The Trump administration has formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal judge’s temporary restraining order that currently blocks the Postal Service from enforcing new restrictions on mail-in ballots. This legal move follows an executive order issued by President Trump in March, which directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of adult citizens in each state and instructed the USPS to withhold mail-in ballot deliveries unless state election officials provided those lists.
The request comes as North Carolina begins mailing out its absentee ballots today, signaling the official start of the midterm voting season. Although the Supreme Court recently addressed procedural matters in one of the related lawsuits, the administration is now seeking a ruling on the merits of the policy’s legality. NPR reports that while mail-in voting remains available for eligible voters, election officials warn of potential disruptions and note that the administration missed its own deadline to publish the state-by-state voter lists.
In other federal developments, the IRS has proposed a rule aimed at revoking the tax-exempt status of private schools and colleges that operate programs based on race. The administration contends that initiatives supporting Black or Latino students, including first-generation scholarships, constitute racial discrimination. While the IRS estimates that approximately 18,000 private institutions could be affected, it has not detailed how it will identify these programs, and legal experts anticipate significant challenges regarding the agency’s authority to unilaterally redefine discrimination.
Additionally, federal prosecutors have charged ICE officer Christian Castro with six counts of making false statements regarding the January shooting of Venezuelan national Julio Sosa-Celis in Minnesota. Surveillance footage allegedly contradicted Castro’s claim that the victim attacked him during Operation Metro Surge. Legal observers note this is a rare accountability case, though advocates argue the charges are insufficient compared to the lack of charges in other fatal shootings during the same operation.
On the economic front, AAA reports that the national average for diesel has reached a record high of $5.85 per gallon, surpassing the previous peak set in June 2022. The price increase, which is roughly $2 higher than pre-Iran war levels, threatens to raise costs for agriculture and logistics. With approximately 90% of U.S. school buses running on diesel, school districts facing strained budgets as the new academic year begins may feel the impact most acutely.
Diesel at $5.85 is brutal. My shipping costs are soaring, and I dread the back-to-school bus budget crunch.
Wait, they want a citizenship list to verify ballots? That sounds like voter suppression disguised as security. The courts should block this.
Unbelievable that ICE officers face rare accountability. Six counts for a shooting? The justice system is fundamentally broken here.