We see the impact of the pandemic in statehouses, the White House, and on Capitol Hill. Its consequences are less visible in the courts, which have such high-stakes impacts on so many lives. The Brennan Center is compiling court orders and announcements from federal and state courts outlining their social distancing measures. Most courts have taken sensible steps. But 63 of 68 immigration courts, which are controlled by the Trump administration, remain open in some capacity. “In a startling pattern, courts are closing briefly for cleaning but quickly reopening, even after immigration court officials test positive for Covid-19,” write Janna Adelstein and Douglas Keith. // Read More

Although President Trump briefly took the pandemic seriously (before his “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” phase), months of secrecy and attacks on science have undermined our ability to respond to Covid-19. “While the president spouts misinformation, the administration has restricted access to critical information about the disease,” writes Martha Kinsella. “Federal agencies can take immediate steps to reverse this trend, if agency leaders have the courage to implement them.”// Read More

In March, Congress passed legislation providing paid sick leave benefits to workers who were not previously covered. The law, however, left out millions because of the outsized influence of wealthy donors and special interest groups. When an earlier version of the law guaranteed more expansive paid sick leave, corporate interests pounced. “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ... penned a letter cautioning Congress against pushing through a ‘federal, one-size-fits-all, permanent leave mandate,’” writes Hazel Millard. “The Chamber of Commerce has been one of the groups that has most aggressively exploited federal campaign finance rules.” // Read More

The Brennan Center and a broad coalition of allies wrote to Attorney General William Barr to urge a stronger response to Covid-19. The federal Bureau of Prisons can do more, and the Justice Department can help states act. “We ask that you expand the use of home confinement,” write the Brennan Center and allies. “DOJ can encourage states to respond more proactively to his crisis.” // Read More

Last week, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program Codirector Faiza Patel joined Masha Gessen of the New Yorker and Amol Sinha of the ACLU for a conversation with WNYC’s Angelique Roche about privacy and surveillance during the pandemic. “One thing to remember when we talk about tech in this context: when you’re talking about health, you’re talking about people’s public health information, one of the most intimate kinds of information,” said Patel. “In order for this to be successful, you have to earn people’s trust.” // WATCH NOW

• Lauren-Brooke Eisen on court fees and fines during coronavirus // Marshall Project
• Max Feldman on the current state of voting by mail // Vice
• Elizabeth Goitein on Trump’s claim of “absolute” authority over states // NPR
• Douglas Keith on the complications of moving court online // New York Times
• Faiza Patel on the use of Bluetooth technology to track the spread of Covid-19 // CNN
• Myrna Pérez on voter purges during a pandemic // Mother Jones
• Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Julia Morrison on Covid-19 policies and gender equity // Ms. Magazine
• Tom Wolf on census operations during the pandemic // Sacramento Bee