Supreme Court Allows Trump Ballroom Construction; Army Secretary Resigns Amid Pentagon Tensions

The Supreme Court ruled that President Trump may proceed with construction of a ballroom in the former East Wing of the White House without needing congressional authorization. The court dismissed the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s standing, noting it had not suffered a concrete injury. The project, estimated to cost at least $300 million, has been underway for nearly a year, with crews reportedly working around the clock.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the dissent, said Congress must approve any building on federal park grounds, a requirement the administration has not met.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned after 18 months in the role, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the post at age 38. His departure follows reported tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has replaced several senior officers with individuals perceived as more loyal. Driscoll, a close associate of Vice President JD Vance, is speculated to be considering a position in Vance’s upcoming presidential campaign.

Finance ministers from the world’s largest economies gathered for the G-20 summit in North Carolina, marking the first U.S. host in more than 15 years. The agenda includes measures to accelerate economic growth and discussions on tightening economic pressure on Iran. The United States has announced “Operation Economic Outcast,” aiming to cut Iran’s remaining ties to the global economy and threatening penalties for countries that continue business with Tehran.

A whistleblower report warned that the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to launch an online portal for absentee-ballot processing could jeopardize the upcoming midterm election if courts allow it to proceed without adequate testing, potentially delaying or preventing delivery of mail-in ballots.