White House aiming to get final approval for Trump-backed ballroom by March

The Trump administration is aiming to move a planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom through the federal government’s review process at a rapid clip, with final approvals as soon as early March — potentially clearing the way for construction to start a month later. President Trump has sought to move quickly on the ballroom project, which

U.S. says China military drills near Taiwan “increase tensions unnecessarily”

Chinese war games around Taiwan “unnecessarily” spiked tensions in the region, the U.S. State Department said, calling on Beijing to “cease its military pressure.” “China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily,” Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said in a statement Thursday. “We urge