Vox Sentences - A voting rights compromise

Vox is aiming to add 2,500 financial contributions from readers in the next 30 days, to help keep our journalism on the evolving pandemic free as we head into the fall. Help us reach our goal by giving any amount today.

Senate Democrats find agreement on voting rights but face Republican opposition; the UK has a new plan to curb its coronavirus epidemic.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Senate Democrats finally agree on voting rights

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

• Senate Democrats released a new voting rights bill Tuesday that would institute major changes in federal elections, including: mandating same-day voter registration for voters, creating a federal standard for mail-in voting, banning gerrymandering, and making Election Day a public holiday. [NPR / Claudia Grisales] 

• The bill, dubbed the Freedom to Vote Act, was introduced by Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and is modeled on changes Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) suggested after being the only Democrat to oppose the party’s original voting rights package in June. [NYT / Carl Hulse]
• Democrats argue new federal voting protections are necessary to safeguard elections from the dozens of restrictive state laws introduced after former President Donald Trump claimed the November 2020 election was stolen. [CNN / Manu Raju]
• “No one can look at these [new state level laws] with a straight face and say they have a legitimate purpose,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “They have only one goal ... making it harder for younger, poorer, non-white and typically Democratic voters to access the ballot.” [USA Today / Sarah Behrmann]

• But Senate Republicans don't seem to be budging from their opposition to the voting rights bill, even with the addition of voter ID requirements. [New York Times / Nicholas Fandos]

• Schumer has enlisted Manchin to drum up the 10 Republican votes Democrats need to overcome the Senate filibuster. If those efforts fail, many voting advocates would like to see the Democrats break the filibuster rules to pass the law with a simple majority. Manchin and other moderates have said they would not consider such a change, however. [MSNBC / Steve Bent]

The UK unveils its plan to combat Covid-19 this winter

• The UK announced it will provide Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine booster shots to everyone above the age of 50, frontline workers, and those believed to be most vulnerable to the disease, who are at least six months out from their second dose. [Guardian / Ian Sample]

• More than 130,000 Britains have died due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there is concern that people spending more time indoors during the cooler months will lead to increased transmission. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that beyond the boosters, there is a “plan B” if the virus gets out of hand that will include vaccine passports, mask mandates, and asking people to work from home. [Reuters / Alistair Smout]
• While research on boosters is still emerging, UK Health Minister Sajid Javid cited studies that found vaccines may lose effectiveness over time as being behind the decision that will see 30 million people receive booster shots: “Booster doses are an important way of keeping the virus under control for the long term,” Javid said. [BBC / Nick Triggle]
• On Monday, the UK authorized mass vaccinations for 12- to 15-year-olds out of concern that a return to school could prompt a surge in cases. That decision had previously been held up by fierce debate about how effective the shot would be for young people who generally have a relatively low risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19. [NYT / Stephen Castle]
• The news comes amid a global debate over the appropriateness of wealthy nations like the US and UK promoting booster shots at a time when about 60 percent of the world's population has yet to receive a single dose, in part because poorer nations have struggled to acquire vaccines, as has Covax, the WHO’s global vaccination authority. [Washington Post / Bryan Pietsch/Annabelle Timsit]

Support our journalism

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) defended wearing a dress adorned with the words “tax the rich” to the Met Gala — a move some critics said was out of touch given the event’s lavishness. “The message is the medium,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Instagram. [Guardian / Alexandra Villareal]

• After being downgraded from a hurricane, Tropical Storm Nicholas knocked out power for half a million homes and dumps a foot of rain and in the Houston area. Louisiana, already hard hit by storms this year, will be hit Wednesday. [Associated Press / Juan A. Lozano]
• Just before it revealed new devices for the fall, Apple released emergency updates for iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads to guard against spyware. [Gizmodo / Shoshana Wodinsky]

“As elected officials, we also have an obligation to restore peoples’ faith in our democracy, and I believe that the common sense provisions in this bill — like flexible voter ID requirements — will do just that.” 

[West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin expressing support for Democrats' new voting rights proposal]

Sean Illing talks with national security reporter Spencer Ackerman, author of the new book Reign of Terror. They discuss the staggering changes to America in the 20 years since 9/11 and the flaws, misdeeds, and injustices of the “war on terror.” [Spotify]

Read more from Vox

Americans are dying because no hospital will take them

The fight to resettle Afghans in the US has just begun

The Supreme Court is drunk on its own power

One Good Thing: I didn’t watch any sports. Then I watched Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

What the Taliban’s new government reveals about how they will rule

This email was sent to you. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.

View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.

Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.