1. Democrats Consider Impeachment Over Court Seat

They’re trying everything. Democrats have little chance of blocking President Donald Trump and a Republican Senate from replacing late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There’s even talk of another impeachment to delay the process until after the Nov. 3 election. Ginsburg, who will be the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, expressed a dying wish that a new president select her replacement — though Trump claimed his political foes put those words in her mouth. Some believe Joe Biden should name a shadow nominee, like voting rights crusader Stacey Abrams, who could energize Black voters.

Sources: Fox News, Newsweek, Yahoo, The Independent, NYT

2. CDC Deletes Airborne Virus Warning

Like magic, it was no longer an issue. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly backtracked on its warnings about coronavirus transmission, removing guidance that the virus can be spread through aerosol particles and not just larger respiratory droplets. After journalists caught on, the agency said the notice — which recommended additional caution and distancing because scientists believe the virus can linger in the air — was a draft that was posted by mistake. Meanwhile, an alarming transmission rate in Britain prompted authorities to impose a 10 p.m. curfew on pubs and restaurants.

Sources: NPR, The Guardian

3. China Jails Tycoon Who Dissed Xi

In the communist nation, it’s a lesson for all: Don’t insult your leader. A Chinese court today sentenced Ren Zhiqiang, 69, to 18 years in prison and fined him $619,000 for alleged graft. But it’s widely understood that the punishment stems from an essay the real estate magnate posted on social media in February criticizing the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and calling President Xi Jinping a “clown with no clothes.” Meanwhile, U.S. authorities arrested a New York City police officer, accusing him of spying on his fellow Tibetan Americans for Beijing.

Sources: Washington Post, CNBC

4. Asian Markets Follow Wall Street Downhill

Is it springtime for investors — again? It’s probably too early to tell, but amid fallout from the FinCEN banking documents leak and a resurgent pandemic, investors are in a selling mood. In today’s Hong Kong trading, banking giant HSBC continued its slide, dropping 2.7 percent after falling to a 25-year low Monday. Standard Chartered Bank, also named in the leaks, dropped 2.3 percent, while further revelations indicate that Deutsche Bank, one of President Trump’s biggest lenders, helped launder $10 billion. The fresh turmoil has some analysts wondering if March’s initial pandemic volatility may have returned.

Sources: AP, WSJ (sub), BuzzFeed

5. Also Important …

Italy’s governing coalition mostly withstood a right-wing challenge in regional elections Monday, though voters also approved a referendum shrinking the size of Parliament. General Electric has decided to stop building coal-fired power plants, a move that tanked its stock price yesterday. And the U.S. Department of Justice yesterday designated New York City, Seattle and Portland as “anarchist jurisdictions,” setting the stage for President Trump to cut their federal funding.

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We're proud to announce that Black Women OWN the Conversation, the TV show OZY created in partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network, was awarded a News & Documentary Emmy for outstanding news discussion and analysis! We're incredibly grateful to Oprah Winfrey and the entire team at OWN — and of course to the wonderful women who joined the show last year (either in person or via social media). It was so important for us to create space for these conversations that highlighted the unique and diverse experiences of Black women. More than ever, we need to continue hearing these voices. If you’re interested in doing more, consider donating to a relevant organization, such as Black Women's Health Imperative or The Okra Project. You can watch the Emmy-winning episode, featuring a discussion on motherhood, on OZY here.

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1. Airbus to Make Zero-Emission Aircraft

It’s the final frontier. While there have long been sustainable ground transportation options, mega-polluting commercial aviation has seemed unlikely to go green anytime soon. But yesterday Airbus announced three new aircraft designs using modified gas-turbine engines powered by nonpolluting hydrogen. Each of the planes, slated to go into service by 2035, aims to prove a different concept. One uses a more conventional turbofan and can carry 200 passengers 2,000 miles. The second is a smaller, short-hop turboprop, while the third is a radical departure that blends the aircraft’s wings and body.

Sources: Euronews, PA Media

2. Australians Struggle to Save Trapped Whales After 90 Die

Rescue crews are fighting to free a group of 270 pilot whales that became mysteriously stranded on a wide sandbar in shallow waters off Tasmania. At least a third of the cetaceans, which can grow to 23 feet long, have died. It’s not unusual for individual whales to become beached, but a mass-stranding of this kind hasn’t happened in more than 10 years. At least 25 of the whales have been prodded by humans back out to sea, but some in the remote area of the Australian island may be too difficult to reach.

Sources: BBC, Reuters

3. Trump Is Gaining Ground … With Minorities

Say what? Of all the times President Trump promised “a miracle,” this one may actually qualify. He of “they’re rapists” fame has actually boosted his numbers with Hispanic Americans, 66 percent of whose votes went to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Democratic nominee Joe Biden hovers near 60 percent, OZY reports. Other groups Trump’s vilified, like Asian Americans and yes, even Black voters, have exhibited a thaw toward the incumbent. How is this possible? For starters, Trump appeals to working-class Americans, who generally regard Republicans as better for the economy — a pivotal issue for minority voters.

Sources: OZY

4. Chinese Military Goes Hollywood With Propaganda Video

They want to B-movie all they can be. At least that’s how the social media peanut gallery described a recent Chinese military promo. The video, posted on Weibo this weekend, depicts an actual H-6K air force bomber in flight, followed by a missile strike that eagle-eyed critics traced to 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and ensuing explosions from The Rock, a 1996 Sean Connery flick. Apart from the LOLs, there was a chilling aspect: The strike’s target resembles a military base on the U.S. island of Guam — which is within the bomber’s 2,200-mile range.

Sources: Stars & Stripes, BI

5. NFL Fines Teams, Coaches $1M for Mask Violations

No, not face masks, face masks — the kind to ward off contagion, not broken noses. The NFL has reportedly fined the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos $250,000 each for failing to observe the league’s rule to mask up on the sidelines, while each of their coaches must pay $100,000. The penalty comes after the play-callers and others were observed pulling masks down or failing to wear them properly. Now if they could just do this for supermarkets, we’d be all set.

Sources: Bleacher Report, USA Today