☕ Afternoon briefing on June 29

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mail-in ballots can still be counted even if they are received after the polls close on election night. • The decision defies the expectations of Ohio Republicans, who had preemptively passed legislation to eliminate the grace period for arriving ballots.

• The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that President Donald Trump cannot currently fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from her position. • The court returned the "Cook Lawsuit," which challenged her suitability for the Federal Reserve Board, based on strictly procedural grounds.

• President Trump praised a recent Supreme Court ruling that expands presidential authority over the executive branch. • The decision allows the president to remove executive branch officers and agency appointees, overturning previous legal precedents.

• In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court rejected a GOP challenge regarding post-Election Day ballot receipt deadlines. • Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's liberal wing to uphold the practice of counting mail-in ballots received after the deadline, provided they were postmarked on time.

• The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge that sought to outlaw the practice of counting mail-in ballots after Election Day, bringing relief to election officials in affected states. • Donald Trump condemned the ruling as a "tremendous loss" and utilized the decision to intensify his push for the "SAVE AMERICA ACT," a stalled election law bill.

• The Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision that represents another legal setback for President Donald Trump regarding a long-standing personal obsession. • The ruling follows a series of high-court decisions that have consistently blocked or snubbed the president's specific legal objectives.

• President Donald Trump faced multiple setbacks on Monday as the Supreme Court and the Republican-controlled Senate limited his efforts to restrict voting access. • A key Supreme Court decision allows states to continue counting certain ballots that arrive after Election Day, countering Trump's attempts to tighten voting rules.

• The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the legality of a state grace period that allows mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day to be counted. • Republican Tate Reeves criticized the ruling on social media, arguing that the practice should not be permitted despite the court finding it constitutional.

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is conducting a comprehensive review of its database of killed journalists following reports that some listed individuals were members of Palestinian terror groups. • The review aims to ensure that no one actively engaged in combat is classified as a journalist within the organization's data.

• A local court remanded eight individuals to 14 days of judicial custody on Monday, June 29, 2026. • The arrests follow allegations of embezzlement involving donations intended for the Ram temple.

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is reviewing its database of journalists killed in Gaza following a December study by the Meir Amit Center. • The study claims that 60% of the individuals identified as journalists who were killed in the region were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

• Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) is requesting pitches for a social media creative agency of record to support the Singapore Global Network. • The selected agency will be responsible for content marketing, campaign planning, and overall digital strategy across the network's social channels.