Supreme Court blocks Trump push to void thousands of California ballots

The Supreme Court voted Monday to keep thousands of disputed California ballots in the count.

The high court rejected the Trump administration's request to force the state to set aside votes cast by 20,000 individuals. The Republican administration flagged these people as likely noncitizens on the largely Democratic state's voter rolls. The decision arrived hours before the final day of voting in the pivotal midterm elections.

The swift rejection marked the latest loss in a string of legal defeats for the president. The White House had sought to intervene in the election before the counting of ballots began. The outcome of these midterms will determine which party controls Congress during the last two years of Trump's second term.

President Donald Trump used his final major speech before Election Day to promote domestic infrastructure projects rather than campaign across the country. He stood in Washington while triumphant music played as he held up a poster of the renovated Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The pool had previously been covered in algae. The president used the event to pitch his party's strength to voters who are not actively following the campaign trail.

Democrats focused their closing messages on the economy. Party leaders sought to move past intraparty infighting in the Midwest. They framed their opponents as dangerous radicals while emphasizing economic concerns for voters. The dueling messages came as both parties battled for control of Congress and key governors' offices.

In a separate development, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Harvard University. The Justice Department had demanded admissions records to ensure the school stopped using affirmative action. Judge Myong Joun concluded that the department failed to take necessary procedural steps to obtain the data before filing suit.

Judge Zia Faruqui also dismissed criminal charges against two former FBI officials on Monday. He cited the weaponization of the Justice Department in a scathing hourlong ruling read from the bench. The judge said the investigation into Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides was rushed and conducted at the behest of Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel. He noted critical mistakes in the process that required the dismissal of the case.

The legal rulings coincided with a business jet crash in South Florida that killed nine people. Investigators said the Learjet likely broke apart before hitting the ground near West Palm Beach. The flight, which originated in Austin, Texas, was headed to the Bahamas when it crashed and exploded on Sunday. The copilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, was 20 years old and had been a licensed pilot since high school. Authorities are examining weather conditions and crew actions as part of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.