Virginia

• In een zeldzame publieke verschijning waarschuwde Meta-klokkenluider Sarah Wynn-Williams voor 'netwerken van machtige elites' die rijkdom en invloed gebruiken om dissidente stemmen het zwijgen op te leggen. • Meta-klokkenluider Sarah Wynn-Williams en de overleden Virginia Giuffre hebben gezamenlijk de Freedom to Publish-prijs gewonnen bij de British Book Awards van dit jaar, wat de eerste keer is dat de prijs is gedeeld. • Wynn-Williams, een voormalig Facebook-executive, werd erkend voor 'Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism', haar bestseller-memoires over haar jaren bij Meta, voorheen Facebook.

Nieuwe kieskaarten veranderden vier door Republikeinen gecontroleerde zetels om Democraten een voorsprong te geven in de redistricting-strijd aangewakkerd door Trump

• Democratisch kamerlid Ted Lieu omschreef de beslissing van het Hooggerechtshof van Virginia om een staatsreferendum over de herindeling van congreskieskringen te vernietigen als niet alleen fout, maar schandelijk. • De uitspraak verwierp een door kiezers goedgekeurde kaart die de Republikeinen met één zetel zou hebben bevoordeeld bij de tussentijdse verkiezingen, waardoor de huidige voorsprong van de Democraten (6-5) behouden blijft. • De Democraten gaan in beroep bij het Amerikaanse Hooggerechtshof terwijl ze verdere juridische stappen voorbereiden, waaronder een verzoek om de invoering van nieuwe kaarten uit te stellen.

• Virginia's Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved congressional redistricting map on Friday that would have given Democrats significant gains in the 2026 midterm elections. • The map would have provided Democrats an advantage in 10 House districts while leaving only one safe Republican seat, potentially delivering Democrats as many as four additional congressional seats. • The ruling represents a major setback for House Democrats and a significant victory for Republicans as the midterm elections approach, with implications for control of Congress.

• Virginia's Supreme Court ruled on Friday to invalidate a new congressional map passed by voters in April that favored Democrats, handing a major win to Republicans ahead of midterm elections. • The rejected map would have created 10 House districts advantageous to Democrats, leaving only one safe Republican seat, according to CBS News analysis. • The decision reverses a voter initiative and bolsters Republican chances in Virginia's congressional races, as noted by Fox News legal correspondent Shannon Bream and CBS election law expert David Becker.

• On May 5, 2026, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan presented a $1.03 million check to Virginia State University in Ettrick, Virginia, to establish the VSU Center for Generative AI & Industrial Cybersecurity. • The center will serve as a hub for research, education, and workforce development at the intersection of AI and cyberdefense, emphasizing hands-on student training and faculty-led solutions for secure AI infrastructure. • This funding underscores growing U.S. investment in HBCUs for critical tech fields, aiming to build domestic talent amid rising demand for AI security experts.

• The FBI searched the office of a top Democratic lawmaker in Virginia as part of an ongoing corruption investigation, according to an AP source. • Agents conducted the raid on the Virginia Senate leader's office, marking a significant escalation in the probe into alleged misconduct. • The action underscores rising scrutiny on state-level political figures amid national concerns over corruption ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Leo, who has criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policy, selected Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as state’s new bishopSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPope Leo XIV has appointed a man who had once entered the United States as an undocumented immigrant, hidden in the trunk of a car, as the new bishop of West Virginia.The pope approved the resignation of Bishop Mark E Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and selected Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, of Washington to take his place, reported OSV News. Continue reading...