Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.
Virginians have voted to redraw congressional maps to favor Democrats.
“Chuck Haleel of Member Station VPM has more.”
Virginia's approval for redistricting brings Democrats even or ahead of the Republican redistricting push that President Trump kicked off in July last year. The map that voters approved could lead to a four-seat gain for Dems in the House. In a statement, Virginia's Democratic speaker of the House, Don Scott, said Virginians sent a message to Trump.
Republican said the process was tilted and the courts would have the last word. There are still court cases outstanding that could nullify the results, because Republicans have challenged the process by which Democrats put the redistricting question before voters.
Virginia is the second time voters have redistricted through the ballot box.
California was among the first to redistrict in response to Texas. For NPR News, I'm Jan Kaleel, in Richmond, Virginia. An advisor to the speaker of Iran's Parliament says President Trump's decision to extend
“a ceasefire with Tehran indefinitely at Pakistan's request means nothing.”
On X-Moddy Mahamedi says, quote, "The losing side can't dictate terms." Trump extended the ceasefire, which had been said to expire tomorrow night. He also says the U.S. blockade in the state of Hormuz continues. Democratic rights groups are suing the Trump administration over a legally stockpile and confidential voter data.
Cynthia Abrams from Member Station WPLN reports 12 states, including Tennessee, voluntarily handed over their voter information.
That data includes names, addresses, dates of birth, and the last four digits of voters'
social security numbers. 12 states submitted the information after the Trump administration required all states to do so in an effort to create a national voter database and purge ineligible voters. Now, four individuals along with the organization common cause have sued the Department of Justice.
They are trying to block the DOJ from storing this data and want the Department to delete info it has already obtained. The lawsuit alleges the Department is violating the Constitution by, quote, "you surping state authority to oversee voterless maintenance." It also takes issue with the Trump administration making it a requirement to hand over sensitive
information. For NPR News, I'm Cynthia Abrams in Nashville. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that tracks hate groups, has been indicted by the Justice Department on federal fraud and money-related charges connected to its past use of paid confidential informants to infiltrate extremist groups.
CEO Brian Varys is the use them together information on the activities of radical violent groups. The FBI cut ties with SPLC in 2025, calling it a partisan smear machine. Varys says the group will vigorously defend itself. You as future contracts are trading higher at this hour, you're listening to NPR News.
NASA's next major space telescope is getting ready to be shipped to its launch site, Kennedy Space Center in Florida. And here's NL Greenfield Voice reports, the launch is now targeted for early September. NASA officials announced the launch plan at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. There, in a giant clean room, was the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is named
after NASA's first chief of astronomy.
The approximately $4 billion telescope has a primary mirror as big as the one in the Hubble
Space Telescope, but it has a much wider field of view than Hubble, and will be able to survey the sky up to a thousand times faster. Nikki Fox is the head of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Roman will discover tens of thousands of new planets outside our solar system. It will reveal billions of galaxies.
It should also help astronomers understand mysteries like dark energy and dark matter. NL Greenfield Voice and PR News. observers increase their spending in March from February, but a good chunk of that money was spent at gas stations. The Commerce Department says spending rose 1.7% after a revised 7/10% increase in February.
It's the first spending report that captures the effects of the U.S. is really war and Iran. Excluding gas prices, retail sales were up 6/10 of a percent, getting a boost from income tax refunds and warm weather. Online sales grew 10% in March compared to the year before, and that's likely, in part,
thanks to Briggs Spring Sale held by Amazon. I'm Jeanine Herbst and PR News in Washington. There's so much TV out there that we can't get to it all. Good stuff falls through the cracks.
“That's why we're recommending some great TV remiss.”
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