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Thursday, May 7, 2026 · 8:00 a.m. ET
Federal Level
US and Iran Closing In on One-Page Peace Memorandum
The United States and Iran moved closer Wednesday to a formal ceasefire agreement, with sources confirming the two sides are finalizing a one-page memorandum of understanding to officially end the two-month-old conflict. The proposed MOU would launch 30 days of negotiations covering Iran’s nuclear program, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of U.S. sanctions. President Trump told Oval Office reporters, “We’ve had very productive discussions over the last 24 hours, and it’s quite possible we’ll reach a deal.” Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed it is reviewing the U.S. proposal but offered a cautious response. 1, 2, 3
Commerce Secretary Lutnick Can’t Recall Epstein Island Visit
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door session about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers he “cannot recall” why his family had lunch with Epstein on the financier’s private island in 2012 -- well after Lutnick publicly claimed he had cut off all contact. Democratic members emerged from the session accusing Lutnick of providing evasive and contradictory answers, while Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) called Lutnick’s testimony “forthcoming.” His name appeared in over 250 Epstein-related documents, according to a New York Times review. 4, 5, 6
Supreme Court Faces Deadline Today on Abortion Pill Access
The full Supreme Court must act today, Thursday, May 7, on whether to extend the one-week administrative stay Justice Samuel Alito issued Monday temporarily restoring mail and telehealth access to the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide. Louisiana’s briefs in opposition were due Wednesday, and both sides have now filed with the court. If the full court declines to extend the stay, a Fifth Circuit ruling banning telemedicine prescriptions and mail delivery would immediately take effect across all 50 states, affecting the two-thirds of abortions in the U.S. that involve mifepristone. 7, 8, 9
30 House Democrats Demand Rubio Acknowledge Israel’s Nuclear Arsenal
Thirty House Democrats sent a letter Wednesday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding the Trump administration publicly acknowledge Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons program, breaking a bipartisan policy of official silence in place since a secret 1969 agreement between President Nixon and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Led by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), the lawmakers argued that the U.S. cannot fight alongside Israel in a war aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons while refusing to acknowledge that Israel already possesses them. The letter was the first of its kind by members of Congress. 10, 11
Over a Quarter of DOJ Attorneys Gone Since Trump Took Office
The Financial Times reported Wednesday that more than 3,400 Department of Justice attorneys -- roughly 25 percent of the department’s legal workforce -- have resigned or been fired since President Trump’s second term began, with the average departing attorney having served more than 13 years. The loss has hollowed out specialized units including the appellate division, which has shed more than 40 percent of its staff. Critics warn the departures are undermining the government’s ability to prosecute complex cases, while the administration maintains the reductions are part of a broader restructuring effort. 12, 13
State Level
Tennessee GOP Reveals Map Splitting Memphis Three Ways
Tennessee Republicans unveiled their proposed congressional redistricting map Wednesday, carving majority-Black Shelby County into three separate districts and fracturing Nashville into five. The map, introduced during the ongoing special legislative session, would effectively eliminate the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District -- the state’s only Democratic-held House seat -- and produce an all-Republican congressional delegation in a state where roughly one-third of voters backed Democrats in recent presidential elections. Senate sponsor John Stevens said the map will “modernize” redistricting by removing racial data from consideration, a claim Democrats immediately disputed. 14, 15, 16
FBI Raids Virginia Senate Leader’s Office in Corruption Probe
Federal agents executed search warrants Wednesday at the Portsmouth, Virginia, district office and adjacent cannabis business of Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, the state’s top Democratic legislative leader and the first woman and first African American to hold the position. Two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press the corruption investigation was opened during the Biden administration. Lucas led Virginia’s recent redistricting effort, which Democrats say could flip up to four additional U.S. House seats their way. Lucas’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 17, 18, 19
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Article Sources
1. Axios, May 6, 2026, https://www.axios com/2026/05/06/iran-us-deal-one-page-memo
2. The Hill, May 6, 2026, https://thehill com/policy/international/5866955-us-iran-peace-deal-strait-of-hormuz/
3. Reuters, May 6, 2026, https://www.reuters com/world/china/iran-says-it-wants-comprehensive-agreement-with-us-2026-05-06/
4. Reuters, May 6, 2026, https://www.reuters com/legal/government/lutnick-testifies-he-cant-recall-why-his-family-lunched-epsteins-island-2026-05-06/
5. NPR, May 6, 2026, https://www.npr org/2026/05/06/nx-s1-5814081/howard-lutnick-epstein-files-house-oversight-committee
6. The New York Times, May 6, 2026, https://www.nytimes com/2026/05/06/business/economy/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-house-oversight.html
7. KFF Health News, May 6, 2026, https://www.kff org/womens-health-policy/louisiana-v-fda-access-to-mifepristone-back-at-the-supreme-court/
8. Health Affairs, May 6, 2026, https://www.healthaffairs org/content/forefront/supreme-court-temporarily-blocks-ruling-barring-telehealth-and-pharmacy-access
9. Politico, May 4, 2026, https://www.politico com/news/2026/05/04/supreme-court-mifepristone-ruling-00904892
10. The Washington Post, May 5, 2026, https://www.washingtonpost com/national-security/2026/05/05/israel-nuclear-program-democrat-letter/
11. The Guardian, May 5, 2026, https://www.theguardian com/us-news/2026/may/05/democrats-rubio-israel-nuclear-weapons-iran-war
12. Financial Times, May 6, 2026, https://www.ft com/content/a1316aae-83d9-4e2a-87aa-93de964bbbe0
13. The New Republic, May 3, 2026, https://newrepublic com/post/209914/donald-trump-justice-department-thousands-lawyers-quit
14. Politico, May 6, 2026, https://www.politico com/news/2026/05/06/tennessee-new-congressional-map-redistricting-00907831
15. WPLN / Nashville Public Radio, May 6, 2026, https://wpln org/post/tennessee-gop-unveils-new-maps-fracturing-memphis-and-nashville/
16. ABC24 Memphis, May 6, 2026, https://www.youtube com/watch?v=oxStdSbFdQU
17. SF Chronicle / AP, May 6, 2026, https://www.sfchronicle com/news/politics/article/fbi-searches-virginia-senate-leaders-office-as-22244869.php
18. Fox 5 DC, May 6, 2026, https://www.fox5dc com/news/virginia-lawmakers-office-raided-fbi-probe
19. LA Times / AP, May 6, 2026, https://www.latimes com/world-nation/story/2026-05-06/fbi-searches-virginia-senate-leaders-office-as-part-of-corruption-probe-ap