Judge blocks Trump administration from cutting down trees at D.C. golf course for 2 weeks

Key Points:

• A federal judge has temporarily barred the Trump administration from removing more trees at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., following the felling of hundreds of trees over the weekend, extending the halt through October 26.
• The court ordered the Department of the Interior and National Park Service to provide three business days' notice before making any irreversible changes to the golf course, responding to a lawsuit by the D.C. Preservation League and local golfers challenging the planned overhaul.
• Judge Ana Reyes criticized the Justice Department for failing to properly notify the court and plaintiffs about the tree removal plans, stating the government "lost credibility" and ordering key officials to testify about the decision to cut down 430 trees.
• The D.C. Preservation League condemned the administration's actions as a rushed attempt to convert a public recreation space into a high-end golf course and welcomed the court's intervention to prevent further damage.
• Additional hearings are scheduled, with top National Park Service and Interior Department officials ordered to appear and explain the circumstances surrounding the tree removals.