WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from Republicans in a dispute over campaign ad prices on Friday, clearing a legal roadblock to political parties getting cheaper TV ad time ahead of the midterm elections.
The justices halted for now a lower-court ruling in favor of Democratic candidates who argued that cheaper broadcast ads should be limited to candidates. One justice publicly dissented from the unsigned order. It's the latest election-related appeal to come before the high court ahead of the pivotal November contests.
The Trump administration supported the emergency appeal from GOP campaign arms.
The decision comes on the heels of a June Supreme Court ruling that removed limits on parties spending money in coordination with candidates. It was seen as a boon to the GOP because the national party has a sizable cash advantage, and access to cheaper ad rates could boost that edge.
Among Democrats, meanwhile, some individual candidates have sizable fundraising advantages over their Republican opponents.
Candidates pay discounted rates for TV time around an election under federal law, and in March the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau said certain party-coordinated ads are entitled to those prices as well.
Four Democrats, including Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, challenged the finding in court. They won a victory from a divided panel of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of appeals.
The National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee then asked the Supreme Court to intervene. They argued that broadcasters were already charging them higher rates and upending their planned budgets after the appeals court decision.
The majority of justices agreed that the lower court had acted too soon with the order that differed from judges around the country.
“Current and future recissions will require the party committees to pay more for advertising space, thereby hampering their efforts to reach the electorate in the critical weeks leading up to the midterms,” the Supreme Court order states.
One justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, disagreed, writing that the court likely didn't have to wait until an internal FCC review was done.
The decision halts the appeals court ruling while the Republican committees file a fuller appeal.
The Supreme Court is seen on the morning after the conservative majority sided with the Trump administration in a case over President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka was finally challenged by the U.S. Open — by her opponent and by the smell of marijuana. Jessica Pegula was tested as well.
Both players overcame their troubles to reach the fourth round and keep alive the chances of a third straight meeting on the final weekend.
Sabalanka beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 on Friday. The No. 1 seed was pushed in a second set that lasted 54 minutes — a minute longer than her entire previous match.
“She played incredible tennis,” Sabalenka said. “She really pushed me so hard in the second set and I love when they bring their best tennis because they really push me to improve.”
Trying to become the first player to win three straight U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams from 2012-14, Sabalenka will face Taylor Townsend in the round of 16.
Williams, who is playing at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, will team with sister Venus to play a first-round doubles match against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint, who beat Serena in singles play at Wimbledon this summer.
Sabalenka was serving in the third game of her match in Louis Armstrong Stadium when she tossed the ball but then let it fall to the court. She did the same thing on the next point, with something clearly bothering her.
She then approached the chair umpire to ask for help because she smelled marijuana.
“I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, to not do it around the tennis courts,” Sabalenka said, when asked what she was thinking at the time. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”
Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz also was in action Friday.
Pegula, the No. 3 seed, fought back to beat 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka in the 2024 final and again last year in the semifinals, had a dismal start in which she put only 5 of 16 first serves in during the first set.
Fernandez hadn't won a Grand Slam singles match this year until getting to New York and was trying to reach the fourth round at the U.S. Open for the first time since falling to Emma Raducanu in the final five years ago. Pegula handled her easily in their only meeting this year but said Fernandez showed her different looks that gave her trouble.
“I didn’t start off very well. It was tough,” Pegula said. “I had to dig deep there in the second to turn that around, and it very well could have not turned around.”
Pegula advanced to face Sorana Cirstea, the 36-year-old from Romania who is contemplating retirement after this season. She will have at least one more Grand Slam match after the No. 16 seed beat No. 19 Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3.
Townsend reached the round of 16 for the second straight year by knocking off No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3 and seemed eager for the matchup with Sabalenka.
“I’m so excited. I feel like I thrive in these moments," the American said. “I’m built for these moments and so now is my time, I’m ready to take it. I'm ready to go.”
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, became the first man into the fourth round when he beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The No. 7 seed will face either No. 11 Frances Tiafoe or No. 22 Valentin Vacherot.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns the ball to Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Sorana Cirstea, of Romania, returns the ball to Jasmine Paolini, of Italy, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, serves the ball to Kamilla Rakhimova, of Uzbekistan, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, left, embraces Kamilla Rakhimova, of Uzbekistan, after Sabalenka won their match during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
