By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Monday to let Donald Trump fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook as it stood firm to preserve the central bank's cherished independence against an unprecedented challenge by the Republican president.

The Supreme Court’s ruling letting more than a dozen states keep their post-election grace periods for mail ballots is a defeat for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the midterms, but the GOP can still capture significant victories in major election-related cases coming farther down the pipeline.

The justices allowed the president to fire a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, striking down a nearly century-old precedent intended to insulate independent agencies from political influence by the executive.

The president championed his wins and downplayed his losses in the Supreme Court's rulings.

The Supreme Court Monday declined to take up an appeal from President Donald Trump over a $5 million verdict and finding that he sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll, a decision that means the president will now have to pay the magazine columnist.

It was the fourth such deal struck by the administration to get companies to forfeit their offshore wind leases.

President Donald Trump at an Oval Office press conference on Monday reacted to the Supreme Court's rulings over mail-in ballots and presidential firings. Trump called out Republican Senators, including Sen.

President Trump nominated acting secretary Keith Sonderling to permanently lead the Labor Department after months of turmoil. Business leaders who backed his candidacy say he has already been steering policy and personnel decisions.