Tracy Mumford

And one last update on the administration.

When the White House fence got a redo back in Trump's first term, there were nine months of public meetings.

How thick should the posts be?

How much space between them?

How decorative should those little things on top be?

That amount of time has been the norm for federal construction projects in Washington, D.C.

The public process for the Fed renovations took two years.

The African-American History Museum took even longer.

But now, President Trump is poised to get approval for his ballroom plan in just three months.

And some architects warn that the hurried reviews and rushed plans will compromise the result of the 90,000 square foot project.

Renderings, for example, showed columns blocking views, a whole line of faux windows, and a grand external staircase leading to nowhere.

After The Times published a review of the structure earlier this week, Trump showed off revised plans for the $400 million ballroom.

The shifting design could mean the project's architects will have to scramble to explain those changes ahead of what's supposed to be a final sign-off on the project this week by a key planning commission in D.C.

Still, the committee, which is made up mostly of the president's allies, is expected to approve the project.

And finally, in Italy, at an art museum outside the city of Parma, thieves managed to make off with works by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse in a heist lasting just three minutes.

It happened last week, and the museum tried to keep it under wraps.

Yesterday, Italian police confirmed their investigating.

The paintings are worth millions.

One, Les Poissons, an Impressionist still life by Renoir, is estimated to be worth nearly $7 million alone.

The thieves broke in through the museum's front door, and it's just the latest high-profile theft to hit the art world.