Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. A federal judge is temporarily blocking the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion fund for people who claim they were targets of politicized prosecutions. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports.

In a two-page order, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkuma bars the Justice Department from taking any further action to create the so-called anti-weaponization fund, including transferring money to the fund, considering any claims or making any payments out of it. This temporary pause is necessary, the judge says, in order to give the court time for a full briefing from both sides on the legal arguments before any funds are irreversibly paid out.

The fund was created as part of a settlement agreement between the Justice Department and President Trump,

who in return dropped his lawsuit against the IRS over his late tax returns.

The fund has faced intense backlash from Democrats, as well as many Republicans.

Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

And another federal judge has ruled that President Trump's name should not have been added to the Kennedy Center.

He's also temporarily halting a planned two-year closure of the arts complex.

In response, Trump says he's backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the institution to Congress.

NPR's Anastasia Zilkus has more.

In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper writes, quote,

The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the center is to be named for President Kennedy,

and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial

based on the board's unilateral say-so.

Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name,

and only Congress can change it.

Judge Cooper also ruled that the Center could not wind down its programming

and close for two years of renovations, at least for now.

He wrote that the board did not have sufficient details to make an informed decision about

the closure. All of the current board's voting members were selected by Trump. The Kennedy

Center told NPR it plans to appeal the decision. Anastasi Aze Ois, NPR News. The rate of U.S. foreclosures

rose to its highest level in six years in March, according to a real estate data company,

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