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SUMMARY
Who controls the systems we use to vote, speak, and to be counted? The Court declined to let the Postal Service impose new mail ballot rules as states were beginning to send ballots, Reuters found election officials in both parties preparing for possible federal intervention, and Disney asked a judge to stop the FCC from reviewing eight broadcast licenses more than two years early.
Monday
More than 30% of voters used mail ballots in 2024, and the Court left the existing system in place
In an unsigned order on Monday night, the Supreme Court refused to let the Postal Service enforce new mail ballot requirements for the November election. The rule would have required states to submit lists of eligible mail voters through a federal portal and use USPS approved ballot envelopes with identifying barcodes, and letting USPS decline to deliver ballots that didn’t comply.
The Court said the government was “unlikely to succeed on the merits.” Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed separately, writing that if the Postal Service ultimately has statutory authority to issue such a rule, state and local election officials didn’t have enough time to reasonably implement it before November.
Two lower courts already blocked the rule, including a second preliminary injunction issued late Sunday by Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee.
According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, about 30 percent of ballots in the 2024 election were cast by mail, with more than 47 million mail ballots counted.
The Supreme Court’s ruling leaves the new USPS requirements blocked for the 2026 election.
Tuesday
More than 650 boxes of election files, seized
Reuters published an investigation Tuesday from interviews with more than 50 state and local election officials from both parties, including a dozen secretaries of state. Nearly all described adopting new strategies to prepare for political interference, cyberattacks, misinformation and threats of violence.
California officials have gamed out federal agents appearing at polling places, and Michigan is advising clerks on how to respond to federal demands for voting machines. More than a dozen officials told Reuters they hired outside attorneys or sought legal training for possible demands involving sensitive voting records or equipment.
On January 28, FBI agents seized more than 650 boxes of ballots and other records from the 2020 election from Fulton County, Georgia as part of a federal investigation into alleged election irregularities. Reuters reported that the allegations underlying the investigation included claims that had previously been rejected by courts and audits.
Georgia’s 2020 presidential results were counted 3 times, including once by-hand, with each count affirming Joe Biden’s victory.
Fulton County sued to recover the records but lost that effort in May, when District Judge J.P. Boulee ruled the federal government could keep materials while its investigation continued.
A shoutout to Compassion Corner Chronicles for documenting what they witnessed outside the Burlington, Massachusetts ICE office on Wednesday. Their account included families searching for detained relatives, a seven-year-old whose grandmother is facing deportation, and a DoorDash driver who said he had just been released after 67 days in detention.
These firsthand accounts put faces and families behind immigration enforcement stories that can otherwise become statistics. Compassion Corner is continuing to show up and help people navigate frightening situations. 💛
Wednesday
Up to $177 billion in federal grants have been cut, frozen, or delayed
On Wednesday, a new database attempted to put a number on the federal funding disruptions that have been happening across the country.
The Trump administration has cut, frozen, or delayed as much as $177 billion in federal grants, according to an analysis reported by the Associated Press.
The funding reached all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with some of the largest disruptions involving health care, nutrition, environmental programs, and disaster relief.
Among the affected programs were maternal-health funding in Michigan, education research in Mississippi, and assistance for minority farmers in Iowa. California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina had the highest dollar amounts of interrupted funding.
The figure comes from Lost Funds, a database created by the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness using federal spending data. The organizations estimate the disrupted grants represent nearly 10 percent of federal discretionary spending.
Some funding decisions remain tied up in court, meaning the final amount could change as lawsuits and administrative actions continue.
Macklemore turned the tour controversy into a $1 million donation
After being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore announced he would donate the entire $1 million in net earnings he received from the tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians and humanitarian relief.
He also challenged New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match the contribution.
The Guardian reported Wednesday that Macklemore said he wanted to redirect attention away from himself and toward Palestinians affected by the conflict.
By then, all 4 of Ed Sheeran’s opening acts had withdrawn from the tour following Macklemore’s removal.
The controversy had started as a fight over one performer’s comments. (Read by clicking here.)
Thursday
34.8 million, now in a different congressional district
A new report from Protect Democracy found 34.8 million people, (roughly one in ten), now live in a different congressional district than they did in the 2024 election cycle. About a fifth of the country lives in a district where more than a quarter of the voters are new.
The current redistricting fight began when Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional map to benefit the party. California responded with a voter approved map designed to benefit Democrats, and other states followed.
The Associated Press described the result as an unprecedented wave of mid-decade redistricting and reported that the new maps create a partisan advantage for Republicans but the actual effect on House seats will depend on election results.
The Constitution requires national census every ten years but it doesn’t restrict states to redrawing congressional districts only once per decade.
Eight licenses, pulled forward from 2028
Disney and ABC told a federal judge Thursday that the FCC should be blocked from early review of eight ABC station licenses, arguing that Chair Brendan Carr is carrying out presidential directives aimed at curbing speech critical of the administration.
Those licenses were not due for consideration until October 2028. Carr ordered the reviews in April, the first time the FCC had ordered this kind of early review in more than 50 years, one day after the president called for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel.
A hearing is currently set for October 6. Broadcasters need FCC licenses to use public airwaves. License revocations are extremely rare, but critics argue that even the threat of losing a license can put pressure on broadcasters and raise First Amendment concerns about government interference in editorial decisions.
Disney says the early reviews are retaliatory and intended to punish broadcasters for speech the administration dislikes. The FCC disputes Disney’s case and has asked the court to dismiss it, arguing in part that the agency is entitled to investigate allegations involving the stations.
Friday
Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House
Trump just announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House “effective immediately,” accusing them of reporting what he calls “fake news.” Reuters reported that Trump also said the ban could extend to additional news organizations.
“I don’t want them here,” Trump told reporters, adding that he would take the ban “as far as you can.” The administration hasn’t explained how the restriction would work yet, and the Associated Press reported that journalists from the affected outlets remained on White House grounds Friday afternoon.
What if every major news organizations just stopped reporting all trump related news? Just stop using his name! Say “ that fat guy occupying the WH!”
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I don't trust the USPS