In a news wrap on Thursday, the Trump administration requested the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a block on a plan to restrict mail-in voting, as federal prosecutors charged an immigration officer with lying about the shooting of a Venezuelan man. Billionaire Leon Black is suing a House panel after defying a congressional subpoena regarding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Trump administration's request comes just a day before the first ballots are set to be sent out for the midterm elections. Under President Trump's executive order, the Postal Service could refuse to deliver certain ballots and require states to submit lists of eligible voters to an online portal. A federal judge in Boston had paused the order last week.
Federal prosecutors are charging Christian Castro, a U.S. immigration enforcement officer, with lying to investigators about the shooting of a Venezuelan man earlier this year, according to reports from the Associated Press and other news outlets. This case marks a rare instance of the Trump Justice Department accusing a federal agent of misconduct while on duty. Castro was part of an immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year and was released from jail last week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott declined to hand him over to Minnesota authorities.
In Minneapolis, prosecutors reported that Carlton Johnson, the gunman in a recent deadly shooting, had been previously investigated by police but not charged. Johnson, who had a legal permit to carry a gun, was identified as the shooter in an incident that resulted in two deaths and five injuries. He was later killed by police.
Leon Black is challenging a congressional subpoena related to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, seeking to block two subpoenas: one for documents and another for his appearance before the House panel. His lawyer claimed the committee is conducting a "fishing expedition" that exceeds its authority. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated that Black is attempting to evade accountability.
The jury in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial has completed six days of deliberations without reaching a verdict. Clancy's attorney requested the removal of a juror believed to be obstructing a decision, but the judge denied the request, urging the jury to continue working towards a unanimous verdict.
In the Middle East, Iran fired missiles at Kuwait in retaliation for U.S. bombings earlier in the week. Kuwait's air defenses intercepted the missiles, and U.S. allies Jordan and Bahrain reported intercepting attacks as well. In Southern Iran, a funeral was held for victims of a U.S. airstrike that reportedly hit a wedding. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the U.S. is investigating the incident and emphasized that the military does not target civilians.
In Thailand, sailors and Marines from the USS Lincoln returned to land after a nine-month deployment in the Middle East. Approximately 5,000 service members arrived in Pattaya, with reports of poor living conditions aboard the ship being dismissed by military officials and President Trump. One sailor's mother expressed her excitement for their reunion.
In Nepal, thousands of displaced individuals are struggling to access essential supplies following devastating floods that cut off major access routes. Residents in affected areas are using temporary zip lines to cross damaged rivers. Search-and-rescue efforts are focused on tunnels at hydropower projects, where some workers may still be alive. The death toll has surpassed 1,200 in Nepal and Tibet, with over 4,700 individuals still missing.
On Wall Street, stocks rallied as bond yields eased, with the Dow Jones industrial average increasing by more than 600 points, the Nasdaq rising nearly 1.5 percent, and the S&P 500 also closing sharply higher.