Saturday Night Live is one of America’s most successful comedy formats, having launched countless huge stars in the US – Tina Fey! Eddie Murphy! Adam Sandler! – and at last, a UK edition is coming to our screens on 21 March, with British performers on this side of the pond hoping to emulate that same trajectory.

The UK version will retain everything viewers know and love about the Stateside original, with celebrity hosts and musical guests stopping by for late-night laughs in the all-new London studio.

On air since 1975, the US series is the unofficial training ground for Hollywood’s funniest comedians and actors, and SNL is responsible for catapulting plenty of much-loved stars into the spotlight. Murphy was a cast member in the early Eighties, before landing his breakout film role in Beverly Hills Cop, while Sandler and Will Ferrell got their starts on SNL in the nineties.

Pals Fey and Amy Poehler also enjoyed overlapping stints on the show in the early 2000s – with Fey becoming the programme’s first female head writer. The pair would go on to create 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, respectively. We also have SNL to thank for introducing us to Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg.

SNL UK’s initial six-week run will see 11 new players bringing the laughs in topical sketches, and a British version of the popular satirical news segment Weekend Update.

Meet them below…

Hammed Animashaun

Londoner Hammed Animashaun will be familiar to fans of Black Ops, thanks to his star turn as undercover policeman Kay in the BBC comedy.

Hinting at what we can expect from him on SNL UK, Animashaun said: “I think of myself as an actor first and foremost. I’ve done a lot of theatre. That’s my first love so I feel very much at home on the stage and performing live.

“Transferring that experience over to live comedy is something I’m really excited for.”

Ayoade Bamgboye

British and Nigerian comedian Ayoade Bamgboye is just four years into her comedy career, and pivoted to the entertainment industry by quitting her advertising job to give stand-up a go.

She’s already made her mark on stage and last year won the prestigious Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, following her festival debut with Swings and Roundabouts.

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Declaring that there’s “no better training ground” than SNL UK, Bamgboye said: “It just feels like the perfect place to accelerate my learning. Having a steep learning curve like this gives me so much bandwidth to try many different things in a short space of time.”

Larry Dean

Glasgow-based comedian has popped on TV before, with appearances on Live at the Apollo and The Royal Variety Performance 2024, as well as ITV’s 2019 series The Stand Up Sketch Show.

“There have been so many people who have appeared on Saturday Night Live, either as hosts or part of the cast, that are my comedy heroes like Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey,” he said. “It’s always been my dream to do acting and stand-up, so this is exactly what I want to be doing.”

Celeste Dring

Hailing from Wolverhampton, Celeste Dring is one of the SNL UK cast members with the most TV experience, thanks to roles in This Country, the BBC’s 2018 series Wanderlust and Channel 4’s The Windsors sitcom, in which she played Princess Eugenie.

She also performs as part of the double act Lazy Susan with fellow comedian Freya Parker, and the pair landed their own BBC pilot back in 2019.

When asked why she wanted to be part of the SNL UK cast, Dring said: “It was a no-brainer really. I just love the idea of being creative with a group of brilliantly talented and funny people and the chance to do something new.”

George Fouracres

Also from Wolverhampton, George Fouracres describes SNL as his “dream job”. “My favourite thing is playing lots of very intense, insane characters, and I love the glamour of late night live TV,” he said. “Seeing clips of SNL in the US I always thought ‘I wish we had that. Why don’t we have something like that?’ So the fact that we do now, and I get to be part of it, blows my tiny mind.”

Fouracres’ background is mainly in theatre. He’s an associate artist at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and performed in his seventh show at the historic venue last year.

“I started in the industry acting and writing in a sketch group called Daphne with my friends Jason Forbes and Phil Wang,” he added. Fouracres masterminded his first and only stand-up show in 2019 and more recently, performed in comedy duo Flo & Joan’s award-winning show One Man Musical in the UK and Australia.

Ania Magliano

One of SNL UK’s best-known stars, Buckinghamshire-born Ania Magliano has brought the laughs on Live at the Apollo and series 20 of Taskmaster UK, going up against Maisie Adams, Phil Ellis, Reece Shearsmith, and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

“I did my first gig when I was 18, so it’s pretty surreal that it’s been nearly 10 years now,” she said. “Since then, I’ve performed sold-out tours, filmed a stand-up special, and taken shows to Edinburgh. It’s through stand-up that I really found my voice.”

Annabel Marlow

Musician and comedian Annabel Marlow has been a devoted SNL stan for years and even used to run an online fan account dedicated to “being obsessed” with the show. “SNL combines everything I love,” she explained. “I’m excited to create characters and hopefully write some music as well.”

“I wrote and performed a one-woman show at Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 called Is This Okay??, that was an hour of comedy songs and pop songs, with bits of stand-up,” she said.

Marlow also has some impressive theatre roles on her CV, having originated the role of Katherine Howard in Six the Musical, and appeared in productions of The Wizard of Oz and Muriel’s Wedding.

Al Nash

You won’t recognise Al Nash from TV but you may well know him from social media. The Buckinghamshire-born comedian has built up huge fanbases on TikTok and Instagram thanks to his sketches and satirical send-ups of popular trends.

“As someone who is sketch comedy obsessed, I’m just so happy to be a part of the [SNL UK] cast,” he said. “I think it’s a really exciting opportunity for the UK comedy industry in general.”

Jack Shep

Jack Shep has just a few TV credits to his name – but they’re all pretty impressive shows. As well as popping up in Jack Rooke’s Channel 4 series Big Boys, Shep appeared in Netflix’s One Day adaptation and Alan Carr’s semi-autobiographical Changing Ends.

“I’d describe myself as a comic rather than a stand-up comedian,” the Bedfordshire-born star said. “I do a bit of acting and writing too but basically, I’m always doing stupid s*** which I think makes me primed for SNL.”

Emma Sidi

Emma Sidi has already crossed paths with at least one of her new SNL UK co-stars, thanks to a brief appearance in the BBC’s Black Ops.

You might also recognise her from Starstruck, thanks to her star turn as Kate, the highly strung flatmate and best pal of Rose Matafeo’s Jessie (the pair also lived together in real life). Or perhaps you spotted Sidi in season two of Stath Lets Flats, or in the first episode of Industry.

“I love comedy and character comedy especially, and I think there isn’t that much character comedy on TV in the UK right now,” she said. “My favourite comedies to watch growing up were French & Saunders, The Fast Show, Reeves and Mortimer, all those pioneering shows from the alt-comedy scene.

“Saturday Night Live is a huge opportunity to get that kind of comedy back on TV and online.”

Paddy Young

Scarborough-born Paddy Young has already worked with a number of British comedy greats, popping up in Channel 4’s Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping and the 2023 series Everyone Else Burns, starring The Inbetweeners’ Simon Bird.

“I was very lucky because Scarborough had an amazing theatre – the Stephen Joseph Theatre – which I practically grew up in,” he said. “I was completely obsessed with comedy but had no idea how to do it. By the time I went to drama school in Manchester I found myself constantly sneaking away to watch stand-up, though it took me a long time to actually do it.”

Saturday Night Live UK comes to Sky and streaming service NOW on 21 March.

This walk features some lovely spots for views

As the seasons start to change, and the sun is coming out, the flowers have started to bloom and the temperature will begin to get warmer. Spring is a great time to put on your walking boots and enjoy the countryside that sits amongst us in our beautiful county.

Luckily, there are many lovely green spaces, award-winning parks, and delightful trails around Cambridgeshire just waiting to be explored. No matter what area of the county you are from, you are never too far away from a scenic walk in the fresh air.

One particular route, planned by AllTrails, features panoramic views from one of the highest points in our notoriously flat county.

The Magog Down and Wandlebury Circular walk route by AllTrails is 5.3 kilometres (3.29 miles) long and takes between an hour and a half to two hours to complete. This circular trail offers a route featuring some beautiful spots including within Magog Down and Little Trees Hills.

The route begins and ends at the Magog Down car park, just south of Cambridge, and it follows a circular route around some pretty extraordinary spots. Within Magog Down, a country park, trekkers can walk by the meadows filled with a pop of yellow from the cowslips in spring.

During the walk, when you head up Little Trees Hills, visitors can gaze at some of the most expansive panoramic views in the county. From one point you can even see Ely Cathedral – the Ship of the Fens – sailing across the flat horizon.

The walk also includes a summit of around 243 feet. It is one of the highest points of the Gog Magog Hills, a ridge of low chalk hills extending for several miles. The city of Cambridge is laid out before you, with Addenbrooke’s Hospital large close by and the colleges a distance beyond.

This route has been raved by previous trekkers and highlighted for its “beautiful views”. One walker wrote: “Lovely walk on a hot day. Lots of benches and areas of woodland for shade, beautiful views and LOADS of blackberries.”

If you are looking for a walk to admire panoramic views of the county, then this may be a good option for you.

The attempted attack came as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a warning to the UK, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of “putting British lives at risk” by allowing US forces to operate from British bases. At the time of his remarks, it had not yet been made public that missiles had been fired towards Diego Garcia.

Blackburn Magistrates’ Court heard Matthew Cooper had borrowed £3,000, and when the second lockdown kicked in, he was unable to service the debt.

The court was told the way out offered to Cooper was to allow his rented property to be used to grow cannabis.

He took that option, but the plan blew up in his face when there was a fire at the property in Bolton, and firefighters reported the cannabis farm to police.

Cropper, 42, of Rochdale Road, Bacup, pleaded guilty to the production of cannabis.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £154 victim surcharge.

Andrew Hey, prosecuting, said fire crews attended an address in Ainsworth Road, Little Lever, on September 6, 2024.

While dealing with the fire, they discovered cannabis growing in a bedroom and a cupboard, and that the electricity meter had been bypassed.

“The fire caused extensive damage to the property,” said Mr Hey.

Gareth Price, mitigating, said his client had set up his own building business shortly before the pandemic hit in 2020.

“He fell on hard times and was using food banks in an attempt to support his family,” said Mr Price.

“In these difficult times, he was directed to a loan shark and borrowed £3,000.”

During the second lockdown, he was unable to pay the debt and began receiving threats.

“It was not pleasant,” said Mr Price. “They offered him a solution, which was allowing the property he rented to be used for growing cannabis.

“He let them in, and they did everything. He was assured there would be two crops and that would pay the debt.”

Mr Price said his client eventually borrowed £4,000 from his mother to pay the debt.

“He moved out of the area and is trying to get his business going again,” said Mr Price.

The chair of the magistrates told Cropper he had been a victim to some extent.

“You were coerced into allowing your property to be used as it was,” he said.

Cropper told the chair: “I was backed into a corner and I made a very bad decision.”

BBC Sport and ITV have once again split the matches between them, with two of England’s group matches on ITV (the first against Croatia and third against Panama) and one on BBC (the second match against Ghana). The final will be shown on both channels simultaneously.

Since the 1998 World Cup, England’s win percentage at major tournaments is considerably better on BBC, leading to fears of an “ITV curse”.

Scotland’s group games follow the reverse pattern, with their group-stage opener against Haiti and third match against Brazil on BBC and the middle game against Morocco on ITV.

For the first time, parts of the World Cup will be free to watch on YouTube after Fifa struck an agreement with the streaming platform. The first 10 minutes of every game will be streamed live on YouTube, with broadcasters sharing a select number of full matches on the website. “Content creators” will be part of the coverage as Fifa seeks to attract a new generation of fans.

Fan groups demanded an immediate halt to World Cup ticket sales last December, accusing Fifa of charging “extortionate” prices to the most dedicated supporters.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which represents groups across the continent, called for sales via the likes of the Football Association to be suspended when it emerged that watching England at next summer’s tournament could end up costing at least £5,000.

According to FSE, the minimum $6,900 (£5,143) fans would have to pay to follow their country from their first match until the final was nearly five times as much as during the last World Cup.

In response to growing public pressure, Fifa announced a cheaper band of £45 tickets would be made available, but only for a small percentage of seats.

In the latter stages of the tournament, the majority of the cheapest tickets are £686 for the semi-final and £3,119 for the final, pricing condemned by the Football Supporters Association’s Fan Embassy.

“Surprise surprise Fifa are finding out that supporters will turn their backs on ludicrous prices, however prestigious the game. Thousands of pounds for any football match is beyond greedy,” a statement said.

“The most loyal fans, be they English supporters or those of any other nationality, are being priced out.

The final phase of ticket sales will be last-minute general sales, where any remaining tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This phase will begin in April, and you can access the ticket portal on Fifa’s website here.

There are fears that this World Cup could prove the most expensive ever for supporters, with Fifa operating “dynamic pricing” and taking a 15 per cent fee on resale tickets from both buyer and seller.

Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mexico vs South Africa, 8pm UK time (ITV)

Friday, June 12, 2026
South Korea vs European Play-Off D winner (Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland), 3am UK time (ITV)
Canada vs European Play-Off A winner (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) 8pm UK time (BBC)

Saturday, June 13, 2026
USA vs Paraguay, 2am UK time (BBC)
Qatar vs Switzerland, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Brazil vs Morocco, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Sunday, June 14, 2026
Haiti vs Scotland, 2am UK time (BBC)
Australia vs European Play-Off C winner (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye), 5am UK time (ITV)
Germany vs Curacao, 6pm UK time (ITV)
Netherlands vs Japan, 9pm UK time (ITV)

Monday, June 15, 2026 
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, 12am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off B winner (Albania, Poland, Sweden or Ukraine) vs Tunisia, 3am UK time (ITV)
Spain vs Cape Verde, 5pm UK time (ITV)
Belgium vs Egypt, 8pm UK time (BBC)
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, 11pm UK time (ITV)

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 
Iran vs New Zealand, 2am UK time (BBC)
France vs Senegal, 8pm UK time (BBC)
Intercontinental play-off winner 2 (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname) vs Norway, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Argentina vs Algeria, 2am UK time (ITV)
Austria vs Jordan, 5am UK time (BBC)
Portugal vs Intercontinental play-off winner 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia), 6pm UK time (BBC)
England vs Croatia, 9pm UK time (ITV)

Thursday, June 18, 2026 
Ghana vs Panama, 12am UK time (ITV)
Uzbekistan vs Colombia, 3am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off D winner (Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland) vs South Africa, 5pm UK time (BBC)
Switzerland vs European Play-Off A winner (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) 8pm UK time (ITV)
Canada vs Qatar, 11pm UK time (ITV)

Friday, June 19, 2026 
Mexico vs South Korea, 2am UK time (BBC)
USA vs Australia, 8pm UK time (BBC)
Scotland vs Morocco, 11pm UK time (ITV)

Saturday, June 20, 2026
Brazil vs Haiti, 2am UK time (ITV)
European Play-Off C winner (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye) vs Paraguay, 5am UK time (ITV)
Netherlands vs European Play-Off B winner (Albania, Poland, Sweden or Ukraine), 6pm UK time (BBC)
Germany vs Ivory Coast, 9pm UK time (ITV)

Sunday, June 21, 2026 
Ecuador vs Curacao, 1am UK time (BBC)
Tunisia vs Japan, 5am UK time (BBC)
Spain vs Saudi Arabia, 5pm UK time (BBC)
Belgium vs Iran, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Uruguay vs Cape Verde, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Monday, June 22, 2026
New Zealand vs Egypt, 2am UK time (ITV)
Argentina vs Austria, 6pm UK time (BBC)
France vs Intercontinental play-off winner 2 (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname), 10pm UK time (BBC)

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Norway vs Senegal, 1am UK time (ITV)
Jordan vs Algeria, 4am UK time (ITV)
Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 6pm UK time (ITV)
England vs Ghana, 9pm UK time (BBC)

Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Panama vs Croatia, 12am UK time (BBC)
Colombia vs Intercontinental play-off winner 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia), 3am UK time (ITV)
Switzerland vs Canada, 8pm UK time (ITV)
European Play-Off A winner (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) vs Qatar, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Morocco vs Haiti, 11pm UK time (BBC)
Scotland vs Brazil, 11pm UK time (BBC)

Thursday, June 25, 2026
South Africa vs South Korea, 2am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off D winner (Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland) vs Mexico, 2am UK time (BBC)
Curacao vs Ivory Coast, 9pm UK time (BBC)
Ecuador vs Germany, 9pm UK time (BBC)

Friday, June 26, 2026
Tunisia vs Netherlands, 12am UK time (BBC)
Japan vs European Play-Off B winner (Albania, Poland, Sweden or Ukraine), 12am UK time (BBC)
European Play-Off C winner (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye) vs USA, 3am UK time (ITV)
Paraguay vs Australia, 3am UK time (ITV)
Norway vs France, 8pm UK time (ITV)
Senegal vs Intercontinental play-off winner 2 (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname), 8pm UK time (ITV)

Saturday, June 27, 2026
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, 1am UK time (ITV)
Uruguay vs Spain, 1am UK time (ITV)
New Zealand vs Belgium, 4am UK time (BBC)
Egypt vs Iran, 4am UK time (BBC)
Panama vs England, 10pm UK time (ITV)
Croatia vs Ghana, 10pm UK time (ITV)

Sunday, June 28, 2026
Colombia vs Portugal, 12.30am UK time (BBC)
Intercontinental play-off winner 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia) vs Uzbekistan, 12.30am UK time 
Algeria vs Austria, 3am UK time (BBC)
Jordan vs Argentina, 3am UK time (BBC)

Round of 32
Sunday, June 28 to Saturday, July 4
England’s match in this round would be on BBC

Round of 16
Saturday, July 4 to Tuesday, July 7
England’s match in this round would be on BBC

Quarter-finals
Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12
England’s match in this round would be on ITV

Semi-finals
Tuesday, July 14 to Wednesday, July 15
England’s match in this round would be on BBC

Third-place play-off
Saturday, July 18

Final
Sunday, July 19, 10pm UK time
World Cup final will be shown on both BBC and ITV

Today, the Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis ski area is the largest in central Switzerland, topping out at 3,000 metres and with 180 kms of pistes. It includes the north-facing, snow-sure Gemstock slopes (steep, challenging and a freeriders’ paradise) and the newer Gütsch area, where ultra-modern lifts speed beginners and intermediate skiers up for gloriously sweeping feel-good blue and red runs back to the village.

The majority of the 12-hour waits were at North West Anglia NHS Trust

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Hundreds of patients faced waits of over 12 hours in Cambridgeshire’s A&Es last month. A total of 1,479 attendees at A&E departments across our county had to wait over 12 hours from a decision to admit to admission in February.

That’s actually down from a record of 1,785 in January, but is still the highest number for any month of February. It is still far higher than the numbers seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. In February 2020 just seven attendances at A&E faced a wait of over 12 hours in Cambridgeshire.

The majority of the 12-hour waits (921 of them) were at North West Anglia NHS Trust, while 558 were at Cambridgeshire University Hospital Trust. Cambridgeshire is far from being the only part of the country afflicted with such long waits in A&E.

A total of 54,649 patients spent over 12 hours in A&Es in England last month from a decision to admit to being admitted. That’s the highest number on record for the month of February, up from 47,623 in 2025 and 44,417 in 2024. The number is, however, down compared to January when a record 71,517 people were stuck in A&E for over 12 hours. Last month’s total is the third highest number on record.

You can see how your local trust is performing by using our interactive. Simply enter your postcode and select one of the NHS trusts from the dropdown.

The number of patients seen within four hours at Cambridgeshire A&Es has seen some improvements however. More than half (56.9 percent) of attendances at our county’s Type 1 A&Es waited less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.

That’s up from 54.7 percent in February 2025 and 48.5 percent in February 2024. It is, however, below the national average of 59.4 percent.

Waiting lists

The waiting list at Cambridgeshire’s trusts is falling. There were 146,543 on the county’s waiting lists in January. That’s down slightly from 148,972 in December and a peak of 154,150 in August 2023.

The waiting list was generally split between North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (78,406) and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (62,482), with another 5,335 at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust And 320 at Cambridgeshire And Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Nationally, the NHS waiting list has fallen to its lowest level since January 2023. A total of 7.25 million were on the NHS waiting list in England in January. That’s down from 7.43 million a year earlier and a peak of 7.77 million in September 2023.

The waiting list is now at its lowest level since February 2023 when it stood at 7.22 million. The number of people waiting over a year for treatment is at its lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 135,657 had been on the waiting list for over a year as of January.

That’s down from 198,868 in January 2025 and is less than half the number of January 2024 (321,394) and a peak of 436,127 in March 2021.

You can see how your local trust is performing by using our interactive. Simply enter your postcode and select one of the NHS trusts from the dropdown.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “After years of rising waiting times, patients are finally starting to see things move in the right direction – with waiting lists at their lowest level for almost 3 years and more people getting treated within 18 weeks.

“Despite record demand this winter, A&E and ambulance services improved – meaning patients are getting help faster when they need it most, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, better planning and modernisation.

“But we won’t take our foot off the gas. We’ll keep cutting waiting times, backing NHS staff and making sure patients get the high-quality care they deserve.”

NHS National Medical Director Professor Meghana Pandit said: “The NHS was ready to tackle winter head on this year, which is why despite facing record-breaking demand, staff have delivered the shortest winter waiting times for 4 years – while waiting lists have continued to fall.

“This is proof that the NHS is starting to turn a corner for patients – but we know the job is far from done.

“For too long, too many patients have faced the indignity of being treated in hospital corridors. That’s why we’re taking a zero-tolerance approach – with hospital leaders out on the wards and corridors making sure patients are treated with the dignity they deserve.

“I also want to thank the public for their role in supporting the NHS this winter – these figures show the huge impact of the public getting vital winter jabs.”

There will be just one Election Day for this fall’s midterm elections — Nov. 3. But voters in 14 states who cast their votes by mail have been given a grace period ranging from a day later to several weeks in which their ballots can be received and counted.

Whether that extra time should be allowed is at the heart of a case that will be argued Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court. If the court strikes down those grace periods, it will leave those states — and their voters — scrambling to adjust with only a few months before absentee ballots are sent out for this fall’s midterm elections.

The implications could extend well beyond the 14 states that give a grace period for regular ballots, depending on how the court ultimately rules. A total of 29 states allow extra time for at least some mail voters, including those who cast military and overseas ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Voting Rights Lab.

In a filing with the court, a group of state and big-city election officials cited “the risks of confusion and disenfranchisement” if mail ballot grace periods were ended suddenly in states where voters have counted on them for years.

Stuart Holmes, director of elections for the Washington Secretary of State’s office, said 127,000 ballots were received after Election Day in 2024, so voters should expect about that many ballots to be rejected if Mississippi loses the case. Washington has the longest grace period of any state, 21 days after Election Day.

If the ruling is that a ballot is invalid even if it’s postmarked by Election Day, “it might as well have never been received,” he said.

“There’s no way to resolve that issue,” Holmes said. “There’s no second chance.”

‘Election Day is E

lection Day’

The practice of counting ballots after Election Day has been a target of President Donald Trump since he sought to “STOP THE COUNT” after the 2020 election. He and his allies argue it delays results and leads to suspicions about the vote tallies. It’s part of Trump’s broader attack on most mail balloting, which he has said breeds fraud despite findings to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states.

The Republican National Committee and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi brought the lawsuit against Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, a Republican, arguing that federal Election Day statutes envision a single day for casting ballots. Grace periods for receiving mail ballots — also in place in the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories — violate federal law, they argue.

“Election Day is Election Day for a reason,” Ohio state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, a Republican, said during debate over her state’s ban on the practice last year. “Allowing ballots to be delivered days after the election does nothing but hurt the integrity and credibility of our elections.”

In briefs supporting Mississippi, voting rights groups, local election officials and organizations representing military and overseas voters defend the right of states to write their own voting rules. The Constitution gives states the authority to set the “times, places and manner” of elections.

Supporters of ballot grace periods told the court that upholding the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to strike down Mississippi’s law would threaten to create chaos and confusion in this year’s midterm elections.

“State legislatures have recognized this issue and set election deadlines that balance the interests of canvassing speed and ballot security depending on the specific needs of each individual state,” a group of local election officials and local governments told the court.

The groups said eliminating grace periods could affect ballot verification activities, provisional ballot processing, and the processing of military and overseas ballots that often happens after Election Day.

Some states already are modifying their laws

All 50 states require ballots to be cast or postmarked on or before Election Day. The 14 states with grace periods for regular ballots accept and count mailed ballots for periods ranging from a single day after the election in Texas to 21 days afterward in Washington state. Mississippi’s disputed grace period is five days.

A November 2025 Brookings Institution study found that mail voting was a practical, secure way to expand voter access, with about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots. It was an option used by about 30% of voters across the U.S. during the 2024 presidential election.

With the Mississippi case looming, some states have begun to act on their own.

Four states — Ohio, Kansas, North Dakota and Utah — eliminated grace periods last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and Voting Rights Lab. A fifth, Minnesota, shortened its ballot deadline from the close of polls on Election Day to 5 p.m.

In signing Ohio’s law, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine — who had vowed he wouldn’t sign any more election restrictions championed by fellow Republicans — said the Mississippi lawsuit forced his hand.

“I believe that this four-day grace period is reasonable, and I think for many reasons it makes a lot of sense,” he said at the time, noting that he would prefer to veto the legislation.

But DeWine said a ruling against Mississippi would jeopardize similar laws in other states, including Ohio, and leave inadequate time to adjust.

For Adriane Mohlenkamp, Ohio’s previous grace period provided extra comfort over concerns that circumstances outside her control would prevent her ballot from counting.

“I live in a rural part of the state and sometimes our mail has to go to a larger city and then come back,” said Mohlenkamp, 48, a stay-at-home mom and volunteer in Athens who is not affiliated with either major party. “It gave me a safe feeling, because, even if I do my due diligence and return it in enough time, I can’t always anticipate what it does when it leaves my hands.”

States grapple with postmark uncertainty

Katy Owens Hubler, elections program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures, said that in some large states, it can be difficult to distribute all mailed ballots and have them returned within the allotted timeframe.

She said the postmark issue has become trickier for states after recent changes to mail processing at the U.S. Postal Service.

An updated agency policy, enacted in December, said postmarks might not indicate the first day the Postal Service receives the mail, but rather the day it was handled at one of its processing centers. Those centers can be farther away from some communities because of consolidations, a group of U.S. senators told the postmaster earlier this year.

In response to potential Postal Service processing delays, some states have proposed extending their ballot deadlines — California by three days, Virginia by five hours and Kansas by an hour, depending on the county, according to the NCSL.

Owens Hubler said informing voters of any changes resulting from the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Mississippi case will need to happen quickly.

“It’s not ideal to do it in a big election year like this year,” she said. “Voters do adapt, but if there is a change from a postmarked-by to a received-by date, that needs to be communicated and signaled well in advance.”

The Tan Hill Inn Challenge Walk, organised by North Yorkshire charity Dementia Forward, will take place on Sunday, July 26.

The 15-mile sponsored begins at the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub at 1,732 feet above sea level.

It will raise funds and awareness for those living with dementia.

Participants will follow a circular route across the Dales, passing through Ravenseat, Keld, Swinner Gill and part of the Pennine Way.

Entry costs £20 and includes a breakfast sandwich, a Dementia Forward T-shirt and a goody bag.

Walkers can take part individually or as part of a team, with registration opening on the day at 8.30am.

The event is designed to be accessible yet rewarding and aims to offer walkers a meaningful way to support a local cause.

Funds raised will help Dementia Forward continue its work with more than 5,000 families across North Yorkshire affected by dementia.

The event is sponsored by Harris Irwin Architects, a Richmond-based practice specialising in residential, extra care, and dementia care homes.

According to Dementia Forward, more than half of the UK public has been affected by dementia in some way.

It is the leading dementia support charity in North Yorkshire and currently supports more than 6,000 people across the region.

The charity’s services include a dementia specialist support team, a helpline, and community wellbeing services.

Dementia describes a range of symptoms caused by diseases of the brain, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common type.

Symptoms often include memory loss, confusion, and difficulty concentrating.

To book a place on the walk or for more information, visit www.dementiaforward.org.uk, call 01765 601224, or email amy.senior@dementiaforward.org.uk.

The charity also offers a helpline for those living with dementia or caring for someone who is.

The helpline is available on 03300 578592, or queries can be sent to info@dementiaforward.org.uk.

In an article for the Record, IPPR Scotland Director Stephen Boyd says benefits play a huge role in tackling poverty.

Next week, new statistics will reveal how much progress the Scottish government has made towards achieving its legally binding target to reduce the rate of child poverty to 10% by 2030.

The statistics will almost certainly confirm that child poverty is trending lower in Scotland than the rest of the UK. This is largely because of actions taken by the Scottish government. Devolution is working to reduce child poverty.

However, the Scottish government’s own modelling shows that, on the basis of current policies, the 2030 target will be missed by some distance. The First Minister’s often-stated ambition to ‘eradicate’ child poverty looks even more remote. The new statistics are likely to confirm this grim reality.

Reducing child poverty isn’t easy but we have a very good understanding of what works. It is possible to make more paid progress. Measures to lower housing costs and provide direct financial support to families are highly effective. Investment in social housing is key to any strategy to reduce child poverty.

The Scottish Child Payment, and other benefits provided directly to families with children, have a very significant impact – indeed, lower housing costs and the SCP largely explain the lower rate of child poverty in Scotland.

But these measures don’t come free and, given the intensifying pressures on the Scottish budget, there are legitimate concerns that the next government might struggle to maintain – let alone increase – investment in these areas.

Whoever takes the reins after May’s election must recognise that there is no viable path to eradicating child poverty that doesn’t involve increasing the Scottish Child Payment and/or other benefits.

Put simply, to reduce child poverty society needs to redistribute resources to those who need them most through the tax and benefit system. If we want to live in a country with much lower rates of child poverty, then we will all have to contribute to achieving it.

Such a country is possible. Recent IPPR Scotland research shows that other countries with significantly lower rates of child poverty are also home to more productive, innovative and dynamic economies. They manage to sustain a virtuous cycle in which better economic performance enables higher social investment which supports further economic development.

At the coming election, politicians need to be clear about their strategy for reducing child poverty. Pretending it can be eradicated with current levels of tax and benefits isn’t serious.