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Setback for Trump as U.S. Supreme Court refuses to permit restrictions by the Post Office on mail ballots

Published

3 weeks ago

September 15, 2026

Bilal

– The US Supreme Court declined on Monday to let the U.S. Postal Service enforce a rule targeting mail-in ballots, dealing a setback to President Donald Trump’s effort to restrict voting by mail ahead of November’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

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. The agency adopted the measure after Trump issued a March executive order aimed at tightening rules governing mail voting.

“The government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court’s preliminary injunction,” the court said in its brief, one-paragraph order.

Justice Samuel Alito, joined by fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented from Monday’s decision. No other justice dissented publicly. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

Trump’s fellow Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of Congress in the midterms. Restricting mail-in ballots would stand to benefit Republicans given that Democratic voters disproportionately use mail-in ballots, according to various surveys.

Under the rule, states would have to provide lists ⁠of mail ballot recipients to the Postal Service and use agency-approved outbound and return ballot mail envelopes outfitted with unique barcodes. The Postal Service could then refuse to send out ballots that do not comply with the new standards or are associated with voters who do not appear on the lists.

Critics have said the plan could disrupt the delivery of thousands of legitimate ballots as the November 3 vote approaches and cause chaos given imminent plans by many states to send out mail ballots to eligible voters. The administration has said the new rule will prevent voter fraud, though evidence of such fraud is rare.

Talwani imposed an injunction on September 4 blocking the rule, finding that it likely violated the U.S. Constitution, under which states administer elections. Talwani also said it would be impossible for the states to comply given the rapidly approaching midterms.

Another federal judge, Washington, D.C.-based U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, also ruled against the rule on Sunday.

‘TESTING THE LIMITS’

Sophia Lin Lakin, voting rights project director at the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped to represent some of the challengers to the USPS rule, welcomed Monday’s decision.

“This administration keeps testing the limits of its power, as if the rules governing our elections are merely suggestions to ignore when they don’t suit the president’s agenda. But the Constitution gives states and Congress the power to set the rules ‌for federal ⁠elections — not the president, and not the Postal Service,” she said.

“Today is a good day for democracy, the rule of law and the American people looking to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose state led one of the lawsuits against the rule.

“Trump’s attacks on democracy these last 20 months have been nothing short of un-American,” Newsom added.

Trump signed his executive order targeting mail-in ballots after years of casting doubt on their security, though he often votes by mail himself. Trump has made false claims of widespread fraud in U.S. elections including his 2020 loss to former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The administration in a September 6 emergency request urged the Supreme Court to allow it to implement an “important federal policy ⁠to protect the mails from being used to commit voter fraud.”

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring statement on Monday, said there is a “fair prospect” that the rule falls within the Postal Service’s authority, but state and local election officials “do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule” before the 2026 elections.

In his dissent, Alito likened some of the challengers’ claims to a “Hail Mary pass” that is “unlikely to be successfully completed,” using a football analogy.

“The Postal Service has broad authority to regulate ⁠the mail,” Alito added.

STATES CHALLENGED THE RULE

A coalition of states, most of them Democratic-governed, and Washington, D.C., as well as a number of voting-rights groups, challenged the new USPS rule.

The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused last Thursday to put Talwani’s order on hold. The 1st Circuit said that the rule “will likely result in the disenfranchisement of millions of voters across the country while providing minimal — if any — gains in combating voter fraud.”

The battle over ⁠mail ballots is one in a series of efforts by the administration to boost federal involvement in voting ahead of the midterms. On August 24, the Supreme Court lifted an earlier injunction imposed by Talwani in June blocking Trump’s executive order, including the USPS rule before it had been finalized.

Business

Nine companies prequalified for GEPCO privatisation

Published

20 hours ago

October 6, 2026

Bilal

The Privatisation Commission Board has shortlisted nine companies to take over 51% to 100% of the shares and control of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO).

This decision was made during a meeting of the Privatisation Commission Board, led by Prime Minister’s Adviser Muhammad Ali, where the progress on GEPCO’s privatisation and other state-owned companies was discussed.

The board received 11 applications for GEPCO’s privatisation, and nine of them were approved to move forward.

The companies that made it through the first round include Aktor Electric and Genvira Energy from Türkiye, and Engro Energy, Hub Power, Sapphire, Shirazi Investments, Artistic Milliners, and AKD Securities from Pakistan.

K-Electric officially pulled out of the bidding, and Al-Sharif Contracting did not submit the required paperwork.

The Privatisation Commission said the nine approved companies will now start the due diligence process using a virtual data room.

The meeting also looked at the progress on outsourcing Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore airports.
The board agreed to reorganize the team handling the airport outsourcing deals.

Additionally, the board has decided to speed up the privatisation of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and the House Building Finance Company Limited (HBFCL), asking advisers to work quickly on these deals.

A spokesperson from the Privatisation Commission stated that all privatisation deals will be handled in a fair, competitive, and professional way.

Latest News

Pakistan squads announced for Sri Lanka T20Is and ODI tri-series

Published

20 hours ago

October 6, 2026

Bilal

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared the national teams for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka and the seven-match ODI tri-series involving Pakistan, England, and Sri Lanka.

Sahibzada Farhan will lead Pakistan in the T20I matches against Sri Lanka, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the team in the ODI tri-series.

The T20I games will take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, 11, and 13.

The 15-player T20I squad includes Sahibzada Farhan, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, and Sufiyan Moqim.
Khawaja Nafay is the wicketkeeper in this group.

The ODI tri-series will have Pakistan, England, and Sri Lanka playing seven matches.
The first three matches will be in Rawalpindi, and the rest of the games and the final will be in Lahore.

Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the 16-member ODI squad, which includes Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, and Sufiyan Moqim.

The coaching staff for the team includes Mike Hesson as head coach, Shaun Tait as bowling coach, Michael Smith as batting coach, and Mansoor Amjad as fielding coach.
Naveed Akram Cheema has been named as the team manager.

The PCB’s announcement confirms that Farhan will continue to lead the team in the shortest format of the game, as he was the captain of Pakistan during the recent Asian Games.

Latest News

Yemen forces retake Mocha, key positions from Houthis

Published

20 hours ago

October 6, 2026

Bilal

Yemen’s officially recognized government forces have taken back the important port city of Mocha and key areas close to the Bab El Mandeb Strait as they continue a major push against the Iran-backed Houthis, the military announced.

The military reported on Monday that their forces also regained control of the Dhubab area in Taiz province and took over important positions near the Bab El Mandeb, a vital route for global oil supplies.

They also started a “strategic offensive” aimed at Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital since 2014.

Fighting was happening in several places around Mocha, with many Houthi fighters either dead, injured, or captured, according to military sources.

No specific numbers were given for how many people were hurt or killed.

The Saudi-backed government forces said that troops from the Homeland Shield Forces and Giants Brigades carried out a big operation with air support against the Houthis in several areas of Dhubab, according to Al Jazeera.

An unnamed military source said the forces had moved forward and taken key positions, blocking supply roads and routes to Bab El Mandeb.

The source added that the Houthis, also called Ansar Allah, lost many fighters in the fighting, and several military vehicles and weapons were destroyed or damaged.

Government forces are still working to hold the areas they have taken back and block the Houthi supply lines, according to the government-aligned Saba news agency.

These events happened as the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government carried out an air strike campaign against the Houthis.

Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al Maliki said 100 fighter jets were helping Yemen’s government forces.

He said the coalition had ensured “air protection” over the Bab El Mandeb Strait and destroyed hundreds of Houthi targets.

The Houthis had taken over Mocha in western Taiz province during a quick attack in September, followed by control of areas around the Bab El Mandeb Strait.

The group has held Sanaa and much of Yemen’s northwest since 2014.

The latest fighting is happening amid the US-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with the Houthis restarting attacks on the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.