Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

With a stroke of a pen, Texas has a new congressional map.

Texas is now more red in the United States Congress.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signing off on a redistricting bill today under which the GOP stands to gain five seats.

Weeks ago, state Democrats temporarily left Texas to delay the measure's passage.

They argue the Republican plan to change the map mid-decade was an unlawful attempt to try to prevail in the midterm elections.

The Democratic parties responded with a redistricting

plan of its own in California. The White House plans to unilaterally pull back nearly $5 billion

in foreign aid programs Congress had already approved. It's using what's known as a pocket rescission.

The White House is acting late in the fiscal year, leaving. Little time to respond before foreign aid funding expires.

The fiscal year ends September 30th.

Witnesses are describing moments of terror and courage during a mass shooting at a Catholic

church in Minneapolis this week.

NPR's Vanessa Romo spoke with one woman who was there when gunfire blasted through the church's

stained glass windows. Mass had begun and the worshippers of Annunciation Church had just finished

the psalm, you have searched me and you know me, Lord, when the first shots rang out. Catherine Spandall,

an alumni of the small Catholic school, was attending. She says she hid under the pews. Amid the gunfire, she reached for a familiar hand. As I lay there on the ground, I looked forward, and the young woman, too, rose ahead, who was our pastoral minister for the children. She was facing me, and we reached towards each other, and we prayed the Hail Mary together, and we were both crying. Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who was one of two students killed in the shooting,

sat just four pews ahead of Spandle.

At least 18 other parishioners, a majority of them children, were injured.

Vanessa Romo, NPR News.

The Trump administration is denying and revoking visas

from members of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization

...