The National Park Service has removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from its list of free admission days, according to the agency's website.

Several days were added, however, including Sept. 17, which is Constitution Day, and June 14, which is Flag Day and President Donald Trump's birthday.

Admission fees have been waived on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for several years.

Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery, was added as a free admission day last year after being recognized as a federal holiday during the Biden administration in 2021.

RELATED STORY | National Park Service to offer digital passes, raise fees for foreign visitors

The changes are the latest efforts by the Trump administration to remove all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Entrance fees vary from park to park but are typically around $35 per vehicle. The free admission holidays will only apply to U.S. citizens and residents.

The new list of free entry dates:

Presidents Day: Feb. 16 Memorial Day: May 31 Flag Day/President Donald Trumps birthday: June 14 Independence Day weekend: July 35 110th Birthday of the National Park Service: Aug. 25 Constitution Day: Sept. 17 Theodore Roosevelts birthday: Oct. 27 Veterans Day: Nov. 11Watch: What is Juneteenth?

One person has died in California following an outbreak of amatoxin poisoning linked to wild, foraged mushrooms, state health officials said.

The California Department of Public Health said more than 20 cases have been identified since mid-November, with clusters in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas. Several patients, including children, have suffered severe liver damage, and at least one person may require a liver transplant.

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The agency urged the public to avoid foraging entirely during what it called a high-risk season for toxic mushrooms. Officials said death cap mushrooms, among the most dangerous types, can be easily mistaken for safe, edible varieties and cannot be made safe by cooking.

Death cap mushrooms contain potentially deadly toxins that can lead to liver failure," said Dr. Erica Pan, the states public health officer. Because the death cap can easily be mistaken for edible safe mushrooms, we advise the public not to forage for wild mushrooms at all during this high-risk season.

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Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain typically appear within 6 to 24 hours but may briefly improve before severe or fatal liver damage can develop.

Death caps grow widely across the state, particularly near oak and other hardwood trees following fall and winter rains.

Changes that Disney made to a popular program that lets qualifying disabled people skip long lines at its California and Florida theme parks are too restrictive, disabled fans contend in a federal lawsuit and shareholder proposal that seek to expand eligibility.

The battle over who can skip long lines on popular rides because of their disabilities marks the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while cracking down on past abuses. But some Disney fans say the company has gone too far and has no right to determine who is disabled.

"This isn't right. This isn't what Walt and Roy would have wanted," said Shannon Bonadurer, referring to the Disney brothers who founded the entertainment empire. Despite being unable to wait for long periods of time in the heat because she uses an ileostomy bag, Bonadurer was denied a pass for the disability program.

In a statement, Disney said it was committed to providing a great experience to all visitors, particularly those with disabilities who may require special accommodations.

Here's a look at changes to Disney parks' policies for disabled visitors.

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What is the disability program?

The Disability Access Service, or DAS, program allows pass-holders and their immediate family members to make an online reservation for a ride while in the park and then get into an expedited line that typically takes about 10 minutes when they're ready to go on the ride. DAS guests never have to wait in normal standby lines, which on the most popular attractions can be two hours or more.

The DAS program started in 2013 in response to past abuses by disabled "tour guides" who charged money, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to accompany able-bodied guests, enabling such guests to go to the front of lines. Disney says the DAS program needed changing because it had grown fourfold. Before last year's changes, the percentage of guests having DAS passes jumped from around 5% to 20% over the past dozen years "and showed no signs of slowing," the company said in court papers.

Disney parks make other accommodations for disabled visitors, including maps in Braille, a device that helps transfer visitors from wheelchairs to ride seats, quiet break locations and American Sign Language interpreters for some live shows. The parks permit some service animals on rides and allow some disabled guests to leave a line and rejoin their party before boarding a ride.

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Who qualifies now?

Disney narrowed the scope from people with a wider range of disabilities to mostly guests who "due to a developmental disability such as autism or similar" have difficulties waiting in a long line. Under the changes, guests seeking a DAS pass must be interviewed via video chat by a Disney worker and a contracted medical professional who determine if the person is eligible. Visitors found to have lied can be barred from the parks.

Some people with disabilities who have been denied say the new policy is too restrictive. Not only was Bonadurer denied a pass, but so was her 25-year-old son, who is blind and has cerebral palsy and autism.

"They are making a determination about whether you're disabled enough," said Bonadurer, a professional travel adviser from Michigan. "I would love to wait in line with everyone else, and so would my son, since that would mean he has a normal life. But we don't, and unfortunately for us, we need adaptations to how we wait."

Disney says the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't require equal treatment of people with varying disabilities. The company accommodates those visitors who don't meet the new DAS criteria with alternatives, Disney said in court filings responding to a federal lawsuit in California.

"For example, in a crowded movie theater, a person using a wheelchair may be entitled to priority seating even if they arrive shortly before the movie starts, while a deaf person may only be entitled to a seat with closed captioning," the company said.

At Disney's main theme park rival, Universal, disabled visitors can get shorter lines if they have a card issued by an international board that certifies venues for their accessibility.

What's next?

A shareholder proposal submitted on behalf of DAS Defenders, an advocacy group of Disney fans opposed to the DAS changes, calls on the company next year to commission an independent review of its disability policies and publicly release the findings. The shareholder proposal claims the change to the DAS program has contributed to lower park attendance.

Disney's attorneys told the Securities and Exchange Commission in a November letter that it intends to block the proposal ahead of the company's 2026 shareholder meeting, saying it was false and misleading about the reasons for an attendance decline, which the company attributed to hurricanes. The company also argued the shareholder proposal amounts to micromanaging day-to-day operations.

President Donald Trump is planning a $12 billion farm aid package, Scripps News confirmed.

Farmers are considered one of Trumps core constituencies, but many have been hurt by his economic policies. Trade disputes with countries such as China have strained the agricultural sector and cut into many farmers bottom lines.

Trump has long been reluctant to acknowledge that his policies have negatively affected some Americans. But after Democrats scored significant gains in Novembers elections, with the economy a top concern for voter,s the administration appears to be making adjustments.

It remains unclear how the aid package would be structured or who would qualify for assistance. The president is expected to formally announce the plan Monday afternoon.

Paramount has gone hostile with a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, challenging Netflix, which reached a $72 billion takeover deal with the company just days ago.

Paramount said Monday that it is going straight to Warner Bros. shareholders with a $30 per share in cash offer for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its Global Networks segment, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix.

That is the same bid that Warner Bros. rejected in favor of the offer from Netflix in a merger that would alter the U.S. entertainment landscape.

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Paramount criticized the Netflix offer, saying it exposes WBD shareholders to a protracted multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance process with an uncertain outcome along with a complex and volatile mix of equity and cash.

Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to Warner Bros. Discovery over a 12 week period.

We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry," Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. "We believe they will benefit from the enhanced competition, higher content spend and theatrical release output, and a greater number of movies in theaters as a result of our proposed transaction,

RELATED STORY | Streaming shake-up: Netflix to absorb Warner Bros. and HBO in $82.7 billion deal

On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind Harry Potter and HBO Max. The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt. The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.

But President Donald Trump said Sunday that the deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery could be a problem because of the size of the combined market share.

This might be your chance to get your hands on the viral Starbucks "Bearista" cup that has been sold out for weeks.

The company posted an Instagram video on Sunday featuring the cup. The caption said, "Your chance is in the Starbucks app. Tomorrow, 12/8."

There were no other details given about the possible restock.

The bear-shaped cup was added as part of the coffee chain's holiday collection on Nov. 6. It features a glass teddy bear wearing a green Starbucks beanie.

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The 20-ounce cup costs about $30, but they immediately sold out after they were launched.

You can find the cups being resold online for hundreds of dollars.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was meeting the French, German and British leaders in London on Monday as Kyivs European allies try to strengthen Ukraines hand in thorny talks on a U.S.-backed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was due to gather with Zelenskyy, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leaders 10 Downing St. residence.

Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraines war effort. The leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again.

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administrations peace proposal.

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Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that talks had been substantive and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were traveling back to Europe to brief him.

A major sticking point in the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine must cede control of its eastern Donbas region to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land.

Starmer said he wont be putting pressure on Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement.

The most important thing is to ensure that if there is a cessation of hostilities, and I hope there is, it has to be just and it has to be lasting, which is what we will be focused on this afternoon, he told broadcaster ITV.

In an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader hasnt yet read the proposal.

Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but Im not sure that Zelenskyys fine with it," Trump said before taking part in the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. "His people love it, but he hasn't read it."

Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since riding into a second White House term insisting that the war was a waste of U.S. taxpayers money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to bring an end to the nearly four-year conflict.

The European talks follow the publication of a new U.S. national security strategy that alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document, which spells out the administrations core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscows vision.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Peskov said that the Kremlin welcomed the documents focus on developing constructive relations with Russia.

The nuances that we see in the new concept certainly look appealing to us, he told reporters. It mentions the need for dialogue and building constructive, friendly relations. This cannot but appeal to us, and it absolutely corresponds to our vision. We understand that by eliminating the irritants that currently exist in bilateral relations, a prospect may open for us to truly restore our relations and bring them out of the rather deep crisis.

The document released Friday by the White House said the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core U.S. interest to reestablish strategic stability with Russia.

RELATED STORY | Trump says he wont meet Zelenskyy or Putin until peace deal is nearly done

The document also says NATO must not be a perpetually expanding alliance, echoing another complaint of Russias. It was scathing about the migration and free speech policies of longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, suggesting they face the prospect of civilizational erasure due to migration.

Starmers government has declined to comment on the American document, saying it is a matter for the U.S. government.

Aerial attacks continue

Russian forces continued to attack Ukraine Monday as diplomatic efforts continued.

Russian drones struck a residential high-rise in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov, wrote on Telegram. He said that the building suffered extensive damage.

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Chernihiv, a Russian drone injured three people when it exploded outside a residential building, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said. The attack also damaged a kindergarten, domestic gas pipes and cars.

Ukraines Air Force said Monday that Russia fired a total of 149 drones across the country overnight, of which 131 were neutralized and 16 more struck their targets.

Meanwhile, Russian air defenses destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russias Ministry of Defense said Monday. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.

President Donald Trump on Sunday hosted the Kennedy Center Honors and praised Sylvester Stallone, Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford and George Strait, the slate of honorees he helped choose, as being legendary in so many ways.

Billions and billions of people have watched them over the years, Trump, the first president to command the stage, said to open the show.

The Republican president said the artists, recognized with tribute performances during the show, are among the greatest artists and actors, performers, musicians, singers, songwriters ever to walk the face of the Earth.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has made the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is named after a Democratic predecessor, a touchstone in a broader attack against what he has lambasted as woke anti-American culture.

Trump said Saturday that he was hosting at the request of a certain television network. He predicted the broadcast scheduled for Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+, would have its best ratings ever.

Before Trump, presidents watched the show alongside the honorees. Trump skipped the honors altogether during his first term.

Asked how he got ready for the gig, Trump said as he moved along the red carpet with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, that he didnt really prepare very much.

I have a good memory, so I can remember things, which is very fortunate, the president said. But just, I wanted to just be myself. You have to be yourself."

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, one of several Cabinet secretaries attending the ceremony, said his boss "is so relaxed in front of these cameras, as you know, and so funny, I cant wait for tonight. Lutnick arrived with his wife, a member of the Kennedy Center's board.

Trump appeared on stage three times to open and close the show, and after intermission. He also talked up each artist in prerecorded videos that played before their tributes.

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Trump was both gracious and critical in the comments he delivered from the stage, lavishing the honorees with effusive praise but at times showing a mean streak. After returning from intermission, he said hed toured some of the construction projects he has launched to renovate the performing arts center. And he said it was a fantastic night.

Well, were really having a good time tonight, Trump said. So many people I know in this audience. Some good. Some bad. Some I truly love and respect. Some I just hate.

Since 1978, the honors have recognized stars for their influence on American culture and the arts. Members of this year's class are pop-culture standouts, including Stallone for his Rocky and Rambo movies, Gaynor for her I Will Survive feminist anthem and Kiss for its flashy, cartoonish makeup and onstage displays of smoke and pyrotechnics.

Strait is a leader in the world of country music and Crawford, a Tony Award-winning actor, is best known for starring in Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Trump said persistence is a trait shared by the honorees, several of whom had humble beginnings.

Some of them have had legendary setbacks, setbacks that you have to read in the papers because of their level of fame, he said from the stage. But in the words of Rocky Balboa, they showed us that you keep moving forward, just keep moving forward.

He said many of the politicians, celebrities and others in the audience shared the trait, too.

I know so many of you are persistent, Trump said in his opening. Many of you are miserable, horrible people. You are persistent. You never give up. Sometimes I wish youd give up, but you dont.

The ceremony was expected to be emotional for the members of Kiss. The bands original lead guitarist, Ace Frehley, died in October after he was injured during a fall. During the tribute to Kiss, a lone red guitar that emitted smoke was placed on stage in remembrance of Frehley, who was known for having a smoke bomb in his instrument.

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The program closed with a rousing performance by Cheap Trick of Kiss' Rock and Roll All Nite" that brought the audience to its feet.

Stallone said receiving the honor was like being in the eye of a hurricane.

This is an amazing event, he said on the red carpet. But youre caught up in the middle of it. Its hard to take it in until the next day. ..: but Im incredibly humbled by it.

Crawford also said it was humbling, especially at the end of a career.

Gaynor said it feels like a dream to be honored. "To be recognized in this way is the pinnacle," she said after arriving.

Mike Farris, an award-winning gospel singer who performed for Gaynor, called her a dear friend. She truly did survive, Farris said. "What an iconic song.

Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center

Trump upended decades of bipartisan support for the center by ousting its leadership and stacking the board of trustees with Republican supporters, who elected him chair. He has criticized the centers programming and the buildings appearance and has said, perhaps jokingly, that he would rename it as the Trump Kennedy Center. He secured more than $250 million from Congress for renovations of the building.

Asked Sunday night about a possible renaming, Trump said it would be up to the board. Still, he joked at one point about the Trump Kennedy Center.

Presidents of each political party have at times found themselves face to face with artists of opposing political views. Republican Ronald Reagan was there for honoree Arthur Miller, a playwright who championed liberal causes. Democrat Bill Clinton, who had signed an assault weapons ban into law, marked the honors for Charlton Heston, an actor and gun rights advocate.

During Trumps first term, multiple honorees were openly critical of the president. In 2017, Trumps first year in office, honors recipient and film producer Norman Lear threatened to boycott his own ceremony if Trump attended. Trump stayed away during that entire term.

Trump has said he was deeply involved in choosing the 2025 honorees and turned down some recommendations because they were too woke." He said Sunday that about 50 names were whittled down to five. While Stallone is one of Trump's Hollywood special ambassadors" and has likened Trump to George Washington, the political views of Sunday's other guests are less clear.

Honorees' views about Trump

Strait and Gaynor have said little about their politics, although Federal Election Commission records show that Gaynor has given money to Republican organizations in recent years.

Simmons spoke favorably of Trump when Trump ran for president in 2016. But in 2022, Simmons told Spin magazine that Trump was out for himself and criticized Trump for encouraging conspiracy theories and public expressions of racism.

Fellow Kiss member Paul Stanley denounced Trump's effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, and said Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were terrorists. But after Trump won in 2024, Stanley urged unity.

If your candidate lost, its time to learn from it, accept it and try to understand why, Stanley wrote on X. "If your candidate won, its time to understand that those who dont share your views also believe they are right and love this country as much as you do.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery could be a problem because of the size of the combined market share.

There's no question about it, Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the worlds biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warners television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflixs vast library and its production arm.

RELATED STORY | Streaming shake-up: Netflix to absorb Warner Bros. and HBO in $82.7 billion deal

The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to go through a process and we'll see what happens," Trump said.

Netflix is a great company. Theyve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man, he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. "I have a lot of respect for him but its a lot of market share, so well have to see what happens.

Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind Harry Potter and HBO Max, the president said, Well that's the question.

They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I dont know, he said. "I'll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share

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Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a great person who has done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.

He repeated that a merger would create a big market share for the company.

Theres no question about it. It could be a problem, Trump said.

Tom Hicks, the Texas businessman and philanthropist who owned two Dallas-area professional sports franchises and an English Premier League soccer team, has died. He was 79.

Spokesperson Lisa LeMaster said in statement that Hicks died peacefully Saturday in Dallas surrounded by family.

Hicks owned the NHL's Dallas Stars from 19952011, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999. He also owned baseball's Texas Rangers from 19982010, a period when they won three American West Division titles and made their first World Series appearance just months after the team was sold. In 2007, he acquired a 50% stake in Liverpool.

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Being shoulder to shoulder with him was always about more than ballparks and stadiums, though, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. It was about personal respect, trust and friendship. We shared a lot of miles together, and Ill miss him greatly. My heart goes out to his family.

Hicks co-founded Hicks & Haas in 1984 and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst in 1989, helping reshape private equity and investing strategy.

Tom Hicks was an innovative businessman and a pioneer in private equity, fellow Texas businessman Ross Perot Jr. said in a statement. He combined his commitment to business and sports through his ownership of the Stars and the Rangers.

One of Hicks' most notable moments with the Rangers came 25 years ago at baseball's winter meetings in Dallas, when the team signed Alex Rodriguez, then a 25-year-old All-Star shortstop, to a $252 million, 10-year contract in free agency.

A-Rod's deal at the time was $2 million more than Hicks had paid to buy the entire team only a 2 1/2 years earlier. It also then doubled the previous record for a sports contract, the $126 million, six-year agreement in October 1997 between forward Kevin Garnett and the NBAs Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rodriguez led the American League in homers in all three of his seasons with the Rangers with 156 in that span, but they had an overall record of 216-270. He was traded to the New York Yankees at the start of spring training in 2004.

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The Rangers' first World Series appearance in October 2010 came after the team was bought that August by an ownership group that then included Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. After an initial agreement to buy the team from Hicks at that start of that year, a messy bankruptcy case ensued before the group finally acquired it at auction with a bid valued at $590 million.

The Stars, the NHL franchise that moved from Minnesota before the 1993-94 season, became the league's first champion from the Sun Belt when they raised the Stanley Cup in 1999 after beating Buffalo in Game 6. They made the Stanley Cup Final again the following season, losing a six-game series to New Jersey.

Brett Hull scored the Cup-winning goal for the Stars in 1999. Hicks had signed him to a $17 million, three-year contract in free agency the previous summer after Hull had been an All-Star in seven of his previous 11 seasons with the St. Louis Blues.

Before the 2001-02 season, the Stars moved a few blocks in downtown Dallas, from Reunion Arena to the American Airlines Center where the team still plays. The Stars, too, went into bankruptcy before being acquired by Canadian businessman Tom Gaglardi in 2011.

The Stars in a statement Sunday lauded the team's unprecedented on-ice success under Hicks' ownership.

He also played an instrumental role in the development and planning of the American Airlines Center, along with the grassroots growth of hockey through the creation of numerous StarCenter facilities, the team said. Our franchise would not be in the position we are today without the ownership of Mr. Hicks. His legacy will be honored by our franchise for decades to come.

Hicks served as paratrooper in the Army Reserves and was Commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission. He served on the University of Texass Board of Regents from 1994 to 1999.

Hicks is survived by his wife of 35 years, Cinda Cree Hicks, and his six children Thomas Ollis Hicks Jr., Mack Hardin Hicks, John Alexander Hicks, Robert Bradley Hicks, William Cree Hicks and Catherine Forgrave Hicks.

His children released a joint statement, saying:

Of everything he accomplished in his remarkable life, Tom Hickss most cherished title was, Dad. No matter the trials and tribulations he faced in life, he was constant in his generosity and love for his family. He remains a guiding force for our family, and we are deeply honored to continue expanding his legacy. Although we are devastated by this loss, we are profoundly grateful to have been his children.

The Rangers in a statement Sunday described Hicks as a passionate and competitive owner and Texas Rangers fan. The club extends its thoughts and prayers to Mr. Hicks wife Cinda, his six children and his entire family as they mourn a legendary Texas businessman, philanthropist, and sportsman.

Spencer Deery's son was getting ready for school when someone tried to provoke police into swarming his home by reporting a fake emergency.

Linda Rogers said there were threats at her home and the golf course that her family has run for generations.

Jean Leising faced a pipe bomb scare that was emailed to local law enforcement.

The three are among roughly a dozen Republicans in the Indiana Senate who have seen their lives turned upside down while President Donald Trump pushes to redraw the state's congressional map to expand the party's power in the 2026 midterm elections.

It's a bewildering and frightening experience for lawmakers who consider themselves loyal party members and never imagined they would be doing their jobs under the same shadow of violence that has darkened American political life in recent years. Leising described it as a very dangerous and intimidating process.

RELATED STORY | Indiana's governor calls special session to redraw congressional boundaries

Redistricting is normally done once a decade after a new national census. Trump wants to accelerate the process in hopes of protecting the Republicans' thin majority in the U.S. House next year. His allies in Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina have already gone along with his plans for new political lines.

Now Trump's campaign faces its greatest test yet in a stubborn pocket of Midwestern conservatism. Although Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and the House of Representatives are on board, the proposal may fall short with senators who value their civic traditions and independence over what they fear would be short-term partisan gain.

When you have the president of the United States and your governor sending signals, you want to listen to them, said Rogers, who has not declared her position on the redistricting push. But it doesnt mean youll compromise your values.

On Friday, Trump posted a list of senators who need encouragement to make the right decision," and the conservative campaign organization Turning Point Action said it would spend heavily to unseat anyone who voted no.

Senators are scheduled to convene Monday to consider the proposal after months of turmoil. Resistance could signal the limits of Trump's otherwise undisputed dominance of the Republican Party.

Threats shadow redistricting session

Deery considers himself lucky. The police in his hometown of West Lafayette knew the senator was a potential target for swatting, a dangerous type of hoax when someone reports a fake emergency to provoke an aggressive response from law enforcement.

So when Deery was targeted last month while his son and others were waiting for their daily bus ride to school, officers did not rush to the scene.

You could have had SWAT teams driving in with guns out while there were kids in the area, he said.

Deery was one of the first senators to publicly oppose the mid-decade redistricting, arguing it interferes with voters' right to hold lawmakers accountable through elections.

The country would be an uglier place for it, he said just days after Vice President JD Vance visited the state in August, the first of two trips to talk with lawmakers about approving new maps.

Republican leaders in the Indiana Senate said in mid-November that they would not hold a vote on the matter because there was not enough support for it. Trump lashed out on social media, calling the senators weak and pathetic.

Any Republican that votes against this important redistricting, potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED, he wrote.

The threats against senators began shortly after that.

RELATED STORY | Indiana's governor calls special session to redraw congressional boundaries

Sen. Sue Glick, a Republican who was first elected in 2010 and previously served as a local prosecutor, said she has never seen this kind of rancor in politics in her lifetime. She opposes redistricting, saying it has the taint of cheating.

Not even the plan's supporters are immune to threats.

Republican Sen. Andy Zay said his vehicle-leasing business was targeted with a pipe bomb scare on the same day he learned that he would face a primary challenger who accuses Zay of being insufficiently conservative.

Zay, who has spent a decade in the Senate, believes the threat was related to his criticism of Trump's effort to pressure lawmakers. But the White House has not heeded his suggestions to build public support for redistricting through a media campaign.

When you push us around and into a corner, were not going to change because you hound us and threaten us, Zay said. For those who have made a decision to stand up for history and tradition, the tactics of persuasion do not embolden them to change their viewpoint.

The White House did not respond to messages seeking a reaction to Zay's comments.

Trump sees mixed support from Indiana

Trump easily won Indiana in all his presidential campaigns, and its leaders are unquestionably conservative. For example, the state was the first to restrict abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

But Indiana's political culture never became saturated with the sensibilities of Trump's Make America Great Again movement. Some 21% of Republican voters backed Nikki Haley over Trump in last year's presidential primary, even though the former South Carolina governor had already suspended her campaign two months earlier.

Trump also holds a grudge against Indiana's Mike Pence, who served the state as a congressman and governor before becoming Trump's first vice president. A devout evangelical, Pence loyally accommodated Trump's indiscretions and scandals but refused to go along with Trump's attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's victory.

Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what was necessary, Trump posted online after an angry crowd of his supporters breached the U.S. Capitol.

Pence has not taken a public stance on his home state's redistricting effort. But the governor before him, Republican Mitch Daniels, recently said it was clearly wrong.

The proposed map, which was released Monday and approved by the state House on Friday, attempts to dilute the influence of Democratic voters in Indianapolis by splitting up the city. Parts of the capital would be grafted onto four different Republican-leaning districts, one of which would stretch all the way south to the border with Kentucky.

Rogers, the senator whose family owns the golf course, declined to discuss her feelings about the redistricting. A soft-spoken business leader from the suburbs of South Bend, she said she was very disappointed about the threats.

On Monday, Rogers will be front and center as a member of the Senate Elections Committee, the first one in that chamber to consider the redistricting bill.

We need to do things in a civil manner and have polite discourse, she said.

The doors of Carmela Diaz's taco joint are locked, the tables are devoid of customers and no one is working in the kitchen. It's one of many once-thriving Hispanic businesses, from Nicaraguan eateries to Honduran restaurants, emptied out in recent weeks in neighborhoods with lots of signs in Spanish but increasingly fewer people on the streets.

In the city of Kenner, which has the highest concentration of Hispanic residents in Louisiana, a federal immigration crackdown aiming for 5,000 arrests has devastated an economy already struggling from ramped-up enforcement efforts this year, some business owners say, and had far-reaching impacts on both immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.

Fewer and fewer people came, said a crying Diaz, whose Taqueria La Conquistadora has been closed for several weeks now with both customers and workers afraid to leave home. There were days we didnt sell anything. Thats why I made the decision to close the business because there was no business.

On Wednesday, convoys of federal vehicles began rumbling back and forth down Kenner's main commercial streets as the Department of Homeland Security commenced the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations that have included surges in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. Bystanders have posted videos of federal agents detaining people outside Kenner businesses and at construction sites.

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Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino also made an appearance in the city, surrounded by agents in tactical gear, to tout to reporters the launch of the operation dubbed Catahoula Crunch, a name derived from the big game hound that is the Louisiana state dog.

A community on edge

The state's Hispanic population has boomed in the last two decades, with many of them arriving in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild. In Kenner, just west of New Orleans between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, Hispanics make up about 30% of residents.

Diaz, who is from El Salvador, arrived in 2006 after years of doing farm work in Texas. She opened food trucks, earning enough to buy a home in Kenner, and her business has since expanded to a fleet of trucks and two brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Nearly all that is shuttered at the moment because of the crackdown, and Diaz is scraping by through making home deliveries to people fearful of being swept up by agents regardless of their legal status.

They dont respect anyone, Diaz said. They dont ask for documents. They dont investigate. They slap the handcuffs on them and take them away.

Mayra Pineda, CEO of the Louisiana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a Kenner resident for decades, fears for the future if the crackdown continues for months as planned.

How are these business owners going to survive? she said. I dont know. But lets be clear its not only on the Hispanic community but bad for all of us, for the economy in general.

Local police chief backs operation

Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley described the federal immigration operation as a prayer answered for us.

The chief said while crime is decreasing in the city, he has raised concerns about violent crimes involving immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally. The police department shared a dozen press releases documenting crimes between 2022 and 2025, where they say the person arrested had entered the country illegally. The cases included sex crimes, a murder, gang activity and shootings.

Based on the most recent crime report published by the Louisiana Statistical Analysis Center, in 2023 in Kenner a total of 4,436 total offenses were committed, which included 863 crimes against persons.

RELATED STORY | 'Swamp Sweep' immigration crackdown to bring 250 Border Patrol agents to New Orleans and Mississippi

Conley said that while violent crimes are concerning, one of the blights" that we see and feel every day are traffic stops and car accidents, that involve drivers who are illegal immigrants that are uninsured and unlicensed.

State Sen. Kirk Talbot, a Republican who represents a portion of Kenner, said he believes the federal operation will ultimately benefit the city and that residents who are in the U.S. legally have nothing to be afraid of.

I think the people that come here illegally, who flee authorities and, especially, ones that have criminal records, need to obey the law and they need to be caught and deported, Talbot said.

While Kenner has closely worked with federal immigration agents before, especially under the 287(g) program that allows local police to question the immigration status of suspects in their custody, Conley said local officers are not currently aiding in the federal operation. However, he said, the department is ready to assist in the operation if asked.

DHS says operations target violent offenders

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Thursday that federal agents have already made dozens of arrests, though the agency has not released a full list of people detained.

Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them, their families, or their neighbors, McLaughlin said in a statement. In just 24 hours on the ground, our law enforcement officers have arrested violent criminals with rap sheets that include homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery, theft, and assault.

The office of Mayor Michael Glaser, a former police chief, declined to comment on his stance on the operation. But it said the crackdown falls under federal jurisdiction and the mayor expects all agencies operating in the city to conduct themselves professionally, lawfully and with respect for our community.

However, the city's police are among the hundreds of local and state law enforcement agencies nationwide that have signed agreements to be part of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that authorizes them to hold detainees for potential deportation.

Fearing for vulnerable relatives

Sergio Perez, a Guatemalan immigrant and U.S. citizen who has lived in Kenner since 2010, said he has loved ones there who lack legal permission to be in the country and risk being detained or deported. He also worries that anyone who is Hispanic is at risk of abuse by federal agents, regardless of their immigration status.

While Perez considers Kenner home a place where it is easy to find favorite dishes like caldo de res, a hearty beef and vegetable stew he is prepared to leave the country if family members are deported.

They dont want us here, Perez said. Its like you are in someones house and you dont feel welcome. Theyre just killing our spirit.

Three years after catastrophic flooding devastated eastern Kentucky, claiming more than 40 lives and destroying entire communities, 18 families in Knott County, Kentucky, are receiving a Christmas miracle.

Samaritan's Purse, a Christian international disaster relief organization, dedicated brand-new homes for the families at no cost, marking a significant milestone in the region's ongoing recovery.

The dedication ceremony took place on Friday afternoon in the Chestnut Ridge neighborhood as volunteers handed over keys to 13 families affected by the 2022 flood. Another five families will move into their new homes next Friday.

RELATED STORY | Record Flash Flooding Kills At Least 25 In Eastern Kentucky

Following the flood, Samaritan's Purse stationed a team in eastern Kentucky and helped more than 600 families mud out their flooded houses. Meanwhile, caseworkers worked to identify recipients for new homes, prioritizing the uninsured and most vulnerable residents.

"People here are used to being beaten down, they don't have hope. They don't think things can get better. This shows it can get better. Right here," Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, said.

The homes are brand new, built on higher ground, fully furnished and provided at no cost. The project was made possible in part by local donors like the Craft family.

For many residents in this region, even the sight of a new appliance represents a significant burden lifted from their shoulders.

"This is the laundry room with washer and dryer, I'm so excited about that. No more laundromat," Paul Johnson said, giving our reporter a tour of his new home.

When Johnson and his mother Joyce escaped their flooded home, they knew they had been lucky to survive. However, recovery proved to be an uphill battle.

"It's been tough, you never knowyou have to adjust your life and everyday is something different, a new strugglewe've had to live in a camper for 3 years. That's been difficult. Winters are cold, I have a lung condition so it's been hard to keep myself healthy," Paul said.

Johnson also faced a massive setback during his flood recovery. After losing permanent housing, he was removed from the lung transplant waiting list a requirement for transplant candidates. For him, this home means far more than shelter. It represents stability, dignity and a chance to get back on the transplant list.

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"This exceeds anything I expected. It's really beautiful," Paul said.

Now, the phrase "home for the holidays" has never meant more to these families.

"I'm blessed, I'm excited, and I hope this'll be a new start for me and my momma," Johnson said.

This article was written by Megan Mannering for the Scripps News Group in Lexington.

Chief Justice John Roberts has led the Supreme Court 's conservative majority on a steady march of increasing the power of the presidency, starting well before Donald Trump's time in the White House.

The justices could take the next step in a case being argued Monday that calls for a unanimous 90-year-old decision limiting executive authority to be overturned.

The court's conservatives, liberal Justice Elena Kagan noted in September, seem to be raring to take that action.

RELATED STORY | Supreme Court says it will hear arguments on the constitutionality of Trump's birthright citizenship changes

They already have allowed Trump, in the opening months of the Republican's second term, to fire almost everyone he has wanted, despite the court's 1935 decision in Humphrey's Executor that prohibits the president from removing the heads of independent agencies without cause.

The officials include Rebecca Slaughter, whose firing from the Federal Trade Commission is at issue in the current case, as well as officials from the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, and Shira Perlmutter, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court already has suggested that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of allegations of mortgage fraud. Cook says she did nothing wrong.

Humphrey's Executor has long been a target of the conservative legal movement that has embraced an expansive view of presidential power known as the unitary executive.

The case before the high court involves the same agency, the FTC, that was at issue in 1935. The justices established that presidents Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt at the time could not fire the appointed leaders of the alphabet soup of federal agencies without cause.

The decision ushered in an era of powerful independent federal agencies charged with regulating labor relations, employment discrimination, the air waves and much else.

Proponents of the unitary executive theory have said the modern administrative state gets the Constitution all wrong: Federal agencies that are part of the executive branch answer to the president, and that includes the ability to fire their leaders at will.

RELATED STORY | Nationwide legal battle over birthright citizenship heads to Supreme Court

As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in a 1988 dissent that has taken on mythical status among conservatives, this does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power.

Since 2010 and under Roberts' leadership, the Supreme Court has steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president's ability to fire people.

In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that the Presidents removal power is the rule, not the exception in a decision upholding Trumps firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphreys case.

In the 2024 immunity decision that spared Trump from being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Roberts included the power to fire among the president's conclusive and preclusive powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.

But according to legal historians and even a prominent proponent of the originalism approach to interpreting the Constitution that is favored by conservatives, Roberts may be wrong about the history underpinning the unitary executive.

Both the text and the history of Article II are far more equivocal than the current Court has been suggesting, wrote Caleb Nelson, a University of Virginia law professor who once served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas.

Jane Manners, a Fordham University law professor, said she and other historians filed briefs with the court to provide history and context about the removal power in the country's early years that also could lead the court to revise its views. I'm not holding my breath, she said.

Slaughter's lawyers embrace the historians' arguments, telling the court that limits on Trump's power are consistent with the Constitution and U.S. history.

The Justice Department argues Trump can fire board members for any reason as he works to carry out his agenda and that the precedent should be tossed aside.

Humphreys Executor was always egregiously wrong, Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote.

A second question in the case could affect Cook, the Fed governor. Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement.

That might affect Cook's ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank.

Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officials said theyll meet on Saturday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the nearly 4-year-old war,

Following talks that made progress on a security framework for postwar Ukraine, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any real progress toward any agreement ultimately will depend on Russias readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.

The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end the war.

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Russia used 653 drones and 51 missiles in the wide-reaching overnight attack on Ukraine, which triggered air raid alerts across the country and came as Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day, the countrys air force said Saturday morning.

Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air force said, adding that 29 locations were struck.

At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said.

Among these, at least three people were wounded in the Kyiv region, according to local officials. Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraines Lviv region.

Russia carried out a massive missile-drone attack on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraines national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.

Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power overnight, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday, citing its Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The plant is in an area under Russian control since early in Moscows invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shut-down reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that energy facilities were the main targets of the attacks, also noting that a drone strike had burned down the train station in the city of Fastiv, located in the Kyiv region.

Russias Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Saturday.

Russian Telegram news channel Astra said Ukraine struck Russias Ryazan Oil Refinery, sharing footage appearing to show a fire breaking out and plumes of smoke rising above the refinery. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack. Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said a residential building had been damaged in a drone attack and that drone debris had fallen on the grounds of an industrial facility, but did not mention the refinery.

RELATED STORY | Trump says he wont meet Zelenskyy or Putin until peace deal is nearly done

Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call weaponizing the cold.

The latest round of attacks came as U.S. President Donald Trumps advisers and Ukrainian officials said theyll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday, after making progress on finding agreement on a security framework for postwar Ukraine.

Following Fridays talks, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any real progress toward any agreement ultimately will depend on Russias readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.

The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear full arguments in a case brought by the Trump administration over birthright citizenship and whether it violates the 14th Amendment.

A federal appeals court ruled in July that an executive order on birthright citizenship in the U.S. is unconstitutional.

The order, which President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office on January 20, 2025, placed sharp limits on eligibility for birthright citizenship. It would no longer automatically grant citizenship at birth to children of immigrants in the U.S. without legal status.

The appeals court wrote that the executive order "contradicts the plain language of the Fourteenth Amendments grant of citizenship to 'all persons born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.'"

The Trump administration said the phrase subject to the jurisdiction thereof meant the U.S. could deny citizenship to children born from women in the country illegally.

It appealed the case to the Supreme Court in September.

RELATED STORY | Nationwide legal battle over birthright citizenship heads to Supreme Court

The high court previously ruled on part of the case, but addressed only whether courts had the constitutional ability to issue nationwide injunctions like the one that originally paused the administration's changes to birthright citizenship.

"Universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has given to federal courts," the Supreme Court wrote at the time.

Argentina and Lionel Messi will play Algeria to open its World Cup title defense as part of a group that also includes Austria.

The United States was drawn Friday to start against Paraguay at Inglewood, California, on June 12, a day after Mexico hosts the opener against South Africa. The U.S. reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and has gotten as far as the quarterfinals only one other time, in 2002.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney selected the balls of their own countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The show was almost as long as a soccer match, with the actual draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament starting in the 87th minute.

On a wintry day with snow falling, soccer officials and celebrities filled the hall, 189 days before the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament.

There were long lines outside the complex even at 7 a.m. as workers and media filed through with Secret Service agents securing the area.

Earlier in the ceremony, FIFA awarded its first peace prize to Trump, who has campaigned to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

RELATED STORY | FIFA gives President Donald Trump a peace prize in a departure from its traditional focus on sport

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump a large gold-colored trophy and a gold-colored medal hanging from a blue ribbon, which Trump hung around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino lavished praise.

"This is truly one of the great honors of my life," Trump said.

A red carpet was laid outside the arts center, taken over this year by Trump and his supporters. Retired stars Tom Brady of the NFL, Shaquille O'Neal of the NBA and Wayne Gretzky of the NHL along with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge were to assist in a ceremony run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand.

All 11 of the highest-ranked teams were in the draw, with No. 12 Italy among 22 nations competing in playoffs for the final six berths to be decided March 31.

All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., which is using 11 NFL stadiums. Sites for most games and kickoff times are to be announced Saturday.

Argentina and Lionel Messi will play Algeria to open its World Cup title defense as part of a group that also includes Austria.

The United States was drawn Friday to start against Paraguay at Inglewood, California, on June 12, a day after Mexico hosts the opener against South Africa. The U.S. reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and has gotten as far as the quarterfinals only one other time, in 2002.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney selected the balls of their own countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The show was almost as long as a soccer match, with the actual draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament starting in the 87th minute.

On a wintry day with snow falling, soccer officials and celebrities filled the hall, 189 days before the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament.

There were long lines outside the complex even at 7 a.m. as workers and media filed through with Secret Service agents securing the area.

Earlier in the ceremony, FIFA awarded its first peace prize to Trump, who has campaigned to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

RELATED STORY | FIFA gives President Donald Trump a peace prize in a departure from its traditional focus on sport

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump a large gold-colored trophy and a gold-colored medal hanging from a blue ribbon, which Trump hung around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino lavished praise.

"This is truly one of the great honors of my life," Trump said.

A red carpet was laid outside the arts center, taken over this year by Trump and his supporters. Retired stars Tom Brady of the NFL, Shaquille O'Neal of the NBA and Wayne Gretzky of the NHL along with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge were to assist in a ceremony run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand.

All 11 of the highest-ranked teams were in the draw, with No. 12 Italy among 22 nations competing in playoffs for the final six berths to be decided March 31.

All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., which is using 11 NFL stadiums. Sites for most games and kickoff times are to be announced Saturday.

The White House is expected to submit plans for President Donald Trump's new ballroom to a federal planning commission before the year ends, about three months after construction began.

Will Scharf, who was named by Trump as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, said at the panel's monthly meeting Thursday that he was told by colleagues at the White House that the long-awaited plans will be filed sometime in December.

Once plans are submitted, thats really when the role of this commission, and its professional staff, will begin, said Scharf, who also is one of the Republican president's top White House aides.

He said the review process would happen at a normal and deliberative pace.

RELATED STORY | These are the donors paying for President Trump's new White House ballroom

Separately, the White House confirmed Thursday that a second architectural firm has been added to the project.

Spokesperson Davis Ingle said architect Shalom Baranes of Washington, D.C., was needed as construction moves into a new phase. The firm has worked on federal properties across the nation's capital, including the Pentagon and Treasury buildings, according to its website.

As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the Administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trumps vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office the White House Ballroom," Ingle said in an emailed statement.

Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nations capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project, Ingle said.

RELATED STORY | 'It's not his house': Democrats outraged over White House demolition for Trump ballroom project

The initial firm, McCrery Architects, also of Washington, remains as a consultant.

If built as proposed, the 90,000-square-foot ballroom announced over the summer and expected to be ready before Trump's term ends in 2029, would dwarf the White House itself, at nearly double the size, and the president has said it will accommodate 999 people.

The estimated price tag stands at $300 million, up from the White House's initial $200 million.

Trump has said the ballroom will not cost taxpayers a dime because it is being privately funded by individuals he says are patriots, American corporations and himself. He has not said how much of his own money he is contributing.

The White House has released a list of 37 donors that includes crypto billionaires, charitable organizations, sports team owners, powerful financiers, tech and tobacco giants, media companies, supporters of Republican causes and some of the presidents neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump has long desired a ballroom at the White House and he complains regularly about the inability of its two largest rooms, the State Dining Room and the East Room, to host large events. He also has panned the use of large tents set up on the South Grounds for hundred-plus-person events, like a state dinner.

Last month, when Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited, Trump said he had upset a lot of people because he had to turn down their requests to attend an East Room dinner in the prince's honor due to the lack of space.

I only wish we had about 2,000 more seats. We would have filled every one of them two times over, Trump said at the dinner, alluding to the proposed ballroom. But very soon youll be having that, and we'll have to do another one in about two years from now.

In September, Trump moved ahead with site preparation work for the ballroom despite the lack of sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, the executive branch agency with jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.

Scharf has made a distinction between demolition work and above-ground construction, saying the commission only has jurisdiction over the latter. L. Preston Bryant Jr., a former chair of the commission under President Barack Obama, told The Associated Press that the approval process typically involved four stages, including an early consultation when the project was conceptual.

In October, Trump demolished the East Wing, where he has proposed to build the ballroom. Site preparation work has continued daily since then, with the sound of construction audible amid the hustle and bustle at the White House.

The East Wing was the traditional base of operations for the first lady and her staff. Several other White House offices also were housed in that wing. All currently are working out of space elsewhere in the White House or the office building next door.

The Washington Post was first to report on the addition of a new architect.