Spotlight shifts to Florida after Democrats win Virginia redistricting battle

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Virginia redistricting measure passes

Iran ceasefire extended

Trump Fed nominee grilled

CIA officers killed in Mexico crash

Democrats came out on top Tuesday evening as Virginians narrowly approved a ballot measure to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional lines, giving the party four potential pick-ups in the November midterms.

The redrawn map will make Democrats favored to win in 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts, a major shift from their current 6-5 edge, and gives them an edge in the national redistricting battle with Republicans — for now.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has said he intends to call a special session of the state Legislature to draw a new map, which could net Republicans as many as four or five seats.

But those efforts face a big hurdle, as the Florida Constitution includes anti-gerrymandering language that prohibits redistricting with the intent to favor political parties. Changing it would require a snap popular referendum that would need to reach a 60 percent threshold — a heavy lift with time running short.

“This war is not over. Next week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hauling the Florida legislature back into a special session to redraw maps because Republicans know they are on the verge of an epic defeat in November,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday night in a statement.

“If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime pick-up opportunities for Democrats, just as they did with Trump’s gerrymander in Texas.”

Some Republicans have also expressed concern about redistricting backfiring on the GOP in the state. 

Alex Alvarado, in an analysis for the Civic Data and Research Institute, wrote Republicans could potentially go from four to seven competitive seats, but warned, “Aggressive redistricting strategies aimed at maximizing Republican seat count may paradoxically increase Republican vulnerability to adverse electoral conditions.”

That’s particularly true when political winds are blowing hard against President Trump and his party.

The Virginia measure still has a hurdle to overcome to go into effect. Republicans have filed lawsuits to try to block the map from being enacted, arguing it violates the state constitution. The Virginia Supreme Court will have the responsibility to decide those cases.

If the measure stands, it marks a massive win for Democrats in Virginia and nationwide.

The measure passed by a margin of 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent, as of the latest vote count — much closer than Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) victory last November. 

Tens of millions of dollars from both sides poured into the race, along with campaigning from high-profile figures on both sides.

Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) took part in a tele-rally the night before voters headed to the polls, while former President Obama appeared in an ad calling on voters to approve the measure.

While Democrats at one point feared their chances of winning back control of the House would take a major hit as a result of the nationwide redistricting battle , they remain favored to win back the House eight months after Texas launched its opening salvo by passing new congressional maps.  

Potential Republican gains in Texas and North Carolina seem likely to be canceled out by Democratic gains in California and Utah. Republicans may pick up a seat in Missouri, though a ballot measure is seeking to prevent that, and one or two seats in Ohio from redistricting.

But the party will likely gain only a few seats from the entire process at most, even if Florida goes forward with changes. That’s not what many in the party had hoped for when Texas fired the first shot. 

▪ The Hill: Five takeaways as Democrats boost midterm edge.

▪ The Washington Post: Here are Virginia’s new congressional districts.

Smart Take with Blake Burman

The Trump administration unveiled its $1.45 trillion defense plan this week. If approved, it would be the largest single-year increase since World War II, adjusted for inflation. Requests include money for the Golden Dome project, along with more money for drones and ships. I spoke with former Army Secretary Eric Fanning, who’s currently the president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, about the size of that top-line number. 

“We’ve been underinvesting for a long time, and we’ve seen that in how we’ve been trying to help Ukraine. We’ve seen that in the Iran war,” Fanning told me.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to meet with key lawmakers next week. About $350 billion of the $1.45 trillion could be pushed through a potential reconciliation process. That could still be a big lift, given questions about Iran, along with the looming midterms.

Burman hosts “The Hill” weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged the Southern Poverty Law Center with fraud in a case tied to a now-defunct program to use paid informants to monitor extremist groups. The organization has strongly denied the Trump administration’s claims.

A new analysis found the U.S. has used up nearly half of its stockpile of Patriot air defense missiles and significantly depleted six other key missile stockpiles during the war against Iran. Rebuilding the stockpiles will take one to four years, according to the analysis.

A federal appeals court narrowly ruled in favor of a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools. The decision is expected to set up a battle before the Supreme Court, with significant implications for the separation of church and state.

President Trump departs an event for NCAA national champions in the State Dining Room of the White House, April 21, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon, Associated Press)

CEASEFIRE EXTENDED: The president said Tuesday the ceasefire with Iran would be extended indefinitely while negotiations continue, reversing course after he previously indicated resistance to waiting longer to renew strikes.

Trump said he agreed to the extension at the request of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshall Asim Munir, who have served as mediators trying to arrange a permanent peace deal between the two sides.

He wrote in a post on Truth Social that he made the decision because the Iranian government is “seriously fractured.”

“I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” Trump said.

The announcement came as a potential second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran remained in limbo, with the clock ticking on the two-week ceasefire agreed to earlier this month, which was set to expire Wednesday evening EDT.

But Tehran hadn’t committed to sending a delegation to the negotiations as it pushed back against Trump’s threats and accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire. Iran’s state-run news agency Tasnim reported that the country’s negotiating team told the U.S. through Pakistan that it wouldn’t attend the talks.

Vice President Vance was set to lead the U.S. delegation to Islamabad but reportedly suspended his trip in the hours before the president’s announcement.

A White House official said in a statement after Trump’s announcement that Vance and the negotiating team would not travel to Pakistan on Tuesday. It didn’t provide additional updates about a potential future in-person meeting.

▪ BBC: Iran faces layoffs from war.

▪ CNBC: Timeline of oil price shock and what comes next.

LAST-MINUTE EXIT: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned from her House seat, just minutes before she faced a potential expulsion vote from the House Ethics Committee.

A subcommittee of the panel found last month that she committed 25 ethical violations of congressional standards.

She is also facing criminal charges tied to allegations that she stole millions of dollars in federal disaster-relief funds for her campaign. She has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

Cherfilus-McCormick argued in the statement announcing her resignation that the ethics investigation was not a “fair process” and threatened to undermine her defense in the criminal case.

“Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida’s 20th district. I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately,” she said.

With her resignation, House Republicans have a little extra breathing room for their narrow majority, holding a 217-213 advantage, with one independent caucusing with the GOP. But questions remain about the future of embattled Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who is also facing multiple controversies.

▪ CNBC: Cherfilus-McCormick is third House member to quit this month.

▪ The Hill: Mills, Mace feud turns into tit-for-tat expulsion threats.

SENATE GRILLING: Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, sought to assure senators that he believes in the agency’s ability to maintain its independence during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.

Warsh faced grilling from senators as he seeks to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell, fielding questions on a range of topics including the Fed’s independence and his plans to divest his financial assets.

“I’m committed to ensuring that the conduct of monetary policy remains strictly independent,” Warsh said in his opening remarks.

His comments earned praise from Republicans but didn’t smooth over concerns from Democrats. They also didn’t convince Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to waver from withholding his support for the nomination.

Tillis praised Warsh during the hearing but said he would continue to oppose confirming him until the DOJ ends its investigation into Powell.

The president has regularly pressed Powell to be more aggressive in lowering rates and said he believes Warsh should do so if he becomes chair.

Read more about what happened at the hearing from The Hill’s Julia Shapero here.

▪ The Hill: Warsh declines to say who won the 2020 election.

▪ Reuters: Five things learned at Warsh’s hearing.

SALARY WARNING: Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin warned his department will no longer be able to pay employees’ salaries starting early next month as the partial government shutdown continues without an imminent end in sight.

Mullin told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday that the president’s order directing funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff is covering costs in the short term. But he said the money is set to be “dried up” by the first week of May.

“So, the money is going extremely fast, and once that happens, there is no emergency funds after that,” he said.

Efforts to restore funding for DHS took a step forward Tuesday as Senate Republicans released a budget resolution to fully fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for three and a half years. That resolution is intended to be passed through the reconciliation process, which would allow it to advance without Democratic votes.

The GOP is hoping to vote to advance the resolution later this week.

The Senate has already passed a measure to cover all DHS agencies except for ICE and Border Patrol. But the House hasn’t taken it up yet, as conservatives are demanding immigration enforcement be funded first.

▪ The Hill: House GOP resisting Senate bill until ICE funding passed.

▪ The Hill: Republicans fear more shutdowns under Trump.

PULLING BACK: Prosecutors seeking to establish a case against former CIA Director John Brennan reportedly rescinded subpoenas for witnesses to testify before a grand jury just days after issuing them.

People familiar with the investigation told The New York Times that DOJ officials didn’t explain the reason for the change when informing the witnesses’ lawyers. It came days after the DOJ removed its lead prosecutor who had overseen the case for months, Maria Medetis Long.

Joe diGenova, a Trump loyalist, was placed in charge of the probe instead.

The inquiry is the latest in the DOJ’s push to investigate longtime rivals of the president. It’s focusing on testimony that Brennan gave before Congress about the intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, seeking to help Trump win.

The sources told the Times that several former national security officials involved in drafting the assessment agreed to participate in voluntary interviews with FBI agents. But the subpoenas were issued after Medetis Long’s ouster, taking some veteran prosecutors by surprise.

DIPPING DOWN: The president’s approval rating reached a new second-term low in the latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, dropping to 33 percent.

That’s a drop of 5 points from the pollster’s previous survey conducted last month. Two-thirds of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s job performance this month, the highest mark of his second term.

The results come as his approval numbers have taken a hit in recent weeks amid the war in Iran and its impacts on the economy. Pollsters found 70 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while just 30 percent approved.

Only about a quarter said they approved of his handling of the cost of living.

The president will participate in executive time at 8 a.m. He will meet with Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano at 10 a.m. He will participate in policy meetings at 12:30, 2:30 and 5:30 p.m.

The Senate will meet at 10 a.m.

The House will convene at 11 a.m.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee hearing, April 21, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press)

VACCINE DE-EMPHASIS: Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed back on reports that he has faced pressure from the White House to roll back his vaccine skepticism, but he has notably shifted his focus to other issues during recent congressional testimonies.

Kennedy firmly said “no” when he testified before the House on Tuesday in response to a question about whether anyone instructed or suggested he stop talking about his controversial stance on vaccines.

But the denial contradicts growing reporting in recent weeks that the White House is trying to keep Kennedy on a shorter leash with the midterm elections approaching. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Trump aides were reining in Kennedy in response to polls showing his vaccine moves have been unpopular.

The Hill’s Joseph Choi reports that the HHS chief’s recent testimonies before Congress seem to have corroborated the new approach, as the secretary didn’t mention vaccines in his opening remarks when appearing before the House in a series of budget hearings last week.

Kennedy repeatedly argued during the Tuesday hearing that he had “never” been anti-vaccine, but Democrats still hammered him on the issue.

“You may think that you’re pro-vaccine, but people aren’t hearing that and I’m talking to the people that are actually sick right now,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) told him of her conversations with people who didn’t receive vaccines because of government messaging.

The hearing also saw fireworks over other issues, including when Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) pressed him on his occasional allusions to interactions with dead animals.

“Respectfully, you know what? I really wish you’d spend more time on, more time thinking about the American people, less time talking about whale heads, bear heads and raccoon parts,” Carter said.

“I don’t talk about any of those things,” Kennedy shouted back.

▪ The New York Times: Kennedy won’t commit to backing new CDC director on vaccines.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., April 13, 2016. (Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press file)

MEXICO CRASH: Two U.S. Embassy officials who died in a car accident in Mexico worked for the CIA and were on their way back from a counternarcotics operation in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, multiple outlets reported.

The Washington Post first reported Tuesday on additional details about the crash that happened Sunday, which also claimed the lives of two Mexican officials. The outlet reported Mexican officials said the car skidded off the road, fell into a ravine and exploded.

The four people killed were returning from a meeting with Mexican officials following an operation to dismantle a drug lab in a remote area, according to the Post.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a press conference that her security cabinet was not informed of the operation, as is required. She said she would investigate whether the mission violated the country’s national security laws.

Chihuahua Attorney General César Jáuregui Moreno told Mexico’s El Universal newspaper that the Americans were not directly involved in the raid on the lab.

The crash came as the Trump administration has heightened pressure on Mexico to crack down on drug cartels.

▪ NBC News: Gunman at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids kills woman, injures others.

A bipartisan path for rural America’s next 250 years, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) write in The Hill.

Big Tech designed it to keep your child scrolling. Congress is finally fighting back, Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) writes in The Hill.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks during an NFL football press conference, April 21, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (Mark Stockwell, Associated Press)

And finally … New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel responded Tuesday to the controversy surrounding him and an NFL reporter after photos showed them hugging and holding hands at a resort in Arizona.

Vrabel vowed that the Patriots and their fans would get “the best version of me going forward” but didn’t share details about what he called a “personal and private matter,” ESPN reported.

“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said. “Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me.”

Vrabel’s remarks come a week after Dianna Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic as the outlet investigated her conduct. She said she doesn’t “accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode” but refuses to “lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

The photos taken just before the NFL’s league meetings in Phoenix stirred controversy, as both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people. They have said the photos are misleading.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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