Stories from Washington · United States

Fragrance sales are up about 35% and are expected to accelerate to 65% growth this weekend. Purses and handbags have seen growth as high as 37%, which Pandia says is slightly higher than last year. Adobe also expects flower sales to spike 550% to 600% on Saturday and Sunday.

Donald Trump transformed the heart of the White House Rose Garden into a patio covered in stone. This change is one of several renovations initiated by the current administration. President Trump defended the rising cost estimate for his White House ballroom project, according to a Truth Social post. He stated that the cost has changed because the ballroom is now expected to be approximately twice its original size. The billion dollars would cover security enhancements and Secret Service operations.

President Trump is building a "national garden of American heroes" along the Potomac River. Plans for the garden call for hundreds of statues of Americans, ranging from George Washington to Kobe Bryant.

The National Education Association (NEA), identified as the largest teachers union in the United States, passed a resolution to describe Donald Trump as 'fascism'. The resolution, however, contained a misspelling of the word 'fascism'.

Iowa Republican Representative Ashley Hensin introduced a resolution to amend House rules, aiming to ban members and their staff from trading on prediction markets. This proposal mirrors one approved by unanimous consent in the Senate last week.

Analysts are looking for approximately 3.8% growth in average hourly earnings on a yearly basis. Wages have been observed to be slow recently, which is noted as interesting given market concerns about the Federal Reserve potentially needing to hike rates.

The U.S. Term limits for justices and members of Congress were discussed as possible reforms. The source suggests a correlation between these rulings and public perception of the courts. The directive concerns the use of two largely black congressional districts. The Supreme Court has cleared the path for Alabama to eliminate a congressional district represented by a Black Democrat. This decision impacts the upcoming midterm elections. Republicans in Alabama scored a victory today in the Supreme Court regarding an ongoing redistricting case. The court denied a defense motion to dismiss charges, siding with the state. Justice Samuel Alito granted an additional extension, delaying the ruling for several more days. The outcome could represent a restriction on abortion access nationwide.

The North American administration has issued two executive orders. The US administration's two executive orders include pressure, according to the source. President Trump signed executive orders on Monday aimed at increasing beef imports and supporting the renewal of the U.S. The White House official confirmed the actions.

A deficit has been reported in the U.S.'s balance of payments. This term refers to the total amount of money flowing in and out of the country.

Nick Stewart has been appointed to a new role, bringing experience from Capitol Hill, the State Department under the first Trump administration, and the UN. His work has focused on Middle East, Iran, and national security issues.