White House ballroom

The Hill -  The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) on Thursday voted to approve President Trump’s plans for a ballroom located where the East Wing once stood next to the White House.  Most of the commission’s members, including Trump-appointed chair William Scharfe, voted to approval the plans. Phil Mendelson, chair of the Council of the District of Columbia, cast the only “no” vote, though there were several “present” votes.

NY Times -   Judge Leon this week ruled in a lawsuit brought by historic preservationists that Mr. Trump must get approval from Congress before moving ahead with his planned ballroom. “Unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!” the judge wrote in his ruling, which was punctuated by 19 exclamation points.

The Justice Department has filed a notice of appeal, and Mr. Trump has shown a reluctance to bring the project to Congress, where it would face an uncertain fate.