President Trump is urging Mississippi officials to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The push follows the Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down a provision of the Voting Rights Act that required majority-minority House districts. However, redistricting before the midterms could be a challenge in Mississippi. The Magnolia State has already conducted its congressional primaries and would have to invalidate the elections. President Trump is pushing Mississippi hard: Redraw your congressional map now! With the Supreme Court ruling against racial gerrymandering, they can easily turn Bennie Thompson’s seat red and lock in 4 Republican districts. This is how you fight for fair maps and more wins… pic.twitter.com/n3Kcem3x0I — Noah Christopher (@DailyNoahNews) May 3, 2026 Mississippi Today has more: Erasing primary results would be unprecedented, and it’s unclear if that action would survive a legal challenge. It’s also unclear if Mississippi’s three incumbent Republican congressmen would be on board with having to run again in new primaries, a costly endeavor. Also, further gerrymandering in the state with the highest Black population might backfire on Republicans and make Democrats more competitive. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana has amplified an already intense national redistricting battle because it rolled back protection against racial discrimination in redistricting. The 2nd Congressional District that U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson represents is Mississippi’s only Democratic district. It’s one of the poorest areas in the nation, and it comprises most of the majority-Black Jackson metro area and most of the majority-Black Delta region. The way state lawmakers would ensure Thompson can’t win that seat again is to dismantle it, diluting the Black vote with parts of surrounding majority-white districts. Despite having the highest percentage Black population of any state, at about 38%, Mississippi has historically had few Black elected officials, due largely to past gerrymandering and Jim Crow laws and practices. “So, clearly, we have a fight ahead of us,” Thompson said, according to The Hill. “Those of us who have been in this fight forever will continue to. In most of these states, Victor, nobody has said this, all of these districts were drawn by Republicans and approved by Republican legislatures,” he told CNN‘s Victor Blackwell. “Given an opportunity left to themselves without any guardrails, white Republican elected officials would wipe out every opportunity for Black people to be elected. And so this Supreme Court issue that was decided in favor of the Black community is now being challenged by the governor with a new redistricting plan,” Thompson added. Rep. Thompson Vows Fight as VRA Ruling Reshapes SouthRep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Saturday that Democrats face "a fight ahead of us" as Republican-led Southern states move to redraw congressional maps following the Supreme Court's decision narrowing a core enforcement… — Elena (@helen44767171) May 3, 2026 The Hill shared further: The 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court stated that the new map in Louisiana was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, weakening a core provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. That provision prevents election practices that deny equal access to the political process based on race. The ruling could significantly impact the provision’s usage. Thompson said he “would not be an elected official had it not been for the Voting Rights Act,” nor would he have been a registered voter had it not been for it. But the ruling could jeopardize Democratic seats in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina, according to Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, Thompson’s seat among them. Thompson said the court’s ruling “has moved us back over 60 years, and we’re going to fight for it.” “Look at what they’re doing in Louisiana, as you said,” he said. “They’re trying to stop the election and take representation from the Black community with no remorse at all. They just want to do it.” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on Thursday suspended the state’s primary and runoff elections, previously scheduled for just more than two weeks away. He and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) said in a statement that the court’s decision bars the state “from carrying out congressional elections under the current map.”

An enormous fire broke out at the science lab on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus on Saturday. Plumes of black smoke poured from the roof as the building was evacuated. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Watch below: Massive Fire Engulfs USF St. Petersburg Science Lab, No Injuries Reported A massive two-alarm fire tore through the University of South Florida St. Petersburg science lab on Saturday night, threatening the loss of decades of marine research. Thick black smoke poured from the… pic.twitter.com/mt8ee08hyo — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 3, 2026 Fox News shared further: The school sent an alert reading: “Urgent Alert. Fire reported in MSL, Marine Science Lab. Evacuate building. Avoid area. Emergency personnel responding.” St. Petersburg Fire Chief Michael Lewis said more than 60 units and about 200 firefighters responded to the scene. Lewis said around 9 p.m. that the fire was largely extinguished but that the building is likely “a total loss.” “The entire roof has burned off,” he said, according to the report. The University of South Florida said Saturday evening the building will remain closed until further notice. “We have faculty members who have research labs there. This looks like total devastation, We’ve all been checking in on each other,” Interim Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at USF St. Petersburg Frank Biafora said, according to the New York Post. An update on the structure fire in the MSL building on our @usfsp campus. pic.twitter.com/GuM6l1SZmy — University of South Florida (@USouthFlorida) May 3, 2026 More from the New York Post: According to Biafora, the fire could have been much worse. “We are actually quite lucky that the wind is taking this to the east of us because we have residence halls and a whole lot of students on this campus,” he said. USF Sailing coach Allison Jolly said that the building’s age could have made it vulnerable to catching fire, the laboratory was built 80 years ago, the Daily Mail reported. “[The lab] probably lacked some of the modern fire prevention things… It’s one thing to have equipment ruined, but to have years of research go up in flames is so sad,” she said. Watch additional coverage below:

Two U.S. service members participating in African Lion 2026 have been reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area in southwestern Morocco, U.S. Africa Command confirmed Sunday. The two Americans were reported missing on May 2 near the city of Tan Tan, a coastal area roughly 15 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. U.S., Moroccan, and partner forces immediately launched coordinated search-and-rescue operations involving ground, air, and maritime assets. AFRICOM said the incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing. Two U.S. service members participating in African Lion 2026 were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, near the city of Tan Tan, Morocco, May 2, 2026.https://t.co/7zxpKQRHfB — U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 3, 2026 U.S. Africa Command released a statement confirming the disappearance and the scope of the response: Two U.S. service members taking part in African Lion 2026 were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, close to the city of Tan Tan, Morocco, on May 2, 2026. The command said U.S., Moroccan, and other African Lion assets immediately began a coordinated search-and-rescue response after the report came in. The response includes ground, air, and maritime assets, underscoring the seriousness of the search and the difficulty of the location. The official update did not identify the missing Americans, their branches, their units, or the circumstances that led to the report. AFRICOM said the incident remains under investigation, the search is ongoing, and additional details will be released as they become available. At the time of writing, there was no official recovery update and no released casualty finding. That leaves the public record narrow, but clear on the active search. No names, service branches, units, or details about the circumstances of the disappearance have been released. AFRICOM has not disclosed any information about injuries or casualty status. African Lion is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise on the continent. The 2026 iteration launched in late April and spans multiple countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal, with U.S. troops training alongside partner forces across a range of military scenarios. U.S. Africa Command announced the start of the exercise just days before the incident: African Lion 26 launched in Morocco as part of U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual joint exercise with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and other partners. The exercise spans multiple host nations, including Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, and brings together U.S. troops with African and allied forces for large-scale multinational training. The command has described African Lion as a readiness and interoperability exercise meant to strengthen collective security capabilities across the region. The 2026 version includes thousands of troops from dozens of nations, with training built around joint operations, partner coordination, and real-world mission sets. That scale explains why U.S., Moroccan, and other exercise assets were already positioned to join the search once the two service members were reported missing near Cap Draa. The launch release also framed the drill as a partnership mission, not a standalone U.S. operation. The Cap Draa Training Area sits in a remote stretch of southwestern Morocco near the Atlantic coast. The terrain and proximity to open water add complexity to search-and-rescue efforts, particularly when the cause and nature of the disappearance remain unknown.

Bill Maher spent a good chunk of his Friday night Real Time interview doing something Gavin Newsom clearly did not expect: making the California governor defend his own record with actual numbers instead of bumper-sticker slogans. Newsom came out swinging with the familiar line about California being the world’s fifth-largest economy. Maher was ready. He asked whether ordinary voters would say “good” about California’s gas prices and rent. Newsom tried to pivot. Maher kept pressing.

The Indiana Hoosiers football team will visit the White House after its historic undefeated season to win the national championship. The team is scheduled to make its visit on May 11. It’s unclear if Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and #1 NFL Draft pick, will attend. The Indiana Hoosiers — 2025 College Football Playoff national champions — will visit the White House this month, according to a source familiar with the team's plans. https://t.co/8IUiswVRru — ABC News (@ABC) May 2, 2026 More from The Daily Hoosier: The tradition of championship sports teams visiting the White House and the president of the United States dates back to the 1800s. The undefeated Indiana men’s basketball team in 1976 was the first men’s college basketball team to attend a White House celebration; college football champions have gone to Washington since Alabama in 1961. IU will become the latest group to visit the White House. The Hoosiers sealed their title on Jan. 19, 2026 with a 27-21 victory over Miami (Fla.), at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. This is the first of two prominent public appearances for IU head coach Curt Cignetti in May. He will also drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. According to NBC Sports, Mendoza will pass on the White House visit. Fernando Mendoza doesn’t plan to visit the White House with Indiana. https://t.co/9oKXt58foC — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 3, 2026 NBC Sports explained further: The Heisman Trophy winner was asked whether he would take the trip, and his answer incorrectly stated that as the start of the Raiders’ organized team activities. Their OTAs actually begin a week later, on May 18. “I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I’ve got to prove myself,” Mendoza told reporters Saturday. “I can’t miss practice. I don’t have the calendar, but as a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates, and I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.” After all the hoopla following a Heisman, a national championship and becoming the top pick, Mendoza was eager to get back to it. All eyes were on him as he worked with some of his new teammates at the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend. “Out of all those great milestones, I’m really happy about these past two days, because it’s back to football,” Mendoza said, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.