중간선거 우편 투표 시작, 국세청 학교 DEI 프로그램 겨냥, ICE 요원 기소
As midterm mail-in voting begins, the Trump administration pushes the Supreme Court to enforce new postal ballot rules, the IRS moves to strip tax-exempt status from schools with diversity programs, and a federal ICE officer faces rare criminal charges for allegedly lying about a shooting.
영어 저널리즘에서는 법적 판결이나 정책 결정을 설명할 때 “block,” “lift a block,” “weigh in on” 같은 동사구가 자주 쓰입니다. 이 표현들은 단순한 동사보다 훨씬 강한 뉘앙스를 전달하며, C1 수준의 독자라면 문맥 안에서 이 차이를 정확히 이해하고 사용할 수 있어야 합니다. 예를 들어 “The court lifted the block on the policy”는 “법원이 정책에 대한 금지를 해제했다”는 의미로, 공식 문서나 기사에서 매우 자주 등장하는 표현입니다.
As midterm elections officially begin with mail-in voting today, the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow the Postal Service to impose new requirements on mail ballots. Under the plan, USPS would refuse to deliver ballots unless state officials provide voter name-and-address lists and ensure ballot envelopes carry specific barcodes. A federal judge in Boston has already blocked these requirements, ruling that USPS likely has no legal authority to regulate voting by mail.
The administration argues the requirements simply regulate mail handling, not federal elections — a distinction the Constitution leaves to states and Congress.
Adding to the uncertainty, USPS has confirmed it still has no firm launch date for the online portal states would need to comply with the new rules. A whistleblower report this week alleged the portal had not been properly tested and could prevent eligible voters from receiving ballots. Election officials in states that vote exclusively by mail are already developing backup plans,
and some overseas and military voters have considered flying home to cast ballots in person rather than risk their mail ballot not arriving.
The IRS has announced plans to revoke the tax-exempt status of private schools and universities that run programs designed to benefit students on the basis of race.
The affected institutions include elementary schools, high schools, universities, and trade schools — potentially thousands across the country — that offer scholarships, mentorship programs, or support services aimed at Black, Latino, and other minority students. The penalty would take effect as early as next spring.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the move as an anti-discrimination measure, stating that “racial discrimination has no place in American education.” This marks a dramatic shift from longstanding IRS practice, which historically allowed race-conscious programs as long as they were designed to advance racial equity
or remedy the effects of past societal discrimination. University faculty groups, including the American Association of University Professors, vowed to resist the policy, calling it an attempt to dismantle the country’s higher education system.
A federal ICE officer has been charged with making false statements about a shooting that took place in Minneapolis earlier this year. Prosecutors allege the officer’s account of the incident was contradicted by video evidence,
making the case notable as a rare criminal prosecution of a federal immigration enforcement officer under the current administration.
The charges highlight ongoing tension around accountability for federal law enforcement officers, particularly within Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Trump administration has broadly expanded ICE’s operational scope and personnel, but critics have argued that this expansion has come with insufficient oversight mechanisms.
The prosecution is being watched closely by civil liberties advocates as a test of whether federal officers can be held criminally accountable for conduct in the field.
Today’s Key Words
오늘의 핵심 단어 및 표현