Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.
Justices allow mail-in voting restrictions to move forwardThe Supreme Court issued an emergency order this afternoon allowing President Trump to move forward, for now, with his plans to restrict mail-in voting. The justices said that Trump could proceed with implementing an executive order he had signed in March, directing the Department of Homeland Security to create state-by-state lists of U.S. citizens to help monitor voter rolls for noncitizens. The order also called on the Postal Service to use lists provided by states to determine if voters should be allowed to vote by mail. With little more than two months until Election Day — and considerably less before early voting begins in many states — it remains unclear whether the White House’s rules will be in effect for this year’s midterms. The justices also cautioned that their order was not a final decision about whether Trump’s order “will necessarily be lawful” once complete. That could mean the legal battle will return to the Supreme Court, perhaps quickly. The three liberal justices dissented. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned that the majority “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections.” In other Trump administration news:
U.S. unveils a campaign to further isolate IranTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new plan today to “tighten the noose” around Iran’s economy by imposing sanctions on every source or facilitator of its revenue. The administration had billed the effort as the coming of an economic apocalypse for Iran, but today’s announcement offered few details. Instead, Bessent acknowledged, it was more of a warning shot that would begin a period of “quiet diplomacy.” Much of the work, Bessent said, will take place through private negotiations with other countries to compel them to cut ties with Tehran. The most complicated talks are likely to be with China, which is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and has a financial system that is largely insulated from the threat of U.S. sanctions. Iran’s leaders said today that they would not bow to the pressure campaign. Western sanctions have squeezed the country’s economy for years, and Iran’s leaders have not bent. Related: The Iranian authorities are cracking down on one of the few luxuries still available to the country’s young people: coffee shops.
A wildfire forces thousands to evacuate Reno areaAbout 45,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes along Nevada’s western border as a wildfire approached the city of Reno. The blaze, known as the Hawk fire, has burned more than 15,000 acres since it began on Saturday in the Sierra Nevada foothills. More than 750 responders are working to combat the spread of the fire, after the governor of Nevada declared a state of emergency for the area. Officials were optimistic that they were going to be able to tame the fire before it reached more densely populated areas.
The college admissions process is shifting once againStandardized testing requirements, which fell out of fashion during the Covid era, are being revived, or are under consideration, at colleges and universities across the country. At the same time, supplementary essays are disappearing, in part because students can now use A.I. tools to write their submissions. Some schools are hoping that the new processes will be easier and more attractive to families, as demographic shifts are expected to send enrollments diving in the coming years. Related: Harvard is selling a $699 course taught by A.I. clones of its faculty members. More top news
Like father, like daughterTwenty-seven summers ago, well before he became a major league pitcher, Cory Rasmus helped lead his Phenix City, Ala., team to the Little League Baseball World Series final. Now, his 12-year-old daughter, Kinley Rasmus, has become a star of this year’s tournament. Kinley, the 25th girl to play in the 79-year history of the tournament, has been dominant. She struck out eight batters in one game and went 2-for-2 with an R.B.I. triple in the next. Maybe baseball talent runs in the family (her uncle, Colby Rasmus, played 10 years in the majors, and her cousin Ryker plays first base on her team).
Busta Rhymes made an album out of unreleased J Dilla beatsJ Dilla was a renowned hip-hop producer and a prolific maker of timeless beats until he died in 2006, at 32. Some of those beats will be heard for the first time this week on a new album by his friend and collaborator, Busta Rhymes. On the latest episode of “Popcast,” we sat down with Busta Rhymes to talk about the project, which features appearances by Common, Lil Wayne and D’Angelo, who died last year. “I loved the both of them,” Busta Rhymes said about Dilla and D’Angelo. “I wanted to do it whatever justice that I could do it and continue to uphold the legacies of these brothers.”
Dinner table topics
Cook these cabbage and egg pancakes, which are a good way to use up your leftovers. Read one of this month’s best romance releases. Listen to Jorja Smith’s “Dancing,” and other songs that got us talking. Do this workout to build strong, healthy hips. Get a rug pad. It’s an underappreciated upgrade. Take the latest Flashback history quiz. Play today’s Connections, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
