May 8, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

Good morning. Despite high gas prices, the National Retail Federation predicts Mother's Day spending could hit a record $38 billion. Here’s the news we’re following today:

Today’s top stories

Shin Yong-ju / AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. military says three Navy ships came under attack yesterday while navigating through waters near Iran. U.S. Central Command says it responded by launching strikes on Iranian missile and drone sites. Iran says that the U.S. started Thursday’s violence by attacking one of its oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. This incident marks the first report of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian soil since the ceasefire began a month ago.

🎧 Despite the recent violence, neither Iran nor the U.S. seems inclined to return to war, NPR’s Aya Batrawy tells Up First. President Trump told reporters yesterday that the ceasefire remains in effect. But Trump continues to threaten Iran with more bombing if it doesn't agree to a U.S. proposal to end the conflict. Iran says it's reviewing the proposal and will deliver a response to mediator Pakistan.

Republicans in Tennessee passed a new congressional map yesterday that would divide Shelby County — home to the majority-Black Memphis — into three districts. The action aims to eliminate the state's only remaining Democratic-held seat. Currently, Tennessee is represented by eight Republicans and one Democrat. The state is the first to redraw its congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court last week weakened the Voting Rights Act's protections against racial discrimination in redistricting.

🎧 Protesters from Tennessee's blue cities argue that the new map will silence the voices of voters who support Democrats. These voters make up roughly a third of the state's population, according to Marianna Bacallao from NPR network station WPLN in Nashville. The NAACP has filed a petition to challenge the map, arguing that it is too close to the election to make changes. The organization says it could cause confusion about which district people are in. Over the last few days, Republicans in the Southern states of Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina have also rushed to redraw congressional maps. Currently, California and Virginia are the only states that have adjusted their district boundaries to support the Democrats.

Global public health authorities are working to contain a hantavirus outbreak that began on a cruise ship early last month. There have been eight cases reported, including three fatalities. The ship is currently off the coast of Africa, but dozens of passengers have already disembarked and flown to destinations in Turkey, New Zealand and the United States. Despite a series of alarmist headlines, the World Health Organization emphasizes that the risk to the general public remains very low. Here's what else you should know about the hantavirus outbreak, including what the symptoms are, how it spreads, how the U.S. has responded and more.

🎧 Epidemiologists are racing to identify individuals who've come into contact with those infected in the outbreak. Their goal is to ensure that those exposed get treated if needed. NPR's Ari Daniel speaks with the disease detectives about the challenges they face in this race compared to their work with other outbreaks.

The Court of International Trade struck down a second round of worldwide tariffs that Trump ordered to replace the import levies that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled were unlawful. The international court's decision was limited to two importers who contested the tariffs, as well as the state of Washington. It was not immediately clear whether other importers will still be required to pay these levies. When the Supreme Court ruled in February that the president exceeded his authority with his tariffs on almost everything the U.S. imports, the president sought to replace the import taxes using a different law. The trade court ruled that the law applies tariffs only to large and persistent balance-of-payments deficits, which do not currently exist. The international court found the replacement tariffs unwarranted.

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Today's listen

Colby McCaskill (right) sitting next to his grandfather Dick McCaskill (left) on a porch. Colby’s grandmother Kathy hugs him from behind.

Matthew Coughlin for NPR

This year's NPR College Podcast Challenge winner takes the form of a letter to a grandparent. In Dear Papa, contestant Colby McCaskill intertwines scenes from a past visit with his grandparents with interviews and personal reflections on their aging and declining health. McCaskill’s grandmother has dementia, and he doesn't shy away from the reality of her condition. Like millions of Americans with the same disease, she is losing her memory. She struggles to remember names, her age and how to perform basic tasks. "Being with my grandparents is like a warm hug," McCaskill said after winning. "[The podcast] was an opportunity to get my thoughts down and to make it clear: This is what I'm thinking and this is how I'm feeling and I want you to know this." NPR judges say the episode stood out among the many entries for its intimacy and vulnerability. Listen to the podcast or read more about its development.

Weekend picks

David McKenna, left, as Piggy and Lox Pratt, right, in Jack Thorne's ‘Lord of the Flies.’

J Redza/Eleven/Sony Pictures Television

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿 Movies: In the new horror movie Hokum, Adam Scott plays a reclusive writer who takes his parents' ashes to the lonely Irish inn where they honeymooned. His stay is dampened by unfriendly staff, a quirky local and a haunting witch.

📺 TV: Netflix's Lord of the Flies, based on the 1957 novel, follows four boys stranded on an island as they descend into savagery. Jack Thorne, who developed the show, is fresh off his success with Netflix's Adolescence. He speaks with NPR's A Martínez about his fascination with telling stories about masculinity.

📚 Books: Summer blockbuster season has begun, not just in cinemas but in bookstores as well. This month features new titles from Douglas Stuart, Ali Smith and many more.

🎵 Music: MUNA, Deb Never and Lykke Li are among the many artists who released music today. Enjoy the best tracks from this week's long list of new albums with these curated playlists from NPR Music.

🎭 Theater: The Broadway show Every Brilliant Thing explores reasons to keep on living, from the simple things like ice cream to more heartfelt ones like waking up to the person you love. Daniel Radcliffe, who received a Tony nomination for his portrayal of the protagonist, spoke with WBUR's Robin Young about the show.

❓ Quiz: Test your knowledge on the week's biggest headlines, from the glitzy Met Gala to the latest on Blake Lively. Can you ace it? Dive in and find out.

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3 things to know before you go

A bee on a stem that has small white flowers on it.

Tom Timberlake

1

In Nepal’s rural communities, pollinating bees and hoverflies are responsible for more than 20% of people's intake of essential vitamins and 40% of their income, according to a report in Nature. If insect populations continue to decline on their current trajectory, these communities could become less healthy.

2

Wildlife expert and climate campaigner David Attenborough turns 100 today. Hundreds of millions of viewers have seen intimate scenes of nature through his films.

3

Mohamed Soliman pleaded guilty yesterday to more than 100 state charges with sentence enhancers for firebombing a group of peaceful demonstrators in Boulder, Colo., last June. (via CPR News)

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.