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Alison Frankel

@alisonfrankel.bsky.social
18K followers 1.4K following 743 posts

Senior advisor to the Ethics and Journalism Initiative at NYU. Ex-legal journo. Cat lady.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Alison Frankel
Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 01/10/2026
BREAKING: Judge orders Reflecting Pool case dismissed with prejudice, banning Jeanine Pirro's office from bringing forth the David Hearn case again.
nbcnews.com
Judge bars Jeanine Pirro’s office from bringing Reflecting Pool case after Trump comments
Judge Todd Edelman entered an order on Thursday that dismissed the case against David “Davey” Hearn with prejudice.
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Reuters Legal @legal.reuters.com · 01/10/2026
US President Donald Trump said he regretted nominating three Supreme Court justices — Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh — who have opposed him in recent rulings, according to a Time Magazine interview.
reut.rs
Trump says he regrets nominating Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch, Barrett and Kavanaugh
US President Donald Trump said he regretted nominating three Supreme Court justices — Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh — ​who have opposed him in recent rulings, according to a ‌Time Magazine interview.
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Yes! So much energy and talent in state and local news start-ups. Do what Chris says and support them
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Stars and Stripes @starsandstripes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Max D. Lederer Jr., the former publisher of Stars and Stripes who was fired by the Pentagon, was named as news executive of the year by the magazine Editor & Publisher. E&P said it awarded its highest annual honor in recognition of his long career and his defense of independent journalism.
stripes.com
Former Stars and Stripes publisher named news executive of the year
Editor & Publisher said it awarded Lederer its highest annual honor in recognition of his long career and his defense of independent journalism.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 29/09/2026
CNN, MS NOW, Politico ask judge to extend block on White House ban reut.rs/4xOMZwh
reut.rs
CNN, MS NOW, Politico ask judge to extend block on White House ban
CNN, MS NOW and Politico asked a federal judge ​on Monday to issue a court order preserving their White House ‌access while they fight US President Donald Trump’s move to ban them over coverage he dislikes.
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Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Supreme Court majority once again demonstrates it has no understanding of (or perhaps just no interest in following) the law of stays. "Sure, kill and torture a bunch of innocent people while we decide whether doing so is legal" is NOT how stays are supposed to work. 1/2
supremecourt.gov
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
How is this idiot of a Senator, not to mention the clown-car aides who made that ridiculous poster, still holding his head up after falsely accusing Smith of perjury based on his completely imaginary conspiracy theory?
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Sam Brunson @smbrnsn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's not new, but literally every shadow docket hearing, the Supreme Court is reinforcing its illegitimacy. It is not a court. It is not doing the work of a court. In the interest of the rule of law, we need to ultimately abide by its rulings, but there is no future without significant court reform
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Evil.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Incredible. The 11th Circuit, in a 3-0 opinion (two Obama appointees and one Trump 1.0 appointee), agrees that Trump and his lawyers have failed to rebut the judge's finding that the entire IRS settlement was collusive, highlighting that no other explanation for their conduct was even offered.
IV
The appellants mount two main attacks on the district
court’s speech-related sanction. First, they argue that the court
lacked a sufficient basis to find that the lawsuit and the settlement
were collusive and that Messrs. Brito and Epstein acted in bad faith.
Second, they contend that the sanction is a broad and impermissible gag order which constitutes a prior restraint and violates the
First Amendment. We conclude that the appellants have not made
a strong showing that they will succeed on either of these grounds.The appellants did not submit or offer any evidence to explain their litigation conduct or demonstrate that the lawsuit and the settlement were not collusive. Given the record before us, the
appellants have not made a strong showing that the district court
committed clear error in its collusion and bad faith findings
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Reposted by Alison Frankel
The Free Speech Center @freespeechcenter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Calling the case extraordinary, Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie said Sept. 23 that allowing the lawsuit and its “faulty” claims to proceed could have a chilling effect that “can discourage others from reporting on and debating public affairs.” tinyurl.com/4njwbjnx
tinyurl.com
Iowa judge dismisses Trump's lawsuit against Des Moines Register and pollster
Judge sides with pollster J. Ann Selzer and the newspaper in affirming that the poll and coverage of it were constitutionally protected political speech, not a commercial product.
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Lawrence Hurley @lawrencehurley.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Major u-turn from Justice Alito as Supreme Court reveals he will no longer participate in the big climate change case being argued next week. Previously, the court told NBC News there was no reason for him to step aside despite his earlier recusal in same case.
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Ethics and Journalism Initiative has a great event tomorrow: Our director Steve Adler is interviewing the NYT's Peter Baker about how to handle a source who lies to you. Sign up here to listen in and ask questions: ethicsandjournalism.org/event/when-s...
ethicsandjournalism.org
When Sources Don’t Tell The Truth: How Journalists Can Ethically Cover Politics in an Age of Mistrust - Ethics and Journalism
Register here Join us for a timely 45-minute webinar featuring New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker exploring how journalists can report ethically and effectively on false statem...
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Reposted by Alison Frankel
Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"I immediately thought of Viktor Orban as soon as I saw this last ad because they were the same type of thing he did before finally losing his last election earlier this year. He spent 235 million euros of Hungarian taxpayer money on propaganda campaign material." open.substack.com/pub/heatherd...
open.substack.com
Donald Trump’s latest impeachable offense
Just before noon today, the President of the United States was standing just inches away from the trophy at the Medinah Country Club outside Chicago, wearing an extra-large suit that bulged along his ...
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Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
BREAKING: #SCOTUS again rejects GOP bid to tweak Missouri district lines to pick up another U.S. House seat, chides lower federal courts for ignoring Purcell principle and interfering in state decisions just prior to election. Remarkably, no noted dissent. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Supreme Court again snubs GOP gerrymander in Missouri
Justices also warned federal courts not to interfere with state decisions.
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Reposted by Alison Frankel
Reuters @reuters.com · 24/09/2026
US judge skeptical of Trump administration's Harvard admissions probe case reut.rs/47f8bjZ
reut.rs
US judge skeptical of Trump administration's Harvard admissions probe case
A federal judge on ​Thursday expressed skepticism that President Donald Trump's administration should be allowed to proceed with a lawsuit seeking ‌to force Harvard University to turn over records for an investigation into whether it continues to consider race in its student admissions process.
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Celeste Headlee @celesteheadlee.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
So, Banksy bought a used yacht, repaired it and retrofitted it to serve as a rescue boat to save migrants in the central Mediterranean. The whole project cost the artist $860,000. Since 2020, the boat has saved more than 3,800 people. londondaily.com/banksy-funds...
londondaily.com
Banksy funds refugee rescue boat operating in Mediterranean - London Daily
Exclusive: UK artist finances bright pink motor yacht that set sail in secrecy to avoid being intercepted by authorities
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
BREAKING: A POLITICO reporter was denied access to the White House Thursday and his press credentials confiscated after a judge ordered the Trump admin to immediately restore access for news organizations that Trump banned.
politico.com
POLITICO barred from White House after court ruling restoring access
The Secret Service confiscated a POLITICO reporter's press pass Thursday morning despite a federal judge’s decision hours earlier that a media ban appeared to violate the constitutional due process ri...
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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
BREAKING: Judge Timothy Kelly grants CNN, MS NOW, and Politico’s TRO against the Trump administration, ordering that the reporters affected “immediately” have their White House hard passes reinstated. The TRO is in effect for 14 days. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
For all these reasons, it is hereby ORDERED that:
1. Plaintiffs' Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, ECF No. 2, is GRANTED.
2. It is further ORDERED that Defendants (except for President Trump) and their agents, representatives, and all persons or entities acting in concert with them shall immedi-
ately return, reinstate, and restore the White House "hard pass" press credentials held by employees of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO that were revoked on or about September 18, 2026, until further Order of the Court or the expiration of this Temporary
Restraining Order.
3. It is further ORDERED that this Temporary Restraining Order shall remain in effect for 14 days.
4. It is further ORDERED that Plaintiffs shall post a $1.00 bond in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c) by October 1, 2026.
SO ORDERED.
Is/ Timothy J. Kelly
TIMOTHY J. KELLY
United States District Judge
Date: September 24, 2026
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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 23/09/2026
This lawsuit was fundamentally cruel, kicking Selzer when she was down simply to bolster an inane claim that pollsters were for inexplicable reasons intentionally getting results wrong. Should not have taken this long.
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Adam Steinbaugh @adamsteinbaugh.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
BREAKING: An Iowa state court dismisses President Donald Trump’s frivolous lawsuit against veteran pollster J. Ann Selzer (represented by @thefireorg.bsky.social) and the Des Moines Register newspaper, a victory for First Amendment rights. Opinion here: www.fire.org/research-lea...
This case sets a President, a member of Congress, and a former state senator against a pollster and a newspaper, and it arises out of an election. A case of that kind invites the reader to look for a political result. The Court’s role is narrower. It is to sit as an impartial arbiter, to apply the law without passion or prejudice, and to rule without regard to the politics of the day. As such, the only question before the Court is whether the Petition states a claim the law recognizes. At its core, the Plaintiffs’ Petition seeks to stretch both Iowa statutory and common law beyond their current bounds, turning speech that enjoys the highest category of First Amendment protection into a liability. After considering the parties’ arguments, the Court must conclude that the protection is too great and the reach is too far. The case must therefore be dismissed.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Trump media ban. Judge's words at the beginning presage his grant of a TRO, as did his colloquy with counsel. Only question is what grounds (if not all of the above).
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Reposted by Alison Frankel
Politico @politico.com · 23/09/2026
BREAKING: A federal judge appeared skeptical of the Trump administration’s move banning POLITICO, CNN and MS NOW from the White House, and said he will rule on the matter soon.
politico.com
Judge appears skeptical of Trump’s effort to ban news outlets from White House
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, said he would rule soon.
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Genevieve Lakier @genevievelakier.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The NYT has reprinted the gov brief in the press ban case and it is revealing. It makes clear that the admin's central arg for why Trump could kick CNN etc. out of the WH is that access to the WH is not a right but a privilege🧵 www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Read the White House Response to the Lawsuit From CNN, MS NOW and Politico
The Trump administration has defended its ban on the three media outlets in a court filing.
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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.com · 23/09/2026
Oh do listen
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Kittens have generously volunteered to test drive the blanket I made for my soon-to-arrive new grandson
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Reposted by Alison Frankel
Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said. It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
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Reposted by Alison Frankel
Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Here's the 27-page complaint just filed by CNN, MS NOW, and Politico challenging President Trump's categorical exclusion of those three outlets from the White House: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... As I explained this morning, this suit will succeed: www.stevevladeck.com/p/251-newsga...
storage.courtlistener.com
#1 in CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-03287) – CourtListener.com
COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF against Steven Cheung, DONALD J. TRUMP, SUSAN WILES ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12686613) filed by Betsy Klein, POLITICO LLC, MS NOW Cable, ...
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Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 19/09/2026
Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to the White House on Saturday morning, with reporters from the two cable networks both going live to report they’d been barred following a ban imposed by President Donald Trump.
chicagotribune.com
MS NOW, CNN and Politico say their journalists were denied access to White House after Trump ban
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Lawrence Hurley @lawrencehurley.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Two entities connected to NYU Law have very similar reports out about threats facing the judiciary and what to do about it: Rule of Law Lab: www.law.nyu.edu/rule-law-lab... Brennan Center: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
brennancenter.org
Protecting Judges from Rising Threats
Federal judges and their families are facing extraordinary pressures. Improved security can ensure that they remain safe and that judicial independence remains uncompromised.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 18/09/2026
President Trump is relentlessly trying to punish the media for coverage he doesn't like. This is an unconstitutional assault on the freedom of the press.
apnews.com
Trump says he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House
President Donald Trump says he is banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage, and threatens that more such prohibitions of media outlets could follow.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 18/09/2026
Exclusive: More American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly, according to six U.S. officials familiar with the data.
washingtonpost.com
More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly
Officials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department’s casualty database.
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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Other news organizations should leave the White House. They can of course still cover the administration--almost none of their coverage depends on being there physically. But they shouldn't stay there, raising their hands dutifully in the briefing room, as if it's business as usual.
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Truly a man of the people
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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
🚨An alarm is being sounded for the American public. Sitting federal judges go on the record with the NYT. On threats to democracy by DOJ/administration actions. Includes 90 minute interview with conservative Judge Patrick Schiltz. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/u...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Minnesota Surge Threatened Democracy, Judge Warns (Gift Article)
In a rare interview, Patrick Schiltz, who served as the federal court’s chief judge last winter, called the administration’s actions “a grave threat to the rule of law.”
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Pew Research Center @pewresearch.org · 16/09/2026
44% of U.S. adults say the press has become less free since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, compared with 12% who say it has become more free. About a quarter (26%) say there has been no change, and 17% aren’t sure. #PewKnightInitiative
Chart showing 44% of Americans say the press has become less free during this Trump Administration
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Job opportunity! The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is looking for a new VP for communications AND a new communications manager. RCFP is a fantastic group that provides free legal help for journalists. Jobs are based in DC. Links: lnkd.in/gkdVrAYX lnkd.in/gWpaNaG5
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Gotta love how the tabby looks back like, surely you knew this silly little contraption couldn’t contain us
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Reuters Legal @legal.reuters.com · 16/09/2026
The Associated Press on September 15 sued the US federal judiciary to challenge the constitutionality of a rule that restricted reporters' ability to easily access lawsuits by people detained as part of Trump's immigration crackdown reut.rs/4h8XUKP
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Having spent nearly 15 years at Reuters Legal, I lol’ed at Amanda’s post
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Reuters Legal @legal.reuters.com · 15/09/2026
JUST IN: Judge rejects adding Trump name to Kennedy Center as board weighs venue's future reut.rs/4xup6d9
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 15/09/2026
the truly crazy making part of all of this is that voter fraud EFFECTIVELY DOES NOT EXIST. you have a better chance of finding an actual leprechaun at the end of the rainbow than of finding evidence of voter fraud that influences an election
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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 15/09/2026
BREAKING: Tonight’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for the millions of American citizens who rely on mail voting. The Trump administration tried to use the postal service to interfere in our elections: it failed. 1/2
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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
BREAKING: SCOTUS denies the Trump administration’s request to enforce the new U.S. Postal Service rule for the 2026 elections. Justices Alito and Thomas dissent. More to come at Law Dork. www.lawdork.com
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
No. 26A305
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, ET AL. U.
CALIFORNIA, ET AL.
ON APPLICATION FOR STAY
[September 14, 2026]
The application for stay presented to JUSTICE JACKSON and by her referred to the Court is denied. The Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court's preliminary injunction. And the equitable factors applicable for obtaining emergency relief from this Court do not favor a stay.
JUSTICE KAVANAUGH, concurring.
In my view, based on the briefing the Court has received at this interim stage, there is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service's statutory authority. See 39 U. S. C. §401(2). But applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections. See 39
U. S. C. §3001(m); 5 U. S. C. §706(2)(A). For that reason, I concur in the denial of the application for stay.
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Alison Frankel @alisonfrankel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Another scandal uncovered by ProPublica. But how weird are the Trumps? The family has billions. No reason to take Russian money laundered in Dubai. Just pay for your own damn wedding.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 13/09/2026
For likely the first time in modern history, the Supreme Court decided more cases in fast-tracked, secretive proceedings than in open court. These “shadow docket” decisions have let the Trump admin. bypass lower courts on deportations, ICE stops and more — often with little to no explanation.
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Adam Bonin @adambonin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
On the anniversary of 9/11, remember the best of humanity on that day. Remember the people of Gander, Newfoundland, who reminded the world of the compassion and generosity each of us can extend, even on the most unthinkable of days. 1/2
wapo.st
On 9/11, a tiny Canadian town opened its runways and heart to 7,000 stranded travelers
Thirty-eight planes carrying thousands of passengers landed in Gander, Newfoundland. The town’s response was astonishing.
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Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
For those who are new, Joe DiGenova has spent the last 30 years baselessly accusing Democrats of committing crimes. If he is saying publicly the Trump administration pushed him out because he wouldn’t bring cases because there was no evidence, things are really bad.
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Politico @politico.com · 10/09/2026
Republican chief election officials say it is too late to implement Trump’s mail ballot order
dlvr.it
Republican chief election officials say it is too late to implement Trump’s mail ballot order
Seven Republican election officials urged the Supreme Court to not let the Trump administration’s controversial proposal go into effect for November.
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Lawrence Hurley @lawrencehurley.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
SCOTUS ruled against Hoskins 17 minutes after the deadline for him to file his response. That's unusually swift and decisive from the court.
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