US appeals court halts Trump's $400 million ballroom project

A US federal appeals court on Friday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to halt construction of a proposed $400 million ballroom at the White House, dealing a significant setback to the president's plan to reshape the historic complex.In a 2-1 ruling, the Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction obtained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the project after the administration demolished the White House's East Wing and began building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom without congressional approval, cites Reuters.The appeals court, however, put its order on hold for 14 days, giving the Trump administration time to appeal to the US Supreme Court.The ruling comes after US District Judge Richard Leon had twice blocked above-ground construction while allowing underground work to continue.