Afternoon Sun: Par for the Course

Good afternoon. This is the Afternoon Sun newsletter for Oct. 19, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump announced this morning that he plans to launch a women’s health task force to be led by none other than … Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (and Susie Wiles, who, as Trump pointed out, recently battled breast cancer).

• Melania Trump pushed her husband to set up the initiative, USA Today reports.

D.C. District Judge Ana Reyes sparred with Justice Department lawyers again today over Trump’s hostile takeover of the East Potomac Golf Links, just hours after he called her a “crazed lunatic” in a post on social media.

THE ADMINISTRATION

The Trump administration arrested dozens of people in California who it claims registered to vote illegally, another major escalation in its quest to push the state into changing its voting rules.

THE COURTS

The Supreme Court this morning made a flurry of consequential decisions about what cases to take up this term.

• The high court declined to hear the case of a former National Labor Relations Board member fired by Trump last year, representing a big win for the president’s authority over independent agencies.
• Justices opted to hear a new challenge to school admissions policies aimed at fostering equity.
• The court also agreed to take up a case concerning a Reconstruction-era ban on distilling spirits in private homes.

The Democratic National Committee is asking a judge to stop a political ad paid for by MAGA Inc. from airing.

• The DNC alleged in a court filing that White House staff helped to produce the ad — which is potentially a violation of a federal law that prevents political staff from performing campaign-related work.

Trump’s legal team is trying to stop former special counsel Jack Smith from testifying as part of the president’s defamation case against the BBC.

THE STATES

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has obtained an arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raúl Castro on a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

AUDIENCE OF ONE

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Jonann Brady. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at newsletters@washsun.com.