Pistons-Magic takeaways: Detroit's problems are coming to a head as Orlando aims to dunk No. 1 seed

Can we just talk about Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain's dunk on Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren?

I mean, seriously, look:

Do we even care about the game? Like, who actually won? I genuinely don't remember.

That is one of the nastiest throw-downs ever and not just in a playoff context. Cain kept climbing and dunked on Duren, a man built like a Greek god, so hard the All-Star center backpeddled after coming down back to Earth.

(OK,the Magic took a commanding 3-1 series lead by winning 94-88, but that's definitely just a B-story to Cain's jam.)

In all seriousness, let's dive into Orlando's big win Monday night as it tries to become the seventh No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 in NBA history.

Cade Cunningham's turnovers are a team issue

As Cunningham entered Game 4, he had totaled 19 turnovers in the the series.

By halftime, he was up to 25 after turning it over six times in the first half.

While Cunningham is ultimately responsible for hanging on to the ball, the Pistons' roster construction isn't doing him any favors.

With both Duren and Ausar Thompson being almost entirely non-threats from the outside, Orlando has the freedom to double- and even triple-team Cunningham, swarming him whenever his feet are inside the 3-point line.

While Tobias Harris has done a solid job of adding spacing and overall scoring, the bottom line is simple: It shouldn't be this difficult for the Pistons to generate offense through Cunningham, but they have no other creators on the roster.

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Perhaps they should have made a play for someone at the trade deadline, instead of sitting still.

But here they are, shooting 37.8% from the floor and 20% from 3 in a crucial Game 4 as their season appears to be slipping away.

Wendell Carter Jr. is eating Jalen Duren's lunch

Throughout the regular season, it was never in doubt who, among Carter and Duren, had the best season. Duren was an All-Star, a double-double machine and one of the most exciting young players in the league.

Carter, who is far more of a role player than a featured star, apparently didn't get the memo.

During this series, the 6-foot-10 Carter has constantly outhustled, outworked and outdone Duren. It's not always reflected in his raw line (Carter had 12 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4), but his effort has put a spotlight on Duren as he enters free agency this summer.

Duren has struggled mightily all series, scoring a grand total of 39 points over the course of the four games, finding it difficult to get up shots, getting beat by Carter on backdoor lobs and overall having one heck of a troublesome series, which could cost him millions this July.

Dear Jamahl Mosley, make better use of Paolo Banchero

I may sound like a broken record here, but giving Banchero the ball high out on the floor and asking him to "do stuff" (which I'm guessing is his directive, because there doesn't seem to be anything close to a plan), is aching for punishment.

Banchero isn't a natural shooter, nor is he particularly effective as a spacer.

He is, however, ridiculously good near the rim, and when he ducks in for layups and dunks, he draws a ton of fouls and converts plays.

Orlando has one of the most inconsistent offenses in the league, and its plan is to use its most versatile offensive player, who is an athletic 6-10, 250-pound powerhouse, as an outside-in option?

It's been nonsensical for a while now, and it only looks worse after Banchero shot 4-of-18 from the floor and missed all four of his 3-point attempts Monday night.

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April 28, 2026

Pistons-Magic takeaways: Detroit's problems are coming to a head as Orlando aims to dunk No. 1 seed

Can we just talk about Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain's dunk on Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren? I mean, seriously, look...

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A South Sudan community is denied aid as government and opposition blame each other

CHUIL, South Sudan (AP) — Displaced people who took refuge from conflict in an isolatedSouth Sudanvillage weredenied lifesaving aidby the government even as deaths there mounted, eyewitnesses and aid groups said.

South Sudan Violence

The Associated Press spoke with people who fled to the swamp-encircled community of Nyatim in recent weeks. They described having little food and no clean water in a place so desolate that a Starlink connection was used to call for help.

When aid workers reached out to South Sudanese authorities with a request to deliver emergency relief, however, it was denied. Reports that dozens of people had died, including some of apparent starvation, made no difference.

"It was a ‘no’ from local and national authorities and from the military,” said Yashovardhan, the head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan, who goes by one name. “Meanwhile, people are eating leaves and roots to survive.”

The U.N. World Food Program, usually reticent about an issue that has simmered for years in South Sudan, also told the AP it had been blocked despite “numerous engagements with both national and local authorities,” according to the agency’s country director, Adham Effendi.

People say aid has been weaponized for years

It has happened over and over in South Sudan, whose people fought for years for independence from Sudan and then turned on each other. Whatever side that controls aid is accused of withholding it from the other, and civilians suffer.

This time,fighting has surgedsince Riek Machar, alongtime rivalof President Salva Kiir, was suspended as first vice president and put under house arrest for alleged subversion last year. The two led opposing forces in a civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people before a 2018 peace agreement brought them into a fragile unity government.

In December, opposition forces backing Machar seized military outposts in Jonglei state. Government forces struck back the following month.

On Feb. 7, soldiers reached the outskirts of Lankien town, where an aerial attack days earlier struck a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders. Residents described artillery fire before soldiers stormed the town in armored vehicles.

Thomas Nim was among those who fled. With his pregnant wife, three children and mother, they made their way through swampland, hoping soldiers wouldn't chase them.

They and many others soon filled Nyatim, about a day’s walk away.

“Some of the most vulnerable, like the elderly and children, ended up in Nyatim because they couldn’t make it any farther," said Nim, a 43-year-old pharmacist.

As days passed and people began to die without food or good water, he called for help. But none came.

Opposition and authorities blame each other

Gatkhor Dual, an opposition official coordinating aid in Jonglei state, blamed county commissioner James Bol Makuei for blocking humanitarian access. Makuei does not want aid to reach people who “support the opposition,” Dual said, especially when they are near government-held areas.

Makuei acknowledged that access to Nyatim had been restricted but added that estimates of its evacuee-swollen population — 30,000, according to Doctors Without Borders — were exaggerated. He accused South Sudan’s main opposition group, known by its initials SPLM-IO, of holding civilians in Nyatim to attract aid and secure a foothold near the county seat of government.

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Nim, the pharmacist, said there were no opposition forces in the area.

Concerns about aid diversion are not without precedent. Armed groups in South Sudan, including the military, have a long history of diverting humanitarian supplies for military purposes. During recent fighting in Jonglei, fighters looted more than two dozen humanitarian-run health facilities, according to the U.N.

Doctors Without Borders said it first reached out for help to Nyatim on Feb. 22. It asked again on March 3 after hearing reports of deaths. At the end of March, the medical charity issued a statement drawing attention to its efforts.

Delivering aid in South Sudan is never easy. Infrastructure is poor. River traffic, where available, has been attacked. Clearance from authorities is required.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis has deepened. In March, over half of the more than 1,000 children screened by Doctors Without Borders in Chuil, a community where South Sudan's government has allowed humanitarian access to enter, were acutely malnourished.

Aid workers have been overwhelmed. In February, Doctors Without Borders began expanding a four-bed facility, first to 60 beds, then 80. It is now growing to 100.

Other people are giving up on remote Nyatim and going home to ruins.

“People are returning to their homes,” said one of them, Koang Pajok. “There was no food and shelter.”

The World Food Program turns to airdrops

Unable to reach the area by road or river, the World Food Program has airdropped 415 metric tons of food to Chuil since March, country director Effendi said.

But as civilians come seeking assistance, so do young men wielding Kalashnikovs. Some people worry that could make Chuil a target.

On a morning in April, a plane circling overhead drew anxious onlookers.

“It’s a surveillance plane,” said Gal Wai Tut, who had arrived days earlier with his wife and newborn child. He recalled seeing a similar plane over Lankien on the day he said a December airstrike killed at least 11 civilians.

Don't gather in one place, an older man advised, saying a crowd is more likely to be targeted.

For more on Africa and development:https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

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April 28, 2026

A South Sudan community is denied aid as government and opposition blame each other

CHUIL, South Sudan (AP) — Displaced people who took refuge from conflict in an isolatedSouth Sudanvillage weredenied lifesaving aidby t...

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5 bald eagles 'did not die from natural causes' in Michigan, state officials say

Multiple bald eagles were found dead in Michigan from what state officials described as something "not due to natural causes."

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said it is investigating the deaths of five bald eagles, which occurred in the Upper Peninsula’s Garden Peninsula between April 3 and April 17.

"It was confirmed that these deaths were not due to natural causes, predators, or vehicle collisions," the departmentwrote Monday in a Facebook post.

The deaths are the latest in a string of unusual circumstances impacting the bald eagle community. Severe weather has harmed the animals, leavingmultiple bald eagles missingin Tennessee after a storm. Additionally, twobaby eagletsin Alabama ware euthanized at the Auburn University Raptor Center after being swept from their nest.

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More:Bald eaglets euthanized after being swept from nest during storm

Do federal and state laws protect bald eagles?

Bald eagles are a protected species at the federal and state levels. According to Michigan's DNR, penalties in the state can include the following, in addition to court costs.

• 90-day misdemeanor charges.

• Fines ranging from $100 to $1,000 per eagle.

• Reimbursement of $1,500 per eagle.

The bald eagle wasofficially designated as the United States' national birdin 2024.

The department said anyone with information can contact itsReport All Poaching Hotlineby texting or calling 800-292-7800. Information can be submitted anonymously, and tips leading to an arrest and prosecution may be eligible for a cash reward.

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:5 bald eagles found dead from unnatural causes in Michigan

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April 28, 2026

5 bald eagles 'did not die from natural causes' in Michigan, state officials say

Multiple bald eagles were found dead in Michigan from what state officials described as something "not due to natural causes....

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Malaysia's jailed ex-PM Najib withdraws appeal on house arrest, local media reports

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Reuters) - Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn his appeal against a court ruling denying his request to ‌serve the remainder of his sentence at home, local media The Edge reported on ‌Monday, citing court documents.

Najib was found guilty of a string of graft offences in connection to his ​role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

• Najib has been serving a six-year jail sentence since August 2022 after being convicted of graft and money laundering in one of several cases linked to the alleged theft of billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad - a state ‌fund he helped establish in ⁠2009 while he was premier.

• The ex-premier launched a legal bid for home detention after his sentence was halved by a pardons ⁠board decision chaired by Malaysia's former king in 2024.

• Najib insists the board's decision was accompanied by an addendum order issued by the king that allowed him to serve the remainder ​of ​his jail term at home, which he alleges was ignored ​by authorities.

• The Kuala Lumpur High ‌Court denied Najib's house arrest bid on December 22, a decision that Najib subsequently appealed.

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• Najib has since withdrawn the appeal without liberty to file a fresh appeal, with the Court of Appeal acknowledging the withdrawal, The Edge reported on Monday, citing letters from Najib's lawyers and the court, dated April 3 and April 6 respectively.

• Najib's ‌lawyers and the Attorney General's Chambers did not ​immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

• The ​withdrawal of his appeal for home ​detention would mark yet another setback for Najib, after he was ‌jailed a further 15 years and fined $2.8 ​billion for abuse of ​power and money laundering in December following the biggest trial yet involving the 1MDB saga.

• Malaysia and U.S. investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from ​the 1MDB state fund, ‌with more than $1 billion allegedly making its way into accounts linked to Najib.

• ​Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing and has apologised for mishandling the scandal.

(Reporting ​by Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway)

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April 27, 2026

Malaysia's jailed ex-PM Najib withdraws appeal on house arrest, local media reports

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Reuters) - Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn his appeal against a court ruling d...

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How the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting and response unfolded

Early details on security at White House Correspondents' Dinner prior to shooting 05:59

Gunfire at the Washington Hilton Saturday nightabruptly halted the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Aman allegedly armed with two firearmsand knives breached a Secret Service checkpoint outside the ballroom. He was stopped by law enforcement before he could reach the dinner where President Trump and 2,600 guests had gathered. A Secret Service officer was hit by a round and protected by a bulletproof vest, authorities said.

Here is a moment-by-moment account of the events, according to authorities and eyewitness accounts. All times are eastern daylight time.

8:34:29 PM: Security checkpoint is breached

8:34:29 PM: Surveillance video shared by the president shows a person barreling at full tilt through a Secret Service metal detector, stunning a half dozen officers. A swarm of officers chase after. Just down a staircase, 2,600 WHCD guests dine on a salad appetizer in the…pic.twitter.com/cI3eVrV8A9

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

A person barrels at full tilt through a Secret Service metal detector, stunning a half dozen officers nearby. He's sprinting so fast he nearly clips one officer in plainclothes, who draws a sidearm. A swarm of officers chase after him.

The security checkpoint is separated from the 30,000square-foot ballroom by a staircase. About 2,600 people are inside, one floor below, eating an appetizer course of bread and salad.

Security camera video of the breach is posted by Mr. Trump on Truth Social.

8:34:33 PM: Rapid fire of gunshots is heard

8:34:33 PM: A series of gunshots can be heard in the ballroom. On the dais where President Trump is seated, the gunshots are muted, if audible at all. For guests in the back of the venue, the sound and smell of gunpowder are unmistakable.pic.twitter.com/N22nvriLCd

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

A series of rapid gunshots can be heard in the ballroom. On the dais where President Trump is seated, the gunshots are muted, if audible at all. Some think a member of the waitstaff had dropped serving trays. For guests in the back of the venue, closer to the incident, the sound and smell of gunpowder are unmistakable.

At the time shots were fired, mentalist Oz Pearlman, the entertainer for the evening, can be seen at the head table performing a trick for Mr. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang.

Pearlman later confirms to CBS News he was trying to guess the name of Leavitt's unborn daughter who is due next week.

It takes more than 20 seconds for the president to be whisked off stage by his security detail.

Around 8:34:35 PM: Guests take cover

8:34:35 PM: Guests at the back of the ballroom take cover on the floor and under tables. Some shoot video on their phones of the unfolding scene.pic.twitter.com/gTW6eXvMhE

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Guests in the raised seating area at the back of the ballroom begin to take cover on the floor and under tables. Some take out their phones to shoot video of the unfolding scene.

Around 8:34:40 PM: Security rushes in

8:34:40 PM: Security officers rush up the center aisle, climbing over chairs and fanning out across the ballroom to their protectees.pic.twitter.com/f1KfRfKj86

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Moments after the shots, security officers rush up the center aisle, climbing over chairs and fanning out to their protectees. Some Cabinet members and members of Congress are crouched under tables.

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8:34:45 PM: Trump is evacuated

8:34:45 PM: Secret Service agents run on stage 12 seconds after shots are fired. VP Vance is quickly escorted offstage. An agent blocks President Trump with his body, but it takes several seconds for POTUS and FLOTUS to take cover. POTUS is escorted offstage 20 seconds after the…pic.twitter.com/jO1JLjRiLb

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Secret Service agents run on stage. An agent grabs Vice President Vance – who is still seated at the head table – by the shoulders, and pulls him out of his chair. He is escorted offstage within four seconds, while the president is still on stage.

Across the stage, a Secret Service agent stands in front of Mr. Trump, blocking him from view. Mr. Trump remains seated, the first lady visible next to him, while Pearlman stands behind them holding a paper from his trick.

At the same moment Vance exits the stage, the first lady starts to lower herself to the floor, and four seconds later President Trump starts to get out of his chair after agents yell to "stay down."

Leavitt and others seated at the head table get on the ground. Two Secret Service agents pull Mr. Trump up and start to escort him offstage. After taking several steps, Mr. Trump is lowered to the ground and covered by four agents. Leavitt exits the stage at a crouch. Mr. Trump then stands back up, and he and the first lady are escorted offstage by Secret Service. Mr. Trump exits the stage 20 seconds after Vice President Vance.

8:35:47 PM: Security sweeps continue

8:35:47 PM: Armed law enforcement occupy a stairwell at the rear of the ballroom. An agent shouts: "Is anyone in the kitchen?" Behind swinging doors, kitchen staff are lined up with arms raised as agents with guns drawn clear the area.pic.twitter.com/fY7JeaG3Wk

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Law enforcement with guns drawn occupy a stairwell at the rear of the ballroom. An agent shouts: "Is anyone in the kitchen? Is anybody in the kitchen?" Behind a swinging set of doors a nervous kitchen staff is lined up and stands with arms raised as agents, weapons drawn, clear the area.

8:37 PM: Administration officials escorted out

8:37 PM: Security details start removing administration officials from the ballroom as dinner attendees continue to take cover under their tables. Among those escorted out are Treasury Sec. Bessent, Defense Sec. Hegseth, Acting AG Blanche, and House Majority Leader Scalise.pic.twitter.com/wjqzJZReuW

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Security details start moving dignitaries from the ballroom.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche are escorted out as dinner attendees continue to take cover under their tables. A Capitol Police detail hustles House Majority Leader Steve Scalise through the room.

9:17 PM: Trump posts on social media

9:17 PM: President Trump posts on Truth Social that the shooter has been apprehended and that he “recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.”pic.twitter.com/OLfrLiCjkN

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Mr. Trump posts on Truth Social that the shooter has been apprehended and that he "recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement." He adds: "Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we'll just, plain, have to do it again."

9:39:12 PM: "We run to a crisis, not from it"

9:39:12 PM: WHCA President Weijia Jiang returns to the podium to announce that the dinner has been canceled. She adds that President Trump insists the dinner be rescheduled in the next 30 days.pic.twitter.com/abqwTQksUD

— CBS News (@CBSNews)April 26, 2026

Jiang returns to the podium to announce the dinner will not go on as scheduled. She adds that the president insists the dinner be rescheduled in the next 30 days.

"I said earlier tonight that journalism is a public service, because when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it," Jiang says to the room full of reporters. "And on a night when we are thinking about the freedoms in the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are."

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April 27, 2026

How the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting and response unfolded

Early details on security at White House Correspondents' Dinner prior to shooting 05:59 Gunfire at the Washington Hilton Satu...

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Cricket fans to be allowed to attend the Pakistan Super League final on May 3

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Spectators will be allowed to attend thePakistan Super Leaguefinal after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a request from franchise owners, a top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Saturday.

APTOPIX Pakistan PSL Cricket

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also interior minister in the government, wrote on social media that Sharif has “graciously approved” the presence of fans at the May 3 final in Lahore.

Pakistan’s biggest sports spectacle of the yearstarted behind closed doorslate last month with fans asked to stay home because of soaring fuel prices related to theIran war.

Pakistan’s government had urged people to restrict travel and to work from home because of rising fuel prices and Naqvi had said it wouldn’t be right to have 30,000 fans attending cricket matches every day while the government is asking the public to stay home.

The PCB also reduced the number of PSL venues from six to two as part of austerity measures, but barred spectators from PSL games at Lahore and Karachi.

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Naqvi said while Sharif was inclined to permit fans, the prime minister emphasized that austerity measures are currently in place across Pakistan, with efforts underway to minimize fuel consumption.

Peshawar Zalmi, led by Babar Azam, Multan Sultans and three-time champions Islamabad United have already qualified for next week’s playoffs ahead of the final.

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars, first-timers Hyderabad Kingmen and Karachi Kings are still in the running to secure the fourth playoff spot.

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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April 27, 2026

Cricket fans to be allowed to attend the Pakistan Super League final on May 3

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Spectators will be allowed to attend thePakistan Super Leaguefinal after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a requ...

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Why Trump, MAGA and Fetterman say correspondents’ dinner shooting seals the deal for $400M White House ballroom

The president of the United States, his MAGA allies, and even a Senate Democrat pressed the case for his $400 million White House ballroom construction in the hoursafter a shooting at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinnerleft nearly the entire Cabinet and DC press corpsducking for coverminutes into the event.

For months, the construction of President Donald Trump’s desired White House ballroom has made headlines and even seemed to consume the president’s attention during unrelated events, where Trump will often go on diatribes about the construction process or building plans. A federal judge halted the project earlier this month, while allowing construction of a secure bunker on the White House complex to continued.

Trump had the residence’s iconic East Wing demolished without warning to make room for the structure.

ButSaturday evening’s chaosadded a new twinge of urgency to the president’s statements and elicited a wave of new calls for the event space’s construction on the White House’s grounds from supporters of the president, many of whom had previously ignored or shied away from defending what Democrats call a grift-filled vanity project.

“Whathappened last nightis exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” Trump wrote early Sunday morning in a Truth Social post.

“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough! While beautiful, it has every highest level security feature there is plus, there are no rooms sitting on top for unsecured people to pour in, and is inside the gates of the most secure building in the World, The White House,” Trump continued.

His remarks joined a chorus of other Republicans online who wrote and spoke favorably about the project after the shooting, including Florida Rep. Randy Fine, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton, “Libs of TikTok” influencer Chaya Raichik, commentator Jack Posobiec and more.

“I don’t want to hear one more f***ing criticism of Trump’s new ballroom at the White House,” wrote Meghan McCain, a conservative former co-host ofThe Viewand an occasional critic of Trump’s.

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The most surprising support for the project, however, came from a Democratic senator. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was one of a number of members of Congress who attended Saturday evening’s dinner and was seen being escorted out after the shooting and the president’s own departure.

On Sunday, Fetterman, who has been criticized by fellow Democrats for his support of Trump’s war in Iran, wrote that Democrats should “drop the [Trump Derangement Syndrome]” and join Republicans in supporting the construction of the ballroom at the White House for security reasons.

“That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government. After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these,” wrote the senator on X.

Otherstargeted the event itself for criticism, arguing that security was lax and unprepared for the numbers of people attending the event — which was similar to previous years’ gatherings in size.

Security for Saturday’s dinner was managed by the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies, and guests were required to walk through a metal detector to reach the main area of the venue, locatd in the basement-level event spaces of the Washington Hilton. Sometimes mocked by attendees (in generally good faith), the Hilton has hosted the event for years.

Some claimed that they were not asked to show tickets to enter the event, thoughThe Independentwas asked repeatedly to show a ticket at several security checkpoints throughout the hotel and surrounding blocks of Washington, D.C.

Trump announced plans to construct the ballroom in July of 2025, telling reporters at the time that the structure would cost $200 million and would be funded entirely through private donations. Those costs ballooned to $400 million in the months that followed, and the president’s allies established a nonprofit, the Trust for the National Mall, to funnel donations to the project and allow some donors to retain public anonymity.

Trump has claimed the project is already fully funded, and demolition of the East Wing to prepare for its construction began in October.

The shooting Saturday evening may have the effect of jump-starting the project, as the court order halting progress was issued by a judge who ruled that the project did not qualify as a necessary measure to improve security at the White House, which allows the administration to go around the typical requirements to acquire funding and authorization from Congress.

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April 27, 2026

Why Trump, MAGA and Fetterman say correspondents’ dinner shooting seals the deal for $400M White House ballroom

The president of the United States, his MAGA allies, and even a Senate Democrat pressed the case for his $400 million White House ballr...

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