Whistleblower Warns New USPS Mail Voting Rules Could Sabotage Midterms

A U.S. Postal Service official has accused the agency of defying court orders as it rushes to implement the Trump administration’s mail-in voting restrictions.

The allegations were made public Tuesday morning by way of a letter from Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal to Postmaster General David Steiner. Citing the insider’s testimony, Blumenthal said that the “risky and haphazard” implementation of President Donald Trump’s March executive order—which granted the postal service new gatekeeping responsibilities regarding mail-in ballots—could lead to a “catastrophic failure” in America’s voting procedures come November.

The executive order was in legal limbo for months—up until last week, when the Supreme Court decided that the lawsuit challenging the order was premature since the administration had not yet implemented it. The Supreme Court was clear that it had not ruled on the legality of Trump’s order, but nonetheless allowed it to move forward.

Still, the postal service’s plan to carry out the marching orders is already fraught with problems, according to the whistleblower report.

The snail-mail carrier has been building an entirely new federal ballot mail portal since June, months before the service was permitted to move forward with the executive order. The portal will screen all incoming ballots, but its development has been “rushed” and “risky” as the service tried to meet “impossible deadlines”.

For instance, the agency has eliminated testing procedures for the portal platform, a risk that could potentially “derail the midterm elections,” according to the whistleblower.

“Potentially millions of American voters may not receive their mail-in ballot this election cycle in a timely manner, or at all,” the official said.

Blumenthal told reporters by phone on Monday that “the main takeaway for me is that the Postal Service has designed a system to disenfranchise millions of Americans. One-third of all Americans cast their ballots by mail, and the USPS puts all of their votes at risk.”

Voting by mail will invariably become more difficult for the tens of millions of Americans who depend on the service under Trump’s new order. Even if a voter does everything right, their vote could still be rejected by the Postal Service’s new portal.

Part of the problem is the system’s 0 percent failure rate, which processes ballots in large batches but rejects the lot if one fails to pass muster.

“For example, if a state election official brings a batch of 10,000 ballots to USPS and USPS is unable to match just one of those ballots against the portal—because, for example, someone has recently changed their name after marriage or they’ve moved—then USPS would refuse to mail the remaining 9,999 ballots as well,” Blumenthal wrote. USPS would then expect the state to “take back the entire batch to cure the issue with the single ballot,” according to the whistleblower.

The whistleblower claimed that developing such a portal and the infrastructure to support it should take the service a year or more, but USPS leadership nonetheless demanded that the electronic processor be launched by September 1—less than six months after the executive order was signed, and just two months before the midterm election cycle.

For Americans, it’s been a real tough summer for figuring out what foods are safe to eat.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced 26 notices for food products this August alone (not including pet food). Including drugs, that total increased to 46 recalls. That’s a notable increase from August 2025 when just 26 products were recalled, including 18 food products, and from August 2024 when 24 products were recalled, including 19 food products.

A lot of it was salmonella. In the past month, the FDA issued 12 different product recalls for potential salmonella contamination—a six-times increase from the month before. In July, the FDA recalled only two products for potential salmonella contamination. In August 2025 and August 2024, only one product was recalled for potential salmonella contamination.

The latest recalls over salmonella concerns include radishes, mangos, alfalfa spouts, granola, and jalapenos and the many, many pre-made dishes that include them as ingredients. A number of food products were recalled in this month for other concerning reasons, including glass in fruit popsicles; metal in sourdough; and most recently ink in tofu.

Salmonella’s just the tip of the iceberg—lettuce, that is. American consumers are still reeling from the past few months’ deadly cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms facilities, and recalls of frozen blueberries for potential E. Coli contamination.

Obviously, there has been a sharp increase in the number of recalls. It’s not immediately clear whether the increase in recalls can be attributed to increased enforcement or more hazardous food—but the rapidly rising rate of recalls makes you wonder: Is this what making America healthy again looks like?

Here’s a complete list of (human) food recalls in the month of August 2026:

• Hodo Chilli Crisp Lightly Fried Tofu for potential ink contamination (the recall was initiated on August 7 but not widely reported until Aug. 31)
• Kofinas Garlic Mediterranean Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil for containing essential oil not approved for culinary use (Aug. 31)
• Little Temptations Chocolatey Eyeballs for containing undeclared milk (Aug. 31)
• Everything Sprouts Robust Radish Mix for potential contamination of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli or Salmonella (Aug. 29)
• Martina Mangoes for Salmonella (Aug. 29)
• Jaime’s Spanish Village Jalapeno Ranch Dressing for containing undeclared eggs (Aug. 26)
• Momchipz’s Veggie Chips Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower for containing undeclared wheat (Aug. 24)
• Donutful Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Cake Donuts for containing undeclared milk (Aug. 24)
• Everything Sprouts, Calco Alfalfa Sprouts for potential contamination of Salmonella or Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (Aug. 22)
• A variety of breads produced by Prince for undeclared milk and sesame (Aug. 19)
• Potato sourdough bread from Grand Central Bakery for potentially containing pieces of metal (Aug. 19)
• Fruit popsicles from Outshine, for possible glass contamination (Aug. 18)
• Apulian Almond & Cocoa Spread from Prolon for undeclared cashews, pistachios and/or hazelnuts (Aug. 17)
• Jalapenos from Dairyland Produce LLC for potential salmonella contamination (Aug. 17)
• Salad dress from Salata for potential salmonella contamination (Aug. 14)
• A variety of pre-made vegetable products from NatureBest, including pico de gallo, stuffed mushrooms, and soup-mix containing jalapeno for potential salmonella contamination. (Aug. 14)
• Granola from The Hampton Grocer for potential salmonella contamination (Aug. 14)
• Tomato Bisque Soup Kit from Marketside for potential listeria monocytogenes contamination (Aug. 13)
• Vitasia Chinese Style Asian Style Wok Spice Mix for potential salmonella contamination (Aug. 12)
• Frankie’s Organic Vegan Cheddar Puffs for undeclared milk (Aug. 12)
• A variety of pre-made food products from Whole Foods Market containing jalapeno for potential salmonella contamination (Aug. 12)
• A variety of pre-made food products from Trader Joes containing jalapeno for potential salmonella contamination (Aug. 9)
• Green powder products from Food To Live for possible salmonella contamination (Aug. 7)
• Sura Tanmen Hot and Sour Flavor Premium Japanese Noodles & Soup Base for undeclared fish (Aug. 6)
• Vegan Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Coconut Fudge Sandwiches from Blank Slate Creamery for undeclared egg allergen
• Pistachio nut butter from BetterGoods for possible salmonella contamination
• Ukrops Homestyle Foods Baked Spaghetti and Bread Pudding products for potential presence of aluminum silvers

A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Trump to continue construction on his White House ballroom.

In a 5–4 decision that broke somewhat along traditional ideological lines, the court granted an emergency request filed by the Trump administration to proceed with construction on the president’s controversial plans for a White House ballroom. Justice John Roberts joined all three of the court’s liberal justices in dissenting.

“Construction of the ballroom has proceeded apace for the better part of a year,” Roberts wrote on behalf of the four dissenting justices. “That construction is likely unlawful. Pursuant to its plenary constitutional authority over the District of Columbia and federal property, Congress has explicitly prohibited the construction of any ‘building or structure … on any reservation, park, or public grounds of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia without express authority of Congress.” … The ballroom is a building or structure being erected on federal park grounds—President’s Park—in the District of Columbia. Yet Congress has not passed any law resembling ‘express authority’ for the Executive’s construction of it.”

The conservative majority, in an unsigned decision, rejected the challenge from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which was seeking to halt construction of the ballroom indefinitely. The five justices did not rule on whether construction of the ballroom was in fact legal, but determined that the National Trust lacked the legal right to challenge the project.

“This Court has not found standing in circumstances like these before,” the court’s opinion read. “To the contrary, we have repeatedly held that mere offense, disagreement, or distaste does not qualify.”

While the court didn’t rule on the legality of the ballroom’s construction, the decision is still a major win for Trump—and an infringement on the powers of Congress.

“The White House is not just any building,” Roberts noted in the dissent. “In failing to appreciate as much, the court misconceives the plaintiff’s injury, allowing the executive’s likely infringement of the legislature’s power of the purse and authority to regulate federal property in the District of Columbia to continue.”

Trump has tried to push forward his 90,000-square-foot ballroom by arguing that it will provide a secure underground facility in case of a national emergency, but a recent report revealed that a bunker already exists under the White House to protect the president and his team if necessary. Meanwhile, the skyrocketing costs of the ballroom keeps escalating. What Trump originally claimed would be a $200 million project funded by donors has now turned into a $600 million boondogglewith taxpayers on the hook for half that amount.

This story has been updated.

“I regret ever supporting you.” “You have lost your mind.” “Horrendous messaging.”

These are just a few of the messages that President Trump’s supporters have sent him on Truth Social after his Monday morning attack on opponents of data centers.

Trump had defended data center projects, saying communities who oppose them “want to end up being backwards and poor.” “If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign,” he posted, adding that China “could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement.”

Some of his supporters on Truth Social were incensed.

“This statement is insane,” said @FLBeachbird. “I’m already on a water restriction.”

“You’re an idiot. You’ll be making money I suspect. Meanwhile our lives get shittier with no water, more noise,” commented @Seigfried75.

Trump has consistently backed data centers, which are proliferating amid the artificial intelligence boom, during his second term as president. Last month he said, “You have communities that really want the data centers, and frankly those are the smart communities because it means a tremendous numbers of jobs, very little actual disruption.”

In reality, people living near data centers complain about the negative effects on their lives, from the drain on water supplies to increased noise and utility costs. Most data centers only provide a few dozen permanent on-site jobs too. Public opposition to data centers has united people on the left and right.

Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule removing requirements that data centers would have to disclose how much they pollute, blocking residents who live near them from knowing what substances they’re being exposed to and denying them evidence to cite in any legal challenges.

It seems that Trump is will continue to stubbornly promote data centers, regardless not only of the environmental and economic costs, but the political ones too.

America’s 80-year-old president cannot keep his eyes open.

Donald Trump was caught on camera getting some shuteye Monday afternoon—in the middle of a health care announcement at the White House.

Surrounded by several Cabinet members and a host of health care executives, Trump started slouching in his chair after he finished speaking. Then, while Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the cameras, Trump fluttered his eyes closed.

Trump’s slumber was intermittently interrupted by a jolt awake, followed by a darting glance around the room. But the president repeatedly returned to a drooped position, resting his hands on the Resolute Desk while slowly nodding his head along to the meter of his crew’s speech, rarely blinking or flexing his eyelids.

The president’s entourage has bragged for years about Trump’s supposedly endless supply of energy, claiming that he routinely works into the early hours of the morning and that they are themselves surprised by his short sleep habits.

But the MAGA leader’s often bizarre conduct in the public eye has spurred calls for a health examination as medical experts, politicians, and voters alike fret over symptoms of Trump’s potential cognitive decline.

Over the first year and change of his second term, Trump’s speeches have become more disjointed and incoherent, his behavior increasingly erratic, and his appearances more unwilling and unpredictable. Trump has spent hours at Walter Reed Medical Center, fallen asleep during more than a dozen critical meetings, appeared lost and disoriented around foreign heads of state, frequently slurred his speech, and appeared with discolored and bruised skin on several occasions.

So far this year, he has undermined several of America’s oldest alliances, started beef with Pope Leo XIV, and thrust the U.S. into war with Iran without a feasible game plan.