Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday allowed the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom project to continue for now, as the Supreme Court considers the Trump administration’s emergency request to intervene in lawsuits over the project.

The temporary order comes hours before lower-court rulings would have forced a halt to aboveground construction. The brief, one-page document does not detail Roberts’ reasoning or lay out a timeline for a fuller decision from the high court.

A Washington-based judge ordered work to stop because Trump didn’t have congressional approval. The decision was signed by Roberts because he oversees appeals of cases filed in the capital.

The case comes before the nation’s highest court as Trump, a Republican, exercises unparalleled assertions of presidential power and increasingly seeks to mold the capital in his own image.

The Trump administration has scored a series of victories on the high court’s emergency docket, though the justices have ruled against some of the president’s signature policies after fuller review.

The administration has argued that the president has total authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings as he sees fit and that the ballroom project must be completed due to national security concerns.

When Trump first announced the plans for a new ballroom, he did not emphasize national security. He said the project would be funded by private donations, including from himself.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues that Trump has no unilateral authority to undertake the work, which has included demolishing the East Wing. Lawyers for the preservation group accused the White House of trying to “outrun the courts” by accelerating construction.

The Trump administration says 65 per cent of the work has already been completed on the planned 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom, where the East Wing stood before the president ordered its demolition. Crews are working 20 hours a day, seven days a week on the project, where about $200 million in private donations has been spent or committed, according to court documents filed by the Justice Department.

A district court judge ordered a stop to aboveground construction of the planned ballroom in April in a ruling that was suspended before being upheld by an appeals court panel. The order from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington allows belowground work on bunkers and military installations to continue. Leon was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican.

Two appeals-court judges appointed by Democratic presidents found the project was for Congress to decide and “not a matter for Executive self-help.” A third judge, appointed by Trump, found that the preservationist group challenging the project had no legal standing to sue.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer picked up on that argument, calling the decision halting the work “extraordinary and unlawful.” He said the completion of the project was “vitally required by national security.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

As the Bald Range wildfire continues to burn out of control, more Summerland, B.C., residents are being given the green light to go home.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has downgraded an evacuation order to an alert for nearly the entire community.

Homes in the Garnet Valley area remain on evacuation order.

The BC Wildfire Service says recent smoke from other fires has dampened activity from the blaze this week.

However, it could pick up Friday, as winds potentially increase and temperatures rise into the 30s, with the humidity dropping as well.

The fire has burned more than 24,000 hectares since igniting two weeks ago and destroyed about 150 structures.

BC Wildfire Service said it is maintaining 24-hour operations on the fire, including ground crews, structure protection personnel and aviation resources (bucketing helicopters, night-vision-equipped helicopters, and airtanker support).

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Manitoba’s premier says studies showing year-round shipping potential from the Port of Churchill boost the case for expanding the Arctic deepsea port.

“This breakthrough means we can stop asking if year-round shipping from Churchill is possible,” Kinew said in a statement Friday.

He said the studies address a key concern from shippers and will help attract investment.

“Now is the time for industry, investors and governments in Canada and around the world to invest in Churchill.”

The studies say advances in marine technology and declining sea ice due to climate change mean shipping can be greatly expanded from the current four-month window.

They show the waterways could be navigated year-round by icebreakers costing between $100 million and $410 million, rather than the billions of dollars it would cost for more heavy-duty ships.

Properly designed bulk carriers costing between $60 and $70 million could also navigate the route for nine to 10 months a year under most conditions, one of the studies says.

Shipping with lighter-duty vessels is made more possible as the amount of sea ice shrinks.

The window of ice-free water has grown by about a month since the 1980s. Every half-degree of warming adds about two weeks more, another study found.

The studies were conducted by the University of Manitoba, Fednav Ltd. and the Arctic Research Foundation, while funding came from the Manitoba and federal governments, as well as the Indigenous-owned Arctic Gateway Group that owns the port.

Kinew has championed a port expansion, including potential fossil fuel exports, as a key economic driver for the province.

The port has seen limited shipping activity in recent years but started shipping grain this year after a six-year hiatus as well as limited amounts of zinc and potash.

The port is among the projects referred to the federal major projects office as a transformative strategy, but it was not among the first round approved for fast-tracking.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A Los Angeles judge has granted pop star Ariana Grande permission to subpoena information that will help to reveal the identities of anonymous hackers she alleges infiltrated the devices of people close to her and stole unreleased music.

Judge Mark H. Epstein approved Grande’s proposed order for expedited discovery on Wednesday, after her legal team argued that it was necessary to identify those who hacked and stole the unreleased music, behind-the-scenes footage and music videos that were reportedly sold online.

In her application for expedited discovery, Grande reportedly said she needed to accelerate her lawsuit because if she doesn’t identify the alleged hackers, “their hacking, theft, dissemination, sales, and publication of content will continue,” Rolling Stone reports.

“Given that there is no one to whom notice can be given anyway, it makes little sense to wait the 16 days,” Judge Epstein wrote in the legal filing, viewed by The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone and Variety. “And on the merits of the motion, good cause is shown.”

Global News has not independently viewed the documents.

Grande initially filed her lawsuit on July 27, which reportedly targets a group of unnamed John Does for phishing scams and hacking schemes that caused “unlawful and egregious theft, dissemination and exploitation of unreleased content.”

Grande’s legal team reportedly outlined a pattern of illegal behaviour in which the unnamed hackers targeted the personal digital accounts of photographers and producers who work closely with her and sold the data for “significant sums of money,” according to Variety.

Grande is suing the unnamed hackers to “uncover the identities of these currently unknown and unscrupulous individuals in order to hold them accountable for their invasive and reprehensible conduct,” per Variety.

The lawsuit reportedly states that it is “imperative to Ms. Grande to ensure — on behalf of herself and others — that such conduct is deterred to the fullest extent possible.”

The 33-year-old singer’s legal team is asking a judge to order a return of her items as well as stopping further action in the future, ABC News reports.

The lawsuit also alleges invasion of privacy, violation of California’s Comprehensive Data Access and Fraud Act, and civil theft, according to the outlet.

“In 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs belonging to Ms. Grande were hacked, stolen, and leaked by Defendants,” the complaint alleges, according to NBC News. “Since her music debut in 2011, hundreds of similar leaks have taken place.”

Grande is demanding a jury trial, according to the complaint, viewed by the outlets.

The case is due back in court on Jan. 25 for a status hearing.

Global News has reached out to Grande’s rep for further comment, but has not received a response.

Grande previously spoke out about her unreleased music showing up online without her permission during a 2024 appearance on the Zach Sang Show.

She said her unreleased song Fantasize was leaked online and gained popularity on TikTok.

“Before I left for Wicked, a few studio sessions that I did, which are all over TikTok — thank you so much, I’ll see you in jail. Literally,” Grande said.

“They’re all real leaks?” Sang asked.

“No, yeah, they are real,” she responded.

Grande said most of the leaks were written for a TV show.

“So Fantasize comes out, crazy. It was stolen, thieves, pirates, crooks, illegal! I’ll pay you more to put it away, to get it back,” she said. “That wasn’t my song. It wasn’t for me. It was like a parody of a ’90s girl group vibe but they loved it.”

Grande is also making headlines this week for demanding that U.S. President Donald Trump stop using her music — again.

On Thursday, the Team Trump TikTok account shared a video that used Grande’s We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) as the soundtrack.

In the clip, Trump can be seen walking to a podium at a rally and looking at the audience.

Text laid over the video uses Grande’s lyrics from the song, reading, “Me and my truth we sit in silence.”

Shortly after, more text appears that reads, “Men can’t have babies and should never compete in women’s sports.”

“This shouldn’t be controversial! #Trump #ArianaGrande #Maga,” the caption for the post reads.

Grande replied in the comments on the post, writing, “Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false.”

By Friday afternoon, the music was removed from the video and TikTok added a label to the video, saying “This sound isn’t available.”

@teamtrump

This shouldn’t be controversial! #trump #arianagrande #maga

♬ original sound – Amina Kaddachi

This marks the second time that Grande has told Trump’s administration to stop using her music to promote its policies.

In June, the White House shared a video on TikTok highlighting its immigration policy. The video, which depicts federal ​agents arresting and handcuffing people, features the Grammy Award-winning ​singer’s 2024 song Bye.

“Please do not ever use my music ⁠in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense,” Grande ​wrote in a comment posted on the White House video on ​TikTok.

Responding ​to Grande, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said: “We’ll say this ​one last time: what’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal ‌aliens ⁠who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.”

—With files from Reuters

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A group representing commercial fishers in Nova Scotia says it plans to appeal after a court ruled it does not have standing to pursue a case involving Indigenous fishing rights.

The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance was asking the court to rule that members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation do not have a treaty right to fish lobster out of season without commercial licenses.

It claimed the commercial fishery in Nova Scotia’s St. Mary’s Bay was unauthorized and unlawful and has had a detrimental impact on other fishers and lobster stocks.

Last month, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court dismissed the case, saying it’s up to Sipekne’katik — not the alliance — to decide if it wants to engage Ottawa over treaty rights.

Alliance President Colin Sproul says his group plans to appeal that decision.

Officials with Sipekne’katik and the federal attorney general’s office did not immediately provide comment.

“The Attorney General of Canada, should most certainly be submitting a reference question to the Supreme Court of Canada to settle this once and for all instead of forcing hard-working fishing families to spend their scarce dollars to get us here,” Sproul said in an interview.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Quebec’s police watchdog has opened an investigation into a deadly crash after a vehicle allegedly attempted to flee police in early August.

The driver and one of the two passengers in the car died after their vehicle crashed into a gym in the early hours of Aug. 5, in Laval, north of Montreal.

Spokesperson Jérémie Comtois says the watchdog had initially decided not to investigate the incident, but new information led them to reverse that decision Thursday.

Police have not released the age of the driver, but said both passengers in the car were 19 years old.

Laval police previously said officers tried to stop the car after it was spotted without a licence plate.

Police also previously said officers abandoned their attempt to chase the vehicle when it accelerated drastically.

Eventually, the driver lost control and crashed into a fitness centre, police said at the time of the accident.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes usually launches investigations in the hours or days following an incident implicating police, confirmed Comtois, but a few investigations have been launched weeks or months after the fact as new information comes in.

“It’s really diverse depending on the situation. … Most of our investigations, we launch them as soon as possible,” he said.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A Parti Québécois government would abolish public health agency Santé Québec to invest more in direct care for the public.

Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called the agency a bureaucratic monster in a press conference.

His party wants to use the savings to strengthen primary care and access to care through local community services centres, as well as to reduce surgical waiting lists.

Health Minister Sonia Bélanger criticized Plamondon’s proposal on Wednesday after it came out in media reports.

She said it was not realistic.

Santé Québec was created in 2024 and became the sole employer in the health and social services network.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The Saskatchewan government has halted a plan to purchase high-tech equipment and further develop its marshals service’s specialized response unit, according to the province’s community safety minister.

A bid request posted online in late July showed that the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) requested items, including night vision goggles, sniper rifles and a multi-shot launcher, for the specialized unit. In a statement Monday, the service said no equipment had been purchased yet, noting that the response unit was incorporated into its current budget.

In a statement Friday, Saskatchewan Minister of Community Safety Michael Weger said he has told the provincial police service to put a stop to that development and any purchases.

“I have told the Saskatchewan Marshals Service to pause the development of the Specialized Response Unit. There will be no equipment purchased for this unit,” Weger’s statement reads.

“The Marshals’ focus going forward will be on working alongside the Saskatchewan RCMP, Municipal and First Nations police forces to strengthen community safety and protect residents across the province.”

The SMS was introduced in 2022 by the province as a means to provide additional law enforcement, proactively investigate and support local police, the province said in a news release in November of that year. It expected the service to be operational with an annual cost of approximately $20 million in the mid-to-late period of this year.

— with files from The Canadian Press.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Canadian National Exhibition is officially open, with guests streaming into the country’s largest fair on Friday morning.

The iconic annual event, with carnival rides and unique foods, takes place near Toronto’s waterfront until Sept. 7 and is expected to welcome thousands of visitors.

This year, Grace Mangos was the first person to enter the CNE, having waited since 6:30 p.m. on Thursday to get into the annual summer festival.

“This year on my bucket list was to come and be the first one in line —and I am,” Mangos told Global News.

Now in its 147th year, the CNE is pushing the envelope this year with more unique foods and fairground rides.

Among the offerings for 2026 are a Kraft Dinner smoothie, nitrogen-infused Oreo treats and pickle-flavoured coffee.

“Toronto is one of the greatest food cities in the world and so we take our responsibility really seriously to be a big part of that,” Mark Holland, CEO of the fair, said Wednesday at a preview of the event.

“There’s so much creativity that goes into this. The folks that we work with, I love seeing what they come up with and a lot of it is actually super delicious.”

The fair will also feature musical performances, demonstrations and shopping.

— with files from The Canadian Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A youth from Montreal is in custody after allegedly using artificial intelligence to plan an attack on a school, according to the RCMP.

The youth, whose identity was not released due to provisions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was arrested Friday morning. Charges have not been laid, though the investigation is ongoing, police said in a news release.

The investigation began a few weeks ago after the FBI shared intelligence with the RCMP.

“According to the alleged facts, the individual was planning an attack at a school in Montreal. He is alleged to have used artificial intelligence in the potential planning of an attack and to have posted threatening messages on Telegram targeting various groups,” police said.

Investigations focused on disrupting the youth’s suspected activities and sought a peace bond.

“This measure allows for monitoring and de-escalation interventions designed to reduce risks to public safety and promote compliance with the conditions imposed,” police said.

The individual was scheduled to appear before the Youth Division of the Montreal courthouse Friday.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.