“The revival of Jim Crow in this state”

Florida is set to pass a restrictive voting law; Covid-19 waves threaten South America.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Gregory Svirnovskiy. TOP NEWS Florida's governor will approve new voting restrictions Joe Raedle/Getty Images A push among GOP-run state legislatures to limit voting access for people of color is kicking into high gear. Now Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is about to sign new voting restrictions into law. [Washington Post / Patricia Mazzei and Nick Corasaniti]  The bill will make it more difficult to vote in Florida, with new restrictions on ballot boxes, absentee ballot signatures, and mail-in voting. Earlier versions of the bill would have outlawed mail ballot drop boxes altogether. [US News / Alexa Lardieri] Republican lawmakers say this is all to increase security and voter confidence. But Florida's election ran smoothly in 2020, with no indications of widespread voter fraud or ballot impropriety.  [Brennan Center] A lack of evidence hasn't stopped GOP state legislatures from using claims and concerns around election fraud to cut down on the record turnout among minority populations that helped propel Democrats to victory in states like Georgia and Arizona. Georgia's own law restricting voting passed in March. [CNN / Dianne Gallagher, Wesley Bruer, Jade Gordon and Kelly Mena] All told, 361 bills restricting voting have been introduced in 47 states, as of late March. [CNN / Dianne Gallagher, Wesley Bruer, Jade Gordon and Kelly Mena]  Democrats in Florida are not mincing words. State Rep. Omari Hardy called the bill "the revival of Jim Crow in this state, whether the sponsors admit it or not." [The Hill / Lexi Lonas] P.1 variant causing Covid cases to skyrocket in South America After lockdowns and Covid waves dominated life in South America last year, the continent is now suffering through case rates at elevated levels. Hospitals are at or near capacity, inundated  with cases fueled in part by variants originating in Brazil, and plagued by a lack of vaccine distribution. [BBC] When Covid-19 hit last March, almost every country on the continent issued mask mandates and engineered strict lockdowns. [Washington Post / Lucien Chauvin, Anthony Faiola and Terrence McCoy] But Brazil has been a large exception in enacting strict measures. President Jair Bolaonaro has spent the entire pandemic denying its severity and impeding public safety efforts. [Washington Post / Lucien Chauvin, Anthony Faiola and Terrence McCoy] The P.1 variant, first found in Brazil's Manaus region last year, is now wreaking havoc on Brazil's neighbors. The variant may be 2.5 times more contagious than the initial virus, and is often severe and deadly even in younger populations and among those without preexisting conditions. [Reuters] Once extolled for its success in tamping down the coronavirus, Uruguay is now seeing the highest number of Covid-19 deaths per capita anywhere outside of Europe; three out of four new infections are being caused by the P.1 variant. [Wall Street Journal / Luciana Magalhaes and Samantha Pearson] MISCELLANEOUS Facebook stock reached a high on Wednesday, and Microsoft reported its top revenue growth numbers since 2018. [Axios / Sara Fischer] But it's not all peachy keen for Big Tech. The EU is accusing Apple of an antitrust breach over the company's app store rules, stating in preliminary findings that Apple is distorting competition for music streaming. The company could face fines up to $27 billion. [The Verge / Tom Warren] 44 people were killed in a stampede at a religious gathering of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Mount Meron, Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to the scene, calling it a "heavy disaster," and announced Sunday would be a day of national mourning. [BBC] 100 days into his administration, 70 percent of Republicans still say they do not believe Joe Biden won enough votes to be elected president, according to a new CNN poll. [CNN / Jennifer Agiesta] Support Vox Sentences   "Vox Sentences is my daily newspaper. ... I've learned a lot from these little gifts in my email, and appreciate the work of the Vox staff that helps contribute to a better and more informed world."    —Madeline, Vox Contributor Contribute CROSSWORD OF THE DAY   What was surrealist painter Magritte's first name?   Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle, and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. VERBATIM "There is a lack of empathy for dead bodies lying in crematoriums surrounding your stadium. This game, a gentleman's game, never was so grotesque." [Rahul Verma, lawyer and cricket fan, on the Indian Premier League continuing its season despite the Covid-19 surge in India.] LISTEN TO THIS   Apple updated its software and Facebook was very upset. Recode's Sara Morrison and Peter Kafka explain. Roller derby is involved. [Spotify] Read more from Vox   How the US won the economic recovery   Apple's antitrust problems in Europe just went from bad to worse   Why the US has two different highway fonts   Sending aid to Central America won't stop migrants from coming   Some animals are more equal than others Facebook Twitter YouTube This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. 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