NPR News: 05-03-2026 8AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
What recent Supreme Court ruling affects voting districts in Alabama?
Lawmakers in Alabama will hold a special session on Monday following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that race should not be a factor in drawing voting districts. Pat Duggins of Alabama Public Radio says that puts one Democratic U.S. House member in the crosshairs.
Congressman Shomari Figures is up for re-election this November in Alabama. That is, assuming his district is still there. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Alabama to create a second black House seat in 2023. Now those same justices say race doesn't matter. Figures has said he doesn't worry about the uncertainty.
We got elected to represent a certain part of the state of Alabama in District 2. And that's what we spend our time doing. I worry about things that I can control. I do not stress out about things that I cannot control.
Alabama's Attorney General wants the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn an earlier injunction that keeps District 2's map in place until 2030. For NPR News, I'm Pat Duggins in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Immigration advocates in the Bay Area say it just got harder to apply for asylum. The Department of Justice closed an immigration court in San Francisco and moved operations to nearby Concord. The federal government calls it a cost-saving move, but critics point to a sharp reduction in judges and warn the changes could lead to delays. Bill Hing, a law professor at the University of San Francisco, says the impact could be significant.
We're talking about 15,000 cases that are in limbo in San Francisco. It's a major hub of immigration in the United States.
The shift could change where the cases are heard across the region. Advocates say that might make it harder for migrants to find legal help and require some to travel farther for court hearings. Ukrainian uncrewed vessels have struck two tankers in the Black Sea that are used to transport Russian oil. The Kremlin says the attacks on energy infrastructure could push global oil prices even higher. It's the latest in a series of strikes Ukraine's president says are targeting Russia's so-called shadow fleet. NPR's Hanna Palomarenko reports from Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video showing the sea drones striking the sterns of the vessels. The tankers were in the waters near the port of Novorossiysk in Russia. This is the third successful attack by Ukrainian sea drones in the past week. Earlier, two of the uncrewed vessels struck a sanctioned tanker southeast of Russian city of Tuapse. The next day, Ukrainian Navy struck two Russian patrol boats guarding the Kerch Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea with Russian territory. And in an attack by air, Ukrainian drones struck Primorsk Sunday, Russia's largest oil exporting port on the Baltic Sea, sparking a fire. Hanna Polomarenko, NPR News, Kyiv.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced several significant rule changes for the 99th Academy Awards next year. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports the updates focus on areas including AI protections and expanded eligibility for international films.
The Academy now explicitly states that only roles, quote, demonstrably performed by humans with their consent are eligible for acting awards. In other words, AI creations like Tilly Norwood cannot hope to win a Best Actress Oscar anytime soon. Writing categories now have a similar requirement. And those flesh-and-blood human actors can now be nominated for multiple performances in the same category if those performances are voted in the top five. Another big change. International films can still be the official selection of their countries, as was previously the case, but now they can qualify by winning the top prize of a major international festival, such as the Palme d'Or at Cannes. This means the film itself is now officially the nominee, not the country.
Chloe Veltman, NPR News.
History was made at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday. For the first time, a woman trained the winning horse.
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