A federal judge ruled yesterday that construction on a new ballroom, one of the most dramatic White House renovations in decades, had to stop until the Trump administration gained congressional approval. In a 35-page opinion, Judge Richard J. Leon said the project must pause pending legislative approval, and cited a nebulous planning process, shifting project leadership, and questionable authority to accept the $400 million in private donations—from tech companies like Amazon, Meta and Apple as well as cryptocurrency organizations, among others—to fund the project. The Trump administration argues that this history gives it authority to move forward with the project, though Judge Leon dismissed notions that past changes were of the same magnitude as the ballroom.