1 Supreme Court Allows Mail-In Ballots To Be Counted That Arrive After Election Day
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states can count mail ballots that are sent on time but arrive after Election Day, rejecting a Republican-led challenge. The 5 to 4 decision upheld laws in more than half the states and the District of Columbia that allow mailed ballots to be counted for a number of days after the election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The case, known as Watson v. Republican National Committee, centered on a Mississippi law that allows ballots to be counted up to five days after the election if postmarked in time. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the three liberal justices. The ruling is a setback for President Trump, who has repeatedly claimed that mail voting breeds fraud. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, despite the win for his state, called on lawmakers to repeal the law anyway.
2 US Set For Talks On Iran Today In Qatar
President Trump said yesterday that a U.S. team was heading to Doha, Qatar, to discuss Iran's nuclear program at a meeting Tuesday, even as Iranian state media reported there would be no negotiations between the two sides there. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the team had likely already left and that the meeting could prove important or not, saying they would find out. He called the war almost won militarily and said the goal is simple, the denuclearization of Iran, insisting the country will not have a nuclear weapon. A classified briefing for relevant committees is expected later this week.
3 JetBlue Flight Reports Hitting A Drone During Landing At JFK
A JetBlue pilot reported striking a drone while approaching JFK Airport in New York yesterday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The plane, arriving from Las Vegas, landed safely, and both the airline and the FAA said post-flight inspections found no damage or evidence of a collision. The pilot told an air traffic controller that the drone hit the plane right above the cockpit at about 3,000 feet, saying they collided with it during the turn but did not need any assistance and were fine to continue landing. JetBlue said safety is its first priority and that it will help with any investigations. The FAA, which plans to investigate, says it gets more than 100 reports of drone sightings near airports each month. Flying drones near planes and airports is illegal, and operators can face fines, criminal charges, and even jail time.