Court Rejects Trump Order to Keep Coal Plant Open; Reflecting Pool Repairs Face Scrutiny

A federal court has struck down a Trump administration order that compelled a Michigan coal-fired power plant to remain operational past its scheduled retirement date. The Department of Energy had invoked "emergency" powers to keep the JH Campbell Generating Plant open, citing reliability concerns. However, a federal judge ruled that the department exceeded its authority in issuing the order, a decision that environmental groups and several states had challenged.

In a separate development, the company responsible for renovating the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has reportedly acknowledged flaws in its repair plan, contradicting President Trump's claims of vandalism. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which received a no-bid contract for the $14.7 million project, has cited "human oversight" and design issues for the peeling and tearing of the pool's blue liner, rather than damage by vandals as the president had repeatedly asserted.