"The conscience of the Congress"

Democrats renew their push to update the Voting Rights Act in honor of John Lewis; the UK suspends its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters. TOP NEWS Remembering John Lewis, the "conscience of the Congress" Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call - On Friday, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80. Lewis, a lifelong civil rights activist and champion of voting rights, was known as the “conscience of the Congress.” [[Vox / Sean Collins](] - Lewis was a giant of the civil rights movement: In 1965, he marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and was savagely beaten by Alabama state troopers, who fractured his skull. The Voting Rights Act was introduced just eight days later. [[NYT / Katharine Q. Seelye](] - As a young man, Lewis was a leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a Freedom Rider, and the youngest person to speak at the 1963 March on Washington. In the course of his activism, Lewis was arrested more than 40 times. [[NPR / Debbie Elliott](] - He died on the same day as another civil rights champion. The Rev. C.T. Vivian — also a Freedom Rider, activist, and organizer in the Deep South — died on Friday at 95. [[AP / Desiree Seals and Michael Warren](] - Lewis’s colleagues in Congress responded to his death by renewing their push to see an updated Voting Rights Act signed into law. “It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020,” House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn said. “That’s the way to do it. Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting.” [[Washington Post / Cat Zakrzewski and Haisten Willis](] - A bill to do just that has been in the Senate for more than 200 days, but though Majority Leader Mitch McConnell memorialized Lewis in a statement released Friday, he has not advanced Lewis’s life's work by allowing the bill to come to the Senate floor. [[Atlantic / Adam Harris](] - The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, and states like Texas and Georgia quickly took advantage of the 2013 decision to disenfranchise Black and Latino voters. A new Voting Rights Act could reverse those laws and expand access to the ballot. [[Vox / Sean Collins](] - A push to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge for Lewis has also gained momentum following his death. Currently, the bridge bears the name of a Confederate general and KKK leader. [[CBS News / Li Cohen](] - On Monday, the Georgia Democratic Party chose Lewis’s likely successor: party chair and state Sen. Nikema Williams, whose name will replace Lewis’s on the ballot in November. Williams is all but certain to win in the deep-blue district. [[AJC / Greg Bluestein](] - Since his death, Lewis has been eulogized widely: “Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way,” former President Barack Obama wrote on Friday. “John Lewis did. And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders — to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.” [[Medium / Barack Obama](BarackObama/my-statement-on-the-passing-of-rep-john-lewis-fa86761cd964)] The UK ends extradition to Hong Kong - On Monday, the UK announced that it was suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. The change comes into effect “immediately and indefinitely,” according to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. [[BBC](] - Britain also extended an embargo on arms sales to China — in place since 1989 — to include Hong Kong as well. [[Axios / Rashaan Ayesh](] - The changes come in response to the recent national security law passed by China, which has severely attenuated Hong Kong’s autonomy from Beijing and limited the independence of its justice system. [[NYT / Stephen Castle](] - They’re also part of a larger recalculation when it comes to the UK’s relationship with China. Last week, the country agreed to ban the Chinese telecom firm Huawei from its 5G network, a reversal that follows pressure from the US to do so. [[WSJ / Max Colchester](] - And on July 1, the UK announced in response to the national security law that it would be creating a path to citizenship for almost 3 million Hongkongers who hold British National Overseas status. [[Politico / Charlie Cooper](] MISCELLANEOUS Oregon is suing the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies over a crackdown by unidentified federal officers in Portland. [[OPB / Conrad Wilson, Dirk VanderHart, and Meerah Powell](] - Expanded unemployment benefits are about to run out. Congress still hasn’t acted. [[Vox / Emily Stewart](] - On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates launched its first interplanetary mission; the Hope Probe is expected to reach Mars by February 2021. [[T]([he Verge / Loren Grush](] - The coronavirus pandemic is leaving children orphaned. [[Washington Post / John Woodrow Cox and Salwan Georges](] VERBATIM "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." [[Advice from Rep. John Lewis / NYT](] LISTEN TO THIS [What would it take for America to heal?]( A conversation is about truth and reconciliation in America — and about whether truth would actually lead to reconciliation in America. [[Spotify / Ezra Klein](] [Read more from Vox](#) [Why more young people are getting sick in the latest Covid-19 outbreaks]( [Many schools aren’t reopening in the fall. Now what?]( [5 activists on how they’re carrying John Lewis’s work forward]( [A proposed anti-trans rule would let homeless shelters judge who’s a woman]( [Progressives don’t love Joe Biden, but they’re learning to love his agenda]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving all emails from Vox. 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, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.