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The Supreme Court of Texas has struck down a plan that would allow voters at risk for contracting coronavirus to vote absentee this year. In its ruling, the court declared that a “lack of immunity to COVID-19 is not itself a 'physical condition' that renders a voter eligible to vote by mail.” Coming in the same week that the country reached the 100,000 mark for COVID-19 deaths, the decision is out of touch with reality. On the bright side, in an act of cross-partisan unity, the state of Wisconsin approved a measure that would ensure all its registered voters are mailed absentee ballot requests ahead of the general election. Even better, the measure is fully funded by a congressional elections assistance grant. Free and fair elections are the last bastion of democracy, and our governing institutions are being tested in real time on their commitment to country over party. —Mindy Finn
Top Ten

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1. US reaches 100,000 coronavirus deaths As if that's not sobering enough, it's probably an underestimate. A growing pool of global death statistics indicates that few countries are accurately capturing fatalities from COVID-19—and in some, the shortfall is significant. In the U.S., Russia, the UK, the Netherlands, and many other countries, the number of deaths recorded from all causes has jumped since March, far exceeding those attributed to the novel coronavirus. The deaths above average are more than likely linked to the virus as well, and those numbers are not being captured. —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])
* — White House breaks precedent again. White House officials have decided not to release a mid-session economic review, including updated projections on economic trends such as unemployment, inflation, and economic growth, this summer. Budget experts say they're unaware of any previous administration opting against providing this information since at least the 1970s. The move is sure to raise questions. —The Washington Post ([link removed])

* — The House's first proxy vote. Rep. Brendan Boyle quietly made history yesterday, when acting on behalf of Rep. Zoe Lofgren, he became the first member ever to cast a proxy vote for a colleague on the House floor. But not everyone was celebrating the milestone. Boyle's action has become yet another partisan flashpoint, as Republicans bitterly oppose the rule change that allowed it. —Politico ([link removed])

* — When denial becomes dangerous. The political divide over how serious the coronavirus pandemic is hit a whole other level in Pennsylvania. Democratic lawmakers are livid that they were not informed for nearly a week that a Republican colleague had been diagnosed with the coronavirus, even though GOP leaders were aware of the positive diagnosis. —The Hill ([link removed])

More: Trump's refusal to wear a mask is helping politicize a crucial tool for fighting virus (The Boston Globe) ([link removed])

2. 'Stop killing black people' That was the message of protesters across the U.S. outraged by the death of George Floyd. Demonstrators in Floyd's native city of Minneapolis, Memphis, and Los Angeles called for the arrest of the white police officer who knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes before he died at a hospital earlier this week. However, some protests turned destructive, and an attorney for Floyd's family, Ben Crump, urged protesters not to act out in violence. ([link removed])
* — In Minneapolis, fires were sparked around the city, and videos of looters inside stores spread on social media. "We don't need that. We need people focused on getting justice," Crump said. ([link removed])
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* — In Memphis, a silent demonstration to protest the death of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, quickly turned into verbal confrontations with Memphis police and counter-protesters, as they mocked Arbery's slaying saying, "Go out for a jog." ([link removed])
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* — While protesters took to the streets, police chiefs from coast to coast expressed their outrage with Floyd's death as well. "Do not defend the undefendable, attempt to justify the unjustifiable, or excuse the inexcusable," Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina said on Twitter. "George Floyd should be alive today." —USA Today ([link removed])

More: DOJ says inquiry a 'top priority' after thousands protest (The Guardian) ([link removed])

3. China just keeps on pushing the envelope ([link removed])

Today, as expected, China's legislature endorsed a national security law for Hong Kong, further straining the relationship between the U.S. and China. The law will alter Hong Kong's mini-constitution, or Basic Law, to require the territory to enforce measures to be decided by the National People's Congress' standing committee, a small body controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The move reflects President Xi Jinping's determination to tighten control over Hong Kong after 11 months of pro-democracy protests. —Associated Press ([link removed])
* — The Hong Kong resistance goes on. Protesters enraged by the law sought to surround the city's government offices yesterday, but an overwhelming police presence repelled them. They tried to block traffic, but police pelted them with rubber bullets. They gathered in malls to chant protest slogans, but were rounded up and herded onto police buses. In all, more than 360 people were arrested. —The New York Times ([link removed])
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* — Fight at the UN. Hostilities also carried over to the United Nations, where the U.S. and China clashed over Hong Kong. Calling the issue "a matter of urgent global concern that implicates international peace and security," the U.S. requested an immediate meeting of the 15-member Security Council. Beijing was strongly opposed. —Reuters ([link removed])

* — Wait, there's more. The House yesterday passed a bipartisan bill that would impose sanctions on Chinese officials involved in the mass surveillance and brutal detention of Uighurs and other ethnic groups in the western Xinjiang region of China—adding another factor to the increasingly stormy relationship between the two countries. —Associated Press ([link removed])

More: China and India move troops as border tensions escalate (The Guardian) ([link removed])

4. Shafer: The danger of hollow threats ([link removed])

"The most frightening thing about Trump's threats is not the harm caused to Twitter or Joe Scarborough or to the family of the woman Trump maintains was the victim, although that harm is very real. It's that some day Trump will use these same techniques to make an extraordinary geopolitical threat, and when his bluff is called by a foreign power, he'll learn, to the nation's detriment, that he's holding an empty hand." —Politico ([link removed])

5. Trump takes aim at social media Despite having the most infamous Twitter account in the world, President Trump is going after social media companies in a new executive order. The order is expected to curtail legal protections for social media networks that shield the companies from liability for what is posted on their platforms. ([link removed])
* — The decision to go after social media companies through executive order was spurred by Twitter's fact-checking of two of Trump's false tweets on vote-by-mail. Trump and many other Republicans have long believed that conservative voices are silenced or limited by social media platforms. ([link removed])
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— "It’s unclear what to make of this because to a certain extent, you can't just issue an executive order and overturn on a whim 25 years of judicial precedent about how a law is interpreted," said Kate Klonick, an assistant law professor at St. John's University. ([link removed])
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* — Many legal experts expect the executive order will not hold up in court. The courts have long ruled in favor of protections for social media companies. It is still unclear if Trump's executive order would affect how judges interpret the law. —The New York Times ([link removed])

More: Social media usage is at an all-time high. That could mean a nightmare for democracy (NPR) ([link removed])
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6. Singer: New virus, old disease "It is clear that eradicating anti-Semitism is not just a question of law and order. It is also a battle for hearts and minds. The most needed cure, in the long term, is education. Nobody is born to hate. Where it is learned, it must be un-learned. I have never seen anti-Semitism as only a problem for the Jewish people. Racism and hatred of 'the other' and of minorities is, tragically, universal. As we look increasingly to the post-COVID-19 world, there is a real opportunity to shift the way we behave. It is a rare chance to steer the world in a different, more positive direction. We have seen during the last few months, that the world really does share the same destiny. Consequently, the fight against anti-Semitism is everybody's fight. For the sake of humanity, Jews and non-Jews alike must unite and take the necessary steps to remove the scourge of anti-Semitism." —Newsweek ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Robert Singer is the chair and CEO of Spero Impact Solutions, chair of SASA Setton, chair of Alumot Or, and senior adviser to the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement.

More: Anti-Semitism in the US is at an all-time high. Lawmakers hope to change that (Newsweek) ([link removed])

7. Vote-by-mail hits a snag in Texas The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus was not a valid "disability" and therefore not a valid reason for all Texas voters to request a mail-in ballot. The court did say, however, that voters should assess their own health and determine if they meet the state's definition of having a disability. ([link removed])
* — "We agree, of course, that a voter can take into consideration aspects of his health and his health history that are physical conditions in deciding whether, under the circumstances, to apply to vote by mail because of disability," the court stated. ([link removed])
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* — The Texas Supreme Court also denied Attorney General Ken Paxton's request to stop local election officials from sending mail-in ballots to those who request them, even if the officials believe the voters are requesting the mail-in ballots over coronavirus fears. ([link removed])
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* — Texas law states that to qualify to receive a mail-in ballot, Texas voters need to be 65 years or older, have a disability or an illness, will be outside of their county during an election period, or are confined in jail. —The Texas Tribune ([link removed])

More: Wisconsin election officials agree to mail absentee ballot request forms to most voters (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ([link removed]) )

8. Friedersdorf: Why are Republicans silent? "Perhaps that dereliction of the duty to protect and defend basic decency should not surprise anyone at this point. Trump bullied Ben Carson and Ted Cruz, implying that Cruz's father killed JFK and likening Carson to a pathological killer. 'Now those targets count as Trump’s most faithful servants,' Jonathan Chait observed in a recent New York magazine column. Trump has been conditioned to expect reward rather than rebuke from prominent GOP officials after he behaves badly." —The Atlantic ([link removed])

More: Romney condemns Trump for Scarborough tweets: 'Enough already' (Politico) ([link removed])

9. Convicted killer runs for re-election in Suriname File this one under "It could always be worse." In January, Suriname's president, Desi Bouterse, was sentenced by a military court to 20 years in prison for murders he committed during the 1982 political purge that cemented his grip on the small South American nation. Appealing the ruling and avoiding prison through presidential immunity, he is instead running for re-election. ([link removed])
* — For Bouterse, his conviction was just the latest chapter in a four-decade battle to maintain power. Amid an economic crisis and a pandemic, Suriname's voters will decide on Monday whether he will spend his twilight years ruling the country or serving time. ([link removed])
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* — Bouterse has built his recent popularity by adapting the populist and nationalist stances of allies in nearby Venezuela to Suriname’s diverse society, made up of descendants of enslaved Africans, Indian and Indonesian indentured laborers, Chinese merchants, and Indigenous people. ([link removed])
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* — "He's a survivor, above all else," said Hans Ramsoedh, a Netherlands-based Surinamese historian. "He has no beliefs, no ideological vision, apart from desire to remain in power." Whether he can survive a murder conviction remains to be seen. —The New York Times ([link removed])

10. An American Story: Prom canceled? No problem In North Carolina, seven-year-old Curtis Rogers made sure his babysitter, Rachel Chapman, a Sanderson High School senior, still got to have a memorable prom experience, although her real one got canceled. Rogers "promposed" Chapman with a sign that said, "Mini prom is not today, but will you join me on Monday?" to which Chapman said yes. ([link removed])
* — Chapman wore the dress she would've worn to her prom, and Rogers got a new bow tie to match her pink dress. Rogers also planned out the dinner menu, which included Chapman's favorite food and drink. ([link removed])
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* — After dinner, they danced and made sure they maintained social distancing by using a red pool noodle to keep them six feet apart. ([link removed])
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— "I decided that we should just do this now because the coronavirus has people down in the dumps," said Rogers. "It doesn't matter what happens to you. It matters what happens to the people you love." Awww. —WIVB ([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?

Racism is alive in America. Major story. We are horrified when we hear about 100,000 deaths due to COVID-19. Why not this? —Kate S., Illinois

This president doesn't lie; he spouts "alternative facts." Those are much more convenient since they can change day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute, each contradicting the next. I wonder what his world would be like without Twitter. —David M., Colorado

I actually do think social media platforms should be liable for what their users post, at least for repeated misuse.
—Dillon K., Utah/Idaho

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