President Donald Trump defended his move to tear down part of the White House.

The U.S. citizenship exam is getting harder.

And a woman played the clarinet while getting brain surgery.

That's some of what we'll get to on the seven from the Washington Post.

I'm Hannah Jewell.

It's Thursday, October 23rd.

Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories.

Number one.

President Trump raised the estimated cost of his White House ballroom.

This week, the president sparked an outcry after

images showed demolition crews knocking down much of the White House's east wing. That's to make way

for Trump's planned 90,000 square foot dream ballroom. Preservationists say there's not a lot that could be done to stop this project.

The key panel slated to review the president's construction plans is now stocked with Trump

allies ready to approve them. Yesterday, Trump defended the project.

In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure.

The way it was shown, it looked like we were touching the White House.

We don't touch the White House.

That's a bridge at last bridge going from the White House to the ballroom.

Then you get into the lobby of the ballroom, and then you go into the magnificent, the main room.

And it's something that has gotten incredible reviews.

When Trump says we don't touch the White House, he meant the main central structure.

He also raised the estimated cost for the ballroom. Before, he claimed it would cost $200 million.

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