A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Trump cannot proceed with the construction of a $400 million White House ballroom without authorization from Congress. The 2-1 decision found that the president lacks the authority to build the 90,000-square-foot facility on the site of the former East Wing. The court granted the administration a two-week window to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. President Trump described the decision as unjust and stated it should be overturned.
In other Washington developments, the White House notified Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook that it is considering her removal. A letter obtained by PBS News gave Cook 21 days to respond to unproven allegations of mortgage fraud. This follows a June Supreme Court ruling that prevented the president from firing Cook while her lawsuit challenging a previous dismissal attempt was pending. Cook's attorney has described the allegations as baseless.
International news included a shooting in Thailand where a 14-year-old student killed at least seven people, including five at his high school outside of Bangkok. Officials reported the student killed his grandparents before opening fire at the school and subsequently taking his own life. Nearly two dozen others were injured. In Europe, a heat wave set records in Austria and Slovakia, while Hungary recorded temperatures of 108 degrees Fahrenheit.
The action regarding Lisa Cook affects the leadership of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the central bank of the United States. If the administration proceeds with removal after the 21-day response period, it would test the legal boundaries of a governor's job security following the Supreme Court's June intervention. A change in the board could influence future decisions on interest rates and monetary policy, which directly impact the borrowing costs for millions of U.S. households and businesses.
In the technology and legal sectors, Meta faces a $567 million court order in New Mexico related to child safety. This penalty, which the company intends to appeal, follows a previous $375 million fine in the same case. The funds are designated for youth treatment services and awareness programs. Additionally, air travelers in the Midwest saw significant disruption Friday after an FAA equipment outage in Minneapolis grounded hundreds of flights across nine states for two hours, though service has since been restored.
The administration has two weeks from Friday to appeal the ballroom ruling to the Supreme Court. Regarding the Federal Reserve, Lisa Cook has until late August to respond to the White House letter. In Thailand, school classes are suspended through the end of next week following the shooting. In Washington state, evacuation orders remain for tens of thousands of residents as firefighters continue to battle blazes that have destroyed more than 850 buildings.