News Wrap: Judge orders halt to Trump's White House ballroom construction

[0:00] In the day's other headlines, a federal judge today ordered the Trump administration [0:04] to stop construction of its $400 million White House ballroom project. [0:09] District Judge Richard Leon sided with a preservationist group [0:13] that called for further reviews and input from Congress. [0:17] In his opinion, the judge wrote that Trump is the steward of the White House, not its owner, [0:22] and that, quote, no statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have. [0:27] But the judge also delayed enforcement of his order for 14 days [0:32] and acknowledged that the administration is likely to appeal. [0:36] Also today, a separate federal judge ruled that President Trump's executive order [0:41] that barred federal funding for NPR and PBS is unconstitutional. [0:46] Judge Randolph Moss said the order violated those groups' First Amendment rights. [0:51] While PBS and NPR leadership both celebrated today's decision, [0:55] the ruling will likely have little effect [0:57] on their immediate financial health. That's because the Republican-controlled Congress [1:02] voted to claw back the roughly half-a-billion dollars in annual funding last year. [1:08] Still, it could allow Congress to provide future money should it choose to do so. [1:14] Turning overseas, a group of 12 top European diplomats visited Ukraine today [1:19] to mark four years since Russia's massacre in the town of Bucha outside Kyiv. [1:25] They placed candles on a memorial to [1:27] honor the more than 400 people who were killed there. [1:31] Russia invaded Bucha early on in its war, now in its fifth year. [1:36] In Russia today, thick smoke rose from an oil storage facility [1:40] at a port in the Baltic Sea near St. Petersburg. [1:43] Ukraine has targeted energy infrastructure in that area for the past week. [1:48] A Kremlin spokesperson downplayed the strikes and vowed to respond. [1:52] VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President of the United States, [1:54] All critical facilities important to Russia's transport infrastructure, [1:58] are being protected. If airspace is being made available for hostile terrorist activity [2:03] against Russia, this obliges us to draw the appropriate conclusions and take appropriate [2:08] measures. [2:09] NICK SCHIFRIN, Russian President of the United States, Ukrainian officials are hoping [2:11] their long-range drone strikes in the region will prevent Moscow from profiting off its oil exports [2:18] amid global concerns over energy supplies brought on by the Iran war. [2:23] In Gaza, health officials say two Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people today. [2:29] Palestinians in Khan Yunis mourned a father and his two-year-old son [2:33] who died in one of the strikes. Israel has not yet commented on either incident. [2:39] Meanwhile, in Central Gaza, a chaotic and emotional scene [2:43] as a group of 11 toddlers were reunited with their families. [2:47] They had been evacuated as premature newborns back in late 2023, [2:52] amid violence brought on by the Israel-Hamas war. One father described his reunion as, [2:59] quote, the most important moment of his life. [3:01] AYED AL-KHALIL, Israeli President of the United States, [3:05] Our feelings are indescribable. She is my first daughter, but our feelings are mixed with pain [3:10] because of the reality we live in. We hope our children's future will not be filled with the [3:15] tragedy or suffering they face at the beginning of their lives. [3:17] NICK SCHIFRIN, Russian President of the United States, A total of 31 premature [3:20] babies had been evacuated to Egypt. Doctors say four died after arriving, [3:25] though the fate of the others remains unknown. [3:28] NICK SCHIFRIN, Israeli President of the United States, An update now on a new report from the United [3:29] States on a story we brought to you last night. A Russian tanker carrying more than 700,000 barrels [3:35] of oil arrived in Cuba today. It is the first such delivery in three months, and it's expected to [3:41] provide up to 10 days of Cuba's energy needs. The Trump administration allowed the vessel to proceed [3:48] despite an ongoing oil blockade of the island. That blockade has led to a series of blackouts [3:54] and further crippled the country's economy. Despite this delivery, the White House says it [3:59] has not changed its broader policy towards Cuba. A panel of high-level U.S. officials voted today [4:07] to exempt offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from rules related to the Endangered [4:12] Species Act. The decision came at the request of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, [4:18] who cited a threat to U.S. energy production during the ongoing war with Iran. Critics say [4:24] the move could threaten a rare whale species and harm other kinds of marine life. The panel is [4:30] shared by the interior secretary, and it's commonly called the God Squad because its actions [4:37] can decide whether a species lives or dies. NASA has begun its 24-hour countdown to humanity's [4:44] first flight to the moon in more than half a century. After weeks of fuel leaks and other [4:49] glitches, officials say Artemis II is finally set to launch tomorrow night from the Kennedy Space [4:55] Center in Florida. At a press event today, weather experts said the odds of a favorable [5:01] condition tomorrow are at a promising 80 percent. [5:04] CHRISTOPHER HUTCHISON, NASA Launch Commentator, NASA Launch Center, NASA [5:05] The weather has been a nuanced thing for us at times here in the generation [5:10] phase of this mission. But, again, look outside right now, great weather. There's nothing here [5:17] that is screaming a no-go for the entirety of the window for any one of these attempts. [5:21] MILES O' The four astronauts of the Artemis crew are set to become [5:26] the first lunar visitors since Apollo 17 back in the early 1970s. [5:32] They won't land on the moon's surface or even orbit it. Instead, they will zip past the moon's [5:37] far side and then head back to Earth, in a trip that's planned to last less than 10 days. [5:43] On Wall Street today, stocks surged amid hopes for an end to the Iran war. The Dow Jones industrial [5:50] average jumped more than 1,100 points. The Nasdaq added nearly 800 points, or almost 4 percent. [5:57] The S&P 500 posted its biggest gain since last May. [6:02] And we have a unique [6:03] passing of note. Sugar, the surfing dog, has died. [6:07] The mixed-breed rescue pup from Huntington Beach, California, was a five-time dog surfing world [6:13] champion and the first canine inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame. Wearing a life jacket, [6:19] she often rode solo, but sometimes alongside her owner, Ryan Rustin. Sugar also spent time [6:26] comforting veterans as a therapy dog. The city of Huntington Beach called her a local legend [6:32] whose impact reached far beyond the shoreline. Sugar, the surfing dog, was 16 years old. [6:39] Still to come on the NewsHour, communities re-brand Cesar Chavez day following sexual [6:46] assault allegations against the late labor leader. Pardons and prediction markets raise questions [6:53] about who's making money during the Trump presidency. And the next stage [6:57] for the Washington National Opera, after its departure from the Kennedy Center. [7:02] WILLIAM BRANGHAM, CNNPW, This is the PBS NewsHour. [7:02] WILLIAM BRANGHAM, CNNPW, This is the PBS NewsHour. [7:06] WILLIAM BRANGHAM, CNNPW, This is the PBS NewsHour. WILLIAM BRANGHAM, CNNPW, This is the PBS NewsHour. [7:06] This is the PBS NewsHour from the David M. Rubenstein Studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News. [7:17] Support journalism you trust. [7:19] Support PBS News. [7:21] Donate now or even better, start a monthly contribution today.