Supreme Court says Fed’s Cook can keep her job for now, but it upholds other Trump firings
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook can remain in her job for now, a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s bid to wrest control of the nation’s central bank. At the same time, the justices Monday dramatically expanded presidential power, upholding the Republican president's firings of the heads of other independent federal agencies. Trump says it's a “Historic and Unprecedented Ruling.” But the court rejected a Trump plea to immediately remove Cook from the Fed based on allegations she committed mortgage fraud, which she denies. Cook says the case was about her refusal to bow to political pressure in setting interest rates. Cook was nominated by then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting a Republican-led attack on state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a target of President Donald Trump. Monday's 5-4 decision leaves in place laws in more than half the states and the District of Columbia that permit mailed ballots to arrive and be counted days after an election, provided they're postmarked by Election Day. The outcome spares officials the headache of changing ballot rules just months before the 2026 midterm congressional elections. The legal challenge was part of the Republican president's broader attack on most mail balloting, which he says breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states.
Trump's fixation on voting has had mixed results. He still has ways to affect November's elections
ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump has tried many ways to tighten his grip on U.S. elections, from signing executive orders to pushing restrictive legislation in Congress. Monday’s Supreme Court ruling siding with states that accept late-arriving mail ballots was the latest example showing the limits of his reach. It followed a series of other setbacks for the Republican president. Still, Trump’s efforts have not been entirely fruitless. He successfully pushed Republican-run states to redraw congressional districts and the Supreme Court has essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act. He also has been directing his Department of Justice to investigate voting and election operations, which Democrats see as a possible prelude to their involvement in November.
US and Iran pause strikes but disagree over next steps on talks
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran have separately announced they are sending delegations to Qatar this week, though Tehran insists it has not agreed to meet with the U.S. “at any level.” The announcements Monday came after weekend attacks in the Persian Gulf challenged efforts to negotiate an end to the war. U.S. President Donald Trump has tried to preserve a fragile interim deal as hostilities mounted in recent days in the Strait of Hormuz. After four days of trading strikes, both sides appeared to pause their attacks Monday. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry says its delegation traveling to Qatar plans to discuss terms of the deal without U.S. involvement.
Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as attention turns to humanitarian crisis
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes. Attention also turned to the country’s humanitarian crisis that could persist for years. Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes, questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless. The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people.
3 firefighters killed in Western wildfire were trying to shield themselves from flames
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — Federal officials say the three firefighters killed over the weekend in a Colorado wildfire were part of a specialized crew that goes into remote areas to quickly put out new fires. Two other crew members suffered burns. The crew was overcome Saturday after deploying emergency shelters to shield themselves from fast-moving fires. The U.S. Forest Service identified the firefighters killed in Colorado as 38-year-old Emily Barker of Clinton Township, Michigan; 27-year-old Nick Hutcherson of Glendale, Arizona; and 26-year-old Sydney Watson of Warrior, Alabama. Officials say firefighting resources are beginning to be strained as the risk of more wildfires worsens this week across the West.
Sweltering Midwest heat cancels outdoor plans as cooling centers open and the East braces
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A heat wave is gripping the Midwest and is shifting eastward, causing summer camps and outdoor activities to be canceled or delayed. On Monday, Communities have opened cooling centers and advised people to stay hydrated. The National Weather Service says the hot and humid weather is expected to last through most of the week. Some of the worst conditions are expected Thursday and Friday in the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Temperatures are forecast in the 90s, with heat index values expected to exceed 100 degrees.
Nursing gains 'professional' label for student loans after judge's ruling, but theology now dropped
WASHINGTON (AP) — Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy and several other fields will be eligible for higher student loan limits after a federal judge blocked part of a Trump administration rule that held them to lower caps. Officials told The Associated Press that the Education Department issued a revised rule on Monday designed to follow to the judge’s order from last week. Agency officials called it a temporary change while they fight in court to keep the original rule, which defined medicine, law and other fields as “professional programs” but excluded nursing and others. The change represents a short-term win for groups that sued to stop the rule.
Self-exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui gets 30 years in US prison for fraud conviction
NEW YORK (AP) — A self-exiled billionaire Chinese business tycoon has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his fraud conviction. Judge Analisa Torres sentenced Guo Wengui on Monday in Manhattan federal court, saying he still insists incredibly that his conduct caused no loss and harmed no one. Given a chance to speak, Guo said he came to the U.S. to destroy the Chinese Communist Party. But the judge said he instead diverted investor money to live lavishly. Guo left China a decade ago and reinvented himself as a critic of the Communist Party. Defense lawyers, meanwhile, asked for leniency, saying a harsh sentence would embolden the Chinese government to target others in the U.S.
Paraguay stuns Germany in a penalty shootout for the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — José Canale scored on the first sudden-death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup. The Round of 32 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay took the lead when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for four-time champion Germany. Paraguay will next face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden in the round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia.
