NPR News: 04-29-2026 10PM EDT

The Supreme Court issued a major Voting Rights Act ruling, Iran’s currency collapsed to a record low against the dollar as a shaky ceasefire holds, and the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady with internal divisions. These developments anchor a wide-ranging news roundup that also covers a push to legalize raw milk, a Broadway-bound production of Evita, and the unprecedented rescue of a stranded whale.

Supreme Court Weakens Voting Rights Act Protections

The U.S. Supreme Court weakened a key portion of the Voting Rights Act that protected minority-majority congressional districts. The decision, which St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports could have “huge implications, especially in the South,” effectively lays the groundwork for states to legally challenge or eliminate such districts. Eddie Grime, the Kansas City attorney who successfully argued the case before the High Court, said the ruling gives state legislatures a path to get rid of minority-majority districts or provides a legal basis for others to challenge them. The decision marks a significant shift in federal voting rights law, potentially reshaping how congressional maps are drawn in states with large minority populations.

Iran’s Currency Collapses as Ceasefire Holds Under Pressure