Good Morning. A federal judge just told the President of the United States he doesn't own the White House. We break down the $400M ballroom battle.

Plus, why Japanese builders are outbidding D.R. Horton, the KitKat heist gone viral, and 11 plants that thrive on neglect (forwarded this email? Join 523k readers).

A federal judge blocked further construction on a proposed $400 million White House ballroom Tuesday, ruling President Trump lacked congressional authorization to proceed. Judge Richard Leon gave the administration two weeks to appeal before the order takes effect. The Trump administration immediately announced plans to appeal.

The project, planned for the former East Wing site, would span roughly 89,000 square feet, larger than the existing 55,000-square-foot White House (NYT). Leon ruled existing law permitting presidential "alterations" to the White House does not authorize demolishing buildings and constructing new ones.

Leon noted Congress retains the authority to approve the project through legislation. The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on the plans Thursday. See ballroom plans here.

Japanese home builders have acquired 23 U.S. single-family construction companies since 2020, more than doubling their previous pace. Two recent deals alone totaled over $9 billion (WSJ), positioning Japanese firms to control roughly 6% of the American home-construction market.

Japan's shrinking population and declining birthrate are pushing builders overseas. Lower Japanese interest rates also give these companies a bidding advantage, allowing them to outcompete major U.S. builders like Lennar and D.R. Horton on acquisition deals.

Japanese firms typically retain existing staff and allow acquired companies to operate independently. Some are beginning to introduce prefabricated building methods, which could gradually influence how American homes are constructed.

Thieves stole over 12 metric tons of KitKat bars (roughly 413,000 units) from a truck traveling from central Italy to Poland. Nestlé confirmed the theft over the weekend, noting the chocolate and truck remain missing. No injuries were reported.

Nestlé responded with a humorous public statement, leaning into the irony of its own "have a break" slogan. Domino's, Ryanair, and Charlotte FC all posted comedic social media responses within hours, generating widespread online attention (Memes).

PR consultants noted the incident mirrors past crisis-turned-viral moments, like KFC's 2018 chicken shortage. Nestlé said the bars can be traced via unique product codes, limiting long-term supply impact. KitKat’s response.

Not every gardener has weekends to spare, and not every border needs them. Some plants settle in, spread quietly, and look better each year without deadheading, dividing, or fussing.

Visual of each plant listed.

Forgetting names isn't a memory problem, it's a concentration problem. Your brain dumps new names from short-term memory within minutes.

▶ The fix: create a mental image when you hear a name. "Mike" becomes a microphone. "Robin" becomes a red-bellied bird (More).

Repeat the name aloud immediately after hearing it. This activates your motor cortex, making the memory stick longer.

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