Court examines Philadelphia’s authority to make government keep slave exhibits A federal appeals court questioned Philadelphia’s lawsuit to restore a slavery exhibit at the President’s House, a federally operated site. The Trump administration argued that curatorial decisions are at the agency’s discretion and not subject to judicial review. The court seemed unconvinced by the city’s claim that the exhibit, removed under a Trump executive order, was a permanent installation that could not be modified.

• A federal appeals court heard arguments regarding Philadelphia’s lawsuit to restore a slavery exhibit at the President’s House.
• The Trump administration argued that the Department of the Interior has the right to curate exhibits on federal property.
• The city of Philadelphia argued that the exhibit was a permanent installation and should not have been removed.
• The exhibit, titled “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” focused on nine slaves who lived at the site.
• The exhibit was removed in January following a Trump executive order concerning National Park Service displays.
• The court’s panel included judges appointed by Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump.
• The article also briefly mentions ongoing litigation over renovations to the White House East Wing.