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For years, veterans' groups have pointed out that the true meaning of Memorial Day was lost to picnics, beach excursions, and cookouts. This year, with Americans gaining a newfound appreciation for the everyday freedoms so many veterans gave their lives to protect, the significance of the holiday reemerges in a poignant way. As we remember with gratitude the troops we've lost in war, we also grieve the lives lost in a different kind of battle—one that we continue to fight. They're all in our thoughts this Memorial Day. Wishing you and your families a safe weekend. THE TOPLINE will return on Tuesday, May 26. —Evan McMullin
Top Ten

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1. 'The president is like a petulant child' Pulling no punches, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel strongly condemned President Trump's failure to wear a face mask while touring a Ford plant during a visit to the state yesterday, in violation of state and corporate policies. Trump brought a navy blue mask stamped with the presidential seal to the facility with him but refused to wear it in front of cameras. "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it," he explained. Asked if there'd be repercussions for Trump or for Ford, Nessel didn't dismiss the possibility. "The last thing we want to see is for this particular plant now to have to...shutter its doors again because someone may have been infected by the president," she said. "And that is a real possibility." —Forbes ([link removed])
* — Preparing for the next wave. In new guidance for mathematical modelers and public health officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 35% of coronavirus infections are asymptomatic. The CDC also says its "best estimate" is that 0.4% of people who show symptoms and have COVID-19 will die, and 40% of coronavirus transmission occurs before people feel sick. —CNN ([link removed])
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— No more lockdowns. Although National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci has "no doubt" there will be a second wave, Trump said yesterday that the U.S. will not issue widespread lockdowns or stay-at-home orders. "We're not going to close the country, we're going to put out the fires," he said. —Axios ([link removed])
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* — Lockdown fight leads to arson. A fire on Wednesday in Holly Springs, Miss., which destroyed the First Pentecostal Church, is being investigated as arson. Investigators found graffiti in the church parking lot that challenges the church's position on a public health order regarding in-person worship services: "Bet you stay home now you hypokrits." The church filed a lawsuit against the city over the order last month. —NBC News ([link removed])

More: Trump slams governors, demands they open houses of worship 'right now' (CNBC) ([link removed])

2. Yuan: China is no friend indeed "It is...disingenuous when Beijing's propaganda maintains that the Chinese model is more effective than any democracy. People have a right to more than just health and physical integrity. Indivisible, universal human rights such as that of the free exercise of religion and freedom of opinion are just as essential. And China is light years away from implementing those." —Deutsche Welle ([link removed])

More: Senators to propose bill sanctioning Chinese officials over Hong Kong security law (The Wall Street Journal) ([link removed])

3. Michigan visit brings up familiar voting fight ([link removed])

After a listening session yesterday with African American leaders from Michigan to discuss the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the state's black population, the conversation quickly turned to one of President Trump's favorite topics—his threat to withhold federal funds from Michigan if it moves forward with a mail-in voting plan. Without offering evidence of such, he said, "Obviously there's going to be fraud. We're not babies." He has not indicated what funds he would withhold from the state, which is currently experiencing severe flooding. —Politico ([link removed])
* — Republicans push back. Trump isn't getting much support on the issue within his party. "In my state, I'll bet 90% of us vote by mail. It works very, very well, and it's a very Republican state," Sen. Mitt Romney said this week. —The Hill ([link removed])
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* — Other states follow suit. In addition to Michigan, West Virginia, Nebraska, Iowa, and Georgia are among several states moving forward with mail-in voting with the backing of both Democrats and Republicans. Most secretaries of state said they made the decision to avoid the health risks posed by voting in person amid the coronavirus pandemic. —USA Today ([link removed])
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* — A friend in Issa. Despite that, at least one Republican is taking Trump's argument and running with it. Former congressman and current congressional candidate Darrell Issa and the conservative group Judicial Watch are suing to block California's move to an all-mail November election. The complaint argues that Gov. Gavin Newsom's order violates elections provisions of the Constitution and represents an "unlawful attempt to supersede and replace California election law." —Politico ([link removed])

More: Florida finds no widespread voter fraud in 2018 races (Politico) ([link removed])

4. Texas shooter expressed terrorist sympathies Yesterday, a gunman tried entering Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas. After shooting a security member in a bulletproof vest, he tried driving into the base but crashed into a barrier. He began shooting again and was killed by Naval security forces. ([link removed])
* — The gunman was identified as Adam Alsahli, a 20-year-old American citizen born in Syria. A preliminary investigation found Alsahli to be a likely supporter of Salafi-jihadist ideology. Social media accounts connected with Alsahli were found to have expressed support for ISIS and al-Qaeda. ([link removed])
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— The FBI says no terrorist groups have claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigators have also not found any evidence that suggests Alsahli was inspired by, or connected to, the December 2019 terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. ([link removed])

* — The shooting at Corpus Christi took place only days after the FBI announced that it found a link between al-Qaeda and the Saudi military trainee-turned-terrorist who killed three U.S. sailors and wounded several others at Pensacola. —CNN ([link removed])

More: Suspect in Arizona shooting wanted to target couples, prosecutor says (CNN) ([link removed])

5. Ghitis: A self-made scandal for Pompeo "[Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo's scandal was propelled by the efforts of the secretary himself—and his boss—to keep it quiet. Their decision to get rid of the man charged with investigating any signs of malfeasance at the State Department has only drawn a spotlight, and the closer we look, the more disturbing Pompeo's actions appear." —CNN ([link removed])

More: Two congressional committees seek answers on Pompeo's 'Madison Dinners' (NBC News) ([link removed])
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6. Another arrest in Arbery case William "Roddie" Bryan, the Georgia man who recorded the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23, was arrested yesterday on charges of murder and attempted false imprisonment. The 50-year-old Bryan is the third person to be arrested in the death of Arbery, along with Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis. ([link removed])
* — Bryan was the only witness to the shooting, according to his attorney, Kevin Gough, who also said Bryan cooperated with investigators, voluntarily went to local police, and answered questions during a "lengthy" interview without a lawyer. ([link removed])
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* — Bryan also took a polygraph test, which suggested he was unarmed at the time of the shooting and did not exchange words with the McMichaels. ([link removed])

* — Lawyers for Arbery's parents said the family is "relieved" that Bryan has been arrested. "His involvement in the murder of Mr. Arbery was obvious to us, to many around the country, and after their thorough investigation, it was clear to the GBI as well," they said. —NBC News ([link removed])

7. Jalonick & Tucker: Ratcliffe confirmed as DNI "A sharply divided Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence on Thursday, with Democrats refusing to support the nomination over fears that he will politicize the intelligence community's work under President Trump. ... [T]he position carries unique challenges, given the president's seeming inclinations to politicize intelligence and bend intelligence agencies to his will. Trump has openly rejected intelligence community assessments at odds with his own viewpoint, including on Russian election interference. Trump has also shown himself as eager to have intelligence agencies investigate matters that he hopes will support his political positions..." —Associated Press ([link removed])

8. QAnon Senate candidate draws scrutiny After winning the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race in Oregon on Tuesday, Jo Rae Perkins has gained some unwanted attention over her strong support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. She has already begun distancing herself from the conspiracy. ([link removed])
* — On the day she won the GOP nomination, Perkins posted a video on Twitter in which she delivered clear support for QAnon, going as far as using a common QAnon slogan. "Where we go one, we go all. I stand with President Trump. I stand with Q and the team. Thank you anons, thank you patriots. And together, we can save our republic," she said in the since-deleted video. ([link removed])

* — "I'm disheartened to see that less than 24 hours after my win, my words were already being spun through the fake news machine and taken out of context. I was not endorsing QAnon but rather stating that I appreciate the fact that there is still free speech in this country," Perkins later said in a statement. ([link removed])
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* — The QAnon conspiracy claims, among many things, that there is a "deep state" plotting against the president, that Democrats torture and kill children, and that prominent Democrats will soon be imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. —Newsweek ([link removed])

More: The prophecies of Q: American conspiracy theories are entering a dangerous new phase (The Atlantic) ([link removed])

9. The Economist: Open Skies are now closed ([link removed])

"The breakdown of Open Skies represents another blow to the architecture of global arms control, which has had a torrid few years. In 2018, Mr. Trump left a multinational nuclear deal with Iran. Last year, he abandoned a Cold War missile pact that Russia had probably violated. Next year, he may walk away from the last remaining cap on American and Russian arsenals, the New START treaty. As these accords crumble, so too do their intricate provisions for verification, such as inspections, data exchanges, and, in the case of Open Skies, overflights. That makes each country ever more blind to what the others are doing—and, perhaps, more likely to assume the worst." —The Economist ([link removed])

More: Pompeo announces Open Skies withdrawal (Defense One) ([link removed])

10. An American Story: Painting up a smile Ten-year-old Chelsea Phaire of Danbury, Conn., has given the gift of art to more than 1,500 kids in foster care and homeless shelters during the COVID-19 shutdowns through her charity, Chelsea's Charity. Chelsea's Charity is a nonprofit she started on her birthday in August 2019 as a way to donate art kits to at-risk children. ([link removed])
* — "Since she was seven, she was begging me and her dad to start a charity," Chelsea's mom, Candace Phaire, said. "She was so persistent, every couple of months she would ask, 'Are we starting Chelsea's Charity yet?' When she was turning 10, she asked us again, and we decided it was time to go for it." ([link removed])
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* — When she was 8, Chelsea lost her swim instructor, whom she considered family. The instructor was killed from gun violence in the middle of their swim season. This was the moment art went from being Chelsea's hobby to her therapy. ([link removed])
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* — Knowing that other children have also gone through trauma, especially now, inspired Chelsea to help make art more accessible to help others cope with their feelings. Great job, Chelsea! —CNN ([link removed])

Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Thank you!
What's Your Take?

Does anyone doubt that the confirmation of John Ratcliffe as DNI is the next nail in the coffin of accountability for this administration? He was put there for the same reason Bill Barr was put at the DOJ—to erase the inconvenient facts regarding Russia and Ukraine and project Trump's culpability onto his sworn enemy, Barack Obama. It's like Barr said: "History is written by the winners." In other words, the facts don't matter, only corruption and spin. —Carole L., New York

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