Today in One Sentence. The Supreme Court denied Missouri’s request to use a Republican-drawn congressional map for the November midterm election designed to give Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House; the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for a third time to revive its mail-ballot restrictions; the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to let states check their voter rolls against federal citizenship and Social Security data; U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days; and Trump ordered Canadian products removed from federal purchasing schedules after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on roughly $20 billion in U.S. products.

1/ The Supreme Court denied Missouri’s request to use a Republican-drawn congressional map for the November midterm election designed to give Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House. Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s order left intact a Missouri Supreme Court ruling requiring the state to return to its 2022 districts while voters decide in a referendum whether to approve the new map. Minutes later, however, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark temporarily blocked Missouri from using anything but the new map, writing that switching districts after the August primary would “wreak havoc on the fairness and orderliness of Missouri’s congressional elections” and that “widespread voter confusion would inevitably follow.” Missouri used the new districts in its August primary, making it unclear which map will be used in the November election. (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / Associated Press)

2/ The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for a third time to revive its mail-ballot restrictions. The request came two days after a federal judge blocked the rules from taking effect before the November midterms, which would require states and local election officials to provide lists of mail voters and use special barcodes on ballot envelopes. Judge Indira Talwani, however, ruled that the policy likely violates the Constitution’s separation of powers, which gives states and Congress responsibility over elections. Talwani also warned that implementing it less than 70 days before the election “threatens disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail.” The Trump administration, meanwhile, argued that the rule “does not seize control of States’ administration of elections” and instead imposes “reasonable preparation requirements for certain election-related mail.” (NPR / New York Times / NBC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / Politico / CBS News / CNN / The Guardian)

3/ The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to let states check their voter rolls against federal citizenship and Social Security data. In June, a federal judge blocked the SAVE system, finding that the government had “haphazardly combined and repurposed” unreliable citizenship data and that states had removed U.S. citizens from voter rolls based on inaccurate information. The Trump administration, nevertheless, asked the Supreme Court to restore access to the system, which had been expanded to include Social Security data and bulk searches. Solicitor General D. John Sauer called the order “indefensible” and argued that it “threatens the integrity of upcoming elections” by making it harder for states to verify citizenship. (Politico / New York Times / Bloomberg / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Washington Post / CBS News)

4/ U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. Central Command said the warship evaded the attacks and no American personnel were harmed. The strikes comes three days after the U.S. destroyed three other Iranian tankers following attempted missile attacks on an American aircraft carrier and destroyer. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy, meanwhile, warned crews aboard oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to evacuate because the vessels “will be targeted.” (NBC News / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Reuters / Bloomberg / ABC News / CNBC)

  • EARLIER: Trump called his six-month with with Iran “small potatoes” despite 18 U.S. service members being killed. The war has cost U.S. consumers an estimated $100 billion in higher energy prices. The average household has paid more than $760 in added gasoline and diesel costs since the war began Feb. 28. (Associated Press / CNN / Axios)

  • The Pentagon gave roughly 50 members of the military’s Joint Staff members polygraph tests. Investigators reportedly questioned military officers and civilian employees about whether they disclosed classified information to journalists or provided information about shortages of long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors tied to the war with Iran. (New York Times)

5/ Trump ordered Canadian products removed from federal purchasing schedules after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on roughly $20 billion in U.S. products. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged that “we relied too much on one economic partner,” adding that “It’s clear that time is over.” Trump, meanwhile, claimed Canada had “banned American Small Businesses and Companies” from its government procurement markets. Canada’s federal policy, however, directs agencies to prefer Canadian goods, while some provinces have imposed restrictions on U.S. suppliers. (Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Semafor / The Hill)

The 2026 midterms are in 56 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 791 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch will retire by the end of the year. Bunch acknowledged that the job had become stressful, but said that Trump’s pressure had “nothing” to do with his decision. The Trump administration, however, has accused the Smithsonian of ideological bias, ordered reviews of its exhibits, and recently threatened to cut off federal agencies’ support “under current leadership.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Axios)

  2. The Trump administration will begin excavation for Trump’s 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery within two weeks, even though the project hasn’t received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission or completed its historic-preservation review. (Politico / New York Times)

  3. The U.S. was the only country to vote against a United Nations resolution promoting a world map that accurately reflects the true size of continents. The nonbinding resolution encourages governments, schools, organizations, and companies to use the “Equal Earth” instead of the Mercator map, which dates back to the 16th century and makes Africa appear smaller relative to regions near the poles. (NPR / Politico / The Guardian / Associated Press)

  4. Former staffers for Sen. John Fetterman created an anonymous social media account and threatened to publish his internal communications after a report that he routinely avoided constituent meetings, committee hearings, and skipped other Senate duties. Fetterman reportedly dismissed concerns from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia about Medicaid cuts, questioned the length of a funeral for three killed police officers, and canceled a meeting with three paralyzed Pennsylvania veterans before appearing later that day for a Fox News interview. Fetterman called the report “lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears and anonymous,” apologized for what he called a “dumb joke” about the hospital, and said he missed the veterans meeting because he had been throwing up, but felt well enough to work later. The former staffers said their first release of material is planned for Sept. 14, when the Senate returns to session. (Wall Street Journal / Politico / New York Times / CNN)