Judge questions authority to build White House ballroom

A federal judge pressed Justice Department lawyers to cite the legal authority for the Trump administration’s plan to demolish the White House East Wing and build a $400 million ballroom, as historic-preservation groups sue for oversight. The hearing raises whether Congress must authorize such a project, even as the administration cites funding and Interior Department gifts; design reviews by two federal commissions continue and construction remains planned for spring, with potential appeals to higher courts.