NPR News: 05-08-2026 11AM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast from May 8, 2026, rounds up key developments across US politics, military tensions, policy enforcement, the economy, UK elections, and a cultural milestone, delivered in a rapid midday update.

Virginia Redistricting Plan Struck Down

The Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a congressional redistricting plan that voters had approved just last month. Democrats had pushed the plan through the state legislature to redraw districts more favorably for their candidates, aiming to offset Republican-led gerrymandering in other states that bolsters GOP chances in US House races. The justices ruled that the legislature committed procedural errors in placing the referendum question on the ballot, effectively halting the map's implementation. This decision disrupts Democratic strategy in a battleground state and highlights vulnerabilities in ballot initiative processes, potentially forcing new legislative action or litigation.