Today's Headlines: Court Allows Trump to Pursue Mail Voting Limits, for Now

August 25, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Court Allows Trump to Pursue Mail Voting Limits, for Now

The administration asked the court to clear the way for President Trump’s order that creates “state citizenship lists” and directs the Postal Service to decide who gets a mail-in ballot.

From ‘Fortress North America’ to All-Out Trade War: How the U.S.-Canada Talks Collapsed

Detailed accounts of the final hours of the negotiations show that, while the United States offered Canada what it said was the best deal of any country, what Canada had to give up in exchange was seen as unthinkable.

U.S. Attempt to Strangle Iran’s Economy Depends on China’s Cooperation

The U.S. has spent 20 years promising ‘crippling sanctions’ on Iran. But the latest effort comes with a reverse twist, after military action failed to accomplish President Trump’s goals.

World

A Drone Killed Three Ukrainians. It Was Guided Entirely by A.I.

An attack by what Ukrainian officials said was a Russian drone with an Nvidia chip presages a dystopian future of weaponry untethered to humans.

U.S. Tariffs Could Price Canadian Firms Out of U.S. and Threaten Thousands of Jobs

The 50 percent tariffs President Trump imposed on Canadian exports to the United States will make it impossible for many Canadian companies to continue to sell to the U.S. market, economists say.

Mass Mortality and Infected Mammals: Australia’s Bird Flu Fears Come True

Australia confirmed its first case of H5N1 in June in migratory seabirds. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly, straining government responses.

See more world news

U.S.

References to ‘Mortal Sin’ Anger Judge and Defense in Clancy Trial

The religious reference by a prosecution witness on Monday incensed the presiding judge, who sternly instructed jurors to disregard it. Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer asked for a mistrial.

California Judge Says Recalled Officials Are Unlawfully in Office

The mayor and three other council members of Avenal, Calif., had refused to leave despite a certified vote by residents to recall them. They will now step down, a city official said.

El-Sayed Joins Fox News for Some Light Verbal Combat and a Pitch to Republicans

In a smiling yet tense interview, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, argued that his Republican critics were using culture-war issues to distract from Americans’ economic concerns.

See more U.S. news

Politics

Trump Administration Aims to Revoke Visas of Foreign Citizens Applying for Asylum

The State Department, in a move that could affect as many as 200,000 visa holders and asylum applicants, has begun its review. Cancellations could occur in waves.

Jeffries Defends Kushner Meeting, Vowing Tough Oversight of Trump

The Brooklyn Democrat, who is in line to be speaker should his party win the House, has drawn ire from some progressives for huddling with the president’s son-in-law.

Trump Officials Propose Charging More Than $100,000 for Skilled Worker Visas

The proposal comes after the Trump administration ran into legal challenges in its attempt to attach a similar fee to the H-1B visa last year.

See more political news

Business

S.E.C. Investigating Near-Implosion of A.I. Hedge Fund

Regulators sent subpoenas to major Wall Street banks seeking information about the trading of Situational Awareness, three people briefed on the outreach said.

What’s Behind the U.S. Treasury’s Latest Attempt to Lower Interest Rates

The Treasury Department said it could begin to buy back more of its debt, and bond market investors are assessing the potential effects on borrowing costs.

Farm Acres Reap More in Sales Than in Crops

Most U.S. farmers will lose money this year. Landowners and investors are increasingly trying to make money from their land, not what can be grown from it.

See more business news

Technology

Attacked by A.I. Agents, This Start-Up Embarked on a Crusade

Hugging Face, a start-up that was breached by rogue bots from OpenAI, is using the hack to push for openness in A.I. development.

See more technology news

New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul, Five Years In, Makes Her Case for Four More

Ms. Hochul, who ascended to the governorship in the depths of the pandemic, believes that New York is back. She hopes she has persuaded New Yorkers.

The 911 System Had an Outage. Officials Kept Quiet About It.

When a partial breakdown of the system occurred last week, New York City officials did not inform the public.

The Mayor Went on Vacation. He Didn’t Travel Very Far.

Zohran Mamdani is known for working around the clock as mayor of New York City, but last week he and his wife headed “upstate” for vacation and some locals were thrilled to spot them.

See more New York news