谈”，巴基斯坦和卡塔尔的调解员将与美国和伊朗的代表一同出席。

瑞士外交部在社媒发文说：“我们欢迎伊朗代表团抵达瑞士。”

瑞士也说，将继续为落实美伊谅解备忘录的会谈提供“谨慎可靠的环境”。瑞士外交部证实，一些未具名的外国使节正在“继续努力维持对话”，但拒绝透露更多细节。

美伊原定星期五（19日）在瑞士举行的第一次直接谈判，但因为以色列持续攻击黎南而临时取消推迟。

此次会谈旨在开启为期两个月的谈判期，以解决最初协议中遗留的问题，特别是伊朗的核计划。

6月19日，在加沙地带中部努塞拉特巴勒斯坦难民营附近，孩子们站在岬角上看着远方遇袭冒出的浓烟滚滚。 （法新社）

加沙卫生官员称，以色列空袭和枪击事件在加沙地带造成至少九人死亡，包括一名儿童和一名半岛电视台记者。

路透社报道，加沙卫生官员星期六（6月20日）说，以色列空袭在加沙城的一栋公寓楼内造成四名巴勒斯坦人死亡，包括两名妇女和一名儿童。

另一起事件中，当地医护人员称，以色列军队在更北部的拜特拉希亚镇枪杀一名妇女。以色列空袭在加沙地带南部的汗尤尼斯造成至少一人死亡，八人受伤。

当天晚些时候，以色列空袭在加沙地带中部的布雷吉难民营造成三人死亡，包括半岛电视台记者艾哈迈德·维沙。

半岛电视台称，维沙在一次被电视台称为“令人发指的罪行”中丧生。大约两个月前，他的兄弟穆罕默德·维沙也被以色列军方杀害，穆罕默德·维沙同样是半岛电视台记者。

以色列军方发声明称，维沙是哈马斯武装分子的“狙击手”，但没有提供证据，并称他与另外两名哈马斯武装分子一同被击毙。以色列军方也指控穆罕默德·维沙是哈马斯的高级武装人员。

哈马斯和半岛电视台否认维沙与该组织有任何关联。

半岛电视台称，此次袭击使自2023年10月以来在加沙遇袭身亡的半岛电视台记者人数上升至12人。10月份的停火协议虽然阻止了哈马斯和以色列之间的大规模冲突，但并未停止以色列的袭击。

巴勒斯坦记者协会谴责维沙的遇害，并呼吁追究以色列领导人对这类袭击的责任。自2023年10月战争爆发以来，已有近300名巴勒斯坦记者在袭击中丧生。

加沙卫生部指出，自停火以来，已有超过1010名巴勒斯坦人死于以色列的炮火。同期，武装分子在加沙杀害了四名以色列士兵。

以色列称，这次空袭旨在阻止哈马斯和其他武装分子即将发动的袭击。

以色列和哈马斯在如何推进美国总统特朗普加沙计划的下一阶段仍陷入僵局，这份计划要求哈马斯放下武器，以及以色列撤军。

Zelenskyy returns Poland’s highest honor after Polish president revokes it in history dispute

2026-06-20T19:24:00-0400 / CBS News

Updated on: June 20, 2026 / 7:24 PM EDT / AP

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned Poland’s highest state honor, after the Polish president stripped him of the award as a politically charged dispute over World War II history resurfaced.

Ukrainians believed the order “was meant for the Ukrainian People and our army,” Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post explaining the gesture. “Today, I sent the Order back to the President of Poland. I believe the future will confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve.”

The message published on X is accompanied by photos of the Polish order and a postal receipt that it was about to be mailed to the Polish presidential office.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend an official welcome ceremony before their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, Dec. 19, 2025. Czarek Sokolowski / AP Photo

President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle over the Ukrainian leader’s decision to name a military unit after a Ukrainian paramilitary organization accused of massacring Poles during WWII.

Former Polish President Andrzej Duda bestowed the award on Zelenskyy in 2023 for services to security, resilience and the defense of human rights.

Zelenskyy issued a decree on May 26 naming a unit of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, which operated during the 1940s and 1950s and has been accused in Poland of mass killings.

“For the majority of Polish society, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains above all a formation responsible for cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II,” Nawrocki said in a 13-minute address on social media.

The Ukrainian decree was met with widespread criticism in Poland, which has hosted millions of Ukrainian refugees and is a key supporter of Kyiv as it battled Russia’s four-year invasion. However, Nawrocki is a nationalist politician who has exploited anti-Ukrainian sentiment for electoral gain. Ukrainians in Poland have been facing increasing prejudice despite their contribution to the economy.

The decision to revoke the honor did not mean Poland’s support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia would decrease, Nawrocki said.

Ukraine is grateful to Poland for its support, and would stay open to resolve historical differences with Poland, Zelenskyy wrote Saturday in his post. “I am proud of our people and of EVERY Ukrainian warrior.”

Ukrainian Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov wrote on Telegram that Nawrocki’s decision was “an unfriendly act toward our people” and “a gift to the Moscow aggressor, which will certainly use it against both of our countries.”

Four Ukrainian officials, including Budanov, said they would return state honors that Poland had issued them.

Some in Ukraine criticized the decision to return the Polish honors.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine’s former prime minister, wrote on X that one “harmful and incorrect decision by the current president of Poland cannot be corrected by other incorrect decisions of ours.”

Poland is scheduled to host a major event on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction next week, which Zelenskyy was expected to attend.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political rival of Nawrocki, urged the two leaders to “tone down emotions, not stoke tensions.”

“The front line runs elsewhere,” Tusk wrote on social media Friday night, adding that the row between Poland and Ukraine “delights Putin and shocks our allies.”

Zelenskyy’s May decree said the designation was meant to restore military traditions and recognize the unit’s performance in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.

The UPA fought for Ukrainian independence against both Nazi Germany and Soviet forces. But it has been accused of killing tens of thousands of Poles, mostly in the Nazi-occupied regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. In 2016, the Polish Parliament recognized the crimes committed by UPA as genocide.

Ukrainians say armed formations on both sides, including the UPA and Polish underground forces, were involved in attacks and reprisals that led to large-scale civilian casualties among Poles and Ukrainians.

Poland and Ukraine had recently made progress on the issue of exhumation of Polish victims. A December meeting between the two presidents in Warsaw had signaled progress on historical reconciliation.

黎巴嫩：以色列新一轮空袭造成七人死亡

2026年6月21日 07:28 / 联合早报

6月20日，以色列对黎巴嫩南部城市纳巴提耶发动一系列空袭，现场浓烟滚滚。 （法新社）

黎巴嫩卫生部说，以色列对黎巴嫩南部和东部地区发动的新一轮空袭造成七人死亡。

法新社报道，卫生部星期六（6月20日）称，五人在黎巴嫩东部丧生，包括一名妇女和一名儿童。另有两名巴勒斯坦人在南部提尔地区遇难。

这次空袭发生在以色列军方宣布已接到黎巴嫩政治领导层的命令，停止在黎巴嫩南部作战之前。

美国和卡塔尔居中斡旋后，美方原本宣布以色列和真主党同意在黎巴嫩时间星期五下午4时停火。但黎巴嫩安全部门说，以色列在停火后的第一个小时内，就对黎南进行十几次空袭，并于星期六早上继续袭击黎南。

伊朗军方星期六宣布，由于以色列继续袭击黎巴嫩南部，违反美伊达成的协议，伊朗再度封闭霍尔木兹海峡。

美伊原定星期五在瑞士举行的第一次直接谈判，就是因为以色列持续攻击黎南而临时取消推迟。

英媒称首相斯塔默将辞职 但消息人士称他仍继续执政

2026年6月21日 07:44 / 联合早报

英媒称首相斯塔默将辞职 但消息人士称他仍继续执政

英国首相斯塔默带领中左翼工党在2024年大选中取得压倒性胜利，但一系列丑闻和政策大转弯令他声名扫地，许多选民认为他无法兑现改善民众生活水平的承诺。 （路透社档案照片）

英国媒体称，首相斯塔默预计将辞职，并公布离任时间表；但一名政府消息人士称，斯塔默仍专注于继续执政。

英国《观察家报》报道称，斯塔默正在位于契克斯庄园的乡间别墅与妻子商讨此事，之后才会做出最终决定。工党高层预计，他最早将于下星期一（22日）发表明确声明。

《观察家报》的报道并未透露消息来源，但称斯塔默在与内阁部长、顾问、捐助者和工会领导人交谈后，得出结论：他的职位已无法继续维持。

斯塔默的处境已持续数月。大曼彻斯特市长伯纳姆星期五（19日）在英格兰北部的国会议席补选中赢得一个议席，这意味着他可以正式发起领导权挑战，使斯塔默的处境急剧恶化。

不过，斯塔默星期五说，他将应对任何对领导权的挑战，并敦促工党不要因内讧而分崩离析。

一名政府消息人士也称，斯塔默仍专注于工作。

斯塔默带领中左翼工党在2024年大选中取得压倒性胜利，但一系列丑闻和政策大转弯令他声名扫地，许多选民认为他无法兑现改善民众生活水平的承诺。

如果他辞职或被罢免，这意味着英国将在短短十几年内迎来第七位首相。这是近两个世纪以来首相更迭最频繁的一次，反映出民众对历届政府未能改善公共服务和解决非法移民等问题的愤怒。

据路透社统计，斯塔默所在工党有超过100名当选议员，约占下议院工党议员总数的四分之一，已公开表明希望他辞职或制定离任时间表。

现年56岁的资深政治家伯纳姆被许多工党人士视为斯塔默最可能的继任者，无论是通过协商权力交接还是正式的领导权争夺。

伯纳姆曾担任英格兰北部大曼彻斯特市市长，在工党内部建立稳固的权力基础。

伯纳姆并未立即正式向斯塔默发起挑战，而是在胜选演讲中承诺将为国家开辟一条新的道路。他的盟友敦促斯塔默同意辞职并自愿交出权力。

前卫生部长斯特里廷也称，他愿意挑战斯塔默。

《泰晤士报》星期六报道称，伯纳姆如果当选首相，将解雇财政部长里夫斯，因为他的顾问认为里夫斯未能带来足够的政策方向转变。

Trump says multiple people have been arrested for allegedly vandalizing Reflecting Pool

June 20, 2026 6:13 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The United States Park Police have arrested multiple people for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, President Trump said Saturday, days after algae turned the water a fluorescent green hue and rips appeared in an “American Flag Blue” surface handpicked by the president.

“The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll (sic),” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday. “Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.”

The National Park Service did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.

David Hearn, a 67-year-old Bethesda, Maryland, man who stopped by the pool while on a 64-mile bike ride, said authorities arrested him and held him for five hours on Friday after he reached down into the pool.

The newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is contaminated by algae, as seen from the Washington Monument on June 17. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo

Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer who owned a company that provided materials to build watercraft, said it was scientific interest that drew him to the pool. He told The Associated Press he wanted to examine the peeling new coating on the bottom of the pool that Mr. Trump had ordered installed.

He said he briefly touched a chunk that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to. But, Hearn said, he was then detained by National Guard troops and Park Police.

“I’m a curious citizen,” Hearn said in a telephone interview. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.”

The Washington Post first reported on Hearn’s arrest, and he said he has a date to appear in court next month and is looking for legal help.

In a Truth Social post Friday night, Mr. Trump alleged, without providing evidence, that three days prior, vandals had “destroyed the grass outside of the Pool” and had “also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.”

The Reflecting Pool has faced problems with leaks, algae and faulty plumbing for years. In April, the president launched an effort to address the pool’s “terrible” condition, part of a slate of spring cleaning projects in Washington, D.C., ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday.

After the pool was resurfaced and water was pumped back in, issues began to arise last week. Workers were seen in recent days removing algae from the Reflecting Pool, and on Tuesday morning, crews dumped bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the water.

Mr. Trump said Friday that “[t]he algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week.”

Even if someone pulled ribbons of paint from the side of the pool, it would not explain the clouds of algae in green water and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom.

Mr. Trump insisted something nefarious has been going on at the scene. “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” he posted on Truth Social.

That was a reference to the discovery of large numbers etched in discolored grass on the National Mall the week before: “86 47.” Authorities said the numbers could have been meant as a threat to Mr. Trump, the 47th president. The number 86 can be slang for “getting rid of.” They are investigating.

特朗普警告：若谈判无果 美国将对霍尔木兹海峡征通行费

2026年6月21日 07:51 / 联合早报

特朗普星期六（6月20日）警告，如果协议未能达成，美国将对霍尔木兹海峡征收通行费，作为美国充当中东国家“守护天使”所提供服务的报酬，用于补偿过去、现在及未来的相关成本。 （路透社）

美国总统特朗普警告称，如果谈判代表无法达成结束伊朗战争的协议，美国可能会对至关重要的霍尔木兹海峡征收通行费。

法新社报道，特朗普星期六（6月20日）在社媒Truth Social发文称，在停火期间的60天内，霍尔木兹海峡将不收取任何通行费。60天期限结束后，也将继续不收取任何通行费。

不过，他说，如果协议未能达成，美国将征收通行费，作为美国充当中东国家“守护天使”所提供服务的报酬，用于补偿过去、现在及未来的相关成本。