What changed in this update
Lower-court rulings would have blocked construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom after finding that the Trump administration should have first sought approval from Congress.
The Supreme Court voted 5-4 on Monday to allow White House ballroom construction to continue, halting a lower court's ruling that tried to temporarily halt work on the 90,000-square-foot space. Nancy Cordes reports.
NYTimes – US Lower-court rulings would have blocked construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom after finding that the Trump administration should have first sought approval from Congress.
The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to continue construction of its roughly $400 million White House ballroom, granting its request to block a lower-court order that had halted above-ground work, in a 5-4 ruling that leaves the project proceeding while the full appeal continues.
Grounded in 7 reports across 6 sources
NYTimes – US Lower-court rulings would have blocked construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom after finding that the Trump administration should have first sought approval from Congress.
The Supreme Court allowed construction to proceed but did not rule on whether Trump’s White House ballroom project is legal.
BBC News – World But Chief Justice John Roberts dissents, writing that "construction is likely unlawful".
In a 5-4 decision, the court granted the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court ruling that would have prevented work from being done on the ballroom US supreme court allows Trump to keep building $400m White House ballroom Sign up for US Breaking News emails Chris Hippensteel We’re watching today as Scott Bessent , the US treasury secretary, and Kevin Warsh , the chair of the Federal Reserve, deliver…
Justices’ 5-4 ruling permits Trump administration appeal to block lower court order halting above-ground work A divided US supreme court has permitted Donald Trump to continue building his controversial $400m White House ballroom amid legal challenges. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices permitted the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court order which had halted above-ground construction of the project whi…
The Supreme Court divided 5-4 in allowing construction of the new White House ballroom to continue.
NYTimes – US The 2-1 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel is the latest setback for the Trump administration's efforts to assert control over state-run elections.
Sky News – Front Page Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films, has died at 86. He died in Los Angeles after living with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, according to Al Jazeera. Tributes have been paid to Stewart, who was born in Mirfield, England.
NYTimes – US Pope Leo voted by mail in the Illinois midterm election from the Vatican, according to a report published on October 30, 2026. Vatican experts cited in the report said he may be the first pope to vote in a national election. A separate report confirmed that he voted in the Illinois midterms.
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