NPR News: 05-07-2026 5PM EDT

Tennessee Republicans have redrawn congressional districts in a way that likely eliminates the state's sole Democratic-held seat, marking the first such map after a Supreme Court ruling that effectively weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act. The new boundaries split a Memphis-based district, diluting the voting power of its mostly Black population, which tends to support Democrats. Reporter Ashley Lopez notes this follows the Court's conservative majority overturning Louisiana's map, which had created a second majority-Black district; now, other Republican-led Southern states are considering similar redraws to reshape representation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Vatican for talks with the first American Pope, aiming to ease frictions between the Trump administration and the Holy See. President Trump had publicly criticized the Pope as soft on crime and Iran, but the meeting proceeded cordially, with gift exchanges and private discussions. Topics included the Middle East situation and Western Hemisphere issues like Iran and Cuba, where the State Department has collaborated with the Catholic Church. Officials emphasized the enduring US-Holy See partnership, even as Trump floats ideas of a "friendly takeover" of communist Cuba.