News Wrap: Virginia voters approve new congressional map that could help Democrats

[0:00] In the day's other headlines, National Democrats are celebrating a win in Virginia after voters [0:05] there narrowly approved a plan to redraw the state's congressional map in a way that could [0:09] help them pick up four seats in this year's midterm elections. Virginia is currently represented [0:14] by six Democrats and five Republicans in the House, a near-even split. The new map, [0:19] drawn by Democrats, would leave just one clearly Republican district. House Democratic leader [0:24] Hakeem Jeffries defended the new plan this morning as a counterpunch to similar redistricting [0:29] efforts in Republican-led states. Donald Trump and Republicans launched this [0:35] gerrymandering war, and we've made clear as Democrats that we're going to finish it. [0:43] Republicans have challenged the map, and the state's Supreme Court will ultimately weigh in [0:47] on whether the redistricting plan is illegal. The U.S. Supreme Court found that an Army veteran [0:53] who was injured by a suicide bomb in Afghanistan 10 years ago can sue the government contractor [0:58] that hired the attacker. Former Army specialist Winston Hensley was wounded when an Afghan employee [1:05] blew himself up at Bagram Airfield in 2016, killing five people. Today's decision overturns [1:11] a lower court ruling that had blocked his lawsuit due to a federal government protection during [1:16] wartime. In a rare lineup, the court's liberal three justices, Kentonji Brown-Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, [1:23] and Elena Kagan joined conservative Clarence Thomas in the decision. The Trump administration [1:29] is reportedly in talks to send hundreds of Afghans who worked with U.S. forces to the Democratic [1:34] Republic of Congo rather than bring them to the U.S., as promised. That's according to an advocacy [1:39] group that says it's been briefed by U.S. officials. These Afghans have been stuck for more than a year [1:45] on a former U.S. Army base in Qatar after their visa processing was effectively halted. [1:50] On a press call today, a retired U.S. Marine originally from Afghanistan called the idea [1:55] of sending them to Congo political theater. [1:59] The Department of State advises American citizens to reconsider travel to the DRC, [2:04] and many areas listed it as do not travel due to violent crime, civil unrest, and armed conflict. [2:11] We are telling American allies, people who stood with us, who were vetted, who supported our mission [2:16] to go somewhere the United States government itself warns Americans not to go to. [2:20] A State Department spokesperson says the U.S. remains committed to pursuing, quote, [2:25] voluntary resettlement options, but did not provide further details. [2:30] In the southeastern U.S., wildfires are intensifying as strong winds and low humidity fan the flames. [2:36] Firefighters in Florida are battling more than 100 blazes across that state, which is suffering [2:41] one of its worst fire seasons in decades. While in Georgia, officials in one county say nearly 50 homes [2:48] have already been destroyed and hundreds more are at risk. [2:51] Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. [2:56] Speaking to reporters today, local officials along Georgia's coast urged residents to stay safe. [3:02] This is very dynamic, very fluid, so it's moving and the threat moves with it. [3:06] We have one singular overarching priority, and that is life safety for first, the public, [3:13] and secondly, for those that are going into harm's way as our first responders to fight the fire. [3:18] Meantime, in West Virginia, authorities say a chemical leak at a refinery killed two people today [3:23] and sent at least 19 others to the hospital. A local official says workers were preparing [3:28] to shut down at least part of the facility when the leak occurred, causing a chemical reaction. [3:33] The plant is located about 10 miles west of Charleston. [3:36] A new report out today highlights the troubling state of the nation's air quality. [3:41] According to a study from the American Lung Association, more than 150 million people [3:46] live in areas affected by harmful levels of pollution. That's about one in four Americans. [3:51] That includes roughly 33 million children who live in areas that failed at least one measure [3:56] of air pollution. More than 7 million of those live in a community that failed all air quality measures. [4:03] According to the report, four of the five most polluted cities are in California, [4:08] with the Los Angeles and Long Beach area topping the list. [4:12] Separately, school officials in Los Angeles are cracking down on screen time for students. [4:17] It's the first major school district in the nation to set limits on the use of laptops [4:22] and tablets in class. The measure calls for guidelines for each grade and subject and bars students [4:27] in first grade or younger from using devices, among other measures. [4:31] It's a sharp turn from the COVID era when schools leaned into the use of technology. [4:37] That led to pushback from parents and teachers who said it led to unhealthy screen habits. [4:42] The district is the second largest in the nation, serving about half a million students. [4:47] On Wall Street today, stocks climbed higher despite ongoing concerns over the Iran war and oil prices. [4:53] The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 340 points on the day. [4:57] The Nasdaq jumped nearly 400 points, or more than 1.5%. [5:00] The S&P 500 notched its latest all-time high. [5:06] And Dave Mason, who co-founded the psychedelic British band Traffic, has died. [5:11] Seen here on the left, Mason wrote some of the group's biggest songs, [5:14] including the rock classic Feeling Alright. [5:17] Joe Cocker's rendition soared on the global charts. [5:20] Mason also had a successful solo career with hits like We Just Disagree. [5:32] And he worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2004. [5:39] Mason's Traffic bandmate Steve Winwood said today that he helped create music that continues to mean so much to listeners around the world. [5:47] Dave Mason was 79 years old. [5:49] And Congressman David Scott has died. [5:52] The Democrat from Georgia is the former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and a leading voice in his party for farm-aid policies. [6:00] Scott was seeking a 13th term in Congress despite concerns over his declining health. [6:05] House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called the lawmaker a trailblazer. [6:08] Today, David Scott was 80 years old. [6:12] Still to come on the NewsHour, the death of two Americans in Mexico raises questions about U.S. operations against drug cartels. [6:18] Concerns over political election interference grow ahead of the midterm elections. [6:24] And the head of the National Parks Foundation on how best to preserve the nation's beloved shared spaces. [6:33] This is the PBS NewsHour from the David M. Rubenstein Studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News. [6:40] Support journalism you trust. [6:46] Support PBS News. [6:48] Donate now or even better, start a monthly contribution today.