1.Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to proceed for now

Updated 1 hour ago – Politics & Policy. Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to proceed for now.

Key points

• Roughly $352 million in taxpayer dollars was redirected to the project in June from funds allocated through the One Sizeable Beautiful Bill.
• Zoom out: The joint cost of the ballroom and underground bunker is projected to be at least $600 million, up $400 million from when the project was first confirmed.
• Driving the news: In a brief order, Chief Justice John Roberts paused the halt the D.C.
• That court suspended its decision for two weeks to offer Trump's team time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
• But Trump has long mused regarding adding a ballroom at the White House.

Updated 1 hour ago – Politics & Policy. Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to proceed for now. Add Axios as your preferred source to. See more of our stories on Google.

Driving the news: In a brief order, Chief Justice John Roberts paused the halt the D.C. District Court put on construction while the court weighs his request.

It did not address the legality of Trump's project or offer a timeline for when the court will weigh in.

Catch up quick: The administration turned to the Supreme Court after a divided federal appeals court panel blocked construction earlier this month, saying Trump needed congressional approval on the project.

Zoom in: " This case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security, " Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued in the administration's petition to the justices.

Nevertheless, Judge Richard Leon clarified in April that while the administration was barred from taking any action to develop the ballroom, his order allowed below-ground construction of national security facilities or work necessary to protect the site and the president.

Still, Sauer pressed the court to stay the injunction "for the sake of the President's safety, the continuity of government, and the separation of powers."

Meanwhile, the major picture: The White House has pointed to the alleged plot against the White House's July UFC fight and the White House Correspondents' Dinner attack as evidence of a heightened threat environment that boosts the need for the ballroom.

Upon his return to office, he asserted the project wouldn't interfere with the current White House structure – but then the East Wing was knocked down and a fast-tracked process to build the ballroom began.

Meanwhile, a White House official wrote in a filing sent to the Supreme Court that the project is already 65% complete and that construction of the underground facilities is almost finished.

Trump originally remarked private donors would fund the ballroom, but the administration has asked Congress to apply taxpayer dollars for security upgrades for the ballroom and other areas of the White House complex.

Roughly $352 million in taxpayer dollars was redirected to the project in June from funds allocated through the One Sizeable Beautiful Bill. Go deeper: New White House East Wing renderings reveal gold additions. Editor's note: This story has been updated with extra details throughout.

Taken together, the developments around 1.Supreme Court allows Trump' s ballroom construction to proceed for now point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.