Today is Tuesday, May 12, the 132nd day of 2026. There are 233 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 12, 2008, a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan province left more than 87,000 people dead or missing.

A partisan redistricting battle among states has accelerated ahead of the November midterm elections following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and opened the way for states to try to eliminate voting districts drawn for racial minorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans cleared a first hurdle on Thursday as they are trying to pass legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies, narrowly rejecting a Democratic effort to permanently block Trump from creating a $1.776 billion settlement fund for allies who claim they were persecuted by the government.

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) – At least 49 people died of thirst after a truck broke down and they were stranded for days in the Sahara Desert in northern Niger, authorities said. The victims, all Nigeriens, were returning home from a religious festival in Mali when the truck stopped running more than 80 kilometers (49 miles) west of Assamaka, near the borders with Mali and Algeria.

Backers of raw milk are pushing to make the potentially dangerous product more widely available and easier to obtain, even as a new disease outbreak – one of at least five in the past year – sickens U.S. children. More than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in statehouses across the nation.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – It’s not every day – or even every decade – that voters are presented a decision like this: Should the state’s individual income tax be eliminated?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Fast-moving storms pummeled parts of the Midwest with hail, strong wind and heavy rain Monday, flooding streets and leading to stranded commuters who needed to be rescued, with more storms on the way, authorities said.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House is on course to pass legislation that would aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy despite opposition from Republican leaders who warn the bill will undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result.