News Wrap: Trump asks Supreme Court to lift block on mail ballot order

Geoff Bennett:

In the day's other headlines: The Trump administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a block on a plan to restrict mail-in voting just a day before the first ballots are set to go out for this year's midterms.

Under President Trump's executive order, the Postal Service could refuse to deliver certain ballots and force 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 reportedly charging a U.S. immigration enforcement officer with lying to investigators about the shooting of a Venezuelan man earlier this year. That's according to the Associated Press and other news outlets.

The charges against Christian Castro mark a rare instance of the Trump Justice Department accusing a federal agent of breaking the law while on duty. Castro was among thousands of officers who were part of an immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year. He was released from jail last week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to hand him over to Minnesota authorities to face charges there.

Also in Minneapolis, prosecutors say the gunman who carried out a deadly shooting in an apartment building yesterday had been investigated by police in June, but was not charged. At a briefing today, officials identified the man as 35-year-old Carlton Johnson, saying he had a legal permit to carry the gun.

Court documents say he was facing eviction and had threatened a fellow resident in the months before the shooting, in which two people were killed and five others were injured. That's according to police officers. The shooter was later killed by police.

Billionaire investor Leon Black is defying a congressional subpoena to address his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and is instead suing the House panel. Black is asking a federal court to block two subpoenas, one that calls for him to produce nondisclosure agreements and other documents and another for his appearance itself.

In a statement, his lawyer accused the committee of being on a -- quote -- "fishing expedition" that oversteps its authority. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who was named in the suit, accused Black of hiding behind litigation.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY):

I would hold him in contempt right now. Of all the powerful billionaires and political people we brought in for interviews and depositions, this is the first time anyone's filed suit.

Geoff Bennett:

The top Democrat on the committee, Congressman Robert Garcia, is calling for Black to be held in contempt. Black denies any wrongdoing.

The jury in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial ended a sixth day of deliberations without a verdict. Today, her defense attorney called for the removal of a single juror who is said to be holding up a verdict. The judge refused the request and once again urged the jurors to keep trying to reach a unanimous decision to avoid a mistrial.

The jury is deciding whether to hold Clancy criminally responsible for killing her three children in 2023. Deliberations are set to resume tomorrow.

Turning now to the Middle East, Iran fired on Kuwait today as part of its retaliation for U.S. bombings earlier this week. Kuwait says its air defenses intercepted the missiles and drones. U.S. allies Jordan and Bahrain say they also intercepted attacks yesterday.

Meantime, in Southern Iran, hundreds gathered for the funeral today of four of the victims from a reported U.S. airstrike that hit a wedding. At a White House press briefing today, Vice President J.D. Vance said the U.S. is investigating the incident and said the military never targets civilians.

J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States: We never will do that. We never have done that. And, unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen. When our military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to get better from them.

Geoff Bennett:

Vance was also asked if the war would be over by the November midterm elections. He responded by saying that he -- quote -- "wouldn't call it a war" and said it depends on Iran's actions.

In Thailand, sailors and Marines from the USS Lincoln are finally on dry land following their long deployment in the Middle East. Some 5,000 service members streamed into the beach city of Pattaya by bus after more than nine months at sea. Multiple media reports had raised concerns about poor living conditions aboard the ship, though military officials and President Trump largely dismissed those reports.

One sailor's mother flew all the way from New Jersey for an emotional reunion with her daughter.

Shakeira Fairfax, Mother of USS Abraham Lincoln Soldier: I just can't wait to see her smile. I can't wait to hear "Mom." I know that's the first thing she's going to say. I can't wait to hear her say "Mom."

Geoff Bennett:

The crew will enjoy several days of R&R in Thailand before their weathered ship is scheduled to resume its journey home to San Diego on Sunday.

In Nepal, thousands of displaced people are struggling to access essential supplies after last week's devastating floods cut off major access routes. Residents in some of the worst-affected areas are using temporary zip lines to cross a major river after flooding damaged bridges and roads.

Meantime, search-and-rescue efforts are increasingly focused on tunnels at several hydropower projects, where authorities believe some workers may still be alive sheltered by pockets of air. One worker who managed to escape as the disaster hit described the ordeal.

Dhan Bahadur Tamang, Survivor of Tunnel Flooding (through translator): When the flood came, I hung on to floating debris to keep my head above the water. I felt like I was going to die. There were so many people who had died there, and we could see bodies everywhere.

Geoff Bennett:

Specialized rescue teams from India, China and the U.S. are involved in the rescue efforts. Officials say the death toll has risen to more than 1,200 people in Nepal and Tibet, with at least 4,700 others still missing.

Well, stocks on Wall Street rallied today as bond yields eased a bit more. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 600 points. The Nasdaq rose nearly 1.5 percent. The S&P 500 also ended sharply higher.

Still to come on the "News Hour": Russia considers calling up more soldiers, given the high death toll in its war against Ukraine; the NBA hits the Los Angeles Clippers with a record fine for circumventing the salary cap; and our "Settle In" podcast discusses the rise in Islamophobic rhetoric among politicians.