Judge halts redistricting, Oceanfront curfew on for Friday, Navy Sec. Phelan out: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: Judge halts redistricting, Oceanfront curfew on for Friday, Navy Sec. Phelan out

1. A congressional map approved by Virginia voters that aims to help Democrats net four US House seats in November’s midterms faces another legal hurdle just one day after its passage.

   Despite Virginians voting 'yes,' redistricting measure still faces legal hurdle

   A judge in rural southern Virginia on Wednesday ordered that the results of Tuesday’s vote not be certified on several grounds, including that state lawmakers did not follow their own rules in passing the redistricting referendum. Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley also called the ballot language put to voters “flagrantly misleading.” Hurley barred state election officials from modifying election districts or proceeding with the new maps.

   The fate of Virginia’s referendum was already before the state Supreme Court, which stayed a previous ruling by Hurley in the run-up to the referendum and allowed Tuesday’s vote to proceed before deciding the merits of that case. The case before the state Supreme Court is still pending.

   State Attorney General Jay Jones said his office intends to immediately appeal Hurley’s Wednesday ruling. Andrea Gaines, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Elections, said state officials are aware of the ruling and “are in the process of reviewing its impact on the State Board Certification” of Tuesday’s results. Virginians for Fair Elections, which helped lead the campaign to back the referendum, said in a statement that voters “understood exactly what was on the ballot, and they chose YES.”

2. The last night of the 9:30 p.m. curfew at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront is scheduled for Friday, despite one city leader’s efforts to have it lifted.

   VB Oceanfront curfew still set for Friday as city leaders look for long-term solutions

   Virginia Beach City Councilman Worth Remick, who represents part of the Oceanfront, said he supported the curfew when it was approved last week but looked to see if it could be lifted before this Friday. He said that ultimately was not possible. “We’re going to keep the curfew on Friday night,” Remick said. “I was pushing for that, and all I can say is we’re going to have a curfew Friday night.”

   Remick said he does not regret voting in favor of the curfew last week given the limited time before the weekend but added that he does not want the measure to become permanent. “I think there’s a way to do this and not go to the nuclear option, which is a curfew,” he said. On Monday, Remick said he attended a meeting with businesses and other stakeholders to discuss possible solutions moving forward.

   “The resounding takeaway for me is let’s move forward, let’s put the curfew behind us and let’s come up with strategies and solutions that work for everyone and keep everyone safe and commerce going,” Remick said. “We are Virginia Beach. We are the state’s largest city, and we should never have a curfew.” The city is also facing lawsuits over the curfew. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, after several Oceanfront businesses asked a judge to block enforcement of the measure.

3. The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the Navy’s top civilian official, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, is leaving his job.

   In a statement posted to social media, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately.” Phelan’s departure is the latest in a series of shakeups of top leadership at the Pentagon, coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George. Hegseth also has fired several other top generals, admirals and defense leaders since taking office last year.

   The sudden departure comes just a day after Phelan addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. and spoke with reporters on his ongoing agenda. No reason was given for the departure of the Navy’s top civilian official, coming as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war.

   Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will become acting secretary of the Navy, Parnell said. Cao came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam and served in the Navy for 25 years. He ran for U.S. Senate in Virginia but ultimately lost to Sen. Tim Kaine in 2024.

This morning's weather: Sunny today, Tracking rain for the weekend

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says today may be the nicest day of the week. Highs will reach the low 80s, about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. Look for mostly sunny skies with some extra clouds building in later in the day.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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