Closing summary
This concludes our US politics coverage for today.
Voters in Virginia have approved new congressional maps intended to boost Democrats’ chances of retaking the House of Representatives in the latest salvo of between blue and red states seeking an edge ahead of the November midterms.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a prominent civil rights organization, has been indicted on federal fraud charges.
Trump unilaterally announced an extension of the two-week ceasefire with Iran amid frantic efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.
A US appeals court ruled Tuesday that Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.
Trump’s nominee for US Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, faced a tumultuous hearing in Washington, fielding scrutiny over his wealth and his ability to operate independently of the president who appointed him.
Democratic US representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said she is resigning effective immediately, after a House committee found she violated ethics rules.
The FBI director, Kash Patel, had a testy exchange with reporters when asked about the recent Atlantic article outlining claims that he excessively drinks and at times has been unreachable.
Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy has decreased from March to April as prices climb due to the Iran war.
Updated
Democrats celebrate major redistricting win in Virginia
Barack Obama has praised Virginia voters for backing the redrawn congressional maps that could give Democrats a significant boost in the midterm elections.
“Congratulations, Virginia! Republicans are trying to tilt the midterm elections in their favor, but they haven’t done it yet. Thanks for showing us what it looks like to stand up for our democracy and fight back,” the former president wrote in a post on X.com.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, said House Democrats have “crushed Donald Trump’s national gerrymandering scheme”, noting a string of state victories across the country.
A celebratory post from the office of Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, said California and Virginia were “protecting democracy”.
And Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, praised Virginians for refusing to “let Trump play games with Americans’ right to fair representation”, saying, “Republicans can’t cheat their way out of accountability in 2026.”
The redistricting battle began last year after Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature redrew that state’s congressional maps in a bid to oust as many as five Democratic House lawmakers from their seats. Missouri and North Carolina also approved new district boundaries that could cost Democrats one seat in each state, as my colleagues summarized. California voters retaliated by passing new maps that could flip five Republican-held seats, and the Virginia election is now the second time a Democratic gerrymander was approved by voters.
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