US Supreme Court allows White House ballroom construction to proceed

The United States Supreme Court has allowed construction on President Donald Trump’s proposed $400 million White House ballroom to temporarily resume while legal challenges continue.

A five-justice conservative majority, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, lifted a lower court order that had halted the project. The lawsuit, brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, argues that the expansion causes irreversible damage to the historical integrity of the executive mansion.

Although the justices indicated that the administration is likely to succeed in court, they emphasized that the decision does not constitute a final legal ruling on the project's merits. The interim order enables construction crews to potentially complete the building's structural frame before lower courts issue a definitive verdict.

Sources: Der Standard, Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau.