The coronavirus has already caused numerous deaths in the United States, and the number of cases is rising. But instead of assisting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its efforts to protect and inform the public, Trump has blamed Democrats and the media for making the coronavirus look “as bad as possible.” An effective response will require the public to trust that the decisions made by government officials are consistent with the best available information and science — not based on political considerations. Read more from our experts.

Texas closed 750 polling stations — more than any other state — in order to create voting centers instead of “precinct-specific” voting. Lawmakers argued that this would eliminate confusion and make voting easier, but instead, it disproportionately kept people of color from the polls. The Brennan Center’s Myrna Pérez discussed the impact of these polling station closures on NPR’s The Takeaway.

It’s likely that no Democrat will have won a majority of delegates by the time the primaries end in June, and talk of a contested Democratic convention this year is increasing. It’s difficult to predict how Democratic voters would react to the 2020 nominee emerging from a contested convention — the last time a Democratic convention actually chose the nominee was in 1952. Here’s one Brennan Center fellow’s take on it.

In far too many criminal courts across the country, judges impose fees and fines on defendants without consideration for their ability to pay. The result: people struggling financially are saddled with debt that makes it nearly impossible for them to support themselves and their families. A hard look at the numbers shows that collecting fees and fines is a highly inefficient source of revenue — in one county in New Mexico, it actually costs more than $1.17 per dollar to raise that revenue from fees and fines. Read more about the steep costs of unjust fees and fines.

In 2018, Liuba Gretchen Shirley, a mother running for Congress, asked the Federal Election Commission for permission to use campaign funds for childcare costs. The FEC is known for deadlocking on matters like this, but surprisingly it approved a change in policy, opening the door to more parents of young children running for office in the future. Read more about the impact this new policy could have.

People with a criminal record face a number of challenges getting a job, but thankfully, industry leaders and politicians have started to expand hiring opportunities for people with a criminal record. And now, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is also seeking advice on how to help people with certain types of convictions find jobs in the banking industry. The Brennan Center is encouraging the FDIC to revise its rules in order to recognize the harsh realities of the criminal justice system.