10 things you need to know today: May 14, 2020

1. Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down governor's stay-at-home order

Wisconsin's state Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Gov. Tony Evers' (D) extension of his stay-at-home order issued to fight the coronavirus. The 4-3 decision, written by the court's conservative majority, said a governor does not have the authority to extend such an order without input from lawmakers. The majority wrote that it was not questioning Evers' power to set statewide standards during an emergency, but that in an ongoing crisis such as a pandemic, he has to work with the state's legislature on long-term policies. Evers issued a stay-at-home order in March and extended it shortly before it was due to expire on April 24, leaving it in place until May 26. Republican state lawmakers challenged him, saying he needed their input on any long-term rules.

The Washington Post

2. Ousted vaccine official warns 'unprecedented' fatalities are possible

Dr. Rick Bright, who was ousted recently from a job overseeing federal coronavirus vaccine development, plans to testify to Congress on Thursday that the Trump administration was unprepared for the crisis. His planned remarks reportedly also include a warning that the nation could face a surge in infections and deaths without enhanced preparations for further outbreaks. "Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities," Bright says in prepared testimony obtained by CNN. "Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history."

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CNN

3. Manafort released to home confinement due to pandemic

Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, has been released from prison due to the risk of coronavirus infection, and will serve the rest of his seven-year term under home confinement, one of his lawyers said Wednesday. Manafort was indicted by then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller and convicted in 2018 on a witness tampering charge. He later pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice in a case linked to his lobbying for pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine. His lawyers in April argued that he should be released due to the pandemic. "Mr. Manafort is 71 years old and suffers from several pre-existing health conditions," his lawyers wrote.

The Washington Post

4. Report: FBI searches Burr's home in stock-sale investigation

Federal agents on Wednesday seized a cellphone belonging to Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as part of the Department of Justice's probe into stock trades Burr made in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, a law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times. The agents served a search warrant on Burr at his home in the Washington, D.C., area, the official said. Burr is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and on Feb. 13, during a time when he was receiving daily briefings from health officials on the coronavirus outbreak, he sold a hefty percentage of his stock portfolio in 33 separate transactions. One week later, the stock market took a dive. Members of Congress are prohibited from trading on insider information they receive as part of their work.

Los Angeles Times

5. Supreme Court hears arguments in Electoral College case

Supreme Court justices continued their third and final day of unprecedented oral arguments by telephone on Wednesday, grilling lawyers about whether states can replace electors planning to vote for a presidential candidate who didn't win the popular vote in their state. The court is hearing two cases involving the Electoral College, one from Colorado and the other from Washington state. If electors were given total freedom about how to vote, "it would lead to chaos," Justice Samuel Alito said, "where the popular vote is close and changing just a few votes would alter the outcome." Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that tying states' hands could open the door to fraud. "Can a state remove someone, for example, who openly solicits payments for his or her vote?"

The Associated Press Reuters

6. Powell warns of extended economic pain from pandemic

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that "the reversal of economic fortune" brought on by the coronavirus pandemic over the last two months in the United States "has caused a level of pain that is hard to capture in words." Powell also said that the Fed is releasing a survey Thursday concluding that, among people who were working in February, nearly 40 percent of those in households making less than $40,000 per year lost a job in March. "The scope and speed of this downturn are without modern precedent, significantly worse than any recession since World War II," Powell said. He also warned that the pandemic would result in an "extended period" of weak growth that could leave lasting economic damage. "It will take some time to get back to where we were," Powell said.

Reuters

7. Governor calls for review to 'ensure justice' in Breonna Taylor case

Calls mounted Wednesday for a federal investigation into the fatal shooting of emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor by police executing a "no-knock" search warrant at her Louisville, Kentucky, home in March. Officers burst in as Taylor, 26, slept. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a gun, hitting an officer in the leg, and police fired back, hitting Taylor eight times. Walker's lawyer said he thought burglars were breaking in, and fired in self-defense. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) issued his first statement on the case Wednesday, calling for the U.S. attorney and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to review the investigation to "ensure justice is done at a time when many are concerned that justice is not blind."

Louisville Courier-Journal

8. Senate rejects proposal to bar warrantless searches of internet activity

The Senate on Wednesday narrowly rejected a bipartisan amendment to surveillance laws that would have prevented warrantless searches of internet activity and browsing history. The proposal, introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), fell one vote shy of the three-fifths majority it needed to pass. "Should law-abiding Americans have to worry about their government looking over their shoulders from the moment they wake up in the morning and turn on their computers to when they go to bed at night?" Wyden asked. "I believe the answer is no." The 37 no-votes were cast by both Republicans and Democrats, while four senators didn't vote. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), one of 10 Democrats who voted no, said he was concerned that passing the amendment would effectively kill the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The Associated Press

9. Uber to require drivers, riders to wear masks

Uber announced Wednesday that it would require all drivers, riders, and food delivery workers involved in its services globally to wear masks. The move comes as many countries around the world attempt to ease restrictions designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, despite concerns that allowing people to leave their homes and letting businesses reopen could result in a new wave of infections. Starting Monday, riders in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and most Latin American and Asian countries will have to wear a face covering and sit in the back during Uber trips. Drivers will have to take a selfie with a mask before starting work, and verify that they have no coronavirus symptoms and have sanitized their vehicles.

Reuters

10. Florida governor says pro sports teams can play in state

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that his state is open for professional sports teams that want to resume play as the coronavirus crisis continues. "All professional sports are welcome here for practicing and for playing," DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday in Tallahassee, the state's capital. "What I would tell commissioners of leagues is, if you have a team in an area where they just won't let them operate, we'll find a place for you here in the state of Florida." The Sunshine State is now the second to open the door for pro sports teams to start operating again. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced Tuesday that pro sports leagues could return to action in his state, without fans, starting Saturday, with proper precautions.

ESPN