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Amna Nawaz:
In the day's other news: Republican plans to overhaul election laws in Texas were stopped in their tracks last night, when Democrats staged a dramatic walkout. The bill limits mail-in ballots, early voting and hours for special Sunday voting. The walkout left the state House of Representatives without enough members to act before a midnight deadline, as the verbal jousting continued.
Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-TX.:
Am I seeing we don't have a quorum? And, essentially, it looks to me like Democrats left the House floor and they're neglecting their duty that they swore an oath to do.
Rep. Chris Turner, D-TX:
They were prepared to cut us off and try to silence us. We were not going to let them do that. And that's why Democrats used the last tool available to us.
Amna Nawaz:
Republican Governor Greg Abbott vowed to call the legislature back for a special session to pass the bill. Republicans in more than a dozen other states have moved to restrict voting access since last year's election.
Police across Miami, Florida kept up a manhunt today for three gunmen who attacked a crowd at a banquet hall early Sunday. They killed two people and wounded 21. Newly released surveillance video showed the masked attackers getting out of a white SUV. They returned moments later after the shooting. Police say it appeared to involve two rival groups.
There's word that U.N. nuclear inspectors have been cut off from information about Iran's nuclear program for three months. Wire service accounts say there's been no data from electronic seals and monitors, a much more extensive cutoff than first reported. Iran imposed restrictions in February and ramped up enrichment of uranium, hoping to end sanctions imposed by President Trump.
Member states of the World Health Organization agreed today to study far-reaching reforms to fight future pandemics. The COVID crisis has been marked by a patchwork international response.
At an annual assembly in Geneva, the WHO's Mike Ryan warned that deadly new germs now have the upper hand.
Michael Ryan:
They exploit our interconnectedness. They expose our lack of coordination, our lack of solidarity, our societal inequities. In short, the pathogens are winning this fight right now.
Amna Nawaz:
The WHO resolution adopted today offered little in the way of concrete steps.
Meanwhile, the government of South Africa has reimposed stricter lockdown measures as it deals with a sharp increase in infections.
China announced today that couples may now have up to three children, instead of two. The announcement underscored concerns about declining birth rates and an aging work force. For decades, until 2016, the limit was one child per family, as officials sought to curb population growth.
In Israel, opposition parties intensified efforts to form a new government. Their goal is to oust Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving prime minister. Hard-line nationalist leader Naftali Bennett said Sunday he's willing to join a coalition with leftist and centrist parties. He'd share power with Yair Lapid, if they can reach agreement before Wednesday's deadline.
And tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew today from the French Open, citing mental health concerns and saying she did not want to be a distraction. She'd been fined for skipping a news conference after a first-round win on Sunday. Osaka tweeted that she's suffered bouts of depression since 2018 and that public speaking makes it worse. She is a former number one-ranked player.
from:pbs