The Court mixed voting and federal power decisions, sparking praise and backlash.
Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states may count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive afterward, rejecting a Republican National Committee challenge to Mississippi’s five-day grace period. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices, handing President Donald Trump and national Republicans a significant election-law defeat ahead of the midterms. The decision preserves similar rules in more than a dozen states, including California and Illinois, while prompting conservative criticism of Barrett and warnings from Justice Samuel Alito that late-arriving ballots could undermine public confidence. Trump called the ruling a “tremendous loss,” renewed demands for voter-ID legislation and the SAVE America Act, and pressed Senate Republicans to overcome procedural obstacles to his voting agenda.
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Mixed Trump Agenda
Left & CenterA trio of late-term decisions produced a split verdict on Trump’s agenda: the court preserved late-arriving mail ballots, protected Lisa Cook at the Federal Reserve for now, and expanded presidential power over most independent agencies. Chief Justice John Roberts authored key opinions drawing a sharp distinction between the Fed and other executive-branch regulators, leaving both supporters and critics to claim partial victories.
Fed Cook Fight
BalancedSupreme Court blocked Trump from immediately removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, allowing her to remain in office while she challenges his firing attempt tied to disputed mortgage-fraud allegations. The narrow 5-4 ruling treated the Fed as uniquely insulated from ordinary presidential control, but analysts warned the procedural decision leaves future fights over Fed independence unresolved.
Agency Firing Power
BalancedIn Trump v. Slaughter, Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump could fire Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, overturning the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent that protected leaders of independent agencies from at-will removal. The decision dramatically expands presidential control over regulatory bodies and raised concerns from labor, consumer and government-watchdog advocates about politicized enforcement.
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Airstrikes and drone attacks raise tensions over shipping and Gulf security.
The United States and Iran traded new strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, putting a fragile interim ceasefire under its most serious strain since it was reached. U.S. Central Command said American aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage sites, coastal radar, surveillance infrastructure and other military targets after Iranian drones struck or targeted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including Panama- and Singapore-flagged ships. Tehran retaliated with drone and missile attacks aimed at Bahrain and Kuwait, both home to key U.S. military facilities, while warning that further U.S. action could bring negotiations to a “complete halt.” President Donald Trump accused Iran of a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire and warned on Truth Social that U.S. patience could run out, as Gulf governments condemned Iranian attacks and the fighting threatened to pull the region back into open war.
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Hormuz Control
BalancedIran insisted it retains sole authority over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and warned vessels against alternative routes or arrangements outside Tehran’s oversight. Commercial traffic continued only in a trickle or at reduced levels after the ship attacks, turning the waterway into the central point of leverage in the U.S.-Iran confrontation.
Talks Resume
BalancedU.S. and Iranian officials agreed to halt attacks again and meet in Doha, Qatar, to address disputes over the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of escalating fire. American officials said technical talks remained on track and both sides would “stand down for now,” though Iran’s public position remained closely tied to its claims over the waterway.
Market Reaction
CenterFinancial markets reacted cautiously to the renewed U.S.-Iran clashes, with stock futures edging higher after signs of another pause in hostilities. Oil prices rose back above $70 a barrel as traders weighed the risk that fighting around the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt Middle East crude supplies.
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Government approval shapes limited rollout of new AI models to select U.S. users.
The Trump administration partially lifted restrictions on Anthropic’s Claude Mythos 5, allowing the company to release the powerful AI model to more than 100 trusted U.S. companies, institutions and federal agencies after a two-week block over national security and cybersecurity concerns. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Anthropic the government was confident in the company’s guardrails, marking a de-escalation in a confrontation that had forced Anthropic to pull Mythos 5 and Fable 5 from broader access. The decision still leaves Washington in an unusually direct role, determining which customers can use frontier AI systems and under what conditions. Reports also suggested Anthropic’s Fable 5 could return within days, underscoring that the restrictions may be easing but have not disappeared.
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OpenAI Rollout Limits
BalancedOpenAI limited the release of its GPT-5.6 lineup — including Sol, Terra and Luna — to a small group of trusted partners after a Trump administration request for cybersecurity review. The company said it supports broad access and warned that government preapproval of model users should not become the long-term default.
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