The Supreme Court's conservative majority sounds skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a target of President Donald Trump. The court heard arguments Monday in a case from Mississippi that also could affect voters in 13 other states and the District of Columbia, which have grace periods for ballots cast by mail. An additional 15 states that have more forgiving deadlines for ballots from military and overseas voters also could be impacted. A ruling is expected by late June, early enough to govern the counting of ballots in the 2026 midterm congressional elections. The court challenge is part of Trump's broader attack on most mail balloting.

A call to overturn the landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide is on the agenda Friday for the justices' closed-door conference. Among the new cases the justices are expected to consider is a longshot appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Davis had been trying to get the court to overturn a lower court order for her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney's fees to a couple whom she denied a marriage license. Clarence Thomas is the only justice to call for erasing the same-sex marriage ruling.

A split Supreme Court has rejected a pair of gun rights cases, though one conservative justice predicts the court will soon consider whether assault weapons bans are constitutional. The majority did not explain its reasoning in turning down the cases over high-capacity magazines and guns like the AR-15, which are popular weapons that have also been used in mass shootings. Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated Monday he's skeptical that the bans are constitutional and said he expects the court to return to the issue soon. The decisions in cases from Maryland and Rhode Island come three years after the high court handed down a landmark ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights.

The federal judiciary is warning that Congress is not providing enough money for judges' security, at a time of escalating threats and chilling efforts at intimidation. More than five dozen judges handling lawsuits against the Trump administration are receiving "enhanced online security screening" that typically includes scrubbing their personal information from the internet. That's according to two federal judges appointed by Republican presidents and writing in a letter on behalf of the judiciary in a letter to congressional appropriators. President Donald Trump, senior aide Stephen Miller and billionaire Elon Musk have railed at judges who have blocked parts of Trump's agenda, threatening impeachment and launching personal attacks.

Kentucky Republicans are considering the race for the U.S. Senate seat being opened by Mitch McConnell's announcement he's retiring. McConnell is ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell chose his 83rd birthday on Thursday to share his decision to retire when his current term ends in 2027. U.S. Rep. Andy Barr says he'll make a decision soon about his future. Former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron says "it's time for a new generation of leadership" in the Senate. Another looming GOP candidate is businessman Nate Morris. Barr, Cameron and Morris have professed loyalty to Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly three months after she won confirmation to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson is officially becoming a justice.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Monday that judges are not deciding cases to impose a "policy result," but are…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Clarence Thomas participated in arguments at the Supreme Court via telephone rather than in person on Monday followi…