It’s the start of a new week! Welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Let’s break down the latest news.
Supreme Court Lets Trump Defamation Verdict Stand….The Supreme Court declined to hear Donald Trump’s appeal of the $5 million judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving intact a jury’s finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the 1990s and defamed her in 2022 when he publicly denied her allegations. Trump’s legal team argued that evidence presented at trial—including the “Access Hollywood” tape and testimony from other women who accused him of misconduct—should not have been admitted. Lower courts rejected those arguments, and the Supreme Court’s decision effectively ends Trump’s effort to overturn the verdict. Trump is still appealing a separate $83 million defamation judgment Carroll won in a related case.
Common Sense Takeaway: Let’s just think about this for a moment. The sitting president was held legally liable for sexual assault and defamation and owes a woman $88 million+ (!!!) yet he’s still trying to appeal these decisions all the way up to the Supreme Court. How embarrassing. This is a huge win for E. Jean Carroll—now Trump needs to pay up and leave this woman alone forever.
Supreme Court Upholds Mail Ballot Grace Periods….In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrive several days later. The ruling preserves similar policies in 29 states and rejects efforts by the Republican Party and the Trump administration to impose stricter federal limits on mail voting. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, said states retain broad authority to run their own elections unless Congress explicitly says otherwise. The decision is particularly significant ahead of the 2026 midterms, as millions of voters—including rural, overseas, military, and disabled voters—rely on mail ballots.
Common Sense Takeaway: In a rare correct decision by the Extreme Court, mail-in voting rights are held intact for now. Unfortunately, Trump also issued an executive order recently that allows the USPS to withhold delivering mail-in ballots unless they are on “approved voter rolls.” Beware: this administration will stop at nothing to disenfranchise voters and rig elections.
Supreme Court Expands Presidential Control Over Independent Agencies….In a landmark 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court gave President Trump and future presidents significantly more power over independent federal agencies by allowing the removal of agency officials for policy disagreements. The case centered on Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, a Democrat whom Trump sought to remove. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said longstanding congressional protections that shielded officials at agencies like the FTC from being fired without cause violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. The decision overturns nearly 90 years of precedent and could reshape how agencies such as the FTC, SEC, FCC, and Federal Election Commission operate.
Common Sense Takeaway: “Chief Justice John Roberts said longstanding congressional protections that shielded officials at agencies like the FTC from being fired without cause violate the Constitution’s separation of powers.” Hey John, actually the president firing the Chairs of independent agencies like the FTC, FEC, and SEC for their political beliefs violates separation of powers! That’s not hard to understand. This is a disastrous opinion that will have extremely negative implications for years to come.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Wtg E. Jean!
Good news.