From the Supreme Court keeping a block on a new mail ballots rule to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s return to the Senate after a long absence, here are stories that made headlines this past week. Or skip to the end to test your news savvy with a quiz.
High court keeps rule on mail ballots blocked
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to let the U.S. Postal Service enforce a rule targeting mail-in ballots, a setback to President Donald Trump’s bid to restrict voting by mail ahead of Nov. 3 midterms.
The justices denied the Justice Department’s request to lift a ruling by Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani that blocked the Postal Service from enforcing the measure while legal challenges by states and voting-rights groups proceed.
Critics said the plan could disrupt the delivery of thousands of legitimate ballots and cause chaos as states prepared to send out mail ballots to eligible voters. The administration said the new rule would prevent voter fraud, the evidence of which is rare.
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Drag queen Tara Hoot speaks Friday outside the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington at a protest denouncing the center board's vote to close the arts venue.
Kennedy Center legal battle intensifies
WASHINGTON — The board of the Kennedy Center voted Tuesday to shut down the iconic performing arts venue for up to two years for a $257 million renovation project that President Donald Trump later threatened to block unless federal courts allow his name to be added to the building.
The decision by the board, which is chaired by Trump and composed of his allies, came less than two hours after a federal judge blocked the center from adding Trump’s name to its facade for the second time in five months.
After filings cited Trump’s comments about demolishing the Kennedy Center, a federal judge on Thursday ordered Trump’s administration to provide at least 30 days’ notice before taking steps to tear down the venue.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., departs his residence Monday in Washington en route to the Senate floor for a vote after being out of the public eye for months.
McConnell returns to Senate after long absence
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., returned to the U.S. Capitol on Monday after a three-month absence from public view spent recuperating from a fall in his home and pneumonia, which raised questions about his fitness to serve in Congress. “Time to get back to work,” the 84-year-old told reporters from a wheelchair outside the Senate chamber.
Reporters raise their hands to ask questions Friday as President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.
In other news
MEDIA: The White House denied access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists Saturday, after President Donald Trump announced he would ban the three outlets from the building’s grounds, despite their constitutional protections.
INTEREST RATES: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to the 3.75% to 4% range Wednesday and flagged more hikes ahead, with new chief Kevin Warsh joining a unanimous decision that effectively acknowledges the Trump administration’s inability so far to control inflation.
HEGSETH: U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., filed articles of impeachment Tuesday, accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of abusing his office by executing an order for hostilities against Iran without approval by Congress.
ENVIRONMENT: On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced rules to repeal limits on carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants and prevent future climate-focused regulations of those facilities.
EUROPEAN UNION: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday she wants to open the door to Canada becoming the EU’s first “associate member” in a push to forge new links among allies, angering U.S. President Donald Trump amid a U.S.-Canada trade war.
ISRAEL: The Trump administration plans a $2.8 billion munitions package sale to Israel, including tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs, according to a U.S. official and reports Tuesday.
The water cooler — trending news
TOUR DISRUPTED: Pop star Ed Sheeran’s opening acts and his own band quit his U.S. tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was cut from the musical lineup over his “free Palestine” remarks on stage criticizing Israeli government actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Sheeran said Tuesday the decision to dump the rap star came from tour organizers, not him.
EPSTEIN: Two women whose images as girls were found in pornography seized from Jeffrey Epstein’s properties filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday seeking damages from the late sex offender’s estate for individuals featured in his collection of thousands of pictures and videos of child sexual abuse material. The lawsuit seeks at least $6 million on behalf of more than 40 people.
PRINCESS DIANA: Britain’s King Charles III took the unusual step Wednesday of responding to criticism of his conduct after the 1997 death of his first wife, Diana, saying via a spokesperson that grief could impact reason, judgment and memory. Diana was killed in a Paris car crash at age 36. Her brother, Charles Spencer, made the criticisms in a soon-to-be-published memoir.
TESTOSTERONE: As U.S. health regulators weighed testosterone use in menopausal women, some experts at a public meeting Thursday told them a female-specific product was needed, while others pointed to gaps in evidence on the hormone’s broader benefits and long-term safety. The Food and Drug Administration said the meeting could help guide future research and drug development.
Big number
More than 730: The number of confirmed cases of measles Pennsylvania reported Wednesday, including four related deaths among unvaccinated individuals, in the nation’s worst measles resurgence in decades.
Quote of the week
President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement Friday in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.
“The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” President Donald Trump said Monday on social media, dismissing concerns of CEOs of artificial intelligence companies who called for regulation due to safety concerns.
