WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at Maryland Gov. Wes Moore over what he says is a lagging response to a January pipe rupture that sent sewage flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington.

Trump took aim at Moore even though a District of Columbia-based water authority and the federal government have jurisdiction over the busted pipe.

The 1960s-era pipe, called the Potomac Interceptor, is part of DC Water, a utility based in Washington that’s federally regulated and under the oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Still, Trump, while spending the holiday weekend at his home in Florida, took to social media to say he “cannot allow incompetent Local ‘Leadership’” to turn the Potomac “into a Disaster Zone.” He said he has ordered federal authorities to step in to coordinate the response.

“There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” Trump added in his social media post.

But Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Moore, said EPA officials did not participate in a recent legislative hearing about the cleanup and said the Trump administration has been broadly “shirking its responsibility” on the repair and cleanup of what University of Maryland researchers say is one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.

“The President has his facts wrong — again,” Moussa said. He added, “Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they’re actually supposed to be in charge here.”

DC Water CEO and General Manager David L. Gadis said in a statement Monday, “We have been coordinating with U.S. EPA since the Potomac Interceptor collapsed.”

Who is responsible?

Asked why Trump was placing blame on Moore outside of Maryland’s jurisdiction, a White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Maryland was slow to coordinate with federal entities on the ruptured pipe and has not kept up with needed updates of the state’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will play a key role in coordinating the response, but noted the agency is being impacted by a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

The partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund DHS through September. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and FEMA.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to the sewage spill on social media, posting, “Add this to the long list of reasons Democrats need to get serious and fund the Department of Homeland Security.”

The spill was caused by a 72-inch (183-centimeter) diameter sewer pipe that collapsed last month, leading to millions of gallons of wastewater shooting out of the ground and into the river.

DC Water says fixing the pipe in the aftermath of the Jan. 19 rupture has been complicated.

A video inspection of the pipeline earlier this month revealed the blockage inside the collapsed sewer line is “far more significant” than originally thought. The agency said it discovered a large rock dam about 30 feet (9 meters) from the breach in the sewage line, which requires treatment before the current spill can be addressed.

The emergency repair is expected to take another four to six weeks. The work will address the immediate repairs to the damaged section of the pipe and several other issues, including environmental restoration.

Washington, D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment says the drinking water remains safe, but has urged people to avoid unnecessary contact with water from the Potomac River, avoid fishing and keep pets away.

An ongoing fight between Trump and Moore

The president and Moore, a Democrat viewed as potential 2028 presidential contender, have frequently sparred since Trump’s return to the White House last year.

Trump says he’s excluding Moore and Democrat Colorado Gov. Jared Polis from a White House dinner for governors set for Saturday as state leaders gather in Washington for the National Governors Association meeting.

The president and aides have also criticized Moore and other Maryland officials for violence in the state’s biggest city, Baltimore, with Trump threatening to send National Guard troops as he has elsewhere around the country.

Moore and other Democratic officials in Maryland pushed back that homicides in Baltimore have reached historic lows with sustained declines starting in 2023, and said the state did not need National Guard troops.

The Trump administration has also questioned Moore about “DEI contracting practices” and “ballooning project costs” for the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The crucial bridge collapsed in March 2024 after a massive container ship crashed into it.

The president told reporters that his dissatisfaction with Moore’s handling of reconstruction of the bridge and the sewage spill are why he’s not including him in next weekend’s White House dinner for governors.

“He can’t fix anything,” Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington from his home in Florida on Monday evening.

Moussa, the governor’s spokesman, said Maryland stands ready to work with federal officials.

“The Potomac isn’t a talking point, and the people of the region deserve serious leadership that meets the moment,” Moussa said.

Tens of thousands of Iranians are being held in “black box” detention sites with no judicial oversight, official records, and no way for families to confirm whether their loved ones are alive, according to reports.

The facilities — which the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says are modeled on prison camps from the 1980s — have sparked alarm among human rights advocates amid unrest across the country.

“These sites were initially used in the 1980s in Iran and were residential compounds inside Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran,” he added.

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“Female prisoners affiliated with MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) were confined and subjected to torture,” he added, describing how women were “forced to live in coffin-like boxes or sit in squatting positions, deprived of sleep and food.”

“If they spoke, they were beaten. We have heard that similar prisons are being used today that operate outside the formal Iranian prison system,” he said.

Iranian authorities have reportedly been using these unofficial detention sites for interrogation during the protests, where detainees are held without registration or access to legal counsel.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) described the facilities as “among the gravest concerns documented” by the organization.

In a new report, CHRI warned that when detainees are removed from the formal prison system, they effectively disappear into these sites.

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There is no paper trail and no legal supervision, leaving individuals highly vulnerable to abuse.

CHRI said the risk of torture, coerced confessions, sexual abuse and deaths in custody inside these facilities is extreme.

Outside the facilities, families are often left traumatized after having to spend days outside courts and prisons that deny holding their children, the report said.

“The precise locations of these black box sites are unknown, which is part of their function,” Safavi said.

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“This ensures total isolation and no access or contact. Agents inside are able to employ whatever methods they choose, much like at Ghezel Hesar Prison in the 1980s,” he explained.

“The clandestine sites eliminate witnesses and prevent documentation that could lead to leaks,” Safavi said.

The findings come amid reports of escalating executions in Iran following recent protests, during which thousands of people were killed at the hands of the clerical regime.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported Monday that at least 17 prisoners were executed across Iran over a two-day period.

The CHRI report came as Iranians living in exile gathered in Europe to protest against the regime and as others commemorated the 40th day since the Jan. 2026 uprising.

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At the same time, the HANA Human Rights Organization said that at least 24 children, including a 3-year-old, were killed by direct fire from security forces during nationwide protests.