Judge Won’t Block Continuing Construction On Ballroom

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a preservationist group’s request to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Thursday that the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its bid to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s project. The preservationists sought an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress. Trump proceeded with the project before seeking input from a pair of federal review panels. One has approved the project. The second is holding a meeting in March.