In the day's other headlines, a federal judge today ordered the Trump administration to stop

construction of its $400 million White House ballroom project. District Judge Richard Leon cited

with a preservationist group that called for further reviews and input from Congress. In his

opinion, the judge wrote that Trump is the steward of the White House,

not its owner, and that, quote, no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he

claims to have. But the judge also delayed enforcement of his order for 14 days and acknowledged

that the administration is likely to appeal. Also today, a separate federal judge

ruled that President Trump's executive order that barred federal funding for NPR and PBS is

unconstitutional. Judge Randolph Moss said the order violated those groups' First Amendment rights.

While PBS and NPR leadership both celebrated today's decision,

the ruling will likely have little effect on their immediate financial health. That's because

the Republican-controlled Congress voted to claw back the roughly half a billion dollars

in annual funding last year. Still, it could allow Congress to provide future money

should it choose to do so.

Turning overseas, a group of 12 top European diplomats

visited Ukraine today to mark four years

since Russia's massacre in the town of Buccia outside Kiev.

They placed candles on a memorial to honor the more than 400 people who were killed there.

Russia invaded Buccia early on in its war, now in its fifth year.

In Russia today, thick smoke rose from an oil storage facility at a port in the Baltic

Sea near St. Petersburg. Ukraine has targeted energy infrastructure in that area for the past week.

A Kremlin spokesperson downplayed the strikes and vowed to respond.

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