What makes Trump's ballroom a matter of national security?

 

What makes Trump's ballroom a matter of national security?

Despite a Friday ruling by a federal appeals court blocking constructionof his proposed $400 million ballroom, President Donald Trump remains adamant that the project must be built for the nation's security.

Friday's decision marks yet another roadblock in the administration's efforts to construct the ballroom, which has faced legal challenges since it was proposed in July 2025.

In a post on social media, the president wrote that "the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country," before promising to "immediately" appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"This decision, made after much of the work has been done and paid for, is a National Security Threat at the highest level. It is also a National Disgrace," the president later added.

The judges rejected the administration's national security argument and said the president does not have the authority to make such major alterations to the White House without congressional approval.

The bold assertion that the Executive can act with utter lawlessness, destroying treasured national landmarks and harming the interests of individuals, and that no court can stop it flouts our constitutional order," Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia wrote in their opinion.

District Court of Appeals Judge Neomi Rao criticized the ruling in her dissent.

"The government should not be forced to rely on the district court's architectural approval to secure the President's home and office," she wrote.

The district court judge who originally blocked the construction of the ballroom modified his injunction in April to allow work related to security to proceed, while the ballroom-related construction was halted.

As the administration doubles down on the ballroom's necessity, here's a look at what the president has said about its national security features.

The president publicly shared a wide array of features he intends to include in the project's final form in a social media post Friday.

Trump said the 90,000 square foot building would include "Bomb Shelters, State of the Art Hospital and Medical Facilities, Protective Partitioning, Top Secret Military Facilities, Structures and Equipment, Protective Missile Resistant Steel, Columns, Roofs, and Beams, Drone Proof Ceilings and Roofs, Military Grade Venting, and Bullet, Ballistic, and Blast Proof Glass."

The president has also said a drone port will be put on the roof, posting AI-generated images on social media of armed guards, military vehicles and a fleet of drones atop the ballroom.

"It is all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit, which is vital for National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!" the president wrote.

 

Manhunt continues for suspect believed to have killed father, set home ablaze

A manhunt continued Saturday for a suspect in upstate New York believed to have killed his father and set fire to the home to cover it up, according to law enforcement sources.

The suspect, Thomas Ryan, 32, is known to frequent the Plattsburgh area in Clinton County and is considered armed and dangerous, New York State Police said in a statement Friday. 

On Thursday, investigators responded to a fire at a residence on Greenville Turnpike in Greenville, Orange County. After the fire was extinguished, the body of a deceased man was found inside the residence, state police said. 

A preliminary investigation revealed the fire was deliberately set and state police are investigating the death as a homicide, police said.

The victim has been identified by New York State Police as 70-year-old Robert Ryan, Thomas Ryan's father. Robert Ryan retired to Orange County while the rest of the family lives on Long Island, according to law enforcement sources.

Thomas Ryan did not reside with his father at the time of the incident and has no other known current ties to the Greenville community," New York State Police said Saturday.

"Investigators have determined that Thomas has lived a transient lifestyle, staying at numerous shelters throughout New York State. Investigators have followed up on these locations and continue to immediately and thoroughly investigate all tips and reported sightings," police said.

Investigators are conducting an extensive video canvass expanding outward from the crime scene to reconstruct the suspect’s movements, police said.

Ring video obtained by ABC News appears to show Ryan running from the burning house. 

Extra State Police patrols have been deployed to the town of Greenville and surrounding communities, police said.

Investigators are also looking into Ryan’s mental health history, the sources said. 

Stephanie Coiro, the victim's daughter, told ABC News her father did not deserve to be killed.

"My Dad was a pillar in our family and every community he was a part of. He made you feel welcome, he helped when you needed, and then some. He had more character in his pinky than most in their whole bodies, he did not deserve this," she said.

Ryan is 6 foot 2 inches and approximately 200 pounds. He was last seen in the area of Greenville Turnpike wearing black sweatpants and a black t-shirt, according to police.  

Ryan is believed to be operating a 2016 gray Toyota Prius with a New York license plate, HNH-7671, police said. He is also known to travel by train, and investigators are coordinating with rail transportation partners, police said.

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The New York State Police is asking residents of the Greenville community to review any available home surveillance footage recorded from approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday through the overnight hours. Those who observe suspicious activity are urged to contact the New York State Police immediately.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to not approach him and immediately contact New York State Police Troop F Communications at (845) 344-5300 or call 911. Tips can be emailed to FBCICrimeTips@troopers.ny.gov.

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

 

Girl, 12, dies after Thailand school shooting, bringing the death toll to at least 8

BANGKOK -- A schoolgirl died from critical wounds on Saturday after a student opened fire at a high school and his home outside Bangkok the day before, bringing the death toll from the attack to at least eight people.

The 14-year-old opened fire at around 10 a.m. Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of the Thai capital before apparently taking his own life. He also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at his family home earlier in the morning, officials said.

The girl, 12, died after hospitalization, the Health Ministry said. The school had posted a message on Facebook Friday seeking blood donations for two students, including the girl, who was in seventh grade.

Fourteen people remain hospitalized, of whom seven remain in critical condition Saturday, according to Thailand’s Health Ministry. Most of those wounded were between 12 and 14 years old.

Relatives claimed the bodies of eight people from Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine: five school staff, the accused shooter, and his grandparents. Emergency workers brought out a coffin and loaded it onto an ambulance, which will transport the bodies to their hometowns for funeral rites.

The young girl’s body is still to be released.

Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, head of the institute, said most of the victims suffered a single fatal gunshot wound to a vital area, including the chest or head.

He said the gunshot wound found on the alleged shooter was consistent with the weapon he had used. More detailed forensic findings, including toxicology results, are expected later, he said.

Officials said the gun, described as small and compact, was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather.

There were reports that the boy, who lived with his grandparents, had shown signs of stress connected to school, although some of his relatives told Thai media that they were unaware of any troubles he might have been facing.

The co-educational state school, which has about 3,000 students enrolled aged 12 to 18, said all classes would be suspended between Aug. 10-14 and school staff were instructed to work from home during that time.

A few mourners laid flowers Saturday morning at the school's gate, where a few police officers could be seen.

Charin Siriananchai brought his two sons, ages 9 and 6, to pay their respects. He said while his sons do not study here, he lives in the neighborhood and drives past this school almost every day, often stopping to allow students to cross the road.

“Everyone was saddened and shocked, because it was unexpected that this would happen in Thailand, and also it’s quite a great loss,” he said.

Some parents also came with their children to collect their belongings left behind after the shooting. A father, who declined to identify himself, said his son, who was at the school during the shooting, was still in shock and could not sleep alone.

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan and far surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Data collected in 2017 by the groups Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org in their last extensive international study found civilian gun ownership in Thailand was about 15.1 guns per 100 people, compared with less than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia.

Thailand had 3.49 deaths by firearms per 100,000 people, according to 2023 statistics published by World Population Review. That puts it well behind parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, but relatively high in Asia. Only the Philippines is higher in Southeast Asia.

While shootings involving indiscriminate killings are not common, the country has seen an uptick in high-profile shooting deaths in recent years.

In February, a 17-year-old stole a gun from police and opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, briefly taking people hostage in a two-hour attack that killed one person and wounded two others.

A 14-year-old boy was accused of a 2023 shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall.

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Missouri Missouri neighbor accused of killing mother and teen daughter after confronting family over dispute

 Missouri

Missouri neighbor accused of killing mother and teen daughter after confronting family over dispute

When the victim's 17-year-old daughter, Jersey Greer, tried to help her mother, Winkelman shot her in the head as well, the sheriff's office said. A third person was chased by Winkelman as he was armed with a gun but wasn't shot. Lashly and Greer died days later at a hospital.

When deputies arrived at Winkelman's home and moved to confront him, he turned the gun on himself.

He died at a hospital Aug. 2, according to investigators, who said he would have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.

Justice Greer, the teenage victim's twin sister, told KSDK, "She was literally just the funniest person ever.

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"She could make anybody laugh. She was really supportive about anything and everything. She could always tell when someone was sad or needed uplifting, and she was always the one to do it.

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JD Vance warns 'limousine socialists' will destroy Michigan auto jobs, depress American wages

 

Vice President JD Vance branded Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a "limousine socialist" Wednesday, warning the far left is using wealth redistribution and open-border immigration to undermine Michigan's working-class autoworkers.

Speaking on "The Ingraham Angle," Vance argued that the victory of Democratic candidates backed by the far left exposes a party pushing wealth redistribution rather than domestic industrial growth.

"They're not promising you industry. They're not promising you good jobs. They're not promising self-sufficiency in a good industrial economy. What they're promising is redistribution," Vance told host Laura Ingraham.

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The vice president addressed the primary victory of El-Sayed in Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate race. El-Sayed, a progressive backed by figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens and will face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in November.

Vance said primary victories for candidates further left of center reflect a broader shift in the party, arguing that the "base of the Democratic Party just wants radicals."

"It wants people who hate even the idea of private property ownership. But it also, I think, tells us that, that particular set of ideas is very popular in places you wouldn't expect because El-Sayed, he's this guy who holds himself out as a working-class hero, as a guy who's going to fight for the working class," Vance said.

"How does he fight for the working class? By flooding his state and his country with low-wage immigrants. Of course, those people will drive down the wages of the working class. And he also doesn't want to do anything to protect the Michigan auto industry. He has fought against the Trump tariffs that have saved the Michigan auto industry."

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Vance continued by labeling El-Sayed one of the "limousine socialists" he said are anti-industry. While Stevens focused her campaign on manufacturing and the state’s auto industry, El-Sayed ran on a more progressive platform, advocating for Medicare-for-all and campaign finance reform.

"We've seen this in Europe and in the United States. The idea that you can build real prosperity by just redistributing assets from one group to another group. That's not how you build real prosperity. You have to actually sustain the foundation of the economy," Vance said.

"That is what the president of the United States has worked us towards for the past 18 months. It's going to continue to pay dividends."

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