An anonymous federal official alleges the Postal Service’s new mail ballot screening portal was rushed, insufficiently tested and could delay large batches of ballots if courts allow it to take effect. Sen. Richard Blumenthal has asked Postmaster General David Steiner for answers about the system and its legal status.
News Mash
Russian missiles and drones killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian officials said, as Kyiv urged allies to bolster air defences. Ukraine also reported strikes on Russian oil and port targets, while Russia said it had hit military and energy facilities.
The Trump administration says a new Venezuela oil deal will give the Pentagon a 35% stake in North American Blue Energy Partners and grant the company 100-year drilling rights in fields holding about 65 billion barrels. Analysts and political opponents have questioned how quickly the agreement could affect prices and whether it is legally justified.
New York City police shot and killed a 49-year-old Queens woman near Times Square after authorities said she stabbed two people in random attacks. A 32-year-old woman died, and a 68-year-old man was hospitalized in stable condition.
A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, marking the first conviction in the nearly 30-year-old case. Davis, who denied guilt and plans to appeal, could face life in prison at sentencing.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is resigning after months of reported tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. His departure follows other high-level Pentagon exits, including Navy Secretary John Phelan and Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George.
A 17-year-old North Carolina girl has been indicted on murder and conspiracy charges after authorities said she recorded a livestream of a deadly San Diego mosque attack and spread the attackers’ white supremacist writings. Prosecutors said North Carolina aiding-and-abetting law allows her to be charged as if she had carried out the killings herself.
Gen. Dan Caine told Sen. Elissa Slotkin that the military has no plans to send troops to polling places or seize election materials during the 2026 midterms. The letter responds to Democratic concerns about potential military involvement in elections.