Today in One Sentence. The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s Justice Department and the Republican National Committee’s effort to force states to throw out mail ballots that arrive after Election Day so long as voters cast them on time; the Supreme Court declined to consider Trump’s attempt to overturn a 2023 jury verdict holding him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll; the Supreme Court expanded presidential authority over independent federal agencies; Trump said the U.S. and Iran will meet this week in Qatar for negotiations after the two agreed to “stand down for now” following attacks over the weekend; Trump nominated former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer as director of ICE; Trump’s former national security adviser pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information; Trump plans to renovate Washington, D.C.’s public East Potomac Golf Links starting Sept. 1, despite a pending federal lawsuit to stop Trump from unilaterally renovating the golf course; and 33% of Americans say they are “extremely proud” to be an American – a 25-year low.

1/ The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s Justice Department and the Republican National Committee’s effort to force states to throw out mail ballots that arrive after Election Day so long as voters cast them on time. The 5-4 ruling preserves Mississippi’s five-business-day grace period and similar rules in more than a dozen states, plus separate protections for military and overseas voters elsewhere. Trump called the decision a “tremendous loss” and demanded Congress pass the SAVE America Act, again claiming opposition means “CHEATING!” without evidence. (Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / NPR / Associated Press / NBC News / Axios / Bloomberg / CNBC)

2/ The Supreme Court declined to consider Trump’s attempt to overturn a 2023 jury verdict holding him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump will have to pay Carroll the $5 million judgment, plus interest. However, Trump is still appealing a separate $83.3 million defamation judgment. Trump had argued that the trial judge improperly allowed jurors to hear testimony from two other women who accused him of sexual misconduct and the “Access Hollywood” tape. (Associated Press / Reuters / NBC News / Politico / CNBC / Axios / Washington Post / New York Times)

3/ The Supreme Court expanded presidential authority over independent federal agencies, ruling that Trump and future presidents can fire agency leaders at will. The court ruled 6-3 to overturn 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent, allowing Trump to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter despite a federal law limiting presidents from firing Senate-confirmed leaders only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” In a separate 5-4 ruling, however, the court blocked Trump from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook while her lawsuit continues. Chief Justice John Roberts said Cook was entitled to notice and a chance to respond before being removed over Trump’s unproven mortgage fraud allegations. (NBC News / New York Times / Politico / Associated Press / Bloomberg / Washington Post / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)

4/ Trump said the U.S. and Iran will meet this week in Qatar for negotiations after the two agreed to “stand down for now” following attacks over the weekend. Iran, however, hasn’t confirmed the meeting and its deputy foreign minister said nothing is scheduled this week. Nevertheless, Trump posted: “IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” The White House said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will lead the “high-level meetings” to discuss the memorandum of understanding they signed earlier this month. Trump, meanwhile, threatened that “there may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable” and that the U.S. could “complete the job” if Tehran didn’t open up the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has claimed right to full control over. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / NBC News / ABC News / CBS News)

  • EARLIER:
  • The U.S. military attacked Iranian missile and drone sites after Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by launching a drone attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran attacked American military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain in response, and threatened a “complete halt” in negotiations to end the war if the U.S. continues the strikes. (New York Times / NBC News / Associated Press)

5/ Trump nominated former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer as director of ICE. Schroyer has been serving as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, overseeing coordination between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement agencies. The agency has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since the Obama administration. (CNN / NBC News)

6/ Trump’s former national security adviser pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information. John Bolton was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2025 on 18 charges related to retention and transmission of national defense information. Under the plea agreement, Bolton faces a fine of $2.25 million and up to five years in prison. “John Bolton, a very dumb, unbalanced, and unskilled former representative of the United States of America, just pleads guilty!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He is a terrible person, a lunatic who only wanted to start trouble and wars, and who was a needless pusher of death and destruction wherever he went. Hopefully, he will be dealt with harshly!” (The Hill / NPR)

7/ Trump plans to renovate Washington, D.C.’s public East Potomac Golf Links starting Sept. 1, despite a pending federal lawsuit to stop Trump from unilaterally renovating the golf course. It’s unclear how the proposed construction date aligns with the judge’s warning to get approvals and notify the court before making major changes, including environmental and regulatory reviews. Nevertheless, Trump toured the course with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and golf architect Tom Fazio, calling it “dilapidated” and “very dangerous and outdated,” and said the Interior Department would rebuild it into “one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World” while keeping it open to the public. He also claimed the redesigned course could host the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, and other major tournaments, though those events are typically scheduled years in advance. (Associated Press / ABC News / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Axios)

poll/ 33% of Americans say they are “extremely proud” to be an American – a 25-year low. 20% say they are “very proud,” 22% “moderately proud”, 15% “only a little proud” or 9% “not at all proud.” (Gallup)

The 2026 midterms are in 127 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 862 days.