Washington — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from beginning construction on President Trump's proposed triumphal arch late Thursday, siding — for now — with a group of Vietnam veterans and the District of Columbia and Virginia, which sued to stop the project. 

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled in a brief order that the government cannot start any "construction-related activity" for 14 days, while further legal proceedings play out. She said she would explain her reasoning in a forthcoming opinion.

The ruling came shortly after the National Capital Planning Commission voted Thursday to approve plans for the 250-foot triumphal arch, giving the final go-ahe...