Voting Rights Groups Move to Block Newly-Finalized Mail Ballot Rule

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Donald Trump regarding mail-in voting on Monday, though the court stopped short of declaring his specific order legal. • The decision avoids a definitive ruling on the legality of the voting mandates, leaving significant legal ambiguities unresolved.

• Ilya Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, argues that Democrats are pursuing dangerous "reforms" to the Supreme Court after losing key legal cases. • Shapiro asserts that losing cases does not constitute a constitutional crisis and that the proper way to change the Court's direction is by winning elections to appoint new judges.

• A new Verasight poll conducted from August 14–19, 2026, reveals a significant decline in President Trump's approval ratings across key policy areas. • Trump has hit new lows regarding prices and foreign policy, and has now become net negative on border security, which was previously his last positive issue.

• CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly warned Russia against attacking NATO member countries during a recent diplomatic visit to Moscow. • The Kremlin has dismissed these reports as "scare stories," while the Pentagon policy chief prepares for an upcoming meeting with the NATO secretary general.

• The Atlantic reports that conservative Supreme Court justices are increasingly ignoring evidentiary records and factual findings established by lower courts. • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson highlighted this trend in a dissent, noting that the Court disregarded district court findings regarding the "incredible strain" Trump's orders placed on state officials.

• Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and another "red state" are petitioning the Supreme Court to intervene in an antitrust lawsuit led by California and 11 other "blue states." • The legal battle centers on an attempt by these states to block a $110 billion merger that has already been cleared by the U.S. government and global competition regulators.

• The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden have urged the European Commission to resume debates on leveraging frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine. • The four nations sent a formal letter to foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee to address a €23 billion deficit in Ukraine's defense budget.

• A glacier collapse triggered a devastating flash flood along the Bhote Koshi river near the Nepal-Tibet border, resulting in at least 17 confirmed deaths. • Search and rescue operations are underway for several missing persons, including two British teenagers caught in the disaster.

• Iran has launched a renewed diplomatic push, proposing a plan with Oman to ensure the continued movement of ships through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. • Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is visiting Tehran to facilitate mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited leaders from Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark to Berlin for a lunch meeting to discuss shrinking the EU's next seven-year budget. • Sweden will also participate in the discussions remotely to coordinate a strategy for reducing spending.

• Nile Gardiner, a former aide to Margaret Thatcher and Senior Director at the Heritage Foundation, criticized the European Union during an interview with GB News. • Gardiner described the current state of Brussels as a "symbol of Europe's slump," claiming the city has undergone a significant decline.