Tuesday, September 15, 2026
The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's attempt to impose mail-in voting restrictions ahead of the midterm elections, allowing states to continue using the same processes they have relied on for years. The ruling lands while voting is already underway, ending a flurry of last-minute legal battles over the postal rules. Justices split 7-2 on the decision.
The US Secretary of the Air Force has publicly acknowledged that the military has deployed a weapon in space, marking one of the most explicit admissions of American space-based armaments to date. The secretary framed the capability as a necessary safeguard against hostile enemy action, though no technical details were disclosed. Security experts warn the announcement risks triggering a wider proliferation of space weapons by rival governments.
The Trump administration has scrapped federal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, a sweeping rollback of climate regulations that the White House claims will save the energy sector more than $300 billion. The move removes one of the most significant remaining federal constraints on carbon output from electricity generation. The repeal accelerates a broader pattern of environmental deregulation pursued since Trump returned to office.
China has passed a broad new law tightening state control over citizens traveling abroad, targeting the movement of people with access to state secrets, advanced technology, or rare skills. The legislation represents Xi Jinping's most direct effort yet to prevent talent and sensitive knowledge from leaving the country. The law extends a legal framework that already restricts travel for certain officials and researchers.
A federal whistleblower has revealed that DHS lawyers told officers investigating alleged non-citizen voting that they would not be held accountable for violating state laws governing access to voter registration databases. Officers also raised concerns about the reliability of the data underpinning the department's Unlawful Voter Initiative. The disclosure adds to scrutiny of the administration's election integrity operations ahead of the midterms.
