Judge halts Trump arch construction for 14 days

A federal judge on November 5 temporarily barred construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., for 14 days, hours after the National Capital Planning Commission approved its final plans by an 8-4 vote. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the temporary restraining order at the request of Washington, D.C., and Virginia, which challenged the project’s legality and cited potential effects on traffic and emergency services. The order pauses construction-related work while the court considers the case; it is not a final ruling on whether the arch can be built. The commission’s decision followed hours of public testimony. The Interior Department also issued a final decision authorizing construction that day, but the court order prevents work from proceeding during the 14-day period. Chutkan directed the administration to report on its compliance on Monday, November 9. A central dispute is whether a 1925 law concerning Arlington Memorial Bridge gives the administration authority to build the arch. The administration argues that Congress authorized the project as part of the bridge’s original plan. Washington and Virginia say the...