Trump's ballroom construction can continue—for now

Plus: Who's responsible for the national debt?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

T. Michelle Murphy | August 23, 2026     Hello there. One of President Donald Trump’s most buzzed-about beautification projects can continue thanks to a last-minute administrative stay issued by Chief Justice John Roberts. But what does that even mean? We break down the legalese and explain what comes next for the ballroom-cum-bunker complex. Other updates from the Trump Administration include a record-high national debt and how trade negotiations broke down between the U.S. and Canada. Here’s what to read to start your week. IN TODAY’S BRIEF Trump’s ballroom buildup Netflix’s new aviation disaster doc The national debt blame game Another trade deal collapses Mental health literacy         READ THIS FIRST Explainer: A Supreme Court stay lets Trump’s ballroom proceed Jon Elswick—AP The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to continue construction on a new White House ballroom with a temporary stay issued Friday—just before the aboveground portion of the project was about to be halted. Chief Justice John Roberts, in a one-sentence order, stayed a federal district court judge’s injunction that barred further development. The move gives the full Supreme Court more time to consider the Trump Administration’s request to keep the injunction on hold while it seeks further review. The ruling comes after months of debate over a legal challenge brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues that a President cannot unilaterally make a major, permanent change to federally owned property when Congress has not authorized it. Here’s what to know about the project, including its current status and what happens next. —Rebecca Schneid         SPONSORED Your Boss Will Think You’re an Ecom Genius Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue. Sign up for free         WORTH YOUR TIME Freefall’s director shares the true story behind the documentary Courtesy of Netflix Shortly after the debut of the Boeing 737 Max, the global fleet was grounded after two crashes were caused by the same flight-control malfunction, resulting in 346 fatalities. Three years later, Netflix released Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, which probes the company’s efforts to deny its complicity.  “When we finished that film, Boeing ultimately had taken responsibility,” Rory Kennedy, the director of the documentary, tells TIME. She says the company “assured the flying public, as well as the airlines and Congress, that it had learned its lesson and changed its ways.” “It did seem initially that it had made some corrections, but soon after the 737 Max got [back] into the air, I started seeing the headlines again,” she adds. Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, which debuted on Netflix last week, revisits the scandal. Read about the true story behind both documentaries. —Rory Doherty         THE CONTEXT How much the national debt grew under Trump and Biden Patrick Semansky—AP The U.S.’s national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time ever last week—meaning that it is now more than double what it was a decade ago. The record-breaking figure comes after the government reported in March that the total debt reached $39 trillion, meaning the debt grew by $1 trillion in less than six months. Much of the current total has been accumulated over the past 10 years, during the two administrations of President Donald Trump and the administration of former President Joe Biden. Find out how much the debt grew under their terms in the White House. —Chantelle Lee         SPONSORED I Threw Out My Grocery Store K-Cups After One Sip One cup from Angelino's, a family-owned L.A. roastery, and I never went back. 50+ fresh-roasted pods compatible with all Keurig® brewers, shipped within days of roasting — from 39¢ a cup. New customers get 15% off their first order, applied automatically. Try 39¢ Pods         IN THE NEWS U.S.-Canada trade war escalates into dollar-for-dollar standoff Mandel NGAN—AFP Trade talks between the United States and Canada collapsed Friday. With President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs taking effect the next day, Prime Minister Mark Carney quickly responded with retaliatory measures that begin Sept. 8. Negotiators from both countries had worked for weeks to reach a trade deal, leading up to a three-day extension of the original tariff deadline. Trump suggested that tan agreement had been reached, writing on Truth Social that he had “paused” the tariffs because the two countries “have a DEAL!” But in a statement just before midnight on Friday, Carney said that “progress has not been enough to meet our objectives for Canadians” and accused the Trump Administration of introducing last-minute changes that he said were “unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal.”  On Saturday, he announced dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. goods spanning a wide range of sectors. —Rebecca Schneid         HEALTH CHECK Here’s how to increase mental health literacy—and why you should aleksandarvelasevic—Getty Images Nearly 1 in 7 people worldwide has a mental health disorder, writes Joan M. Cook, a trauma psychologist and a professor in the Psychiatry Department at the Yale School of Medicine. With the prevalence of mental disorders so high, odds are we all know and love someone who is struggling. But most of us have limited understanding of mental health, and sometimes misguided or inaccurate knowledge. Improving our understanding could help us better identify when we are in distress and get the help we need. It can also potentially assist us in helping friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers.  Learn how you can improve your mental health literacy.         SPONSORED Elon's Cooking Up Something Big Love him or hate him, Musk moves markets. His next launch hits July 22, and the smart money is already positioning. Our analyst found 3 stocks set to ride it — with entry points and a buy/sell playbook. Show Me the 3 Stocks       Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. 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