The Topline: Democracy's Daily Digest
It's International Women's Day, so here's to all women for the impact they make in their careers, their homes, and in every area of life. Over the past year in particular, as the pandemic created uncertainty and innumerable challenges—many that disproportionately affect them—women were key to sustaining the health and well-being of their families and our communities. We salute women around the world for their invaluable contributions, large and small, to the greater good of our society. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor
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'Let the people vote'
President Biden signed an executive order yesterday aimed at promoting voting rights, amid a push by some states to roll back voting access in the wake of the tumultuous 2020 presidential election. The order was signed on the 56th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," the day that state troopers violently beat hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators, including the late Rep. John Lewis, on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. "Every eligible voter should be able to vote and have that vote counted. If you have the best ideas, you have nothing to hide," Biden said. —The Washington Post
— No more "souls to the polls"? One state considering a change to its voting laws is Georgia. Stung by losses in the presidential race and two Senate contests, Georgia Republicans are proposing a host of new restrictions, including eliminating weekend voting. Voting after Sunday church services is a tradition in Black communities. Abolishing the practice could severely curtail Black civic engagement. —The New York Times
— A movement based on a lie. Much of the new voting legislation introduced in the states attempts to address the problem of "widespread voter fraud" that's been alleged by some Republicans—but unsubstantiated by state election officials from both parties. Rep. Zoe Lofgren has released a nearly 2,000-page report compiling misinformation and conspiracy theories about election fraud posted on social media by House Republicans who voted to overturn the presidential election results. —CBS News
— A second lawsuit. Rep. Eric Swalwell has sued Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and Rep. Mo Brooks for inciting the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that occurred as a result of the election falsehoods they told. "The Defendants, in short, convinced the mob that something was occurring that—if actually true—might indeed justify violence to some, and then sent that mob to the Capitol with violence-laced calls for immediate action," the lawsuit states. —U.S. News & World Report
MORE: Sophia Nelson: A new conservative movement must embrace voting rights for Black and Brown people —The Grio
Pandemic relief bill heads back to House
The Senate narrowly approved the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill over the weekend, with some concessions to accommodate centrist Democrats. The aid package now faces what is expected to be a very close vote in the House. The Senate changes to the bill, which first passed the House on Feb. 27, with more generous unemployment provisions, mean House Speaker Nancy Pelosi must hold together a slim majority caucus in order to finally send the legislation to President Biden's desk. The House is expected to hold a procedural vote on the bill tonight, with final passage expected tomorrow. —The Wall Street Journal
MORE: 8 Democrats defect on $15 minimum wage hike —Politico
Guerrero: After COVID-19
"In whatever the new normal brings, we should have more and better mechanisms in place to give political voice and power to those who are the worst off in our political community. ... Democracy has a tendency to push toward helping the largest number or the loudest, even at the sharp cost to those who are suffering the most. We must reconnect. We must rebuild trust and concern across political and other lines. In getting back to normal, we must learn again how to be together." —Alex Guerrero on NJ.com
Alex Guerrero is an associate professor of philosophy at Rutgers University's School of Arts and Sciences.
MORE: Fully vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says —Associated Press
Messing with Texas
Texans have some big bills to pay after the winter storm that caused mass power outages there last month. The state's utility manager has rejected calls to fix billions of dollars in overcharges incurred by customers. Arthur D'Andrea, chair of the the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said it would be "nearly impossible to unscramble this sort of egg," without "unintended consequences." A third-party market monitor hired by the state concluded that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is overseen by the Public Utility Commission, overcharged $16 billion for electricity during the winter storm. —Austin American-Statesman
MORE: Texas House Speaker unveils slate of bills in response to winter storm power outages —The Texas Tribune
Glanton: White supremacy is incompatible with democracy
"The insurgence on Capitol Hill is the most obvious signal yet that white supremacy is an attack on democracy. It is as vibrant today as it was a century ago. Republicans are helping white supremacists reach their goal by diverting attention elsewhere." —Dahleen Glanton in The Virginian-Pilot
Dahleen Glanton is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
MORE: Police data shows 150% increase in hate attacks on Asians across major cities in 2020 —Yahoo! News
Focus on cybersecurity
— An ongoing problem. Microsoft, which has provided a software patch to users, has identified the culprit as a Chinese cyberespionage group dubbed Hafnium. For years, U.S. authorities have accused China of hacking operations that target American businesses and government agencies, which China has denied.
— A rare alert. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an emergency directive requiring federal government agencies to immediately patch or disconnect products running Exchange software. White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki said the breach "could have far-reaching impacts" and result in a "large number of victims." —The Wall Street Journal
— Russia will pay. Meanwhile, the U.S. is preparing to take action against Russia for its involvement in the SolarWinds cyberattack that affected government systems and domestic companies in December. The White House has confirmed that it will take "a mix of actions" in response, although specifics remain unclear. —CNBC
MORE: Russian disinformation campaign aims to undermine confidence in Pfizer, other COVID-19 vaccines, U.S. officials say —The Wall Street Journal
McArdle: We can't just be about opposition
"There's a lot of important stuff going on in the world, and I'm worried we're missing it by becoming literally reactionary—not so much for anything as against whatever the left is doing. A once-proud movement risks turning into one perpetual, primal scream: 'I'm not gonna, and you can't make me.' That is not a movement; it is a second adolescence. And whatever the merits of masks or reopening, that reflexively oppositional impulse is unhealthy—for conservatives, and for America." —Megan McArdle in The Washington Post
Megan McArdle is a Washington Post columnist and the author of "The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success."
MORE: Jonathan Chait: How Never Trumpers are becoming pro-democracy Republicans —New York Magazine
Let me get this straight. Republicans are afraid that the For the People Act will federalize elections and take control away from the states. At the same time, they rejected and sought to override hundreds of state election officials, even from their own party, who managed the 2020 election in their states and confirmed that it was fair. The hypocrisy and stupidity are mind-blowing. —Lee C., Pennsylvania
The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
Got feedback about THE TOPLINE? Send it to Melissa Amour, Managing Editor, at editor@thetopline.com.
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