WASHINGTON (AP) — Missouri appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to allow the use of new congressional districts backed by President Donald Trump in the fast-approaching midterm election.
The appeal comes after Missouri's highest court blocked the new map and ordered a statewide vote in November on whether to keep or reject it.
It's part of a national redistricting battle that Trump launched last year. Missouri’s new congressional boundaries were drawn to help Republicans win an additional seat and hold onto their slim House majority in November's midterm elections.
The Missouri Supreme Court weighed in after redistricting opponents submitted over 300,000 petition signatures seeking to put the map to a vote of the people. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition on primary Election Day, asserting that Missouri's constitution doesn't allow referendum petitions on congressional redistricting. He successfully defended his decision in a lower court, but on Thursday lost in front of the state's highest court.
The court said the referendum petition effectively suspended the new districts, retroactive to last December, pending voter approval. Although the new districts were used in the August primary, Missouri's top court said the previous districts enacted after the 2020 census must be used in the general election.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said no other court has ordered congressional maps after a primary but before a general election.
“No court in American history has ever given such an extraordinary remedy, which inflicts unprecedented chaos on Missouri,” her office wrote in the appeal. “Looking forwards, the State is genuinely unsure whether it can switch its governing congressional map in time to run a timely federal election.”
She asked the Supreme Court to halt the state court's decision immediately.
State law sets a Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who hears appeals of case from the region, asked critics of the new map to respond to the appeal by Monday.
Backers of the referendum have said a statewide vote would give the state's residents a voice in the process.
Missouri currently has six Republicans and two Democrats in the U.S. House. The new maps reconfigured a Kansas City-based district held by longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
Congressional districts typically are redrawn at the start of each decade, based on new census data. But Trump’s quest for a midterm election advantage triggered an unusual mid-decade redistricting battle that spread to more than a dozen states led by Democrats and Republicans.
Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.
In this photo taken with a smartphone, people opposed to a congressional redistricting plan rally outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena and Venus Williams were once again the main attraction at the U.S. Open. Carlos Alcaraz sure wasn’t going to miss it.
“I think there is no better plan (than) to watch the doubles, the Williamses once again, while getting a treatment,” the defending men’s champion said after winning his match. “I’m going to be ready for that.”
The match was a thriller, with the sisters battling back to force a 10-point match tiebreaker, but then blowing a 5-0 lead and losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) on Friday night to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint.
It was the first U.S. Open match since 2022 at the Grand Slam tournament the sisters won twice. They battled back from 4-1 down in the third set to tie it, but then faltered late in front of disappointed fans desperately rooting them on.
“I think the crowd is pretty much what we expected. We expected a full stadium, everyone cheering for them, which, pretty much was that,” Joint said. “But the atmosphere is something that, yeah, it’s super special. Not really going to get again with many other players.”
Serena came back to tennis this year at 44. Venus has continued to play on tour at 46.
Perhaps it was their ages, could have been Serena's long layoff, or maybe it was nerves. But both double-faulted during the tiebreaker after they had played so brilliantly late in the third set and then in the first few points.
The U.S. Tennis Association said the sisters would not be available for comment.
Serena lost to Joint for the second time this summer. She fell to the Australian in three sets at Wimbledon in her return to singles play, and she and Venus then had to pull out of their doubles match after Serena hurt her knee.
That delayed their return to the Grand Slam stage until New York, where they won in 1999 and 2009 and are now 27-8 in their 10 appearances.
The match got a spot in the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium — practically unheard of for first-round doubles.
The sisters were once dominant in women’s doubles, teaming to win 14 Grand Slam titles along with Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008 and 2012. They shared the No. 1 ranking in women’s doubles for eight weeks.
It appeared a first-round loss in 2022 was their last time together, with Serena stepping away from tennis that year after winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles. She came back this summer and now has two heartbreaking defeats with her older sister. They also lost in a match tiebreaker at the Cincinnati Open.
Venus Williams also lost in the first round of singles.
Alcaraz won easily but two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was finally challenged — by her opponent and by the smell of marijuana — in her victory.
Sabalanka beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4. The No. 1 seed was pushed in a second set that lasted 54 minutes — a minute longer than her entire previous match.
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.
Alcaraz returned to the round of 16 by beating Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Back for this tournament after missing four months because of a right wrist injury, the two-time champion will face No. 20 seed Tommy Paul, who edged No. 15 Alexander Bublik in five sets.
“To be honest I’m better than I thought,” Alcaraz said.
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, do 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.”
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.”
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk, the No. 11 seed, advanced, setting up a rematch of their semifinal meeting at the All England Club. No. 7 seed Karolina Muchova, who lost in that final, was ousted by No. 26 Emma Navarro.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The No. 7 seed will face No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, who topped No. 22 Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
A resurgent Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open for the first time by knocking off No. 18 seed Jiri Lehecka and awaited the winner of the match that followed the Williams sisters between No. 8 Ben Shelton and Denis Shapovalov.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Venus, right, and Serena Williams, of the United States, congratulate Maya Joint, left, of Australia, and Hao-Ching Chan, of Taiwan, after their women's doubles match at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Maya Joint, left of Australia, reaches for a ball as she plays a women's doubles match with partner Hao-Ching Chan, of Taiwan, against Venus Williams and Serena Williams, of the United States at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Venus Williams, left, and Serena Williams, of the United States, confer as they play against Hao-Ching Chan, of Taiwan, and Maya Joint, of Australia, during a women's doubles match at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, reacts during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Wu Yibing, of China, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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)
