Supreme Court rejects 9/11 plea deal appeal, takes up school admissions and home distilling cases

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to revive plea agreements that would have spared Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused 9/11 mastermind, and co-defendants Mustafa al Hawsawi and Walid bin 'Attash from the death penalty. The deals, which meant life in prison, were revoked by the Biden administration. The denial keeps capital punishment possible as the case moves toward a military trial set for June 2028. The justices also agreed to hear a challenge to admissions policies for magnet programs in Montgomery County, Maryland, including a competitive middle school, a test of the court's 2023 ruling ending affirmative action in higher education. The court will also consider whether Congress had constitutional authority to ban home distilling of spirits more than 150 years ago.

Right-leaning outlets diverged: the Washington Examiner framed the 9/11 order as the court siding with the Pentagon, while Newsmax covered only the distilling case. Left-leaning outlets covered the 9/11 appeal (CBS) and the admissions case (NBC), stressing diversity policy. Alternative outlets also split: The Hill stressed open questions for school districts after the 2023 ruling, while Axios stressed the death penalty remaining possible before trial.