Melissa Coombs, 40, whose based at Manchester Airport, admitted driving to Morrisons where police officers took her keys – but she has avoided a driving ban

An easyJet air stewardess who faced a drink driving ban after she was arrested for drunkenly loitering next to her car has been allowed back on the roads after insisting she had no intention to drive.

Melissa Coombs, 40, tested more than twice the alcohol limit after police called to Morrison’s supermarket in Winsford, Cheshire, found her holding the keys to her Vauxhall Mokka whilst stood in the car park.

When quizzed Coombs, of East Avenue, Rudheath, Northwich, and who is based at Manchester Airport, admitted driving to the store but said she had been waiting a friend to pick her up.

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She claimed she had only started drinking when she arrived at the supermarket and added that she had been in a ”distressed state” after splitting from her partner whom she said was abusive to her.

At Chester Magistrates’ Court, mum-of-one Coombs faced a six month ban after she admitted being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle – but her driving licence was endorsed with 10 penalty points.

Prosecutors accepted her not guilty plea to the more serious charge of drink driving which would have resulted in a mandatory disqualification had she been convicted.

Earlier Nigel Jones, prosecuting, said: “On July 11 last year, police officers hastened to Morrisons car park in Winsford following reports that they had received and located the defendant who had a set of car keys to a Vauxhall Mokka.

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”The keys were taken from her and it was clear that the defendant had been in control of that vehicle at that time. She was subsequently arrested.”

‘She is a good person’

Tests showed Coombs had a reading of 171 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80mg. Her solicitor David Swingler said: “She is a good person, she lives a good life and has many many positives.

“On this day she met a friend and something was weighing heavily on her. She was coming to the end of an incredibly abusive relationship, a manipulative abusive relationship.

”There were elements of control and coercion and she left the property where she resided with her partner. She returned to collect belongings and she became distressed and was in such a state she left the property in tears.

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“She contacted her friend who she was going to see and arranged to go over but it was agreed she was in such a state she should not be on the road. She pulled over into the car park at Morrisons and arranged for her friend to pick her up and whilst there she drinks.

“Police attended and she is approached. She has to accept that there would have been a risk of driving if her friend had not turned up. She does not have to be in the car. Just being in possession of the keys means there could be a likelihood of driving. This whole experience is not something she intends to repeat again.

Mr Swingler added: “She is now back living with her mum who’s in her late 60s and has severe mobility issues. She is effectively a carer for her. She works as cabin crew for easyJet based at Manchester Airport so a driving licence is essential, as she needs to get there for 4am and there is no public transport. Without the ability to drive she has no job.”

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He asked: “Where does the greater good lie? Disqualifying her for six months for up to six months, where she loses her job, she goes on to benefits, her life becomes difficult and in a few months she is back on the road.

”Ten points puts her on a knife edge and for three years she will not be able to obtain one set of penalty points otherwise she is off the road for six months. I would suggest that the greater good lies in having the sword hanging over her for three years.”

Coombs was also fined £300 and ordered to pay £270 in costs and a surcharge.

JP Mrs Frances Miller told her: “As your solicitor has said you have to be extremely careful when driving. Having a bald tyre will attract three points and 12 points is the magic number. So you have to have to be very careful.”

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The new footage runs until 07:29 when he enters the shower room.

There is then a gap because there are no cameras in the shower room.

Officers then go into the shower room at 07:48 and the restraint begins.

The footage shown previously shows Marshall being dragged out of the shower room, face down, by multiple officers and restrained by up to 17 officers, some of whom used their feet.

Marshall’s aunt Sharon MacFadyen, who has been campaigning on her nephew’s case for years, says the new footage “doesn’t fit” with what officers said at the time about him being agitated, aggressive and covered in excrement.

“If he was kicking off or if he was fighting fair enough, but he’s doing what he’s told,” she told BBC News.

She believes that Marshall, who had pressed his emergency buzzer several times during the night, had annoyed officers and was being taken to the shower room to be taught a lesson.

“There’s no cameras or anything. Since you don’t know what went on in there we’ve only got their word for it,” she says.

Transport bosses are looking into the proposed scheme

Plans are being made for a major expansion of the Metrolink tram network in part of Greater Manchester.

The region’s transport bosses are looking at taking trams to Salford Crescent, with a potential link to Salford Quays and onward connections to Wigan and Bolton.

More than £1.5m will be spent on the proposals, looking at costs and designs for the expansion.

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The funding was confirmed at a meeting of the Bee Network committee today (June 25).

The money is being drawn from a government scheme called the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

A report explained the cash would be used for ‘consideration of a potential Metrolink extension from the regional centre to Salford Crescent, a potential link to Salford Quays, and potential onward links beyond Salford to locations in the boroughs of Wigan and Bolton (including consideration of tram-train technology).’

The report added: ‘The work will include modelling and appraisal activity, initial design work and the development of initial cost and carbon estimates.’

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Salford Crescent is an area undergoing major regeneration, with more people set to move to the area in future years.

Salford’s deputy mayor, Councillor Mike McCusker, said it ‘makes clear strategic sense’ to look at expanding the tram network in this area of the city.

The Crescent has a train station and the area is home to Salford University’s main campus.

There’s a £2.5bn masterplan underway in the neighbourhood, aimed at building 3,000 homes as well as new spaces for businesses and research.

New transport links to Salford Quays could bring major benefits too, with the area set for huge growth in future years.

There are plans to ‘double’ the size of MediaCity in future years, making new homes for thousands more residents.

Frustrated commuters in the Quays have long called for better transport options, saying trams are already packed at busy times.

Councillor Mike McCusker said: “The proposal to develop a business case for expanding Metrolink into Salford Crescent and towards Salford Quays is a very welcome and positive step, and one that reflects the scale of ambition and change we’re seeing across Salford.

“As our city grows, it’s essential that our public transport network grows with it. Salford Crescent is already a key gateway into the city, connecting communities to jobs, education and opportunity, and it sits at the heart of significant regeneration.

“Given that level of growth, it makes clear strategic sense to explore how the transport network can better serve these areas.

“Better public transport links help connect residents to jobs, reduce congestion, support cleaner air, and make our neighbourhoods more attractive places to live and invest.

“We look forward to working with GMCA and TfGM as this business case develops.”

A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesperson said: “Work is at an early stage to explore options for improving public transport connections in the north-west of Greater Manchester.

“Subject to funding being agreed by the Bee Network Committee, TfGM will develop a Strategic Outline Case which will look at potential rapid transit improvements in this corridor.

“This includes exploring possible Metrolink extensions to Salford Crescent, improved connections to Salford Quays and MediaCity, and longer-term options for onward links towards locations in the boroughs of Wigan and Bolton.

“No decisions have been made on routes, technology or delivery at this stage.

“The work will consider a range of options and assess their value for money, alongside how they could support growth, improve connectivity and integrate with the wider Bee Network.”

South Tyneside Council gathered feedback earlier this year on potential uses for South Shields Old Town Hall, with the majority of participants eager to see the Grade I-listed building preserved and brought back into use.

The structure, which is more than 250 years old, has served as a market hub, courthouse, wartime shelter, and exhibition space over its long history.

It still features many original elements, including its arches, timber turret, and the market bell.

Hundreds took part in the consultation, with four in five respondents emphasising the importance of preserving and reusing historic buildings.

More than 80 per cent supported transforming the Old Town Hall into a heritage and history attraction.

Suggestions also included a space for arts, crafts, classes and exhibitions; a good focus point for local history tours and walks, heritage events; and somewhere where people would want to come and maybe have a drink on the weekend.

Cllr Dave Royal, Lead Member for economic growth, investment and regeneration at South Tyneside Council, said: “It’s clear that there is a lot of civic pride attached to this much-loved landmark.

Cllr Dave Royal at South Shields Old Town Hall. (Image: South Tyneside Council/Tim Richardson)

“Local people would like it brought back into use in a way that respects its heritage, supports the market and helps breathe new life into this part of the town centre.

“We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views, and this feedback will now be used to help shape a deliverable plan for the Old Town Hall.”

Businesses favoured ideas that would complement the surrounding marketplace, including pop-up or market space and a café.

Nine out of ten believed bringing the building back into use would improve the area, and almost half said it would create a stronger sense of pride.

Many shared personal memories of the building and ideas for sensitive restoration, alongside suggestions to improve accessibility and enhance the space around it to be more welcoming.

The council opened the consultation after securing funding from the government’s Community Regeneration Partnership fund.

One respondent described it as “one of those landmarks that’s tied up with the identity of South Shields – it’s part of the historic heart of the town centre.”

Another suggested it could be “a space for arts, crafts, classes and exhibitions,” while others saw it as an ideal starting point for “a good focus point for local history tours and walks, heritage events.”

The council will now use the consultation findings, alongside further technical and feasibility work, to help shape options for the future of the Old Town Hall.

Regulars in Farnworth are preparing to honour one of the pub’s most familiar faces after the death of Darren Ainsworth at just 55 years old.

He was a much-loved customer described as part of The Grapes Inn‘s “fixtures and fittings”.

Joanne Hardman, who runs the pub alongside business partner Sam Gavin, said: “Everyone’s absolutely devastated. The pub’s just not the same.

He was much loved by his community. (Image: Joanne Hardman)

“It feels empty without him.”

Darren had been a customer at the pub for at least a decade, remaining a familiar presence through different owners.

Ms Hardman said he visited every evening without fail and was involved in the pub’s cards, darts, and dominoes teams as well as quizzes and social events.

She said: “He was just one of the best customers ever.

“He was on all our teams, cards, darts, and dominoes; he did all our quizzes.

Friends, staff, and customers are now coming together for a fundraising event to help support the cost of his funeral following his death on June 19.

The event, called A Day for Darren, will take place at the pub and feature bingo, cards, pool, dominoes, a tombola, football cards, and a beer hamper, with proceeds going towards his funeral fund.

Darren Ainsworth (Image: Joanne Hardman)

The fundraiser has been organised after Darren’s death, which came just months after the death of his father, leaving his family facing another loss.

An optional £1 entry donation will be collected on the day, while money raised through games, raffles, and other activities will also contribute towards the funeral fund.

Ms Hardman said: “He was just kind. He was honest, very, very honest, and he was just a go-to man for everybody.

He went to the pub every day (Image: Joanne Hardman)

“Everybody loved him because he was just a gentleman.”

The 53-year-old was such a familiar part of life at The Grapes Inn that staff invited him to their Christmas celebration during a refurbishment closure last year.

Customers have already shared tributes online, with more than 100 comments left on a social media post announcing his death and the fundraising event.

Ms Hardman added: “He really was part of our fixtures and fittings.

“We would like to do everything possible to make sure he gets the best send-off.”

Poppy-Rose Brown got tickets for her and her mum to go see the singer on his ‘Together, Together’ tour

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A Harry Styles superfan was left in tears after a 300-mile trip to the star’s Wembley gig. Poppy-Rose Brown got tickets for her and her mum to go see the singer on his ‘Together, Together’ tour on Friday, June 12.

The 18 year old forked out around £300 on tickets that she said were listed as from Ticketmaster but that she said she bought through a reseller website called Hellotickets. Poppy said the duo travelled from their home in Padstow, Cornwall, to Wembley where she bought merchandise before heading to the entrance.

However, after Poppy scanned her ticket and went through the turnstile, she said her mum Michelle tried to go through but it did not work. Poppy claims staff were ‘rude’ and did not let her mum enter through a different entrance, advising them to go back to the ticket office.

The house-cleaner claims she was escorted out through an emergency exit and went to the Ticketmaster stand where she was asked for her and her mum’s ID. Poppy said she was ‘in a flood of tears’ after the Ticketmaster staff member told her it was not possible to retrieve the tickets due to them being bought through a reseller website.

Wembley Stadium said they ‘strongly encourage’ all fans to only purchase tickets ‘only through authorised channels’. Poppy-Rose said: “We were really excited. On Friday we made our way to Wembley. We got ready and everything at the hotel.

“I scanned my ticket and went through the turnstile absolutely fine. I had both tickets on my phone and I passed the phone to my mum so she could scan her ticket. She had pushed the turnstile and it locked.

“I was trying to talk to the people on my side to see what I would do. They went and got the supervisor and he wasn’t helpful – all he said was ‘you need to go to the ticket office’.

“We tried to scan our tickets again but because we scanned them already it looked like we were trying to double scan and get another person in. They told us to go out of the venue. I went out the emergency exit and went to the ticket office with my mum.

“I went to one that said ‘Ticketmaster’. My ticket said Ticketmaster but I bought them from Hellotickets. She asked us for both of our IDs and scanned our codes. At Wembley there was no signal and the Wi-Fi was shocking.”

‘They came out and said ‘we are really sorry”

She went on: “She came back and said she was really sorry but she couldn’t re-issue our tickets. They were sold by somebody else on Hellotickets and it wasn’t in my name, which is unfortunate. They said ‘you can buy more tickets or you will just have to go’.”

Poppy said she contacted Ticketmaster who reportedly said she needs an official paper from Wembley denying her access to the stadium in order to be refunded. Poppy-Rose said: “I’ve emailed Hellotickets, Ticketmaster, Wembley stadium. Ticketmaster asked for a piece of paper to say we couldn’t go into the venue but they never gave us that.

“They can’t go through with the refund if they don’t have that. It was horrible. It is so much money and we’ve been to a Harry Styles concert before and it was the best thing we’ve ever done.

“I’m quite an anxious person so being in a big stadium with hundreds of thousands of people is scary anyway, to be denied entry is even worse. I fought the anxiety and went all the way to Wembley to be told I couldn’t enter because they would not just open the turnstile when they saw me scan the ticket.

“They just wouldn’t help, they were so rude. It was like it wasn’t their problem.”

Poppy said the two had travelled up to London just for the concert, spending more than £300 on accommodation and transport. Poppy claims she has been ‘obsessed’ with Harry Styles for many years.

Poppy-Rose said: “We planned to travel up to Wembley to stay in London. It’s not just like a quick trip because we live in Cornwall.

“I drove up, which is £50 there and £50 back. The hotel was about £209. Obviously, we were buying food and transport. I’ve been to concerts when he was in One Direction, been to his tours, I’ve been obsessed with him since I was four years old.

“It was so horrible. We were in floods of tears. It’s just sad.”

After sharing her ordeal on social media and calling out Wembley Stadium’s lack of help, Poppy-Rose says the venue have since offered her two VIP tickets for a different Harry Styles show as compensation. A Wembley Stadium spokesperson said: “Wembley Stadium has robust ticket verification and security procedures in place at all our events.

“We strongly encourage all fans attending the stadium to purchase tickets only through authorised channels and to arrive in good time to allow the necessary ticket and security checks to be completed prior to entry.”

Ticketmaster and Hellotickets have been contacted for comment.

As fans complain that the physical edition of GTA 6 doesn’t contain a disc, is there any real chance they can fight back against the takeover of digital downloads?

Grand Theft Auto 6 is clearly a game that’s too big to fail. When it’s released on November 19 it’ll become the biggest entertainment launch in history. Whether or not it beats the staggering 230 million sales of its predecessor will take a decade or more to find out but the long wait for the game, and its frequent delays, has created so much pent up demand that no sales record is now safe. It also means that creator Rockstar Games can do whatever they want and people will buy the game regardless.

Whether GTA 6 has the capacity to disappoint as a video game is hard to say. The Rockstar formula is well established and while there are consistent issues – especially in terms of core gameplay and a central narrative that often gets lost amidst a torrent of side quests and activities – the almost equally successful Red Dead Redemption proves that it’s still massively popular.

As a result, many analysts predicted (many of them gleefully) that Rockstar owner Take-Two would sell the game for a higher than usual price, safe in the knowledge that people would pay literally anything to play it. To Take-Two’s credit, that’s not what happened and the game is no more expensive than other triple-A titles, while it’s Ultimate Edition is a surprisingly modest mark-up. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t taken advantage of the situation in other ways.

The biggest controversy to come out of pre-orders going live this month (other than a silly argument over whether the graphics have got better or worse – based on a bunch of staged promo images) is that the physical version of GTA 6 doesn’t include a disc. It’s just a code in a box, with no indication yet that it even includes a physical map, as all previous entries have.

There are rumours that there’ll be a physical edition released in December, but Rockstar has not confirmed that (and wouldn’t even if it’s true, lest it put anyone off from pre-ordering now). But while some fans are already getting very angry on social media, and there’s already talk of boycotts, it’s hard to imagine that there’ll be enough complaints to dissuade Rockstar from their plans.

Besides, the battle of physical sales vs. digital has already been lost. Only recently Capcom mentioned that 93% of all their sales are now digital and while that percentage varies according to format and publisher, buying a game on disc or cartridge has become a niche concern.

It’s hard to understand why, though, since buying digital has almost no advantages, other than not having to get up to change discs and being able to purchase games instantly. Although instantly is very much relative, given the size of modern games, as those stuck with a slower broadband connection have to wait so long for it to download it would literally be quicker to go down the shops and buy a box copy… if there was actually a disc inside it.

Unfortunately, convenience, or at least the promise of it, has won out against all the many and obvious advantages of owning a physical copy – starting with the fact that you do actually own it, rather than just having a digital licence to use it. For decades publishers have conspired to destroy the second-hand games market and with digital downloads they were finally able to do so, preventing you from selling the games you buy in order to fund the purchase of more.

Publishers also didn’t like sharing their profits with retailers, so not only do they make more money from digital downloads but they can ensure there are no discounts at launch. Whereas 15 years ago or so every major store and supermarket would fight to undercut each other, for the cheapest deal on a new release, nowadays it’s full price or nothing.

The way we buy video games today is exactly how publishers want it and naturally it’s not the interests of their customers that they have in mind, but their shareholders. But this wouldn’t have happened if people had just said no. The situation we have today is entirely the result of ordinary people valuing convenience – even a relatively mild one – above all else.

And we could all have said no. We could have stopped publishers in their tracks and forced a U-turn very easily, simply by refusing to buy digitally. Especially as that sort of economic disobedience has proved highly effective many times before in the games industry.

It’s what killed the ridiculous online passes of the 2010s (an early attempt to stifle second-hand sales), while the proliferation of loot boxes in full price games was stopped only because of gamers rising up against it. Meanwhile, the whole world said a big ‘no, thank you’ to NFTs, even as companies convinced themselves it was going to be the next big thing.

While many people and industries seem to be unquestionably accepting of AI, gamers have been amongst the most vocally sceptic, to the point where admitting your game uses AI is now a sales risk. All these things happened because ordinary people made a stand, but then none of these concepts were selling the idea of convenience, only increased company profits.

Unfortunately for those that value physical media, there’s almost certainly no going back now, at least as far as video games go. In theory, if there was some kind of fight back against GTA 6 and its ‘physical’ edition, then the tides could be turned, but despite all the current anger the chances of that seem remote. What’s more likely is that GTA 6 will draw a line under the whole concept of owning a game as a physical object, no matter how many benefits it brings.

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A person has died following a collision between a car and a train shortly before 9am today, June 25.

Two people were in the car at the time of the crash.

One was pronounced dead at the scene, and a child has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Lindsay Hoyle, Chorley MP and Speaker of the House of Commons, said he is in contact with the Minister of State for Rail and Network Rail.

He said: “I was very sorry to hear of the tragic accident that occurred at Hoghton level crossing today and am in contact with both the Minister of State for Rail and Network Rail.

“I extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of all those involved.”

Several trains between Preston and Blackburn have been cancelled due to the crash.

Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern, said: “We can confirm the 7.51am Colne to Preston service was involved in a collision with a car at a level crossing in Hoghton this morning.

“Our thoughts are with the person who sadly died in the collision and the other passenger in the car who has been taken to hospital.

“There have been no injuries reported from passengers or staff who were on the train.

“We are now working to support the emergency services, Network Rail and Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and will co-operate fully with the investigation into what happened.”

British Transport Police, paramedics, and the fire service attended the scene.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: “We are currently on scene at a level crossing in Hoghton, Lancashire, following reports at 8.50am today (June 25) that a train had struck a car.

“Two people were in the car, and, sadly, one was pronounced dead at the scene, the other is being taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“There have been no other injuries reported from passengers on the train at this time.

“Enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this incident are ongoing, and anyone who witnessed what happened who hasn’t already spoken to police is asked to text 61016 quoting reference 152 of June 25.”

A spokesperson for the North West Ambulance Service said: “North West Ambulance Service responded to an incident in the Hoghton area of Lancashire after reports of a collision between a train and a car at 8.50am today (25 June).

 “Several clinical teams attended the scene, including our hazardous area response team and two air ambulances.

 “Sadly, a child has sustained life-threatening injuries and has been taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for further treatment.

 “No passengers travelling on the train required treatment from ambulance crews.”

Lancashire County Councillor, Usman Arif, said: “Thoughts and prayers are with the families of the person who sadly died in the incident this morning in Hoghton near Preston, I hope the injured child makes a swift recovery.

“Many thanks to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service for their efforts in tackling the tragic incident.”

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken to officers to get in touch by texting 61016 and quoting reference 152 of June 25.

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, sided with a coalition of nearly two dozen states that challenged the Republican president’s order in granting a summary judgment. Her ruling applies to this year’s midterm election cycle.

Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits, both filed in federal court in Boston, that Trump’s order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The judge agreed, saying in her ruling that the provisions of Trump’s order seeking to create a federal list of eligible voters and using the U.S. Postal Service to determine who can receive a mail ballot are “legally void” because they “unconstitutionally violate the separation of powers.”

It was the second ruling in as many days against executive orders Trump has signed seeking oversight of the nation’s elections. A separate ruling Wednesday prohibited an executive order he had signed last year that would have required people to show documents proving their citizenship when registering to vote.

Order targeted mail voting, administration likely to appeal

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose state was among the plaintiffs, celebrated the court’s decision.

“Millions of independents, Republicans and Democrats across Arizona have voted by mail for decades,” she said in a statement, noting that nearly 80% of ballots in the state are cast by that method.

Mayes, a Democrat, singled out military families, voters in the state’s rural expanses and Native Americans who cast ballots from tribal lands.

“Donald Trump’s executive order targeted all of these voters,” she said. “But today, the courts affirmed what the Constitution makes clear: States run their elections, not the President.”

Trump’s executive order, the second one aimed at elections during his second term, comes as he continues to raise the specter of widespread voting by noncitizens as a reason to change election rules. But states already have detailed processes aimed at keeping their voter rolls accurate, and voting by noncitizens has been shown to be rare. It also is a felony that can be punishable by deportation.

Trump issued his second order in March after a bill he supported to overhaul voting stalled in Congress. The order would have had the federal government — through the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration — create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters. It then directed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to those on the list.

Election officials argued that it was ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

The Postal Service has published a proposed rule required by Trump’s executive order in the Federal Register. Among other things, the rule would not apply to primary elections or overseas ballots.

Postal Service workers have pushed back against the order, saying they are not equipped to determine who is eligible to vote in each state. After Trump issued his order last spring, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association said forcing its members into such a role “risks politicizing one of the nation’s most trusted public institutions.”

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat whose state was among the plaintiffs, said the executive order illustrated how Trump was attempting to “abuse power in previously unthinkable ways” to interfere in elections.

She said it “strains credulity” to think the U.S. Postal Service could set up a workable system for pre-screening individual voters to determine whether they would be allowed to vote by mail, adding that it would be “a shocking violation of American constitutional rights.”

The Postal Service did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment.

Trump’s second election executive order faces multiple legal challenges

The lawsuit seeking summary judgment was filed by Democratic attorneys general representing 22 states and the District of Columbia. Also signing on were attorneys representing Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, which has a Republican attorney general.

The states also told the court that the move imposes a costly burden on election officials to comply and would spread fear about the possibility of prosecution. Stephen Pezzi, a lawyer for the Trump administration, had argued that no one would be prosecuted for violating the order.

The other lawsuit filed in Talwani’s court was by the League of Women Voters and other voting rights groups, which have sought a preliminary injunction against the executive order.

In yet another lawsuit filed against the executive order, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in May agreed with the Trump administration that it was too early to block the order because it had yet to be implemented. That lawsuit was brought by Democratic and civil rights groups, which have appealed.

Since his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump has groundlessly claimed mail voting is rife with fraud and has launched a federal investigation into that year’s vote, even though repeated audits and investigations, including ones run by Republicans, found it was free of widespread fraud. Trump also has said he wants to “take over” election administration in Democratic areas.

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Barrow reported from Atlanta and Hanna from Topeka, Kansas.