Donor dinner funds 300m White House ballroom | JQJO

Two weeks into a federal shutdown, Donald Trump feted nearly 130 donors at the White House with a gold-laden 15 October dinner to fund a $300m ballroom, even as food aid and services face strain. He demolished the East Wing without seeking approval from the National Capital Planning Commission and fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, drawing ethics alarms over access and influence. Judges ordered SNAP to continue with contingency funds for 42 million people, but appeals loom. Polling shows most oppose the ballroom and largely blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown.