The US government has reached the stage where the default assumption must be that it is lying when it comes to Iran making any concessions. For months the Administration has been claiming that Iran was agreeing to this concession or that concession—and none of these claims has been true. Now that the US has even less leverage, the lies will probably get larger. We are witnessing the most extraordinary negotiating moment in the history of US foreign relations, and that alone makes it worthy of note.

Only because you all are so heavily invested in this.


Obama started the algae bloom problem during his renovation in 2013 when he switched the water source from the city to the Potomac River.



In 2013, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool made headlines when a massive, neon-green algae bloom took over the 6.75-million gallon basin, turning the iconic D.C. landmark into what visitors called a "swamp". <1, 2.

Root Causes
The 2013 algae outbreak was a major growing pain following a massive $34 million, two-year restoration. The outbreak was driven by several compounding factors: <1, 2

• Tidal Basin Water Source: During the 2012–2013 renovations, the National Park Service (NPS) changed the pool's water source from city drinking water to water pumped in from the nearby Tidal Basin. This was designed to save over 32 million gallons of water a year, but it introduced new nutrients and organic matter that fueled algae growth. <1, 2, 3

• Zero Chlorine Policy: Because of its environmental impact and wildlife, the Reflecting Pool operates like a natural body of water and cannot simply be treated with aggressive swimming pool chemicals like chlorine. <1, 3
• Ozone Filtration Issues: The 2012 renovation included a state-of-the-art ozone filtration system meant to neutralize algae-promoting nutrients. However, it proved insufficient or required constant recalibration, and the lack of proper water circulation made the water conditions perfect for a bloom. <1, 2