• Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrat gerrymander: Virginia’s extreme Democrat gerrymander that was set to eliminate four Republican seats in Congress was struck down on Friday by the state’s supreme court. Democrats poured money into the special election for the gerrymander, spending over $5.2 million in state funds and over $100 million from outside groups. The hyperpartisan gerrymander won the special election with 52% of the vote and would have reduced the GOP to just one seat in the Old Dominion. The Virginia Supreme Court concluded that the proposal for the new map violated procedural requirements because the legislature failed to approve the constitutional amendment authorizing redistricting before the 2025 election. Interestingly, while the old map will stand for now, the proposed gerrymander was not struck down on the grounds of its hyperpartisan nature.

• April jobs report: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April, well above economists’ forecast of 62,000. The headline unemployment rate remained at 4.3%, meeting expectations, while the labor force participation rate also held largely unchanged at 61.8%. The biggest drivers of job growth were the retail, transportation and warehousing, and healthcare industries. Job losses were seen in the manufacturing, IT, and financial services sectors. Consumer demand has remained solid, helping prevent businesses from making drastic changes to hiring and firing. The Iran conflict has affected energy prices but has yet to rattle the broader market.

• Trump’s tariffs lose again: President Donald Trump’s recent round of 10% tariffs based on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 has been struck down in a 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade. The administration had turned to this provision after the Supreme Court struck down the “Liberation Day” tariffs in February, which had been based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Section 122 lets a president set tariffs up to 15% in response to serious “balance-of-payments deficits,” but the Court of International Trade disagreed with the administration’s argument that trade deficits fall into the same category. Trump has promised to reenact his tariff scheme under a new system, explaining to reporters, “We get one ruling, and we do it a different way.”

• Volunteer State redistricting: Tennessee has become the latest state to join the mid-decade redistricting fight. A new map passed on Thursday would eliminate the last remaining blue district in the state, likely putting Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis out of a job and leaving the Tennessee congressional delegation ruby red. Democrats have tried to argue that the new map is racist because it breaks up a black supermajority district, but those arguments lack a proper bite since Cohen is white. The truth is that Tennessee’s new map is not racist; it is partisan. The map was drawn not to disenfranchise any race but rather to disenfranchise the state’s Democrats. It’s not a hopeful sign for American politics, but Tennessee is following in the footsteps of Virginia, California, Texas, and Missouri, which have recently drawn maps with the same partisan purpose.

• Actor Mark Hamill fantasizes about Trump’s death: Separating the art from the artist is necessary, especially in this hyperpartisan age. Actor Mark Hamill is famous for playing Luke Skywalker, a character who refuses to kill Darth Vader, one of the most iconic villains ever created, out of hope for his redemption, but Hamill unfortunately lacks Skywalker’s virtues. Hamill took to social media on Wednesday to wish for President Trump’s death. A leftist who certainly agreed with Hamill did try to assassinate Trump just a couple weeks ago, but that didn’t give Hamill pause. His post depicted Trump lying dead in a grave “pushing up daisies” and begins with the phrase, “If Only—.” Hamill later deleted the post and explained that the full text was actually calling for Trump to live to answer for his “crimes,” and he apologized if the image caused offense.

• Rubio’s rendezvous with the pontiff: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday during an official state visit to Vatican City. The visit marks the second time that Rubio, a practicing Roman Catholic, has had an audience with the pontiff, the first being Leo’s inauguration Mass nearly a year ago. The meeting was friendly, with the American-born pontiff expressing warmth toward Rubio despite the recent dust-up between Leo and President Trump over the Iran conflict. It would appear that both Rubio and the Vatican were engaged in a bit of relational damage control, with the latter describing Rubio’s meetings with both Leo and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, as “cordial” and highlighting “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.”

• SPLC pleads not guilty: The Southern Poverty Law Center has pleaded not guilty to funding the KKK, white supremacists, and the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally at Charlottesville with over $3 million in funds donated to fight racism. The federal case against the SPLC alleges that from 2014 to 2023, the SPLC improperly funded “informants” in extremist organizations. The SPLC is charged with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The SPLC insists the informant program was successful in preventing hate crimes and that they shared information with law enforcement, which Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche disputes. The SPLC is itself a hate group, listing many prominent conservatives, including Charlie Kirk, as promoters of hate. If Blanche can prove the SPLC was funding false-flag racist incidents, it would be a service to the nation.

• Trump admin to target domestic leftist terrorism: In a U-turn from the previous administration, the Trump admin has announced plans to focus on violent left-wing groups such as Antifa and attacks prompted by transgender ideology. It’s part of a broader counterterrorism initiative to crack down on cartels, hemispheric threats, and prevent weapons of mass destruction from entering American soil. President Trump outlined the strategy in a 16-page document, declaring, “Our counterterrorism activities will also prioritize the rapid identification of violent secular political groups whose ideology is anti-American, radically pro-transgender and anarchist.” Sebastian Gorka, the senior director for counterterrorism, noted the rise in attacks due to far-left ideology since 2016. He emphasized that extremist right-wing groups won’t be immune from scrutiny, but the administration will take the increased left-wing violence “very seriously.” The administration labeled Antifa a terrorist organization in September through an executive order.

• Another leftist mayor goes down: Just months into her reelection, Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Vi Lyles announced her sudden resignation yesterday. The 73-year-old Democrat who first became mayor in 2017 offered little explanation for her unexpected decision, other than citing a desire to spend more time with her grandchildren. While Lyles easily won reelection last year, she faced questions about whether she would run, given the increasing frequency with which she missed city council meetings. Furthermore, she was reported to have appeared confused and disoriented at recent council meetings. Recall that it was Lyles who infamously responded to a serial criminal stabbing to death Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte subway last year by warning against demonizing the homeless and mentally ill.

• NoKo changes its constitution: North Korea has quietly changed the language in its constitution, which has caused a lot of speculation in South Korea about Pyongyang’s policy agenda. Historically, Pyongyang has held reunification of the two nations, which were divided at the end of World War II, as a major official policy priority. Indeed, this was the impetus for the Korean War, when the North invaded the South in 1950. However, the current leader, Kim Jong-un, has begun to noticeably veer from that long-held policy in public speeches over the last couple of years. The question is whether this is an actual policy change for the North or merely a ruse.

Headlines

• After suing Denver, DOJ sues state of CO over “high cap” magazine ban (Shooting News Weekly)

• FBI probing Senate Intel Democrats for possible classified leaks (Just the News)

• Disney cruise workers busted in child porn sting, hauled off ships for deportation (Fox News)

• “Free Palestine” firebomber sentenced to life in prison (Hot Air)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.