In a 4-to-3 decision today, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the state’s new federal map, which was designed by Democrats to flip up to four Republican seats in the midterm elections.
The decision, which came less than three weeks after Virginia voters approved a new map, could be the final word on the state’s districts before Election Day. The court said the process of establishing a new map violated the State Constitution, making it a matter of state, not federal law.
When the State Assembly voted for the first time on the constitutional amendment that authorized Democrats to redraw the map, it happened shortly before last year’s legislative elections, after early voting had begun. That time, the justices wrote, violated the complex process set forth in the State Constitution for voting on amendments.
With Virginia back on its old map, Republicans stand to gain about half a dozen safe seats in redistricting alone. However, they are expected to face an uphill battle in their efforts to win a majority in Congress.
Trump plans to fire FDA commissioner
President Trump signed a plan to fire Marty Makary, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, after he clashed with administration members over vaping, oversight of the abortion pill and a series of rejections of applications for new treatments for rare diseases.
The president can change his mind, as he often does. Makary, a former cancer surgeon and health policy researcher before joining the administration, has been a supporter of the Make American Healthy Again movement.
In other Trump administration news:
Public schools are struggling due to declining enrollment
Over the past few years, enrollment in America’s public schools has been declining. And fewer students means less funding, forcing many districts to make painful budget cuts and some districts to close schools.
Several factors affect enrollment, including private school voucher programs and recent immigration cuts. But experts say the biggest impact is the US fertility rate, which is at a record low, down 24 percent from its most recent peak in 2007. See which school districts are shrinking and which are growing the most.
What health professionals want to know about hantavirus
News this week of a deadly virus outbreak on a cruise ship and an international contact tracing effort have renewed concerns about the spread of Covid. And many readers ask me if they should be worried. But the health experts we spoke to were clear: hantavirus poses very little risk to the general public.
“The level of infection is not what Covid was or is,” Gaby Frank, an infectious disease expert, told us. Hantavirus, Frank said, “requires prolonged exposure.”
Many top stories
The Middle East Conflict
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The US military said it shot down two Iranian-flagged oil tankers, disabling them as they tried to reach an Iranian port. Iran accused the Americans of undermining diplomacy.
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Satellite images show a massive oil spill spreading over Kharg Island, which is Iran’s main crude oil export hub.
Some Big News
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Activities: US employers added 115,000 jobs in April and unemployment was steady at 4.3 percent.
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Britain: The Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, lost heavily as it lost support to the Greens in local elections, while the far-right Reform UK made gains.
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Haiti: Federal judge in Miami found four South Florida men guilty of plotting to assassinate President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
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Russia: “May Holidays,” an eight-day celebration of the defeat of the Nazis, is usually a holiday season. Not this year.
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Technology: Meta told its US employees that it would track what they typed, how they moved their mouse and what they clicked, all to train AI models. It’s not going well.
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Epstein: Although Jeffery Epstein’s suicide note remains unauthorized, its phrases are similar to other things he wrote. Compare them here.
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France: The two thieves, who were also a couple, broke into churches across the country for weeks while planning a weekend trip to get around the criminals.
It’s the art that everyone in Venice talks about
The world’s leading contemporary art event, the Venice Biennale, brings together nearly 100 national exhibitions in a floating city, and our partners spent a week running around the harbor. Austria has a very busy deck – featuring a naked woman on a jet ski – and portable toilets i place to be. Check out seven more shows that everyone out there is talking about.
Usually, a panel of experts awards the best national presentation. But this year, the jury has largely resigned amid debate over which countries should be considered for the awards. Instead, the Biennale allows the audience to choose the best artist.
The WNBA is back and bigger than ever
The WNBA’s 30th season gets under way tonight, and our colleagues who write The Athletic’s morning newsletter are calling it the most important year in the league’s history. It’s hard to disagree: Player salaries have skyrocketed, TV deals are booming, Caitlin Clark is back and the league has expanded.
A poll of WNBA general managers found they expect A’ja Wilson to win MVP again and the Aces to repeat as champions. Here’s something else to look forward to.
To find out more: Subscribe to “No Season,” The Athletic Magazine on women’s basketball.
The comfort we find in children’s books
Great children’s books, such as “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” often depict the mistakes and chaos that are an inevitable and necessary part of being a child. They also capture the same growth that parents do.
In a story for The Times, novelist Lisa Owens recalls the books she cherished as a child. Ten years into parenting, she now sees herself as an abused adult, like the mother elephant in “Five Minutes of Silence.” When reading about his efforts to find rest, Owens writes, “I was almost moved to tears.”
Have a compassionate weekend.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday – Matthew
Keith Bedford was our photo editor.
We welcome your feedback. We got to evening@nytimes.com.
