Roberts lets Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom work continue

Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday temporarily let the White House keep building President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom while the Supreme Court weighs an emergency appeal from the administration. The order arrived hours before lower-court rulings would have halted aboveground construction. The project has already demolished the East Wing and is about 65% complete, with crews working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Justice Department filings. The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues Trump lacks unilateral authority for the project without congressional approval. A district judge had allowed only belowground work on bunkers and military installations to continue.