Protests have taken place around the world calling for action to avert environmental catastrophe.
From London to Sydney, here's a look at some of the millions of people joining the global youth climate strike.
People shared some of their favorite signs on Twitter as well:
Construction started during the recent government shutdown—at the same time that the Trump administration announced that families would not receive SNAP benefits as scheduled. The administration also refused to release contingency funds that would ensure families that rely on these payments don't go hungry.
At the moment, Senate Republicans are seeking to allocate $1 billion toward security components tied to the ballroom's construction as part of a broader roughly $70 billion package focused on immigration enforcement, legislation they hope to advance with little or no Democratic backing.
Details of the reconciliation bill released late Monday include a provision directing $1 billion to the United States Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades” connected to the East Wing modernization project, including both above-ground and below-ground protective infrastructure.
In defense of the project, Trump told the press:
"It really has become very popular. When people see the design, they really like it. It's been great, gotten some great reviews."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
But it turns out Americans believe more in ghosts and telepathy than they do in Trump's ballroom project, per a CNN segment with data analyst Harry Enten. A chart displayed on screen indicated that 39 percent of Americans either support or believe in ghosts, while 29 percent said they believe in telepathy.
Just 28% support Trump's ballroom.
Enten noted:
"It [the ballroom] is just as unpopular now as it was in October [when the project was announced]. It is 56 percent opposed, 28 percent in support. ... I never thought I'd be talking about ballrooms because ballrooms are not my style, but Americans who support or believe in ghosts, that comes in at 39 percent."
"How about telepathy? That comes in at 29 percent and the new White House ballroom comes in below both of those at 28 percent. So the bottom line is this: this new White House ballroom is most certainly not popular."
"More Americans believe in ghosts, and slightly more, though, within the margin of error, believe in telepathy. And I will note that our cameraman right now is laughing like nobody’s business."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
The shade of it all—Trump was mocked profusely.
Jury's out on whether Trump will get the message.
New mom and TikToker @devynnehaddoxx decided to lean into the humor instead of the frustration of that fact within the context of her marriage, so when she went into labor while her husband needed to use the restroom, she was determined to have a little fun.
In a hilarious TikTok video, @devynnehaddoxx stated:
"My husband just informed me that he needs to poop, so he has left the room."
"I am currently in [active] labor."
"So I am timing him to see if I can push a baby out faster than he can poop."
The video then cuts forward to the TikToker embracing her adorable newborn baby.
"Okay, she's here."
"I started pushing at 5:13. She was delivered at 5:20."
The camera then switches to the TikToker's husband, who had clearly lost the race.
"Well, I started pushing at..."
"...It took me 11 minutes."
TikToker @devynnehaddoxx set a timer on her phone when her husband walked out of the room, and it took him exactly 11 minutes and 18 seconds to leave the room, use the restroom, and return. It took her seven minutes to give birth.
The TikToker and new mom was victorious.
"I beat him. I pushed an eight-pound baby out faster than he could take a poop."
You can watch the video here:
Fellow TikTokers found the whole situation to be hilarious.
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
Some had misunderstood the assignment and thought the mom was literally racing him.
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
@devynnehaddoxx/TikTok
While it would have been hilarious and possibly some kind of medical marvel if the TikToker had birthed her baby and was waiting with their newborn when her husband got back from the restroom, seven minutes was still incredibly impressive!
But the most impressive thing was how the couple was able to joke about this, from the "race" to both of them "pushing." Couples who can play together stay together—and with a little luck, their child will have a great sense of humor and a competitive edge.
Ashley reflected:
"It was a jealousy thing, I think, because she wasn't getting married. And she didn't want me to be with Toni, either."
Gemma denied their accusations, but the animosity between the two couples significantly increased after Antonia and Ashley's wedding.
When it finally came time for Gemma and Ken Monk to get married, the childhood sweethearts who had been together for 20 years did not want to share their special day with Ashley and Antonia.
But Antonia was insistent about being there so she could give the bride "a piece of her mind," though she claimed that she did not know what that would look like until she got there.
When Antonia arrived at the venue and saw Gemma getting out of the car in her bridal car, she remembered she had black paint in her car and decided to use it, telling the Daily Mail:
"I saw her [Gemma] get out of her car. She was a few yards away."
"Then I just shouted to her and threw the paint. It hit the back of her dress."
"It was a child-friendly, watered-down black paint in a tub of around 200 mL, and it happened to be in the side pocket of the car."
You can watch the camera footage here, in which the bride can be seen getting distracted by Antonia calling out to her, and then her physically flinching after being hit with the paint.
Despite Antonia stating that the paint hit the back of her dress, it actually went over her head and shoulders from the back, leaving black, streaking paint on her hair, face, chest, arms, and all down her dress, ruined just minutes before the ceremony.
One other member of the bridal party was also splashed by the paint, and a fight broke out in response to Antonia's actions.
To make matters worse, Gemma had just gone through a serious cancer scare, and she was still dealing with the symptoms she thought might be cancer-related. Despite knowing this, Antonia went through with her sabotage anyway.
You can see her photograph here:
Cover Images
Antonia reflected:
"Later, I realized I had a bald patch where the hair had been ripped out of my head."
In court, Antonia received multiple punishments, including ten months in prison, a ten-year restraining order to separate her from Gemma and Ken Monk, and a charge of $6,750, $5,400 of which would go to Gemma and $1,350 that went to the wedding venue.
Antonia claimed that she was not proud of how she behaved that day.
"I feel ashamed of myself. It's not me."
"I've never been in trouble with the police before. Ever."
The story went viral on X, where X users could not imagine marrying into a family with such questionable relationships.
Fortunately for Gemma and Ken Monk, a little black paint did not stop their love or their celebration of it.
"We'd waited so long for that day. Nothing was going to stop me."
"I didn't think twice. I would have walked down the aisle in my knickers and with black paint all over my face if I had to."
The wedding venue was able to provide Gemma with an emergency wedding dress swap, which sported a large and classy bow, and, two hours behind schedule, she walked down the aisle, looking beautiful and happy.
The couple canceled their honeymoon to the Maldives because of everything that happened, and they plan to renew their vows on a future anniversary so that they can replace the memories that almost ruined their special day with new, happy ones with only people who love them.
Since the incident, Gemma has struggled with her mental health, with trusting people, and with having hope for humanity because of Antonia's actions.
The family hopes that with time and new memories, Gemma will be able to move on and trust again, though she is not interested in hearing an apology from Antonia, or reconnecting with her or Ashley when the restraining order expires, whether Antonia wants to apologize for her actions or not.
