International

The Chief Builder: Trump and his remodeling of the White House

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has become – during his current administration – the “chief builder” of a renovated White House, with multiple renovation plans ranging from replacing bathrooms that he does not like or planning an Arc de Triomphe in Washington to building a giant ballroom financed by tycoons who have contributed to his campaigns.

Since his return to power last January, Trump has dedicated himself to remodeling the headquarters of the US Executive. A parade of gold-plated objects on each ledge, on the chimneys, on the door handles and on the lamps – almost identical to those of his private club in Florida, in Mar-a-Lago – are visible at every public event.

“I have always been a builder and now I am building a nation that is respected again,” Trump said this week during a dinner he sponsored for two dozen tycoons who have decided to finance, with two hundred million dollars, a ballroom for nine hundred people that the president offered as part of the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Trump said that “they had always wanted a ballroom” and joked that “they didn’t have a real estate agent,” referring to himself as a project manager.

Regarding the expensive construction, Trump said that “it is the price of having access to the president,” in front of donors he described as “legends,” including the oil company Harold Hamm, a prominent financier of the Republican’s campaigns.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

At that dinner, Trump showed his guests three scale models of the new monument he plans to build, the “Trump Arc”, an arch inspired by that of Paris, located at the end of the Memorial Bridge that connects downtown Washington with Arlington.

In addition, the head of state suggested that the project could be financed with the surplus funds from the renovation of the ballroom.

However, this is a project that still needs to be approved by various state agencies and it is not clear whether the applications have been submitted.

In the quest to leave his mark on the residence of US presidents, last August, Trump premiered the new Rose Garden, a historic space on the west wing of the White House, built in 1913 and renovated by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1962.

The Republican removed the lawn from the garden and placed stone, turning it into a courtyard similar to the Mar-a Lago club, where Trump spends his breaks and holds his business events.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

The new Garden has been used for dinners with allies and recently to deliver recognitions such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which Trump posthumously awarded to the ultra-conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, murdered in September.

But the renovations have not been limited to common areas, Trump described the design of the Kennedy bathroom of the presidential suite as “not adequate”, complained about the green tones of the space and changed the Art Deco style tile for statuary marble, which – according to the president – now “better reflects the aesthetics of the civil war era.”

The renovations headed by Trump have been the subject of public scrutiny and questions about the legality of his actions in the White House, as well as his method of raising private funds for his plans, although the president and his Administration have defended themselves with a 1964 law that allows him to make aesthetic and structural changes.

The American Institute of Architects published in August its concern about Trump’s renovations, especially for the ballroom, and urged the National Capital Planning Commission to carry out rigorous controls to ensure that the project does not deviate or alter the neoclassical design of the White House.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

International

Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect

Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that migrants must be treated with dignity as he addressed the global migration crisis during a press conference aboard the plane returning from his tour of Africa.

The pontiff answered questions from journalists regarding his upcoming trip to Spain, which will include a visit to the Canary Islands, a region heavily affected by migration flows and growing political polarization surrounding the issue.

“Obviously, migration is a very complex issue and affects many countries — not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States. It is a global phenomenon,” the pope said.

Pope Leo XIV also questioned the role of developed nations in addressing the crisis.

“My response begins with a question: What is the Global North doing to help the Global South and those countries where young people no longer see a future and dream of going north, even when the North sometimes has no answers to offer?” he asked.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

While acknowledging that “a state has the right to establish rules for its borders,” the pope insisted that the debate must go beyond border control and address the structural causes that force people to leave their home countries.

International

Authorities Say Teotihuacán Gunman Was Obsessed With Mass Shootings and Extremist Symbolism

Julio César Jasso Ramírez, identified by authorities as the gunman behind the armed attack at the archaeological site of Teotihuacán, had allegedly spent years building a personal narrative shaped by an obsession with historical mass shootings, extremist symbolism, and an increasing detachment from reality.

According to preliminary findings from the Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de México, the 27-year-old suspect, originally from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, acted alone and appeared to have carefully planned the attack.

Investigators also pointed to signs of a severe psychological or psychiatric disorder. One official involved in the case stated that the suspect seemed to live in “his own reality,” disconnected from the world around him.

“I would not speak of a motive; I would speak of psychopathy, a condition, an illness,” the official said while discussing the ongoing investigation.

Authorities reported that Jasso Ramírez was allegedly fixated on mass violence incidents that occurred outside Mexico, particularly in the United States.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Among the items found in his possession were writings, images, and materials reportedly linked to the Columbine High School massacre, the school shooting that took place on April 20, 1999.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue analyzing evidence connected to the suspect’s background and mental state.

International

Iran refuses to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ongoing U.S. Naval blockade

Iran reaffirmed on Wednesday that it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the United States maintains its naval blockade against Iranian ports and vessels, amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf warned that reopening the crucial maritime route depends on Washington honoring the ceasefire agreement. According to Qalibaf, Iran considers the deal to be violated due to ongoing U.S. actions.

The Iranian official accused the United States of carrying out a “naval blockade and the hijacking of the global economy,” while also pointing to Israeli military operations in Lebanon as part of the broader conflict affecting the region.

Qalibaf stated that military and economic pressure would not force Iran to change its position. “The United States and Israel failed to achieve their goals through military aggression, and they will not succeed through intimidation. The only path forward is to recognize the rights of the Iranian nation,” he said.

His remarks come amid stalled negotiations between Iran and the United States following direct talks held on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

The discussions, led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian representatives, have shown little progress in recent days, increasing uncertainty over whether dialogue between the two sides will resume.

U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced an extension of the ceasefire but decided to keep the naval blockade in place, a move Tehran considers incompatible with ongoing negotiations.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intensified operations in the area by seizing two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of operating without the required permits and escorting them into Iranian territory.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil trade routes, and any prolonged disruption could have significant consequences for global energy markets.