Source: 5,130 new COVID-19 cases, 41 additional deaths reported in Massachusetts
GOP senator blocks Smithsonian Latino, women’s history museums
sexist and racist GOP

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Thursday bloc…
Georgia House speaker calls for secretary of state to be chosen by congress, not voters
eating their own – wimp

Georgia’s GOP House speaker on Thursday called for a constitutional amendment under which lawmakers, rather than voters, wold elect the state’s Secretary of State.
States tell justices to deny Texas request to overturn 2020 election – SCOTUSblog
Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin filed four separate briefs, but common themes emerged among all four. First, the states stressed, Texas’ lawsuit does not fall within the narrow category of cases in which the Supreme Court should exercise its original jurisdiction. Among other things, the states noted, there is another forum to resolve these disputes, as evidenced by the fact that courts around the country have repeatedly considered and rejected similar claims about the 2020 election. And if the Supreme Court were to exercise its original jurisdiction here, the states warned, its docket would be flooded with election-law disputes every four years in perpetuity.
Second, the states told the justices, Texas’ lawsuit is not a viable case because (again, among other things) Texas does not have a legal right to sue, known as standing, because it cannot show that it has been injured. Georgia pushed back against the argument that Texas has standing because it has an interest in the election of the vice president, who casts the deciding vote in the Senate: Texas doesn’t have a special interest in the vice president’s vote, Georgia observed, but in any event its “speculation that the Vice President may one day cast a tie-breaking vote” is not enough to support a lawsuit. Indeed, Georgia notes, during his eight years as vice president, President-elect Joe Biden never cast a tie-breaking vote.
Source: States tell justices to deny Texas request to overturn 2020 election – SCOTUSblog
Two NYPD Officers Lied In Court About Their Arrest Of A Black Lives Matter Protester. The Manhattan D.A. Cleared Them. – Gothamist
The lawsuit, brought by Cristina Winsor, a 43-year-old artist and activist, alleged that her arrest and prosecution was part of a larger “pattern and practice” on the part of the NYPD that deprives protesters of their constitutional rights.
Under an unusual arrangement with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., Black Lives Matter protesters charged with minor offenses between 2016 and 2018 were prosecuted not by the lawyers from the DA’s office, but by the police department’s own in-house lawyers, empowered by Vance to act as prosecutors. NYPD leadership explained to the Daily News in early 2016 that “too many cases involving people they consider professional protesters are dismissed in summons court, paving the way for a civil lawsuit and settlement with the city.”
Greta Thunberg: ‘We are speeding in the wrong direction’ on climate crisis | Environment | The Guardian
Exclusive: Climate striker speaks before UN event marking five years since the Paris accord
Saudi Arabia begins trial of women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul | Saudi Arabia | The Guardian
Pennsylvania governor bans indoor dining, gyms under new virus order | TheHill
Under the restrictions, all indoor dining will be closed, while outdoor dining and take-out services can continue.
Indoor gatherings and events of more than 10 people are prohibited, with the exception of places of worship such as churches, synagogues and mosques. Outdoor gatherings of over 50 people will also be prohibited.
Additionally, all in-person businesses that serve the public can operate at 50 percent capacity. Indoor operations at gyms and fitness facilities are prohibited, as well as all in-person entertainment such as theaters, concert venues and museums
Source: Pennsylvania governor bans indoor dining, gyms under new virus order | TheHill
Covid-19: France moves to night-time curfew from 15 December – BBC News
The government had conditioned the easing of restrictions on the number of new cases falling to around 5,000 a day. But that number remains well above 10,000 – on Thursday, there were 13,750 infections.
“We aren’t yet at the end of this second wave, and we won’t reach the objectives we had set for 15 December,” Mr Castex told a news conference. “We can’t let down our guard. We have to stay focused, and find our way through the next few weeks with lots of vigilance.”
Museums, cinemas and theatres as well as sports venues, which were expected to reopen on Tuesday, will remain closed for an extra three weeks.
Source: Covid-19: France moves to night-time curfew from 15 December – BBC News
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