Another crackdown in Hong Kong

Republicans say a bipartisan January 6 insurrection comission is too partisan; China continues to crack down on dissent in Hong Kong. Tonight's Sentences was written by Gregory Svirnovskiy. TOP NEWS The GOP blocks a commission on the Capitol insurrection Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images - The GOP on Friday blocked a bipartisan probe of the January 6 Capitol insurrection, after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell asked Republicans in the Senate to vote down the commission as a “personal favor.” [[CNN / Jamie Gangel and Michael Warren](] - Lawmakers needed 60 votes to break a GOP-led filibuster, meaning 10 Republicans would have had to join with all 50 Democrats to advance the commission. They got six. [[CNN / Alex Rogers, Manu Raju, and Ted Barrett](] - The vote failed despite efforts from the mother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the fray. Gladys Sicknick ventured to the Capitol to try to sway Republican senators, but was unsuccessful. [[CNN / Jamie Gangel](] - It’s an about-face. Republicans who previously criticized former President Donald Trump and demanded accountability for the insurrection are now against the commission. McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) say it would hurt politically and help Democrats. [[AP / Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro](] - “I can't imagine anyone voting against establishing a commission on the greatest assault since the Civil War on the Capitol,” President Joe Biden said in Cleveland Thursday. [[Reuters](] [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Media Mogul Jimmy Lai is given more prison time for his role in Hong Kong protests - Hong Kong media mogul and famed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in 2019 anti-government protests, a symbol of China’s increased control over the onetime British protectorate. [[BBC](] - Lai is among the high-profile Hongkongers in the crosshairs of China’s new national security law, which gives officials the power to carry out warrantless searches, freeze assets, dispense jury trials, and block websites to root out foreign collusion and subversion. [[NYT / Jennifer Jett and Austin Ramzy](] - Lai helped organize a protest on National Day, October 1, 2019, which resulted in protesters and police clashing. Already in jail serving out a 14-month sentence at the time of this new ruling, he still faces other criminal cases, which could yield far larger penalties. [[Bloomberg / Chloe Lo](] - Lai’s sentencing came the same day as a judge suggested speaking critically of the Chinese regime in foreign news outlets could break national security laws, and just as authorities are banning an annual vigil held on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. [[Guardian / Helen Davidson](] - On Thursday, Hong Kong’s legislature passed a law that limits the public's influence in elections. Just 20 of 90 legislators will now be elected by Hongkongers, and all will need to prove their “patriotism” to a new election committee. [[AP / Zen Soo and Ken Moritsugu](] MISCELLANEOUS [More Americans believe anti-Asian hate is on the rise, according to an AP-NORC poll released Wednesday.]( [[AP / Terry Tang and Hannah Fingerhut](] - Three Tacoma, Washington, officers have been charged in the restraint killing of Manuel Ellis in March 2020. Witnesses said the officers attacked Ellis without provocation, and video shows one officer pinned Ellis by the neck with his knee. [[NBC News / Minyvonne Burke](] - Intimidation tactics by Indian government officials over manipulated media labels on Twitter have the social media company worried about freedom of expression in the country. [[BBC](] - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the defensive after an ex-aide called his administration’s response to Covid-19 a failure that resulted in tens of thousands of needless deaths. [[AP / Jill Lawless](] Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work from as little as $3. [Contribute]( CROSSWORD OF THE DAY [Can you solve today's crossword?]( Which country has hosted the Olympics eight times in its history? [Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle](, and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. VERBATIM "To be making a decision for the short term political gain at the expense of understanding and acknowledging what was in front of us, on January 6, I think we need to look at that critically." [[Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on her party's plan to block the January 6 bipartisan commission](] WATCH THIS [MO Medicaid MO Problems]( Missourians voted for more Medicaid. Missouri lawmakers said no. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum explains what happens when you bypass the will of the people. [[Spotify](] [Read more from Vox](#) [Bosses are acting like the pandemic never happened]( [Why Big Oil should be worried after a day of reckoning]( [America’s asylum system is broken. Here’s how Biden could fix it.]( [Why Ethiopia is invading itself]( [Why it’s so satisfying to root for Disney villains]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [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 © 2021. All rights reserved.