vox--2020-03-19--Coronavirus treatment research is being held up by Trump’s ban on the use of fetal tissue

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US is working to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , as quickly as possible .
But one of his own administration ’ s policies appears to be standing in the way of at least one scientist .
According to a report by the Washington Post ’ s Amy Goldstein , Kim Hasenkrug , an immunologist at the National Institutes of Health ’ s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana , wants to test potential treatments for Covid-19 in mice with humanized lungs .
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being held up by officials at the Department of Health and Human Services due to a 2019 ban on NIH scientists using donated fetal tissue from abortions in their research .
While fetal tissue isn ’ t typically used to develop actual therapies or treatments , it has one particularly key use for researchers : the ability to create mice with human tissue suitable for medical testing .
Mice , generally , have similar immune systems to humans , making them particularly useful for early medical testing .
Humanized mice have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for diseases like the Zika virus or HIV/AIDS , which was Hasenkrug ’ s previous research focus .
The calculation is simple .
You can ’ t test certain treatments without humanized mice , and you can ’ t get humanized mice without fetal tissue .
“ There are , of course , many avenues of research using other kinds of tissue , but fetal cells can rapidly divide , grow , and adapt to new environments in ways that make them the gold standard for some disease research .
And in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet know if there is anything that could substitute , ” R. Alta Charo , professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison , wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015 .
And as the Post ’ s Goldstein noted , scientists have already shown that humanized mice could make good test subjects for coronavirus treatments specifically : Outside researchers have offered the mice to Hasenkrug for coronavirus research .
But so far , Hasenkrug and other government researchers haven ’ t been allowed to obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Post reported , thanks to a June 2019 HHS directive banning fetal tissue research for those employed by the government .
Caitlin Oakley , a HHS spokesperson , told the Post that “ no decision has been made ” about Hasenkrug ’ s request .
A separate HHS spokesperson confirmed that in a statement to Vox .
The spokesperson also pointed to an HHS statement from last June detailing the administration ’ s policy on fetal tissue research .
“ Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Trump ’ s administration , ” reads the statement .
Hasenkrug , and the potentially millions of Americans who may benefit from his research , now find themselves caught in a deeply divisive political issue that ’ s been years in the making .
Banning fetal tissue research has been an anti-abortion political fight for years The US government had funded fetal tissue research efforts since the 1950s — and for nearly as long , anti-abortion activists have opposed the practice .
In the Trump era , they finally found an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the US government spent $ 115 million on about 173 research projects utilizing fetal tissue , a third of which were devoted to developing therapies for HIV/AIDS .
“ Research using fetal tissue has led to the development of vaccines such as those for polio , rubella , and measles , ” the International Society for Stem Cell Research ( ISSCR ) said in a statement last September .
“ Fetal tissue is still helping advance science , with research underway using cells from fetal tissue to evaluate conditions including Parkinson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cord injury .
Fetal tissue is also necessary for the development of potential treatments for Zika virus and HIV/AIDS.
” But anti-abortion activists argue it incentivizes abortion providers to perform more abortions in order to procure more tissue they could sell to third-party companies , which then provide the tissue directly to researchers .
Fetal tissue procurement has been heavily regulated since enactment of the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 , which states that profits can not be made in the transfer or acceptance of fetal tissue for research purposes .
That hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call into question the ethics of abortion providers or procurement companies .
In 2000 , the anti-abortion rights group Life Dynamics seemingly began the practice of releasing false or deceptively edited videos targeting the fetal tissue sales process .
The main source in their videos was found to be not credible .
The George W. Bush administration did not take action against fetal tissue research , instead enacting restrictions on stem cell research derived from embryos in an August 2001 executive order .
Those restrictions were later rolled back by an executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More recently , the anti-abortion rights group Center for Medical Progress , run by activist David Daleiden , infamously released heavily edited videos appearing to show a Planned Parenthood employee negotiating prices for fetal tissue , and CMP accused the abortion care provider of illegally profiting from sales .
The videos caught the attention of Republican lawmakers .
Investigations by the House Energy and Commerce , House Judiciary , and Oversight and Government Reform committees found no wrongdoing .
Further investigations into Planned Parenthood and fetal tissue transfer proceeded with the creation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives in October 2015 , chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) , leading to $ 1.59 million in spending and a 471-page final report making numerable anti-abortion recommendations .
Among those requests was a call for the government to ban fetal tissue research by government scientists , which Barack Obama ’ s administration , which favored the practice , ultimately ignored .
Democrats on the committee released their own report , disputing the conclusions of their Republican colleagues .
“ At the end of their crusade , the conclusion was undeniable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fetal tissue researchers , including Advanced Bioscience Resources , or anyone else in the fetal tissue research space , ” said Rep. Jan Schakowksy ( D-IL ) , who served as the ranking Democrat on the select committee , in a statement to Rewire.News in October 2018 .
Anti-abortion activists saw an opportunity to advance their agenda on fetal tissue research when President Donald Trump won election in 2016 , but it took a conservative media freakout in 2018 to enact new restrictions .
Over the summer of 2018 , conservative media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resources , a company that procured fetal tissue from abortion providers and shipped it to researchers for use .
ABR was also one of the subjects of the 2015 select committee investigation .
HHS decided to cancel the government ’ s contract with ABR in late September 2018 and began a review of the agency ’ s rules and processes for procuring fetal tissue for research .
That review concluded last summer , with HHS announcing in June that it would ban any fetal tissue studies by in-house NIH scientists , like Hasenkrug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any outside scientists conducting research funded by the government .
The decision came as welcome news to anti-abortion activists .
“ The language is trying to hold an ethical standard for the research proposals and the research that might be done .
The policy is not just about science .
It ’ s also about ethics , ” David Prentice , vice president and research director at the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute , told Science magazine last July .
For his part , Hasenkrug has reportedly asked the Trump administration several times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s humanized mice for a coronavirus cure , but is still waiting on permission .
Per the Post : On Feb. 19 , two people said , Hasenkrug wrote to a senior NIH official , asking for permission to use those mice and run experiments related to covid-19 .
He eventually was told that his request had been passed on to senior HHS officials .
Since then , he has written repeatedly to NIH , laying out in greater detail the experiments he wants to undertake and why several alternatives to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ useful .
In one appeal to NIH , Hasenkrug wrote that the mice he was offered are more than a year old and have a relatively short time remaining to live , so they should be used quickly , according to Kerry Lavender , a Canadian researcher familiar with the correspondence .
Hasenkrug ’ s request has reportedly been forwarded to the White House Domestic Policy Council , which is chaired by Trump himself , but the government has not made a decision on the research as of yet .

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US is working to develop a vaccine for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as quickly as possible. But one of his own administration’s policies appears to be standing in the way of at least one scientist.
According to a report by the Washington Post’s Amy Goldstein, Kim Hasenkrug, an immunologist at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, wants to test potential treatments for Covid-19 in mice with humanized lungs. But as the Post first reported, the work is being held up by officials at the Department of Health and Human Services due to a 2019 ban on NIH scientists using donated fetal tissue from abortions in their research.
While fetal tissue isn’t typically used to develop actual therapies or treatments, it has one particularly key use for researchers: the ability to create mice with human tissue suitable for medical testing. Mice, generally, have similar immune systems to humans, making them particularly useful for early medical testing.
Humanized mice have been key to developing several important medical treatments for diseases like the Zika virus or HIV/AIDS, which was Hasenkrug’s previous research focus. The calculation is simple. You can’t test certain treatments without humanized mice, and you can’t get humanized mice without fetal tissue.
“There are, of course, many avenues of research using other kinds of tissue, but fetal cells can rapidly divide, grow, and adapt to new environments in ways that make them the gold standard for some disease research. And in other research areas, we don’t yet know if there is anything that could substitute,” R. Alta Charo, professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015.
And as the Post’s Goldstein noted, scientists have already shown that humanized mice could make good test subjects for coronavirus treatments specifically:
Just months ago, before the new coronavirus began to infect people around the world, other U.S. scientists made two highly relevant discoveries. They found that specialized mice could be transplanted with human fetal tissue that develops into lungs — the part of the body the new coronavirus invades. These “humanized mice,” they also found, could then be infected with coronaviruses — to which ordinary mice are not susceptible — closely related to the one that causes the new disease, Covid-19.
Outside researchers have offered the mice to Hasenkrug for coronavirus research. But so far, Hasenkrug and other government researchers haven’t been allowed to obtain the mice they need to perform testing, the Post reported, thanks to a June 2019 HHS directive banning fetal tissue research for those employed by the government.
Caitlin Oakley, a HHS spokesperson, told the Post that “no decision has been made” about Hasenkrug’s request. A separate HHS spokesperson confirmed that in a statement to Vox.
The spokesperson also pointed to an HHS statement from last June detailing the administration’s policy on fetal tissue research. “Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trump’s administration,” reads the statement.
Hasenkrug, and the potentially millions of Americans who may benefit from his research, now find themselves caught in a deeply divisive political issue that’s been years in the making.
Banning fetal tissue research has been an anti-abortion political fight for years
The US government had funded fetal tissue research efforts since the 1950s — and for nearly as long, anti-abortion activists have opposed the practice.
In the Trump era, they finally found an administration ready to listen.
In 2018, the US government spent $115 million on about 173 research projects utilizing fetal tissue, a third of which were devoted to developing therapies for HIV/AIDS.
“Research using fetal tissue has led to the development of vaccines such as those for polio, rubella, and measles,” the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) said in a statement last September. “Fetal tissue is still helping advance science, with research underway using cells from fetal tissue to evaluate conditions including Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and spinal cord injury. Fetal tissue is also necessary for the development of potential treatments for Zika virus and HIV/AIDS.”
But anti-abortion activists argue it incentivizes abortion providers to perform more abortions in order to procure more tissue they could sell to third-party companies, which then provide the tissue directly to researchers. Fetal tissue procurement has been heavily regulated since enactment of the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, which states that profits cannot be made in the transfer or acceptance of fetal tissue for research purposes.
That hasn’t stopped anti-abortion activists from continuing to call into question the ethics of abortion providers or procurement companies. In 2000, the anti-abortion rights group Life Dynamics seemingly began the practice of releasing false or deceptively edited videos targeting the fetal tissue sales process. The main source in their videos was found to be not credible.
The George W. Bush administration did not take action against fetal tissue research, instead enacting restrictions on stem cell research derived from embryos in an August 2001 executive order. Those restrictions were later rolled back by an executive order from President Barack Obama in 2009.
More recently, the anti-abortion rights group Center for Medical Progress, run by activist David Daleiden, infamously released heavily edited videos appearing to show a Planned Parenthood employee negotiating prices for fetal tissue, and CMP accused the abortion care provider of illegally profiting from sales.
The videos caught the attention of Republican lawmakers. Investigations by the House Energy and Commerce, House Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform committees found no wrongdoing. Further investigations into Planned Parenthood and fetal tissue transfer proceeded with the creation of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives in October 2015, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), leading to $1.59 million in spending and a 471-page final report making numerable anti-abortion recommendations.
Among those requests was a call for the government to ban fetal tissue research by government scientists, which Barack Obama’s administration, which favored the practice, ultimately ignored.
Democrats on the committee released their own report, disputing the conclusions of their Republican colleagues. “At the end of their crusade, the conclusion was undeniable: There was no wrongdoing on behalf of fetal tissue researchers, including Advanced Bioscience Resources, or anyone else in the fetal tissue research space,” said Rep. Jan Schakowksy (D-IL), who served as the ranking Democrat on the select committee, in a statement to Rewire.News in October 2018.
The Trump administration’s restrictions on fetal tissue research
Anti-abortion activists saw an opportunity to advance their agenda on fetal tissue research when President Donald Trump won election in 2016, but it took a conservative media freakout in 2018 to enact new restrictions.
Over the summer of 2018, conservative media focused on several transactions by Advanced Bioscience Resources, a company that procured fetal tissue from abortion providers and shipped it to researchers for use. ABR was also one of the subjects of the 2015 select committee investigation.
HHS decided to cancel the government’s contract with ABR in late September 2018 and began a review of the agency’s rules and processes for procuring fetal tissue for research. That review concluded last summer, with HHS announcing in June that it would ban any fetal tissue studies by in-house NIH scientists, like Hasenkrug. It also introduced strict paperwork requirements for any outside scientists conducting research funded by the government.
The decision came as welcome news to anti-abortion activists. “The language is trying to hold an ethical standard for the research proposals and the research that might be done. The policy is not just about science. It’s also about ethics,” David Prentice, vice president and research director at the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, told Science magazine last July.
For his part, Hasenkrug has reportedly asked the Trump administration several times for permission to begin working with UNC’s humanized mice for a coronavirus cure, but is still waiting on permission. Per the Post:
On Feb. 19, two people said, Hasenkrug wrote to a senior NIH official, asking for permission to use those mice and run experiments related to covid-19. He eventually was told that his request had been passed on to senior HHS officials. Since then, he has written repeatedly to NIH, laying out in greater detail the experiments he wants to undertake and why several alternatives to the fetal tissue-implanted mice would not be as useful. In one appeal to NIH, Hasenkrug wrote that the mice he was offered are more than a year old and have a relatively short time remaining to live, so they should be used quickly, according to Kerry Lavender, a Canadian researcher familiar with the correspondence.
Hasenkrug’s request has reportedly been forwarded to the White House Domestic Policy Council, which is chaired by Trump himself, but the government has not made a decision on the research as of yet.


vox--2020-03-19--US warns Americans not to travel overseas — and to try to get back now

The Trump administration has a new message to Americans : If you ’ re here in the country , stay here ; if you ’ re traveling abroad , come back .
On Thursday , the State Department raised its global travel advisory to Level 4 , the highest it goes .
The advisory warns Americans that they should not travel anywhere in the world because of disruptions caused by the global coronavirus crisis .
The order also advises US citizens who live in the US but are currently abroad to return home immediately , “ unless they are prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On March 14 , the US issued a Level 3 warning for global travel , which advises US citizens to “ strongly reconsider ” going abroad because of the coronavirus .
This new order , which comes just five days later , escalates to a Level 4 “ Do Not Travel ” advisory .
The Level 4 warning is still a recommendation — if a particularly stern one — not compulsory .
It ’ s usually used to warn Americans against traveling to specific conflict zones ( like Syria or Afghanistan ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in danger .
China was updated to a Level 4 warning in February at the start of the outbreak .
Now the entire globe is under this heading .
This Level 4 advisory doesn ’ t help Americans already stuck overseas With or without this advisory , traveling overseas has become exceedingly difficult as countries enact stringent travel restrictions and airlines dramatically scale back international flights .
It ’ s increasingly hard for anyone , including Americans , to travel anywhere .
And the bigger fear now seems to be that US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to travel or do not make plans to get back quickly .
This has already happened in some cases , as countries around the world seal their borders , sometimes with limited warning .
The New York Times reported Thursday on thousands of US citizens stuck in Morocco who are unable to access flights home .
US Ambassador to Morocco David Fischer said in a video Thursday that the US State Department is working “ around the clock ” to get them home and encouraged US citizens in that country to register @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no greater priority than the safety and security of Americans citizens , ” Fischer said .
“ And we will continue to do all there is to do to support you in these challenging circumstances.
” Americans in places such as Peru and Cambodia have also asked for help , and a US women ’ s tackle football team is stuck in Honduras .
At a press conference Thursday before the Level 4 advisory was issued , President Donald Trump did not offer details about the order , which he said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When asked about Americans overseas who can ’ t get home , Trump said that the US was aware and “ working on taking care of that with the military.
” He did not go into much further detail about what that meant , though he denied it was a military evacuation .
The US has adopted strict entry measures , too .
On Wednesday , the US and Canada announced that their shared border would also be sealed to all nonessential travel .
( Canada had days before banned nearly all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though US citizens were exempted . )
And the Trump administration issued a travel ban last week stopping all foreign nationals who had been inside the European Union ’ s 26 Schengen countries in the previous 14 days from entering the US , later expanding it to include the United Kingdom and Ireland , which had initially been exempt .
That EU ban led to a mad rush at airports as US citizens tried to get home , fearing they might get stranded and be unable to access flights back .
( Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ban , had said “ all travel ” to the US would be barred .
The administration later had to clarify that the order did not apply to US citizens or legal permanent residents , but the freakout had already begun . )
That also led to chaotic scenes at US airports as travelers arrived back in the States en masse , with crowds packed together to undergo screening — exactly what shouldn ’ t be happening during a pandemic where avoiding contact with crowds is paramount .
The Level 4 travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Department catching up to reality by saying , explicitly , that Americans should return home and stop traveling abroad during a global pandemic — or otherwise be prepared “ to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite timeframe .
”

Editor’s note, April 1: Please note that details about the coronavirus pandemic and recommendations from officials are changing rapidly — visit our coronavirus hub to read all our up-to-date coverage. Here’s the CDC’s current public health guidance.
The Trump administration has a new message to Americans: If you’re here in the country, stay here; if you’re traveling abroad, come back.
On Thursday, the State Department raised its global travel advisory to Level 4, the highest it goes. The advisory warns Americans that they should not travel anywhere in the world because of disruptions caused by the global coronavirus crisis. The order also advises US citizens who live in the US but are currently abroad to return home immediately, “unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.”
On March 14, the US issued a Level 3 warning for global travel, which advises US citizens to “strongly reconsider” going abroad because of the coronavirus. This new order, which comes just five days later, escalates to a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory.
The Level 4 warning is still a recommendation — if a particularly stern one — not compulsory. It’s usually used to warn Americans against traveling to specific conflict zones (like Syria or Afghanistan) or other places where US citizens might be in danger. China was updated to a Level 4 warning in February at the start of the outbreak.
Now the entire globe is under this heading.
This Level 4 advisory doesn’t help Americans already stuck overseas
With or without this advisory, traveling overseas has become exceedingly difficult as countries enact stringent travel restrictions and airlines dramatically scale back international flights. It’s increasingly hard for anyone, including Americans, to travel anywhere. And the bigger fear now seems to be that US citizens will get stuck abroad if they attempt to travel or do not make plans to get back quickly.
This has already happened in some cases, as countries around the world seal their borders, sometimes with limited warning. The New York Times reported Thursday on thousands of US citizens stuck in Morocco who are unable to access flights home. US Ambassador to Morocco David Fischer said in a video Thursday that the US State Department is working “around the clock” to get them home and encouraged US citizens in that country to register with the embassy.
Crowds grow daily of abandoned American citizens in Morocco. US Consulate in Casablanca still unresponsive to cries for help. @USEmbMorocco #TrappedInMorocco pic.twitter.com/0REz1viZuW — Cari Dawson Bartley (@CariWho) March 17, 2020
“We have no greater priority than the safety and security of Americans citizens,” Fischer said. “And we will continue to do all there is to do to support you in these challenging circumstances.”
Americans in places such as Peru and Cambodia have also asked for help, and a US women’s tackle football team is stuck in Honduras.
At a press conference Thursday before the Level 4 advisory was issued, President Donald Trump did not offer details about the order, which he said he would discuss with the State Department “later.” When asked about Americans overseas who can’t get home, Trump said that the US was aware and “working on taking care of that with the military.” He did not go into much further detail about what that meant, though he denied it was a military evacuation.
“We’re working on taking care of that with the military,” President Trump tells @jonkarl when asked if the U.S. will help bring home Americans stuck abroad due to travel bans amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/FG7HCI5aTN pic.twitter.com/TOkII3ujWE — ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) March 19, 2020
The US has adopted strict entry measures, too. On Wednesday, the US and Canada announced that their shared border would also be sealed to all nonessential travel. (Canada had days before banned nearly all foreign travelers from entering the country, though US citizens were exempted.)
And the Trump administration issued a travel ban last week stopping all foreign nationals who had been inside the European Union’s 26 Schengen countries in the previous 14 days from entering the US, later expanding it to include the United Kingdom and Ireland, which had initially been exempt.
That EU ban led to a mad rush at airports as US citizens tried to get home, fearing they might get stranded and be unable to access flights back. (Trump, in his Oval Office address announcing the ban, had said “all travel” to the US would be barred. The administration later had to clarify that the order did not apply to US citizens or legal permanent residents, but the freakout had already begun.)
That also led to chaotic scenes at US airports as travelers arrived back in the States en masse, with crowds packed together to undergo screening — exactly what shouldn’t be happening during a pandemic where avoiding contact with crowds is paramount.
The Level 4 travel warning, then, is really the State Department catching up to reality by saying, explicitly, that Americans should return home and stop traveling abroad during a global pandemic — or otherwise be prepared “to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite timeframe.”


vox--2020-03-19--Trump’s policies are putting vulnerable immigrants at risk as coronavirus spreads

Even as the nation faces a coronavirus pandemic , the Trump administration isn ’ t backing off its threat to deport any unauthorized immigrants anywhere in the US .
Under pressure from lawmakers and advocates , US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had initially announced major changes to its enforcement priorities effective Wednesday night for as long as the coronavirus pandemic persists : The agency said it will only target immigrants who pose a public safety risk and who have committed serious crimes and would not carry out enforcement actions at health care facilities .
The move , which appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration , would have reduced the population of immigrant detention centers , where the virus could potentially spread quickly with too many people in close quarters .
It also would have allowed unauthorized immigrants to seek medical care without fearing they could be arrested .
But Ken Cuccinelli , the acting deputy secretary fo the Department of Homeland Security , walked back the policy change in a tweet on Thursday morning , claiming that the administration ’ s enforcement priorities had not changed : Rep. Bennie G. Thompson , chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the administration Thursday to lay out an enforcement policy “ publicly , formally , and clearly ” stating that ICE will stop enforcement activities except when it applies to felons or those who pose a risk to national security .
“ With such dangerous mixed messages , the Trump Administration is continuing to prioritize its draconian anti-immigrant policies over ensuring the health of our nation at a time when we all , collectively , face a global pandemic , ” he said .
While the Trump administration has taken some measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of contracting coronavirus in recent days , advocates say officials still haven ’ t gone far enough .
Social contact in immigration courts and in detention centers still pose a serious risk for vulnerable populations that hasn ’ t been addressed .
The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday night that it would postpone all immigration court hearings for immigrants who aren ’ t in detention .
Hearings for detained immigrants , however , will continue in person for now — and it could force immigrants to choose between potentially exposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cases , even if they ’ re particularly vulnerable to the virus , or facing potential deportation .
Trump has sought to use immigration raids as a means of intimidating immigrants and targeting sanctuary cities — which do not allow local law enforcement to share information with ICE or hand over immigrants in their custody — for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities .
Under Trump , ICE has targeted immigrants ranging from those seeking student visas to those working at poultry farms in Mississippi .
At one point , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fines against immigrants living in sanctuary churches .
And just last month , the Trump administration was planning to send armed and highly trained law enforcement units to sanctuary cities across the country to support ICE in carrying out immigration raids .
Wednesday ’ s policy change appeared to represent a massive shift in the agency ’ s priorities — and in those of the president , who has rallied his base around restricting immigration — but Cuccinelli walked it back .
Based on Cuccinelli ’ s statements , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be shielded from enforcement actions during the current crisis , at health care facilities or otherwise .
ICE had been quite clear in its statement Wednesday : It said it would only prioritize immigrants who have committed serious crimes .
That includes violent crimes , any two crimes that have a combined sentence of more than five years , and any drug offense , among others .
The Obama administration had similar enforcement priorities , and at the time , the Migration Policy Institute estimated that only 13 percent of unauthorized immigrants or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( The policies were still heavily criticized by the advocacy community at the time for putting too many immigrants in detention . )
For the immigrants who haven ’ t committed such crimes , ICE said it would “ exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention.
” It said that it would focus its enforcement efforts on human and drug trafficking at the border instead .
Those alternatives could include administering electronic ankle bracelets to monitor immigrants or entering them in something like the Family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under which each immigrant is assigned a case manager who ensures that they show up for their ICE check-ins and court dates .
Under its own policies , ICE can ’ t carry out enforcement actions at “ sensitive locations ” such as churches and schools .
On Wednesday , the agency also updated those policies under pressure from immigrant advocates to clarify that health care facilities — including hospitals , doctor offices , accredited health clinics , and emergency or urgent care facilities — are also sensitive locations where arrests won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most extraordinary of circumstances.
” “ Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement , ” the agency said in a statement .
But based on Cuccinelli ’ s comments , it ’ s not clear whether ICE will continue carrying out enforcement actions at health care facilities .
More than 800 public health and legal experts had urged ICE to confirm that health care facilities wouldn ’ t be targeted for enforcement actions earlier this month .
They voiced concern that the prospect of being arrested at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking the care they need , which , amid the pandemic , could pose a threat to overall public health .
The agency has suspended enforcement activities in times of crisis before : It happened twice in 2018 in areas hit by Tropical Storm Florence and in areas of Northern California ravaged by wildfires .
Immigrants in detention are still in limbo It ’ s also not clear what will happen to immigrants who are already in immigration detention , who number about 38,000 in more than 130 private and state-run detention facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any plans to release immigrants , many of whom don ’ t fit the new enforcement priorities ICE has laid out — as of November , almost 70 percent of ICE detainees had no previous criminal convictions .
Lawmakers and advocates have been calling for their release , especially for detainees who are older or have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the virus : According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , that includes people with blood disorders , chronic kidney disease , chronic liver disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pregnancy , endocrine disorders , metabolic disorders , heart disease , lung disease , and neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions .
“ In this unprecedented time , ICE must proactively consider aggressive measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 , including a reduction int he overall number of detainees in ICE custody , ” Rep. Jerrold Nadler , the chair of the House Judiciary Committee , wrote in a March 13 letter to the agency .
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project have already sued ICE to seek the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center in Tacoma , Washington , which is just outside Seattle , the epicenter of the US ’ s first large Covid-19 outbreak .
Rex Chen , director of immigration for Legal Services NYC , one of the organizations offering legal aid to immigrants in detention , told Vox that some detention centers have been taking steps to implement social distancing in the detention centers .
They ’ re starting to isolate detainees more , are no longer allowing social visits , and are instituting no-contact lawyers ’ visits in some places .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance on the precautions detention centers nationwide should be taking , and it ’ s evident that at least some of them aren ’ t doing enough to protect immigrants , as well as detention center staff , from exposure to the virus .
One officer at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack , New Jersey , where some immigrant detainees are in custody , has reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 .
( The sheriff ’ s office , however , has found that no immigrants came into contact with them and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one ICE facility in Miramar , Florida , officials are continuing to detain immigrants in large numbers and require those who aren ’ t detained to wait in long lines to physically check-in : Many immigration courts are also still requiring immigrants to show up in person for their court dates .
While the Justice Department has decided to postpone hearings for non-detained immigrants , those in detention are still required to appear in person .
That ’ s in contrast to many other city , state , and federal courts that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , including the Supreme Court , which has suspended oral arguments .
It ’ s possible the virus has already started to spread while the immigration courts have remained open : One attorney in Atlanta immigration court tested positive for the virus , and a Denver immigration judge is self-quarantining at the recommendation of their doctor , who suspects that they , too , have the virus .
Immigration attorneys , immigration judges , and ICE attorneys have called on the agency to close the immigration courts entirely , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are involved in the proceedings .
“ The scientific , evidence-based opinion of public health experts can only lead to one conclusion for us all who are connected with the immigration court system , and that is to immediately and temporarily close all of the immigration courts nationwide , ” Judge Ashley Tabaddor , president of the National Association of Immigration Judges , the immigration judges ’ union , said in a press call .
Chen said it ’ s possible that the immigration courts wouldn ’ t have to close entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teleconference , which isn ’ t ideal but might be preferable for detainees who would otherwise have to wait longer for a hearing that could secure their release .
Under normal circumstances , teleconferencing can be problematic .
In theory , teleconferencing would seem to make proceedings more efficient and increase access to justice , allowing attorneys and judges to participate even though they may be hundreds of miles away .
But in practice , advocates argue that teleconferencing has inhibited full and fair proceedings : Technical difficulties , remote translation services , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over teleconference may adversely affect outcomes for immigrants .
“ Unfortunately , only giving detainees and their lawyers the option to appear by video violates what we feel is required by due process , ” Chen said .
“ Those issues still exist in these conditions .
But giving them the option could make sense .
”

Even as the nation faces a coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration isn’t backing off its threat to deport any unauthorized immigrants anywhere in the US.
Under pressure from lawmakers and advocates, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had initially announced major changes to its enforcement priorities effective Wednesday night for as long as the coronavirus pandemic persists: The agency said it will only target immigrants who pose a public safety risk and who have committed serious crimes and would not carry out enforcement actions at health care facilities.
The move, which appeared to restore a policy in place during the Obama administration, would have reduced the population of immigrant detention centers, where the virus could potentially spread quickly with too many people in close quarters. It also would have allowed unauthorized immigrants to seek medical care without fearing they could be arrested.
But Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary fo the Department of Homeland Security, walked back the policy change in a tweet on Thursday morning, claiming that the administration’s enforcement priorities had not changed:
(3/5) This means that @ICEgov will continue to prioritize arresting and removing criminal aliens and other aliens who pose a threat to public safety, just as it always has during President @realDonaldTrump's administration. — Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli (@HomelandKen) March 19, 2020
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, called on the administration Thursday to lay out an enforcement policy “publicly, formally, and clearly” stating that ICE will stop enforcement activities except when it applies to felons or those who pose a risk to national security.
“With such dangerous mixed messages, the Trump Administration is continuing to prioritize its draconian anti-immigrant policies over ensuring the health of our nation at a time when we all, collectively, face a global pandemic,” he said.
While the Trump administration has taken some measures to help insulate immigrants in its custody from the risk of contracting coronavirus in recent days, advocates say officials still haven’t gone far enough. Social contact in immigration courts and in detention centers still pose a serious risk for vulnerable populations that hasn’t been addressed.
The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday night that it would postpone all immigration court hearings for immigrants who aren’t in detention.
Hearings for detained immigrants, however, will continue in person for now — and it could force immigrants to choose between potentially exposing themselves to the coronavirus by proceeding with their cases, even if they’re particularly vulnerable to the virus, or facing potential deportation.
What ICE’s change in policy means
Trump has sought to use immigration raids as a means of intimidating immigrants and targeting sanctuary cities — which do not allow local law enforcement to share information with ICE or hand over immigrants in their custody — for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Under Trump, ICE has targeted immigrants ranging from those seeking student visas to those working at poultry farms in Mississippi. At one point, the agency levied hundred of thousands of dollars in fines against immigrants living in sanctuary churches. And just last month, the Trump administration was planning to send armed and highly trained law enforcement units to sanctuary cities across the country to support ICE in carrying out immigration raids.
Wednesday’s policy change appeared to represent a massive shift in the agency’s priorities — and in those of the president, who has rallied his base around restricting immigration — but Cuccinelli walked it back. Based on Cuccinelli’s statements, it’s now unclear whether any unauthorized immigrant will be shielded from enforcement actions during the current crisis, at health care facilities or otherwise.
ICE had been quite clear in its statement Wednesday: It said it would only prioritize immigrants who have committed serious crimes. That includes violent crimes, any two crimes that have a combined sentence of more than five years, and any drug offense, among others. The Obama administration had similar enforcement priorities, and at the time, the Migration Policy Institute estimated that only 13 percent of unauthorized immigrants or 1.39 million people met that criteria. (The policies were still heavily criticized by the advocacy community at the time for putting too many immigrants in detention.)
For the immigrants who haven’t committed such crimes, ICE said it would “exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention.” It said that it would focus its enforcement efforts on human and drug trafficking at the border instead.
Those alternatives could include administering electronic ankle bracelets to monitor immigrants or entering them in something like the Family Case Management Program, an Obama-era program under which each immigrant is assigned a case manager who ensures that they show up for their ICE check-ins and court dates.
Under its own policies, ICE can’t carry out enforcement actions at “sensitive locations” such as churches and schools. On Wednesday, the agency also updated those policies under pressure from immigrant advocates to clarify that health care facilities — including hospitals, doctor offices, accredited health clinics, and emergency or urgent care facilities — are also sensitive locations where arrests won’t take place “except in the most extraordinary of circumstances.”
“Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement,” the agency said in a statement.
But based on Cuccinelli’s comments, it’s not clear whether ICE will continue carrying out enforcement actions at health care facilities.
More than 800 public health and legal experts had urged ICE to confirm that health care facilities wouldn’t be targeted for enforcement actions earlier this month. They voiced concern that the prospect of being arrested at a medical facility might dissuade immigrants from seeking the care they need, which, amid the pandemic, could pose a threat to overall public health.
The agency has suspended enforcement activities in times of crisis before: It happened twice in 2018 in areas hit by Tropical Storm Florence and in areas of Northern California ravaged by wildfires.
Immigrants in detention are still in limbo
It’s also not clear what will happen to immigrants who are already in immigration detention, who number about 38,000 in more than 130 private and state-run detention facilities nationwide. ICE hasn’t announced any plans to release immigrants, many of whom don’t fit the new enforcement priorities ICE has laid out — as of November, almost 70 percent of ICE detainees had no previous criminal convictions.
Lawmakers and advocates have been calling for their release, especially for detainees who are older or have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the virus: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that includes people with blood disorders, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, compromised immune systems, current or recent pregnancy, endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders, heart disease, lung disease, and neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions.
“In this unprecedented time, ICE must proactively consider aggressive measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including a reduction int he overall number of detainees in ICE custody,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a March 13 letter to the agency.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project have already sued ICE to seek the release of vulnerable detainees at one detention center in Tacoma, Washington, which is just outside Seattle, the epicenter of the US’s first large Covid-19 outbreak.
Rex Chen, director of immigration for Legal Services NYC, one of the organizations offering legal aid to immigrants in detention, told Vox that some detention centers have been taking steps to implement social distancing in the detention centers. They’re starting to isolate detainees more, are no longer allowing social visits, and are instituting no-contact lawyers’ visits in some places.
But ICE hasn’t issued uniform guidance on the precautions detention centers nationwide should be taking, and it’s evident that at least some of them aren’t doing enough to protect immigrants, as well as detention center staff, from exposure to the virus.
One officer at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey, where some immigrant detainees are in custody, has reportedly tested positive for Covid-19. (The sheriff’s office, however, has found that no immigrants came into contact with them and are not exhibiting symptoms.) And at one ICE facility in Miramar, Florida, officials are continuing to detain immigrants in large numbers and require those who aren’t detained to wait in long lines to physically check-in:
The ICE office in Miramar refuses to stop check-ins during the #COVID19 #CoronaVirus pandemic. Organizers have been pushing for them to close, and ICE refuses.
Look at the line. They are putting immigrant lives at risk. #AbolishICE pic.twitter.com/73B282kXJc — United We Dream (@UNITEDWEDREAM) March 18, 2020
Many immigration courts are also still requiring immigrants to show up in person for their court dates. While the Justice Department has decided to postpone hearings for non-detained immigrants, those in detention are still required to appear in person. That’s in contrast to many other city, state, and federal courts that have closed for the time being on account of the coronavirus, including the Supreme Court, which has suspended oral arguments.
It’s possible the virus has already started to spread while the immigration courts have remained open: One attorney in Atlanta immigration court tested positive for the virus, and a Denver immigration judge is self-quarantining at the recommendation of their doctor, who suspects that they, too, have the virus.
Immigration attorneys, immigration judges, and ICE attorneys have called on the agency to close the immigration courts entirely, for the safety of the immigrants and others who are involved in the proceedings.
“The scientific, evidence-based opinion of public health experts can only lead to one conclusion for us all who are connected with the immigration court system, and that is to immediately and temporarily close all of the immigration courts nationwide,” Judge Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, the immigration judges’ union, said in a press call.
Chen said it’s possible that the immigration courts wouldn’t have to close entirely — they could conduct proceedings over video teleconference, which isn’t ideal but might be preferable for detainees who would otherwise have to wait longer for a hearing that could secure their release.
Under normal circumstances, teleconferencing can be problematic. In theory, teleconferencing would seem to make proceedings more efficient and increase access to justice, allowing attorneys and judges to participate even though they may be hundreds of miles away. But in practice, advocates argue that teleconferencing has inhibited full and fair proceedings: Technical difficulties, remote translation services, and the inability to read nonverbal communication over teleconference may adversely affect outcomes for immigrants.
“Unfortunately, only giving detainees and their lawyers the option to appear by video violates what we feel is required by due process,” Chen said. “Those issues still exist in these conditions. But giving them the option could make sense.”


vox--2020-03-19--America’s mass transit agencies need a bailout, too

Normally , mass transit agencies celebrate ridership gains rather than declines .
But the coronavirus pandemic and the logic of social distancing have turned that on its head .
That ’ s leading to situations like the New York City Subway tweeting a celebration of declining readership , while the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority brags about empty vehicles .
This is , by all accounts , exactly what America should want to see happening from its big-city transit agencies .
Because some people rely on these agencies to get to work , and because some categories of workers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and those involved in the supply chains for food , medicine , and basic cleaning supplies — are needed during this crisis , transit can ’ t just shut down .
But the whole point of mass transit is to solve the basic problem of urban geometry , you need to move a lot of people through limited space .
The bus is more space-efficient than a car , and a train is even more space-efficient than a bus .
Under normal circumstances , that ’ s great .
Faced with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no vaccine and few proven treatments , it ’ s a catastrophe .
So agencies are cutting service , actively discouraging ridership , and running what service remains in a deliberately inefficient way that violates the basic logic of mass transit .
Even while all that happens , they ’ re incurring extra expenses to regularly clean and disinfect everything .
In terms of what America needs to get through this crisis , all of that is exactly correct .
The problem is these agencies need fare revenue , and without it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urban areas could collapse .
But the federal government can save the day .
Jarrett Walker , a private consultant on mass transit issues , reported as far back as March 10 that “ unpublished numbers shared with me by two US West Coast agencies showed ridership losses of 30-50 % from pre-crisis levels.
” That ’ s from before the government started really working hard to discourage people from leaving the house and going places .
More recent data indicates ridership has fallen over 80 percent .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its agencies expect to see $ 1.75 billion in increased costs related to increased cleaning of transit vehicles .
If in the not-too-distant future , basic supplies like masks become more widely available for drivers ’ use , that would be a further win for public health but a further cause of increased costs .
Even as their costs go up , transit authorities could see their revenue streams dry up .
Most rely on $ 13 billion per year in earmarked sales tax revenue generated in their service areas — much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing orders .
And to the extent that agencies don ’ t depend on that kind of revenue stream , they are typically counting on ad hoc subsidies from state and local governments , which themselves count on sales tax money that is going to be vanishing .
The risk is that even as the most acute phase of the coronavirus crisis hopefully abates , transit will enter a death spiral of lost revenue , service cuts , and ridership losses from which it ’ s incredibly difficult to recover .
Agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to financial pressure by scaling back service — cutting routes , shortening hours , and reducing frequency .
But cutting frequency makes a transit network much less useful , ensuring that ridership doesn ’ t bounce back even when restrictions on activity fade away .
And collapsed ridership means agencies won ’ t have the revenue to restore service .
Unless , that is , they get a bunch of money .
The alternative is that the federal government could give transit agencies a huge stimulus .
Currently , the federal government offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — building new lines — but does not subsidize transit operating costs .
That ’ s a perfectly reasonable stance to take .
Transit is great , but it ’ s also very much a local benefit that under ordinary times should be financed out of fares and local revenue .
But faced with a looming economic crisis and an urgent need for federal stimulus efforts — some of which will likely include bailouts for other industries — transit operating subsidies are an appealing choice .
The logistics of getting the money out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the public transit industry directly supports about as many employees as the airline industry .
For the duration of the crisis , maintaining little-used transit service is an urgent national priority and a simple form of financial assistance to needy individuals would be to not just finance its provision but make it free .
In the longer term , once we are hopefully in a position to try to get people out and doing things again , making sure cities have viable transit systems is an excellent way to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to work without breaking the bank .
At a certain point you ’ d want to withdraw financial support , just as you wouldn ’ t want to see Congress bailing out whole industries on a routine basis .
But as long as the federal government is looking at help for corporate America , it should let transit agencies in on the action as well .

Normally, mass transit agencies celebrate ridership gains rather than declines. But the coronavirus pandemic and the logic of social distancing have turned that on its head.
That’s leading to situations like the New York City Subway tweeting a celebration of declining readership, while the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority brags about empty vehicles.
March 17, 2019: 5,568,464
March 17, 2020: 1,785,252
3.7 million of you chose not to ride with us yesterday because you want to #flattenthecurve.
We miss you, but for now, we’ll say: thank you for not riding with us. You’re keeping NYC safer. — NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) March 18, 2020
This is, by all accounts, exactly what America should want to see happening from its big-city transit agencies.
Because some people rely on these agencies to get to work, and because some categories of workers — health care professionals, public safety workers, and those involved in the supply chains for food, medicine, and basic cleaning supplies — are needed during this crisis, transit can’t just shut down. But the whole point of mass transit is to solve the basic problem of urban geometry, you need to move a lot of people through limited space. The bus is more space-efficient than a car, and a train is even more space-efficient than a bus.
Under normal circumstances, that’s great. Faced with an infectious respiratory disease for which there’s no vaccine and few proven treatments, it’s a catastrophe. So agencies are cutting service, actively discouraging ridership, and running what service remains in a deliberately inefficient way that violates the basic logic of mass transit. Even while all that happens, they’re incurring extra expenses to regularly clean and disinfect everything.
In terms of what America needs to get through this crisis, all of that is exactly correct. The problem is these agencies need fare revenue, and without it, the basic transit infrastructure of many urban areas could collapse.
But the federal government can save the day.
Mass transit is facing multiple economic stresses
Jarrett Walker, a private consultant on mass transit issues, reported as far back as March 10 that “unpublished numbers shared with me by two US West Coast agencies showed ridership losses of 30-50% from pre-crisis levels.”
That’s from before the government started really working hard to discourage people from leaving the house and going places. More recent data indicates ridership has fallen over 80 percent.
At the same time, the American Public Transit Association reports that its agencies expect to see $1.75 billion in increased costs related to increased cleaning of transit vehicles. If in the not-too-distant future, basic supplies like masks become more widely available for drivers’ use, that would be a further win for public health but a further cause of increased costs.
Even as their costs go up, transit authorities could see their revenue streams dry up. Most rely on $13 billion per year in earmarked sales tax revenue generated in their service areas — much of which will vanish as a result of social distancing orders. And to the extent that agencies don’t depend on that kind of revenue stream, they are typically counting on ad hoc subsidies from state and local governments, which themselves count on sales tax money that is going to be vanishing.
The risk is that even as the most acute phase of the coronavirus crisis hopefully abates, transit will enter a death spiral of lost revenue, service cuts, and ridership losses from which it’s incredibly difficult to recover. Agencies will have no alternative but to respond to financial pressure by scaling back service — cutting routes, shortening hours, and reducing frequency. But cutting frequency makes a transit network much less useful, ensuring that ridership doesn’t bounce back even when restrictions on activity fade away. And collapsed ridership means agencies won’t have the revenue to restore service.
Unless, that is, they get a bunch of money.
Transit operating subsidies are highly effective stimulus
The alternative is that the federal government could give transit agencies a huge stimulus.
Currently, the federal government offers financial assistance to mass transit capital projects — building new lines — but does not subsidize transit operating costs. That’s a perfectly reasonable stance to take. Transit is great, but it’s also very much a local benefit that under ordinary times should be financed out of fares and local revenue.
But faced with a looming economic crisis and an urgent need for federal stimulus efforts — some of which will likely include bailouts for other industries — transit operating subsidies are an appealing choice. The logistics of getting the money out the door are easy, for starters, and the public transit industry directly supports about as many employees as the airline industry. For the duration of the crisis, maintaining little-used transit service is an urgent national priority and a simple form of financial assistance to needy individuals would be to not just finance its provision but make it free.
In the longer term, once we are hopefully in a position to try to get people out and doing things again, making sure cities have viable transit systems is an excellent way to ensure that it’s possible for people to get to work without breaking the bank. At a certain point you’d want to withdraw financial support, just as you wouldn’t want to see Congress bailing out whole industries on a routine basis. But as long as the federal government is looking at help for corporate America, it should let transit agencies in on the action as well.


vox--2020-03-19--The 2020 Cannes Film Festival is postponed due to coronavirus

It ’ s a momentous day in world cinema : The Cannes Film Festival has been delayed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus .
The festival , which was slated to take place May 12-23 , is hosted in the seaside resort town of Cannes , about 19 miles from Nice , where a case of the virus was first confirmed in late February .
A statement from the organizers suggested that several options were under consideration , including a delay until the end of June or beginning of July .
“ As soon as the development of the French and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assess the real possibility , we will make our decision known , in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French Government and Cannes ’ City Hall as well as with the Festival ’ s Board Members , Film industry professionals and all the partners of the event , ” the statement said .
The move seemed inevitable , despite repeated statements that the festival would go on from organizers over the past few weeks .
On March 8 , the French government banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Cannes , as well as the famous red carpet premieres and the Marché du Film ( a film “ market ” attended by producers , distributors , programmers , and other film industry professionals ) , take place at the Palais des Festivals , a multi-story building that houses a number of theaters .
Some of those theaters are small , but attendees at screenings combined with Marché attendees ( which numbered over 12,000 in 2019 ) would substantially exceed the government ’ s ban .
Even with the possibility of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ untenable for weeks .
Additionally , the festival is attended by industry professionals and press from around the world , including from countries where coronavirus is rampant .
Given that people are attending parties and seeing films for hours per day in enclosed spaces , it ’ s no surprise the organizers decided to take precautions .
( MIPTV , an international TV market event that takes place at the Palais in late March and early April , had already been canceled .
The Cannes Lions festival was postponed until August . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested the organizers hope to simply delay the event , it ’ s possible it could be canceled .
The very first year that the festival was intended to be held , in 1939 , the event was canceled after one screening due to the outbreak of World War II .
The festival didn ’ t officially start until 1946 , after the war ’ s end .
Cannes has only been canceled once since then , in 1968 , when the festival ended halfway through its nearly two-week run .
The country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capitalism and imperialism and a crippling nationwide labor strike .
The scale of those demonstrations and strikes are legendary in French history .
Protests led by young directors François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard , among others , called for the festival to recognize what was going on in the country and stand in solidarity with the workers and students — and after turmoil , the festival ended a week early .
But until now , the festival has been a mainstay of world cinema , launching movies from the world ’ s most-lauded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , Bong Joon-ho ’ s Parasite premiered in competition at Cannes and won the festival ’ s highest prize , the Palme d ’ Or ; nine months later , it won Best Picture at the Oscars . )
This year ’ s delay , or possible cancellation , means the year ’ s film calendar has been thrown into confusion — all of which is exacerbated by uncertainty around how long the pandemic will last .

It’s a momentous day in world cinema: The Cannes Film Festival has been delayed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus.
The festival, which was slated to take place May 12-23, is hosted in the seaside resort town of Cannes, about 19 miles from Nice, where a case of the virus was first confirmed in late February. A statement from the organizers suggested that several options were under consideration, including a delay until the end of June or beginning of July.
“As soon as the development of the French and international health situation will allow us to assess the real possibility, we will make our decision known, in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French Government and Cannes’ City Hall as well as with the Festival’s Board Members, Film industry professionals and all the partners of the event,” the statement said.
The move seemed inevitable, despite repeated statements that the festival would go on from organizers over the past few weeks. On March 8, the French government banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people while the virus remained a threat.
Most screenings at Cannes, as well as the famous red carpet premieres and the Marché du Film (a film “market” attended by producers, distributors, programmers, and other film industry professionals), take place at the Palais des Festivals, a multi-story building that houses a number of theaters. Some of those theaters are small, but attendees at screenings combined with Marché attendees (which numbered over 12,000 in 2019) would substantially exceed the government’s ban. Even with the possibility of a virtual Marché, the situation had seemed untenable for weeks.
Additionally, the festival is attended by industry professionals and press from around the world, including from countries where coronavirus is rampant. Given that people are attending parties and seeing films for hours per day in enclosed spaces, it’s no surprise the organizers decided to take precautions. (MIPTV, an international TV market event that takes place at the Palais in late March and early April, had already been canceled. The Cannes Lions festival was postponed until August.)
While the festival’s official statement suggested the organizers hope to simply delay the event, it’s possible it could be canceled. The very first year that the festival was intended to be held, in 1939, the event was canceled after one screening due to the outbreak of World War II. The festival didn’t officially start until 1946, after the war’s end.
Cannes has only been canceled once since then, in 1968, when the festival ended halfway through its nearly two-week run. The country was grappling with massive student-led protests against capitalism and imperialism and a crippling nationwide labor strike. The scale of those demonstrations and strikes are legendary in French history. Protests led by young directors François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, among others, called for the festival to recognize what was going on in the country and stand in solidarity with the workers and students — and after turmoil, the festival ended a week early.
But until now, the festival has been a mainstay of world cinema, launching movies from the world’s most-lauded directors into international renown. (In 2019, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite premiered in competition at Cannes and won the festival’s highest prize, the Palme d’Or; nine months later, it won Best Picture at the Oscars.) This year’s delay, or possible cancellation, means the year’s film calendar has been thrown into confusion — all of which is exacerbated by uncertainty around how long the pandemic will last.


vox--2020-03-19--The pros and cons of coronavirus school closures, explained

New York City is finally closing its schools .
As cases of Covid-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , in the city neared 300 , parents began pulling their children out , and teachers threatened to stay home in protest .
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday announced that the nation ’ s largest public school system would close on Monday , March 16 , until at least April 20 , if not much longer .
“ This is a decision I have taken with no joy and a lot of pain , ” de Blasio said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the schools in part because so many students , including 114,000 who are homeless , rely on them for food and other basic necessities like laundry .
De Blasio and New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo were also concerned that if schools were shut down , health care workers would have to stay home to care for their children , hampering the city ’ s ability to treat the sick .
And as recently as Sunday morning , the mayor had expressed the fear that if schools shut down , “ they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the school year , maybe even for the calendar year.
” The difficulty of de Blasio ’ s decision underscores a bigger problem facing school systems around the country : Many health experts say the move is necessary to help slow the spread of the virus , but it will also create a child care crisis that the United States , with its weak child care system and lack of widespread paid leave , is incredibly poorly equipped to handle .
Meanwhile , teachers in New York have reported that the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and could have put students and educators at risk — some , for example , said their schools weren ’ t even stocked with soap last week .
Overall , the question of school closures , like so much about the coronavirus pandemic , exposes not just the severity of the current situation but the fault lines that existed in American society before the crisis hit , just waiting to be tested .
As other school districts closed , New York was criticized for its slow response In recent days , school districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to slow the spread of the virus and keep students , teachers , staff , and families safe .
The rate of closures dramatically ramped up in the last week — while around 600 schools had closed as of Tuesday , at least 56,000 had announced closures by Sunday , according to Education Week .
That includes most of the largest school systems in the country , including those in Los Angeles , Chicago , and Miami .
But as of Sunday morning , New York City schools were still scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hit hard by the virus , with the number of cases expected to reach 1,000 this week .
The delay was a reminder that , across the country and the world , closing schools is far from easy .
“ The decision to close our schools is not one that we take lightly ; as we know when kids are not in school , our community is directly impacted , ” Alberto M. Carvalho , superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools , said in a statement Friday announcing the school system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close the schools , Miami-Dade , like New York , had to think about food-insecure students — the city will begin food distribution on Monday for any students who rely on schools for meals .
The city also distributed mobile devices to students who didn ’ t have them at home so they can continue some learning remotely while schools are closed .
Meanwhile , in New York , teachers , unions , and parents have been calling on the mayor for the past week to close the schools .
But de Blasio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday morning that the schools might need to remain open because health care workers needed child care while fighting the pandemic .
Meanwhile , private schools in the city shut down , as did districts elsewhere in New York and around the country .
As the week wore on , teachers and others reported that New York City was mishandling its response to the coronavirus crisis .
On Tuesday , teachers told Gothamist/WNYC they ’ d gotten no instruction on what to do if they or their students were symptomatic .
Some said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even though public health officials say hand-washing is a key way to slow the spread of the virus .
In recent days , city officials had promised that schools would institute enhanced cleaning protocols , according to Chalkbeat — but in at least one school , the extra cleaning hadn ’ t materialized by late last week .
Meanwhile , teachers were crying during class breaks and getting into shouting matches with school leaders last week over the risk of the virus , according to Gothamist .
The city ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says it did make efforts to supply schools with adequate cleaning products : “ While buildings were opened , we surveyed both public and non-public schools buildings to ensure they had a sufficient supply of hand soap , paper towels , and anti-viral disinfectant inventory , ” a department spokesperson told Vox in an email .
“ Cleaning supplies including soap , paper towels , disinfectant supplies , and face masks were made available to both public and non-public schools at six sites across the City , and we purchase hand sanitizer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks to ensure schools were appropriately stocked.
” Still , furious with the situation at schools , teachers had planned a “ sickout ” for Monday , with 400 teachers on an organizing call Saturday , Gothamist reported .
Finally , on Sunday evening , de Blasio announced that the schools would be closed Monday for students and staff , but that teachers would be asked to come back later in the week for training on remote learning , according to the New York Times .
The United Federation of Teachers , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , praised the move , saying in a press release that “ Mayor Bill de Blasio has done the right thing to protect the health and safety of our students and school communities.
” But everyone agrees it will come with more challenges in the weeks and months ahead .
Closing schools can be necessary , but it comes with big trade-offs In part , the delay in New York City reflects the fact that school closures come with major trade-offs .
City officials had described closing the schools as a “ last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty rely on them , including about 70 percent who rely on free lunch ( the schools began providing free lunch to all students , regardless of income , in 2017 ) .
They were also concerned , as de Blasio mentioned on Sunday , about the impact on health care workers and others who provide essential services in the city ; a recent study estimated that 15 percent of health care workers around the country do not have another source of child care if schools are closed .
The results of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the potential contagion prevention from school closures justifies the potential loss of health care workers , ” researchers Jude Bayham and Eli Fenichel wrote , according to Chalkbeat .
To try to mitigate these effects , New York City will turn some of its schools into emergency child care centers for students whose parents are in essential jobs , according to the Times .
But beyond just those workers , the move will put many of the more than 1 million parents in the New York City school system in a difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs with no one to care for their kids .
Unlike many states in the country , New York mandates paid leave to care for a sick family member , but it doesn ’ t apply to all employees , nor is it designed for a situation like this , where many children are not sick but will need care for weeks or months .
Districts around the country have had to balance these problems with the need to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
In Los Angeles , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday as a proactive step , though no students had yet tested positive for the virus .
The district announced on Friday that it would close for at least two weeks .
Resource centers where students can get meals , however , will remain open .
Meanwhile , rural districts have to think about the challenges of serving students who may be geographically isolated .
In Wyoming , for example , the governor has recommended all schools be closed through the first week in April , and many districts have followed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superintendent of public instruction told NPR that the district is thinking about ways that bags of food could be transported to low-income students in rural areas while schools are closed .
The potential duration of school closures is another major issue .
The CDC has said that school closures of under four weeks likely will not have a meaningful effect on the spread of the virus .
In fact , the CDC is somewhat equivocal on whether school closures are effective at all , stating that closures of 8 to 20 weeks may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interventions like hand-washing and isolation are more effective , according to the Washington Post .
However , the slow speed of testing in New York and around the country has hampered efforts to isolate the sick .
At schools , that means it ’ s unclear who is sick at any given time , and whether teachers and students are ever safe .
Overall , experts , teachers , and parents alike recognize that school closures , both in New York and elsewhere , are an incomplete and uncertain way to fight coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in the pandemic , without widespread and adequate testing , many say they are necessary .
They have also exposed their own set of problems , from food insecurity to a lack of paid leave for parents , that will take more than an order by a mayor to solve .

New York City is finally closing its schools.
As cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in the city neared 300, parents began pulling their children out, and teachers threatened to stay home in protest. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday announced that the nation’s largest public school system would close on Monday, March 16, until at least April 20, if not much longer.
“This is a decision I have taken with no joy and a lot of pain,” de Blasio said on Sunday.
City officials had resisted closing the schools in part because so many students, including 114,000 who are homeless, rely on them for food and other basic necessities like laundry. De Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were also concerned that if schools were shut down, health care workers would have to stay home to care for their children, hampering the city’s ability to treat the sick. And as recently as Sunday morning, the mayor had expressed the fear that if schools shut down, “they will be done for the year, done for the school year, maybe even for the calendar year.”
The difficulty of de Blasio’s decision underscores a bigger problem facing school systems around the country: Many health experts say the move is necessary to help slow the spread of the virus, but it will also create a child care crisis that the United States, with its weak child care system and lack of widespread paid leave, is incredibly poorly equipped to handle. Meanwhile, teachers in New York have reported that the district’s coronavirus response has been bungled and could have put students and educators at risk — some, for example, said their schools weren’t even stocked with soap last week. Overall, the question of school closures, like so much about the coronavirus pandemic, exposes not just the severity of the current situation but the fault lines that existed in American society before the crisis hit, just waiting to be tested.
As other school districts closed, New York was criticized for its slow response
In recent days, school districts across the country have closed in an effort to slow the spread of the virus and keep students, teachers, staff, and families safe. The rate of closures dramatically ramped up in the last week — while around 600 schools had closed as of Tuesday, at least 56,000 had announced closures by Sunday, according to Education Week.
That includes most of the largest school systems in the country, including those in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami. But as of Sunday morning, New York City schools were still scheduled to open, even though the city has been hit hard by the virus, with the number of cases expected to reach 1,000 this week.
The delay was a reminder that, across the country and the world, closing schools is far from easy.
“The decision to close our schools is not one that we take lightly; as we know when kids are not in school, our community is directly impacted,” Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said in a statement Friday announcing the school system’s closure.
In deciding to close the schools, Miami-Dade, like New York, had to think about food-insecure students — the city will begin food distribution on Monday for any students who rely on schools for meals. The city also distributed mobile devices to students who didn’t have them at home so they can continue some learning remotely while schools are closed.
Meanwhile, in New York, teachers, unions, and parents have been calling on the mayor for the past week to close the schools. But de Blasio was resistant, saying as recently as Sunday morning that the schools might need to remain open because health care workers needed child care while fighting the pandemic. Meanwhile, private schools in the city shut down, as did districts elsewhere in New York and around the country.
As the week wore on, teachers and others reported that New York City was mishandling its response to the coronavirus crisis. On Tuesday, teachers told Gothamist/WNYC they’d gotten no instruction on what to do if they or their students were symptomatic. Some said soap dispensers in their schools were empty, even though public health officials say hand-washing is a key way to slow the spread of the virus.
In recent days, city officials had promised that schools would institute enhanced cleaning protocols, according to Chalkbeat — but in at least one school, the extra cleaning hadn’t materialized by late last week.
Meanwhile, teachers were crying during class breaks and getting into shouting matches with school leaders last week over the risk of the virus, according to Gothamist.
The city’s Department of Education, for its part, says it did make efforts to supply schools with adequate cleaning products: “While buildings were opened, we surveyed both public and non-public schools buildings to ensure they had a sufficient supply of hand soap, paper towels, and anti-viral disinfectant inventory,” a department spokesperson told Vox in an email. “Cleaning supplies including soap, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, and face masks were made available to both public and non-public schools at six sites across the City, and we purchase hand sanitizer for distribution as well. We conducted spot checks to ensure schools were appropriately stocked.”
Still, furious with the situation at schools, teachers had planned a “sickout” for Monday, with 400 teachers on an organizing call Saturday, Gothamist reported.
Finally, on Sunday evening, de Blasio announced that the schools would be closed Monday for students and staff, but that teachers would be asked to come back later in the week for training on remote learning, according to the New York Times. The United Federation of Teachers, which represents public school educators in New York, praised the move, saying in a press release that “Mayor Bill de Blasio has done the right thing to protect the health and safety of our students and school communities.” But everyone agrees it will come with more challenges in the weeks and months ahead.
Closing schools can be necessary, but it comes with big trade-offs
In part, the delay in New York City reflects the fact that school closures come with major trade-offs. City officials had described closing the schools as a “last resort” because so many students in poverty rely on them, including about 70 percent who rely on free lunch (the schools began providing free lunch to all students, regardless of income, in 2017).
They were also concerned, as de Blasio mentioned on Sunday, about the impact on health care workers and others who provide essential services in the city; a recent study estimated that 15 percent of health care workers around the country do not have another source of child care if schools are closed. The results of the study “suggest that it is unclear if the potential contagion prevention from school closures justifies the potential loss of health care workers,” researchers Jude Bayham and Eli Fenichel wrote, according to Chalkbeat.
To try to mitigate these effects, New York City will turn some of its schools into emergency child care centers for students whose parents are in essential jobs, according to the Times.
But beyond just those workers, the move will put many of the more than 1 million parents in the New York City school system in a difficult position: expected to continue doing their jobs with no one to care for their kids. Unlike many states in the country, New York mandates paid leave to care for a sick family member, but it doesn’t apply to all employees, nor is it designed for a situation like this, where many children are not sick but will need care for weeks or months.
Districts around the country have had to balance these problems with the need to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In Los Angeles, for example, the teachers union called for school closures on Thursday as a proactive step, though no students had yet tested positive for the virus. The district announced on Friday that it would close for at least two weeks. Resource centers where students can get meals, however, will remain open.
Meanwhile, rural districts have to think about the challenges of serving students who may be geographically isolated. In Wyoming, for example, the governor has recommended all schools be closed through the first week in April, and many districts have followed that advice. But the state’s superintendent of public instruction told NPR that the district is thinking about ways that bags of food could be transported to low-income students in rural areas while schools are closed.
The potential duration of school closures is another major issue. The CDC has said that school closures of under four weeks likely will not have a meaningful effect on the spread of the virus. In fact, the CDC is somewhat equivocal on whether school closures are effective at all, stating that closures of 8 to 20 weeks may have some effect, but that other interventions like hand-washing and isolation are more effective, according to the Washington Post.
However, the slow speed of testing in New York and around the country has hampered efforts to isolate the sick. At schools, that means it’s unclear who is sick at any given time, and whether teachers and students are ever safe.
Overall, experts, teachers, and parents alike recognize that school closures, both in New York and elsewhere, are an incomplete and uncertain way to fight coronavirus spread. And yet, at this point in the pandemic, without widespread and adequate testing, many say they are necessary. They have also exposed their own set of problems, from food insecurity to a lack of paid leave for parents, that will take more than an order by a mayor to solve.