NPR News: 05-09-2026 9PM EDT

US Treasury imposes sanctions on Iran drone and missile suppliers. The Treasury Department targeted ten individuals and companies, primarily in China and Hong Kong, for aiding Iran's weapons programs. One Chinese national and seven firms allegedly helped procure parts for drones and ballistic missiles during ongoing US-Israeli tensions with Iran. These sanctions precede President Trump's planned meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing, where China remains Iran's top oil buyer. The US aims to disrupt this economic support, including prior actions against Chinese refineries processing Iranian crude.

Tennessee enacts new congressional maps amid redistricting battles. Following a US Supreme Court ruling allowing redraws of majority-Black districts, Tennessee became the first state to approve updated maps. The changes split Memphis—the state's sole majority-Black voting area—across three districts, diluting its influence. This aligns with Republican-led efforts in states like Louisiana and Virginia before midterms. The NAACP filed an emergency petition, claiming the state overstepped by voiding a 50-year-old ban on mid-decade redistricting. Democratic-leaning urban protesters argue it silences about a third of voters who back their party; Republicans counter that the maps better match Tennessee's conservative majority and comply with legal standards on partisan lines.