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The park service says Trump’s arch would obstruct historic sites. Could it be moved?
President Trump stands near models of his arch during an October 2025 event with White House ballroom donors. The administration’s proposed design and location for the structure have changed little since then.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
There’s widespread opposition to the 250-foot arch President Trump wants to build near the National Mall, which would tower over a historic area already packed with monuments.
This week, even Trump’s own administration raised concerns. The National Park Service released a document listing 37 historic properties that it says would be adversely affected by the construction of an arch in Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout just below Arlington National Cemetery.
“The significance of these properties derives not only from their individual architectural or commemorative importance, but also from their spatial, visual, symbolic, and ceremonial interrelationships,” reads the report.
The National Park Service findings were released as part of an ongoing review process known as Section 106. Under this section of the National Historic Preservation Act, federal agencies must evaluate the impact their actions could have on any historic properties and try to minimize harm.
The assessment finds that an arch would interfere with dozens of historic sites in the area, particularly the key connection between the Lincoln Monument and Arlington House, the former home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
“The bridge alignment and associated ceremonial landscape were intended to physically and symbolically unite North and South through a coordinated monumental composition extending across the Potomac River,” the report reads.
The traffic circle where the arch would sit is right between the two landmarks. Critics say it would not only interfere with that view, but with the solemn atmosphere near the cemetery itself.
A group of Vietnam War veterans has already sued to stop the arch’s construction, stating that it would be a visual affront and needs congressional approval, which Trump denies and has not sought.
The Trump administration wants to build its arch in Memorial Circle, a traffic island on the bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
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Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The White House insists that Memorial Circle is an ideal place to locate the arch. In an email to NPR, it called the arch a “fitting addition to the monumental axis between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House.” The administration has repeatedly stated that the arch will “enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery.”
This insistence frustrates Greg Werkheiser of the law firm, Cultural Heritage Partners, which is handling several lawsuits against the Trump administration’s other D.C. construction projects.
“It’s as if the president is saying: ‘Only if I jam my arch between Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial and make it tower over everything else in the city will it be noticed,’” he said.
Preservationists say there are places in Washington, D.C., where an arch this size would impact far fewer historic properties.
“I think people are opposed to the absurdity of locating an arch this size and of this design in the middle of what is almost a civil sacred landscape,” Werkheiser said. “I think had he chosen an alternative, not only would some of the folks who are opponents now not be opponents, but I think they would be supporters.”
The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior did not answer NPR’s questions about whether other locations were or are being considered. But the department downplayed critics’ concerns about adverse effects.
“The Arch will offer stunning views of Washington, D.C. from its observation deck, and the Arch itself will be visible from other historic properties, adding a monumental structure to the viewshed in a location that is currently a barren piece of grass,” an Interior Department spokesperson told NPR in an email.
Critics say the lack of discussion about alternative locations is just one flaw in a review process they see as happening both too quickly and too late.
The Section 106 review only started in June, after the arch had already received final design approval from the first of two federal arts commissions reviewing it. That sequence of events is unusual, said Ed Stierli, the vice president of government affairs at the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association.
“We’re talking … not a whole lot of transparency, not even a meeting of the consulting parties has genuinely taken place,” Stierli said. “And unfortunately, as this continues, it feels like more of a box-checking than an actual, legitimate process.”
Location, location, location
Typically, conversations about new memorials and monuments start with the question of where to put them.
“Even looking at some of the more recent memorials — like the Women’s Suffrage National Monument that’s still in the planning process — they weigh the pros and cons,” Stierli said. “And they have to evaluate the alternatives, as well as what the impact is for visitors, before any of these are cited.”
He said a proposal for any sort of project in Memorial Circle deserves careful scrutiny because of the location’s significance and symbolism.
“Anything that would be built there would be controversial,” Stierli said. “But I think what makes this so controversial is the pure scale … We’re talking about one of the largest monuments to ever be built in Washington, D.C.”
At 250 feet tall, the arch would be more than double the height of the nearby Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service says its harms would extend much farther, to dozens of historic sites including the National Mall, U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument and its grounds.
“They skipped over real consideration of alternatives and just went to what arguably is the most concentrated collection of important historic sites and landscapes and settings in the country,” Werkheiser said.
One of the people who did propose an alternative site was David Maloney, D.C.’s state historic preservation officer.
He wrote a letter to the National Park Service in June suggesting the arch be located in a newly created traffic oval near the Frederick Douglass Bridge, which crosses the Anacostia River in southeast D.C.
David Maloney, D.C.’s state historic preservation officer, suggested the arch could be built near the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in southeast D.C. with fewer negative consequences.
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Andrew Harnik/AP
The neighborhoods east of the river are predominantly Black, with a rich cultural history but higher poverty rates than the rest of D.C.
Maloney said an arch there would be well positioned between Nationals Park and Audi Field, two of the city’s sports venues, to “create an energizing focal point for a still-emerging neighborhood, suitable for a celebratory crowd.” It would mark an entrance to D.C. on a direct axis with the Capitol, he said, and its height would be “more in scale” with the 288-foot tall Capitol dome.
“And importantly, it would enhance … the city’s monumental landscape rather than detracting from it,” he wrote.
Maloney said he was highlighting that particular location not as an endorsement of building an arch there, but “to emphasize the need to avoid the adverse historic effects as part of the Section 106 process.” He did not respond to NPR’s interview request.
Maloney’s suggestion was mentioned briefly at the July meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, the second federal panel reviewing the proposal.
“I’ve been intrigued and interested in this idea about bringing something that might strengthen Anacostia River East by bringing it to an area that would [have] an impact on our community that could be positive, maybe,” said Arrington Dixon, a planning commissioner who grew up in that neighborhood.
But the topic of location went largely unexplored at the meeting. After two hours of public pushback and many unanswered questions, commissioners voted to advance the arch to the next phase of review.
The National Capital Planning Commission next meets in early September. Its Trump-appointed chair has said the commission could potentially grant the arch final approval then — though its own rules say it can’t do so until the Section 106 review is complete.
Weakening the review process
As it stands, the Section 106 review process is one of few procedural hurdles the arch has yet to clear. And the Trump administration is poised to weaken it.
In late July, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — which is made up of a majority of Trump allies — voted to rewrite Section 106 to make it easier for the federal government to build on historic properties anywhere in the country.
The council argues that the existing Section 106 rules create confusion and delays in federal construction. It wants to limit what kinds of sites are considered historic, what counts as an adverse effect and the amount of public input required for that process. That would have implications for the arch, among other things.
“Even if they did consult [the public], they wouldn’t have to consider the obvious harm to the setting of putting an arch that’s this tall literally jammed in the middle of the sight lines between Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial,” Werkheiser said.
The new Section 106 language is currently working its way through the federal rule-making process, which involves a 30-day public comment period. Werkheiser said legal challenges are inevitable at a later stage.
Congress theoretically has the power to block the new monument — and a group of House Democrats have introduced a bill to do so. But the Republican majority is unlikely to vote to kill the arch.
The Moon crosses in front of the Sun during a total solar eclipse at Lake Monroe on April 08, 2024 in Indiana, United States.
Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images
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Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images
People throughout Europe and parts of the U.S. will be treated to a chance to see a solar eclipse on Wednesday.
People in Iceland, Greenland, northern Russia, Spain, and a part of Portugal will see a total eclipse, according to astronomers. That’s when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, fully blocking the Sun’s face. NASA says northern parts of the United States, including from Alaska to North Carolina, will see a partial solar eclipse.
During a partial solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, but the celestial bodies are not perfectly aligned. Because only parts of the sun are obscured, the sun appears as a crescent shape.
The partial eclipse is expected to begin around 1:17 p.m. ET in Washington, D.C. and have 4% coverage, according to NASA. That means up to 4 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon. In Reykjavík, Iceland, the total eclipse will begin at 5:48 p.m. local time , and in León, Spain, totality will begin at 8:28 p.m and last for two minutes. This will be the first solar eclipse visible from Spain’s mainland since 1905, according to the European Space Agency.
For those who plan to watch either the total or partial eclipse, special equipment such as eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with special filters will be necessary to protect one’s eyes. Regular sunglasses will not be effective for eye protection, even during a partial eclipse. Looking at the sun, even if for a short time, can cause significant eye damage, including burns and even permanent vision loss, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
While the eclipse will give skywatchers a chance to safely marvel at the rare phenomena, some scientists will use it as an opportunity to better understand the sun. NASA says it will have teams using scientific balloons and a high-altitude jet to study how the sky when darkened for a short period of time impacts the Earth’s atmosphere.
“From our unique perspective on Earth during a total solar eclipse, scientists can study the Sun’s corona in a way we can’t from anywhere else in the solar system,” Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager for NASA, said in a statement.
The next partial solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the U.S. on Aug. 2, 2027 – with totality visible from Spain, the Middle East and parts of North Africa. A total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the contiguous U.S. on Aug. 23, 2044.
Utah wildfire response continues despite loss of helicopter crew, with containment standing at 24 percent.
Published On 9 Aug 2026
A pilot and one crew member have been confirmed dead after their firefighting helicopter crashed while battling a massive wildfire in central Utah.
The Sikorsky S-64 ‘Skycrane’, operated by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the United States Forest Service, went down about 10am local time on Friday (16:00 GMT) near Richfield, in the Three Creeks Reservoir area southwest of the city, close to the southeastern edge of the Widemouth 2 fire.
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The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) confirmed the deaths on Saturday, more than 24 hours after the crash, saying the two crew members were “fatally injured” and extended its “condolences to the friends and family of the deceased”.
In a situation report, the NIFC said extreme fire conditions and steep terrain had kept rescue teams from reaching the wreckage. The bodies were recovered on Saturday, but the names of the deceased have not been released.
The NIFC has issued evacuations for residents in the area and imposed road closures.
Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht said on Friday that crews took a “tactical pause” to regroup after the crash before resuming their firefighting work.
“It’s not going to change how we operate,” Hecht said. “We’re going to continue to fight fire and utilize aircraft to support our firefighters on the ground.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox called wildland firefighting “among the most dangerous jobs in the world” and asked residents to keep the crew “in your prayers”.
The Utah Highway Patrol organised a procession Saturday evening to escort the remains of the “fallen heroes”.
The Widemouth 2 fire ignited from a lightning strike in Fishlake National Forest on July 27 and has since burned more than 111,000 acres (45,000 hectares), putting it on pace to become Utah’s largest wildfire this year.
Officials listed containment at 24 percent on Saturday, with extreme fire behaviour – including crowning and long-range spotting – still threatening nearby communities.
This is Utah’s second fatal wildfire incident this summer. Three firefighters died in June while battling the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado border. A fourth firefighter later died from injuries sustained in the incident.
Brittany Apgar (from left), Maggie Foxx and Mo’ne Davis, of the Los Angeles Queens, joke around in the dugout prior to the start of the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural game in Springfield, Ill., on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Jaclyn Licht for NPR
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Jaclyn Licht for NPR
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Three hours before game time, hundreds of fans swarmed the construction-lined, rain-soaked parking lot of Springfield’s Robin Roberts Stadium. Some lived down the road; most hailed from across the country, and some had come from as far as away as South Korea and Australia.
Carol and Mike Studer, the grandparents of the New York Heights’ first baseman London Studer, worried the weather would postpone London’s start against the Los Angeles Queens and they’d miss their flight the next morning. One hour later, security parted the gates.
“Am I the very first inside?” yelled a teenage girl holding a baseball mitt as she rushed through a balloon-adorned entrance to be greeted by a custom bobblehead of Queens outfielder Mo’ne Davis.
Staff quietly hurried to tape falling signage to the walls, troubleshoot the jumbotron and cook burgers and hot dogs as rain seeped through the grated ceilings of the exterior walkways. Fans, meanwhile, made a beeline for the merch booth; within hours, sales were capped at two items per fan to accommodate demand. Underneath translucent ponchos, fans donned hats, sweatshirts and T-shirts in support of the league’s four teams: the Queens, the Heights, the Boston Hunters and the San Francisco Firebells. Team loyalty was largely arbitrary, though; most said they were simply happy to support the athletes and to be present to witness the league’s inaugural game.
Players with the Boston Hunters and the San Francisco Firebells assist the grounds crew in rolling up the infield tarp prior to the start of the WPBL’s inaugural game on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Jaclyn Licht for NPR
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Sabrina Robinson, the Boston Hunters’ first baseman, fixes her hair in her hotel room before going out with her fellow players in the Women’s Pro Baseball League on Thursday, July 30.
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Robinson (center) fist bumps her teammates at the conclusion of a preseason scrimmage prior to the WPBL’s opening weekend on Thursday, July 30, in Springfield, Ill.
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The San Francisco Firebells get in some batting practice at the University of Illinois, Springfield’s training field before the WPBL’s inaugural weekend on Thursday, July 30.
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San Francisco Firebells coach Matt Williams (from left), second baseman Amanda Gianelloni, catcher Samantha Gutierrez and left fielder Skylar Kaplan in the dugout prior to their game on Sunday, Aug. 2.
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Fans from Delaware drove 1,700 miles to see Mo’ne Davis play in the WPBL’s inaugural game in Springfield, Ill., on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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WPBL teams’ captains and the league’s commissioner, Justine Siegal, pass a torch to youth representatives of Baseball For All, a gender equity initiative to support girls in baseball, in Springfield, Ill., on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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Enter the players. The Hunters and Firebells, who would play the following day, wandered the grounds in full uniform. Many were greeted with hugs by their parents and siblings, who’d traveled from across the U.S. and from 11 different countries to witness their daughters and sisters play professionally for the first time. Girls and boys blocked the players’ paths to ask for autographs, beaming at their parents as they showed off their newly signed T-shirts, mitts and baseballs.
The weekend marked the start of the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural season. Its four host cities — Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York — were chosen for their history of sports loyalty and market size, yet the opening season will run for six weeks in the geographically central location of Springfield, Ill.
A stray ball lands near Springfield’s corn fields during preseason practice on Thursday, July 30.
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Rebecca Buchanan, of Springfield, Ill., dons a custom eye patch at a WPBL game at Robin Roberts Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 2.
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New York Heights players and fans prior to the start of the WPBL’s inaugural game on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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A concessions stand worker at Springfield’s Robin Roberts Stadium awaits her first customers on WPBL’s opening day.
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Jaclyn Licht for NPR
Maybelle the Mascot, designed in honor of veteran baseball player Maybelle Blair, entertains the crowd between innings of the WPBL’s opening game on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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Kelsie Whitmore (right), a pitcher for the San Francisco Firebells and the league’s No. 1 draft pick, guides veteran baseball player Maybelle Blair, 99, off the field after the first pitch ceremony on the WPBL’s opening day.
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Maybelle Blair, a veteran of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, a professional women’s baseball league that was founded in 1943 and ran for 12 seasons, grips a baseball prior to throwing out the first pitch at the WPBL’s inaugural game in Springfield, Ill., on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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Fans behind home plate during opening day ceremonies on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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Jaclyn Licht for NPR
The WPBL is the fifth professional women’s baseball league in U.S. history, but Queens’ third baseman Ashton Lansdell says, “We hope it’s the fifth and the last.”
Many of those signed to the WPBL began playing as young as 4 years old, and for many, their baseball trajectories stalled as they came of age and were told they were not allowed to compete alongside boys. But many of the players said the hurdle only fueled their determination to pursue the sport through other avenues.
Baseball For All, a nonprofit founded by WPBL Commissioner Justine Siegal, has supported young women in finding opportunities for organized play in their communities, schools and universities. Many compete in annual competitions, including the Women’s Baseball World Cup, and have had stints in regional and seasonal men’s leagues. A select few, including Lansdell, Firebells pitcher Kelsie Whitmore and Heights catcher Denae Benites, have even found success in the viral Banana Ball league playing for teams like the Savannah Bananas.
Most players, though, are juggling university studies or moonlight as bartenders, firefighters and architects to support their athletic dreams.
While opportunities for women’s baseball have grown in recent years, this is the first time that these women will have a chance to compete and play together for an extended period of time. “I’ve been practicing so long on my own,” said Boston’s first baseman, Sabrina Robinson, during preseason training. “It’s so different finally playing with other [professionals] in the same place now.”
Sabrina Robinson, first basemen for the Boston Hunters, dances between innings to rile up the crowd during her team’s first game in the Women’s Pro Baseball League on Sunday, Aug. 2.
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A fan’s rain-soaked scorecard on the WPBL’s opening day.
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A young fan waves his shirt in the stands at Springfield’s Robin Roberts Stadium on the WPBL’s opening weekend.
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One of the LA Queens’ players signs autographs for fans in the crowd during the game between the San Francisco Firebells and the Boston Hunters on Sunday, Aug. 2.
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The first game of the Women’s Professional Baseball League, hosted at Springfield’s Robin Roberts Stadium. The 5,200-seat stadium sold out for opening day.
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A young fan dons a Rockford Peaches uniform — a nod to one of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League’s teams that inspired the 1992 film A League of Their Own — at opening day on Saturday, Aug. 1.
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As the rain subsided, the grounds crew scrambled to prepare the field. Players stepped in to help roll up the tarp covering the field as the sold-out crowd settled into damp seats.
Meanwhile, on the third base line, 3-year-old Lenore Wooten took in the view of the field. “She’ll never know this was never not a thing,” said her mother, Jess.
Jaclyn Licht is a freelance photographer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Find more of her work on her website, JaclynLicht.com, or on Instagram, at @shwaclyn.
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