vox--2020-09-11--How the coronavirus outbreak is roiling the film and entertainment industries

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic , which was first identified in China in December , has had sweeping effects in the public health , business , and travel sectors , among others .
And while the repercussions for the entertainment industry may seem to pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life , the ripple effects do have implications for the people around the world who make a living producing and distributing movies , music , and more .
The immense and lucrative Chinese film industry was hit almost immediately as movie theaters across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hollywood soon began to feel the effects , too , and as time passes , the impacts of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries continue to be vast .
Consequences of the pandemic on these industries could range from lowered attendance at film festivals and disruptions in film distribution to delayed or canceled movie releases and concert dates to curtailed on-location film shoots .
Financial ramifications will likely be felt by studios , filmmakers , theater owners , and more for months or even years .
Here are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment industry in response to the pandemic .
Most recently , Wonder Woman 1984 , set to release on October 2 , was rescheduled for the fifth time .
K-pop concerts canceled , including BTS shows : On February 28 , the hugely popular K-pop group BTS canceled a series of concerts in Seoul .
The shows were scheduled for April 11 and 12 and April 18 and 19 at Seoul ’ s Olympic Stadium .
The group ’ s management agency said the decision was made due to the impossibility of predicting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea come April and cited the health and safety of the musicians themselves , workers , and concertgoers .
Two hundred thousand fans were expected to attend .
Days earlier , BTS had asked fans to avoid a series of TV appearances scheduled to promote their newest album , Map of the Soul : 7 , which had originally been planned to include studio audiences .
The group also appealed to fans via a streamed press conference .
“ Health is always on our minds these days , and our messages of facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately only possible when you ’ re healthy , especially since it is very risky outside these days , ” one of the singers , Jimin , said .
” I hope you take care of yourself.
” The entire Korean entertainment sector has been affected by the outbreak , and K-pop has been hit particularly hard , with groups including GOT7 , Winner , Sechs Kies , ( G ) I-DLE , and others canceling scheduled tour dates .
Variety reported that box office revenue in South Korea was down 30 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous years .
SXSW canceled : On March 6 , the city of Austin , Texas , declared a state of disaster , requiring the cancellation of public gatherings and events for the near future .
The most notable of those is the cancellation of South by Southwest , the annual music , film , TV , and technology festival that serves as a significant financial powerhouse for the city .
The announcement came after a week full of major companies — including Netflix , Apple , Amazon , WarnerMedia , Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more — dropping out of the well-attended event , canceling panels , premieres , and other appearances .
Days later , SXSW organizers announced that they had laid off one-third of the festival ’ s employees in what they called “ a necessary , but heartbreaking , step.
” Emerald City Comic Con delayed : The organizing body behind Emerald City Comic Con , the largest convention of its kind in Seattle , Washington , announced on March 6 that it will postpone the event until sometime this summer .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 to 16 .
“ We did everything that we could to run the event as planned , but ultimately , we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed , ” convention organizers Reedpop said in a statement published on the Emerald City Comic Con website .
Cannes Film Festival delayed : Initially , the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival , arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world , was left in limbo following an announcement from the festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gathering could be delayed until “ late June or early July , ” or another time .
( The festival had been slated to take place May 12 to 23 and draws thousands of industries and press from around the globe each year . )
The festival first issued a statement on February 28 after the first case of coronavirus in nearby Nice , France , was confirmed by the city ’ s mayor , saying that organizers were monitoring the situation but planned for the festival to go forward .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the French Riviera , about 30 km from Nice . )
By late spring , the organizers announced that the 2020 edition would be canceled .
All films that would have played in the official and sidebar programs at the festival will bear the official Cannes seal when released in theaters or potentially at partner festivals in the fall , such as those that take place in Venice and Toronto .
They announced these selections on June 3 .
Coachella delayed , then canceled : Goldenvoice , the organizers of Coachella — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US — announced on March 10 that the festival would be postponed due to concerns about Covid-19 .
Another Goldenvoice festival , the country-music-oriented Stagecoach , was also delayed .
The Indio , California-based event was originally set to run for two weekends ( April 10-12 and April 17-19 ) , with the same talent lineup performing both weekends .
The postponement moved Coachella to October 9-11 and October 16-18 ; Stagecoach 2020 was pushed back from April to October 23-25 .
But on June 10 , both events were canceled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer of Riverside County , California .
Electronics Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) canceled : The 2020 Electronic Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) — the single biggest trade show in the video game industry — has been canceled .
The Entertainment Software Association , which organizes the event , announced that it would not go forward with the annual event due to coronavirus fears in California , where E3 takes place .
The event was scheduled for June 9 to 11 .
The organization said it will contact exhibitors and attendees about receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is considering ways to “ coordinate an online experience ” in lieu of the in-person event .
It also maintains that E3 will return next year as planned .
The NBA suspended basketball games : A player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus on March 11 , leading NBA officials to call off that night ’ s Jazz game just before tip-off .
As a further precautionary measure , the league issued a statement that it would suspend the basketball season “ until further notice.
” Prior to putting an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season , the NBA made other efforts to protect players and fans .
The league barred media from locker rooms and publicly considered having teams play to empty arenas before ultimately stopping play altogether .
2020 Tokyo Olympics delayed : On March 24 , following pressure from athletes and multiple nations ’ Olympic committees , the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe announced that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed , possibly until 2021 ; on March 30 , the dates were set for July 23-August 8 , 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On April 17 , the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con announced that the yearly fan convention will not go on as planned in 2020 .
The event will resume once again in July 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center .
The cancellation marks the first time in Comic-Con ’ s 50-year history that the event , the largest convention of its kind in the US , will not take place .
Warner Bros. changes release plans : On April 20 , Warner Bros. announced changes to its slate .
The Batman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release date of June 25 , 2021 , to October 1 , 2021 .
The Many Saints of Newark , a prequel to The Sopranos , was delayed from September 25 , 2020 , to March 12 , 2021 .
King Richard , a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams ’ father starring Will Smith , shifted from November 25 , 2020 , to November 19 , 2021 .
An untitled Elvis movie moved from October 1 , 2021 to November 5 , 2021 .
Two DC titles also shifted dates : Shazam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2022 to November 4 , 2022 , and The Flash moved from July 1 , 2022 , to June 3 , 2022 .
On April 21 , the studio announced that the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda ’ s In the Heights , originally set for June 26 , 2020 , would move to June 18 , 2021 , because of pandemic-related post-production delays .
Malignant , a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 was pulled from the release schedule .
On June 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Tenet , previously slated for release on July 17 , would move to July 31 .
Wonder Woman 1984 , which was set for August 14 , moved to October 2 .
( Wonder Woman 1984 previously shifted from June to August . )
On July 20 , with case numbers rising around the US and most theaters remaining closed , Warner Bros. announced that Tenet ’ s release would be delayed indefinitely .
A week later , the studio announced that the film would be released on a staggered schedule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territories and then in select US theaters beginning September 3 .
On September 11 , the studio announced that it had delayed Wonder Woman 1984 again , reportedly until Christmas .
Newest Pixar film delayed : On April 13 , Disney announced that Pixar ’ s latest release , Soul , would open on November 20 , 2020 .
The film was previously set to open on June 19 .
Disney makes sweeping changes to release calendar : On April 3 , Disney made huge changes to its release calendar , setting dates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a date and moving others .
Mulan was set to open on July 24 , 2020 , while Jungle Cruise , which had been set to release that day , moved to July 30 , 2021 .
An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9 , 2021 , to July 29 , 2022 .
Changes in the MCU calendar also set off a domino effect .
Black Widow was newly set for November 6 , 2020 , while the previous release on that date , Shang-Chi , shifted to May 7 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was set to release on that date ; it ’ s now set to open November 5 , 2021 , displacing Thor : Love and Thunder until February 28 , 2022 .
Black Panther 2 is still currently set for May 6 , 2022 , and Captain Marvel 2 moved from July 22 to July 8 , 2022 .
Disney also owns 20th Century Films and Searchlight Films , which had a number of changes .
The Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy moved from July 3 to December 11 , 2020 .
West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 and Ridley Scott ’ s The Last Duel for Christmas Day .
On July 23 , however , Disney announced a series of sweeping scheduling changes once again .
Mulan was pulled off the release calendar , indefinitely delaying its debut .
Disney also took Wes Anderson ’ s newest film , The French Dispatch , off the calendar indefinitely , after it had initially moved from July 24 to October 16 , 2020 .
Disney moved its upcoming trio of Star Wars movies forward by one year ; they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2025 , and 2027 .
And James Cameron ’ s Avatar sequels were moved back by a year as well , with the first set to premiere in December 2022 .
The August 28 date for Disney ’ s The New Mutants remains August 28 , for now ; it was originally slated for April 3 .
And a release date for The Woman in the Window ( originally slated for May 15 ) has not been set yet .
On August 4 , Disney announced that Mulan would be released on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an additional $ 29.99 to rent the movie , available September 4 .
In territories where Disney+ is not available , Mulan will open in theaters that same day .
( Notably , Disney+ is not available in China . )
Sony delays nearly all its movies until 2021 : On March 30 , Sony announced that nearly all of its summer tentpole films would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021 .
Delayed movies include Kevin Hart ’ s Fatherhood , Jared Leto ’ s Morbius , Ghostbusters : Afterlife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rabbit 2 : The Runaway .
The only film that appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man : Far From Home sequel , which is still set for theatrical release on July 16 , 2020 .
NBCUniversal to release major films digitally : In an unprecedented move , NBCUniversal announced on March 16 that it would make some movies available digitally the same day they are released in movie theaters that remain open , including Trolls World Tour , which is set to hit theaters on April 10 .
Movies currently in theatrical release will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunt , The Invisible Man , and Emma .
Movies are available for a 48-hour rental period for $ 19.99 in the US and an equivalent price abroad .
No Time to Die : On February 16 , MGM announced that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity tour planned for the new James Bond movie , No Time To Die , which was scheduled for April .
On March 4 , the studio announced that it had delayed the film ’ s release until November 25 , making the film the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide .
The film ’ s release date moved again on June 12 , from November 25 to November 20 .
Paramount changes release dates : On March 12 , John Krasinski , director of Paramount ’ s A Quiet Place Part II , announced via Twitter that the movie ’ s March 19 release date would be delayed .
“ One of the things I ’ m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together .
Well due to the ever-changing circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world around us , now is clearly not the right time to do that , ” he wrote .
“ As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ...
I ’ m gon na wait to release the film till we CAN see it all together !
So here ’ s to our group movie date !
See you soon !
” On July 23 , Paramount announced that the Quiet Place sequel would be pushed to April 23 , 2021 .
Top Gun Maverick was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to July 2 , 2021 .
And that bumped Jackass , previously scheduled for July 2 , 2021 , to September 3 , 2021 .
Fast and Furious 9 : On March 12 , Universal Pictures announced that it would delay the release date of the ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise by 11 months , from May 22 to April 2 , 2021 .
Chinese movies scrapped theatrical release and premiere online : The biggest films of China ’ s year are usually scheduled to release during the Lunar New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January , but mounting fears of the coronavirus and public reticence to be in crowded spaces caused distributors to voluntarily cancel or postpone several film releases .
Huanxi , distributor of the Chinese blockbuster Lost in Russia , announced on January 22 that the film would premiere online for free .
Promotional materials encouraged audiences to “ stay safely at home and watch Lost in Russia with your mom.
” On January 31 , Enter the Fat Dragon became the second major Chinese film to premiere online , as theaters are closed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV productions halted , altered , or shut down Saturday Night Live aired remotely produced content : On April 9 , the producers of Saturday Night Live , which had been on hiatus since mid-March , announced that new , remotely produced material would air on NBC in the show ’ s usual Saturday night slot , 11:30 pm on April 11 , including a “ Weekend Update ” segment .
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at least two ways .
The show ’ s long-time music supervisor , Hal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the age of 64 ; he was not formally diagnosed with the virus but had consistent symptoms .
And Michael Che , one of the show ’ s co-head writers and co-anchor with Colin Jost of “ Weekend Update , ” announced via social media on April 6 that his grandmother had passed away from coronavirus complications .
The show joined other late-night comedy shows , such as NBC ’ s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers , CBS ’ s The Late Show with Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Live !
, Comedy Central ’ s The Daily Show , in creating comedy content remotely .
Eurovision canceled : On March 18 , the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced via Twitter that the 2020 edition of the event was canceled .
The event had been planned for May .
TV shows suspend production : Hundreds of shows have delayed or suspended production , including Apple ’ s The Morning Show and Little America ; Netflix shows including Russian Doll ; the CW ’ s Riverdale ; NBC shows including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; CBS shows including the NCIS dramas , The Amazing Race , and Survivor ; and many more .
Late-night shows suspend production or tape without a studio audience : Originally , on March 11 , producers of shows including NBC ’ s The Tonight Show ( hosted by Jimmy Fallon ) and Late Night With Seth Meyers , CBS ’ s Late Show With Stephen Colbert , TBS ’ s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee , and Comedy Central ’ s Daily Show ( hosted by Trevor Noah ) all announced they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience on March 16 .
A day later , NBC announced that The Tonight Show and Late Night would suspend production beginning the week of March 16 ; Stephen Colbert also announced that the Late Show would suspend production .
All three shows were already scheduled to go into hiatus on March 23 .
On March 13 , Jimmy Kimmel Live also suspended production .
Most shows eventually began producing remotely , often with hosts and guests working from home studios .
Disney suspends live-action production : On March 13 , Disney announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspend production .
Affected films include The Little Mermaid , a Home Alone reboot , and Peter Pan .
Earlier in the day , production on Marvel ’ s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings had been suspended due to director Destin Daniel Cretton ’ s decision to self-isolate upon advice of a doctor .
( Marvel is owned by Disney . )
Jia Zhangke project delayed : At the Berlin Film Festival in February , famed Chinese director Jia Zhangke ( Ash Is Purest White , A Touch of Sin ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film , which was slated to begin in April , was delayed indefinitely .
Jia spoke with Indiewire at the Berlin Film Festival , where his documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue premiered .
But he said that before he left , he ’ d feared his flight to Berlin would be canceled , and that some of his collaborators chose not to make the trip .
Regarding his next film , he said : Mission : Impossible production paused : On February 26 , Paramount Pictures announced that it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the seventh installment in the Mission : Impossible franchise .
“ Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew , and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus , we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice , the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission : Impossible 7 , ” a Paramount spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter .
“ During this hiatus we want to be mindful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowing them to return home until production starts .
We will continue to monitor this situation , and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.
” Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune tape without a studio audience : Though Sony declined to comment , sources told the Hollywood Reporter on March 9 that scheduled tapings of the shows would go forward without a live studio audience .
The measure was taken partly as a precaution for the health of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek , who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve contracted the virus : One of Hollywood ’ s biggest stars , Tom Hanks , announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted the coronavirus while shooting Baz Luhrmann ’ s untitled Elvis Presley film in Australia : In a message posted publicly on March 11 , Hanks was his typical upbeat self : All Disney parks shut down : On January 25 , Disney shut down its Shanghai Disneyland park over fears of the coronavirus .
The park is a major revenue generator , with 11.8 million guests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Shanghai region , and an estimated $ 1 billion in annual revenue and $ 50 million in operating profit .
A day after Shanghai Disneyland ’ s closure , Hong Kong Disneyland shut down .
Both Disney parks in Japan closed on February 29 and Disney announced on March 11 that they will remain closed through at least the end of April .
Late in the day on March 12 , Disneyland in California announced it would close the following day ; by that evening , the company announced that all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Florida and Disneyland Paris ( where three staff had previously tested positive for coronavirus ) .
North American movie theaters shut down : On March 13 , a number of theaters and theater chains , including AMC Theatres , and the Canadian chain Cineplex , announced that they would be reducing the number of tickets sold to screenings by as much as 50 percent in order to enable patrons to sit further apart as part of “ social distancing ” measures .
On March 15 , theaters in New York and Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their respective mayors .
On March 16 , Regal announced it would shut down all of its 543 US theaters indefinitely ; later in the day , AMC followed suit .
New York City cultural sites closed : On March 12 , major cultural sites in New York City began to close , including the Metropolitan Museum of Art .
Other institutions canceled programming for the month of March , such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall .
Within days , the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of its staff .
On March 19 , the Metropolitan Opera laid off all of its union employees , including musicians and chorus .
Broadway shows closed : On March 12 , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 5:00 pm , Broadway would be closed , part of a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people .
On April 8 , the Broadway League announced that theaters would remain closed through June , and probably longer .
On June 29 , the League extended the shutdown through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closes : On March 16 , London ’ s West End shut down , following Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s speech urging Britons to avoid public spaces .
The theaters , including the Royal Opera House , will stay closed indefinitely .
As of June , the West End closures remained in effect through at least August 2 .
Italian cultural sites closed : In February , a number of major museums in Venice , Milan , Turin , and other northern Italian cities were closed as part of the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and annual Carnivale celebrations stopped early .
By early March , with the country under complete lockdown , cultural sites across Italy were closed , including the Colosseum and Pompeii .
Chinese movie theaters shut down for months , tentatively begin to reopen , then re-close : Hoping to contain the coronavirus outbreak , on January 23 the Chinese government temporarily shut down movie theaters throughout the country until further notice .
A total film production shutdown soon followed .
Loss of revenue over the Lunar New Year holiday in late January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an uptick in ticket sales , amounted to a staggering $ 1 billion , according to analysts .
By March 23 , about 500 cinemas had reopened in China , roughly 5 percent of the cinemas in the country that were open before the outbreak .
Variety reported that box office earnings remained minimal .
But by March 27 , they were closed again .
Some Chinese movie theaters began to open in late July .
We will continue to update this article as the story develops .
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The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was first identified in China in December, has had sweeping effects in the public health, business, and travel sectors, among others. And while the repercussions for the entertainment industry may seem to pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life, the ripple effects do have implications for the people around the world who make a living producing and distributing movies, music, and more.
The immense and lucrative Chinese film industry was hit almost immediately as movie theaters across the country were closed and major releases were delayed. Hollywood soon began to feel the effects, too, and as time passes, the impacts of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries continue to be vast.
Consequences of the pandemic on these industries could range from lowered attendance at film festivals and disruptions in film distribution to delayed or canceled movie releases and concert dates to curtailed on-location film shoots. Financial ramifications will likely be felt by studios, filmmakers, theater owners, and more for months or even years.
Here are the biggest and most significant developments in the entertainment industry in response to the pandemic. Most recently, Disney announced more delays to several of its biggest films slated for 2020, including West Side Story and Black Widow.
Major entertainment festival cancellations and postponements
K-pop concerts canceled, including BTS shows: On February 28, the hugely popular K-pop group BTS canceled a series of concerts in Seoul. The shows were scheduled for April 11 and 12 and April 18 and 19 at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. The group’s management agency said the decision was made due to the impossibility of predicting the scale of the outbreak in South Korea come April and cited the health and safety of the musicians themselves, workers, and concertgoers. Two hundred thousand fans were expected to attend.
Days earlier, BTS had asked fans to avoid a series of TV appearances scheduled to promote their newest album, Map of the Soul: 7, which had originally been planned to include studio audiences. The group also appealed to fans via a streamed press conference. “Health is always on our minds these days, and our messages of facing your inner self and loving yourself are ultimately only possible when you’re healthy, especially since it is very risky outside these days,” one of the singers, Jimin, said. ”I hope you take care of yourself.”
The entire Korean entertainment sector has been affected by the outbreak, and K-pop has been hit particularly hard, with groups including GOT7, Winner, Sechs Kies, (G) I-DLE, and others canceling scheduled tour dates. Variety reported that box office revenue in South Korea was down 30 to 40 percent in January 2020 compared to previous years.
SXSW canceled: On March 6, the city of Austin, Texas, declared a state of disaster, requiring the cancellation of public gatherings and events for the near future. The most notable of those is the cancellation of South by Southwest, the annual music, film, TV, and technology festival that serves as a significant financial powerhouse for the city.
The announcement came after a week full of major companies — including Netflix, Apple, Amazon, WarnerMedia, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Mashable, Intel, and more — dropping out of the well-attended event, canceling panels, premieres, and other appearances. Days later, SXSW organizers announced that they had laid off one-third of the festival’s employees in what they called “a necessary, but heartbreaking, step.”
Emerald City Comic Con delayed: The organizing body behind Emerald City Comic Con, the largest convention of its kind in Seattle, Washington, announced on March 6 that it will postpone the event until sometime this summer. The event was scheduled to run from March 12 to 16.
“We did everything that we could to run the event as planned, but ultimately, we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed,” convention organizers Reedpop said in a statement published on the Emerald City Comic Con website.
Cannes Film Festival delayed: Initially, the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world, was left in limbo following an announcement from the festival’s organizers on March 19 that the gathering could be delayed until “late June or early July,” or another time. (The festival had been slated to take place May 12 to 23 and draws thousands of industries and press from around the globe each year.) The festival first issued a statement on February 28 after the first case of coronavirus in nearby Nice, France, was confirmed by the city’s mayor, saying that organizers were monitoring the situation but planned for the festival to go forward. (Cannes is a seaside resort town located on the French Riviera, about 30 km from Nice.)
By late spring, the organizers announced that the 2020 edition would be canceled. All films that would have played in the official and sidebar programs at the festival will bear the official Cannes seal when released in theaters or potentially at partner festivals in the fall, such as those that take place in Venice and Toronto. They announced these selections on June 3.
Coachella delayed, then canceled: Goldenvoice, the organizers of Coachella — one of the largest annual music festivals in the US — announced on March 10 that the festival would be postponed due to concerns about Covid-19. Another Goldenvoice festival, the country-music-oriented Stagecoach, was also delayed.
The Indio, California-based event was originally set to run for two weekends (April 10-12 and April 17-19), with the same talent lineup performing both weekends. The postponement moved Coachella to October 9-11 and October 16-18; Stagecoach 2020 was pushed back from April to October 23-25.
But on June 10, both events were canceled by an order from the public health officer of Riverside County, California.
Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) canceled: The 2020 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) — the single biggest trade show in the video game industry — has been canceled. The Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the event, announced that it would not go forward with the annual event due to coronavirus fears in California, where E3 takes place. The event was scheduled for June 9 to 11.
The organization said it will contact exhibitors and attendees about receiving full refunds for passes, and that it is considering ways to “coordinate an online experience” in lieu of the in-person event. It also maintains that E3 will return next year as planned.
The NBA suspended basketball games: A player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus on March 11, leading NBA officials to call off that night’s Jazz game just before tip-off. As a further precautionary measure, the league issued a statement that it would suspend the basketball season “until further notice.”
Prior to putting an early pause on the rest of the season, the NBA made other efforts to protect players and fans. The league barred media from locker rooms and publicly considered having teams play to empty arenas before ultimately stopping play altogether.
Games resumed on July 30.
2020 Tokyo Olympics delayed: On March 24, following pressure from athletes and multiple nations’ Olympic committees, the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe announced that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed, possibly until 2021; on March 30, the dates were set for July 23-August 8, 2021.
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled: On April 17, the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con announced that the yearly fan convention will not go on as planned in 2020. The event will resume once again in July 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center. The cancellation marks the first time in Comic-Con’s 50-year history that the event, the largest convention of its kind in the US, will not take place.
Major film release dates postponed or canceled
Warner Bros. changes release plans: On April 20, Warner Bros. announced changes to its slate. The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, shifted from a release date of June 25, 2021, to October 1, 2021. The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, was delayed from September 25, 2020, to March 12, 2021. King Richard, a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’ father starring Will Smith, shifted from November 25, 2020, to November 19, 2021. An untitled Elvis movie moved from October 1, 2021 to November 5, 2021.
Two DC titles also shifted dates: Shazam! 2 is delayed from April 1, 2022 to November 4, 2022, and The Flash moved from July 1, 2022, to June 3, 2022.
On April 21, the studio announced that the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, originally set for June 26, 2020, would move to June 18, 2021, because of pandemic-related post-production delays. Malignant, a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 was pulled from the release schedule.
On June 12, the studio announced that Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, previously slated for release on July 17, would move to July 31. Wonder Woman 1984, which was set for August 14, moved to October 2. (Wonder Woman 1984 previously shifted from June to August.)
On July 20, with case numbers rising around the US and most theaters remaining closed, Warner Bros. announced that Tenet’s release would be delayed indefinitely. A week later, the studio announced that the film would be released on a staggered schedule: on August 26 in 70 international territories and then in select US theaters beginning September 3.
On September 11, the studio announced that it had delayed Wonder Woman 1984 again, reportedly until Christmas.
Related Wonder Woman 1984 has been postponed until August 14
Newest Pixar film delayed: On April 13, Disney announced that Pixar’s latest release, Soul, would open on November 20, 2020. The film was previously set to open on June 19.
Disney makes sweeping changes to release calendar: On April 3, Disney made huge changes to its release calendar, setting dates for movies it had previously pulled without a date and moving others. Mulan was set to open on July 24, 2020, while Jungle Cruise, which had been set to release that day, moved to July 30, 2021. An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9, 2021, to July 29, 2022.
Changes in the MCU calendar also set off a domino effect. Black Widow was newly set for November 6, 2020, while the previous release on that date, Shang-Chi, shifted to May 7, 2021. Originally, Doctor Strange 2 was set to release on that date; it’s now set to open November 5, 2021, displacing Thor: Love and Thunder until February 28, 2022. Black Panther 2 is still currently set for May 6, 2022, and Captain Marvel 2 moved from July 22 to July 8, 2022.
Disney also owns 20th Century Films and Searchlight Films, which had a number of changes. The Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy moved from July 3 to December 11, 2020. West Side Story is still set for December 18 and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel for Christmas Day.
On July 23, however, Disney announced a series of sweeping scheduling changes once again. Mulan was pulled off the release calendar, indefinitely delaying its debut. Disney also took Wes Anderson’s newest film, The French Dispatch, off the calendar indefinitely, after it had initially moved from July 24 to October 16, 2020. Disney moved its upcoming trio of Star Wars movies forward by one year; they’re now slated to release in 2023, 2025, and 2027. And James Cameron’s Avatar sequels were moved back by a year as well, with the first set to premiere in December 2022.
The August 28 date for Disney’s The New Mutants remains August 28, for now; it was originally slated for April 3. And a release date for The Woman in the Window (originally slated for May 15) has not been set yet.
On August 4, Disney announced that Mulan would be released on its Disney+ streaming service. Subscribers will pay an additional $29.99 to rent the movie, available September 4. In territories where Disney+ is not available, Mulan will open in theaters that same day. (Notably, Disney+ is not available in China.)
On September 23, Disney announced more sweeping changes to its release schedule. Black Widow, originally set for November 6, is now slated to open on May 7, 2021. That delay shifted release dates for several other movies in the MCU, including Eternals (from February 12, 2021, to November 5, 2021) and Shang-Chi (from May 7, 2021, to July 9, 2021).
West Side Story, which had been set to release in the prime awards-season slot of December 18, 2020, will now open a full year later on December 10, 2021. The King’s Man — which had initially been set to open in September 2020, then delayed into 2021 — now has a release date of February 16, 2021. And Deep Water, starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, moved from November 13, 2020, to August 13, 2021.
A number of Disney’s films — among them Soul, the latest from Pixar — are still set for 2020 release. Soul has retained its November 20 date, at least for now. Death on the Nile shifted from October 23 to December 18. And the horror film The Empty Man is now set to open on October 23 rather than December 4.
Sony delays nearly all its movies until 2021: On March 30, Sony announced that nearly all of its summer tentpole films would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021. Delayed movies include Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, Jared Leto’s Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Uncharted, and the previously delayed Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. The only film that appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel, which is still set for theatrical release on July 16, 2020.
NBCUniversal to release major films digitally: In an unprecedented move, NBCUniversal announced on March 16 that it would make some movies available digitally the same day they are released in movie theaters that remain open, including Trolls World Tour, which is set to hit theaters on April 10. Movies currently in theatrical release will also be available on-demand, including The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma. Movies are available for a 48-hour rental period for $19.99 in the US and an equivalent price abroad.
No Time to Die: On February 16, MGM announced that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity tour planned for the new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, which was scheduled for April. On March 4, the studio announced that it had delayed the film’s release until November 25, making the film the first major tentpole release to be delayed worldwide. The film’s release date moved again on June 12, from November 25 to November 20.
Paramount changes release dates: On March 12, John Krasinski, director of Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II, announced via Twitter that the movie’s March 19 release date would be delayed. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together. Well due to the ever-changing circumstances of what’s going on in the world around us, now is clearly not the right time to do that,” he wrote. “As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ... I’m gonna wait to release the film till we CAN see it all together! So here’s to our group movie date! See you soon!”
On July 23, Paramount announced that the Quiet Place sequel would be pushed to April 23, 2021. Top Gun Maverick was also delayed from December 23, 2020 to July 2, 2021. And that bumped Jackass, previously scheduled for July 2, 2021, to September 3, 2021.
Fast and Furious 9: On March 12, Universal Pictures announced that it would delay the release date of the ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise by 11 months, from May 22 to April 2, 2021.
Chinese movies scrapped theatrical release and premiere online: The biggest films of China’s year are usually scheduled to release during the Lunar New Year holiday, near the end of January, but mounting fears of the coronavirus and public reticence to be in crowded spaces caused distributors to voluntarily cancel or postpone several film releases. Huanxi, distributor of the Chinese blockbuster Lost in Russia, announced on January 22 that the film would premiere online for free. Promotional materials encouraged audiences to “stay safely at home and watch Lost in Russia with your mom.” On January 31, Enter the Fat Dragon became the second major Chinese film to premiere online, as theaters are closed by order of the government.
Film and TV productions halted, altered, or shut down
Saturday Night Live aired remotely produced content: On April 9, the producers of Saturday Night Live, which had been on hiatus since mid-March, announced that new, remotely produced material would air on NBC in the show’s usual Saturday night slot, 11:30 pm on April 11, including a “Weekend Update” segment.
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at least two ways. The show’s long-time music supervisor, Hal Willner, passed away on April 7 at the age of 64; he was not formally diagnosed with the virus but had consistent symptoms. And Michael Che, one of the show’s co-head writers and co-anchor with Colin Jost of “Weekend Update,” announced via social media on April 6 that his grandmother had passed away from coronavirus complications.
The show joined other late-night comedy shows, such as NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, in creating comedy content remotely.
Eurovision canceled: On March 18, the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced via Twitter that the 2020 edition of the event was canceled. The event had been planned for May.
TV shows suspend production: Hundreds of shows have delayed or suspended production, including Apple’s The Morning Show and Little America; Netflix shows including Russian Doll; the CW’s Riverdale; NBC shows including the Chicago dramas and The Kelly Clarkson Show; CBS shows including the NCIS dramas, The Amazing Race, and Survivor; and many more.
Late-night shows suspend production or tape without a studio audience: Originally, on March 11, producers of shows including NBC’s The Tonight Show (hosted by Jimmy Fallon) and Late Night With Seth Meyers, CBS’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert, TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Comedy Central’s Daily Show (hosted by Trevor Noah) all announced they would begin taping without a live studio audience on March 16.
A day later, NBC announced that The Tonight Show and Late Night would suspend production beginning the week of March 16; Stephen Colbert also announced that the Late Show would suspend production. All three shows were already scheduled to go into hiatus on March 23. On March 13, Jimmy Kimmel Live also suspended production. Most shows eventually began producing remotely, often with hosts and guests working from home studios.
Disney suspends live-action production: On March 13, Disney announced that production on its live-action movies would suspend production. Affected films include The Little Mermaid, a Home Alone reboot, and Peter Pan. Earlier in the day, production on Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings had been suspended due to director Destin Daniel Cretton’s decision to self-isolate upon advice of a doctor. (Marvel is owned by Disney.)
Jia Zhangke project delayed: At the Berlin Film Festival in February, famed Chinese director Jia Zhangke (Ash Is Purest White, A Touch of Sin) told Indiewire that production on his new film, which was slated to begin in April, was delayed indefinitely. Jia spoke with Indiewire at the Berlin Film Festival, where his documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue premiered. But he said that before he left, he’d feared his flight to Berlin would be canceled, and that some of his collaborators chose not to make the trip. Regarding his next film, he said:
For some film companies and studios involved in pre-production, a lot of costs are going down the drain, and those that already started production have to be somehow cut short or suspended. Some of them are already in the process of distributing films and they’ve paid for a lot of promotion and PR costs. The economy is now taking a huge hit, and I think the investment side will be hugely impacted as well.
Mission: Impossible production paused: On February 26, Paramount Pictures announced that it had halted a planned three-week shoot in Venice for the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise. “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice, the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission: Impossible 7,” a Paramount spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter. “During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.”
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune tape without a studio audience: Though Sony declined to comment, sources told the Hollywood Reporter on March 9 that scheduled tapings of the shows would go forward without a live studio audience. The measure was taken partly as a precaution for the health of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they’ve contracted the virus: One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Tom Hanks, announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted the coronavirus while shooting Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film in Australia:
In a message posted publicly on March 11, Hanks was his typical upbeat self:
Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves!
Entertainment venues and attractions shut down
All Disney parks shut down: On January 25, Disney shut down its Shanghai Disneyland park over fears of the coronavirus. The park is a major revenue generator, with 11.8 million guests in 2018, 50 percent from outside the Shanghai region, and an estimated $1 billion in annual revenue and $50 million in operating profit. A day after Shanghai Disneyland’s closure, Hong Kong Disneyland shut down. Both Disney parks in Japan closed on February 29 and Disney announced on March 11 that they will remain closed through at least the end of April.
Late in the day on March 12, Disneyland in California announced it would close the following day; by that evening, the company announced that all of its parks would close, including those in Florida and Disneyland Paris (where three staff had previously tested positive for coronavirus).
In July, Disney World reopened amid a spike in Florida coronavirus cases.
North American movie theaters shut down: On March 13, a number of theaters and theater chains, including AMC Theatres, and the Canadian chain Cineplex, announced that they would be reducing the number of tickets sold to screenings by as much as 50 percent in order to enable patrons to sit further apart as part of “social distancing” measures.
On March 15, theaters in New York and Los Angeles were shut down by order of their respective mayors. On March 16, Regal announced it would shut down all of its 543 US theaters indefinitely; later in the day, AMC followed suit.
New York City cultural sites closed: On March 12, major cultural sites in New York City began to close, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other institutions canceled programming for the month of March, such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall.
Within days, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it anticipated staying closed through July and laying off much of its staff. On March 19, the Metropolitan Opera laid off all of its union employees, including musicians and chorus.
Broadway shows closed: On March 12, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 5:00 pm, Broadway would be closed, part of a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. On April 8, the Broadway League announced that theaters would remain closed through June, and probably longer. On June 29, the League extended the shutdown through January 3, 2021.
West End closes: On March 16, London’s West End shut down, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech urging Britons to avoid public spaces. The theaters, including the Royal Opera House, will stay closed indefinitely. As of June, the West End closures remained in effect through at least August 2.
Italian cultural sites closed: In February, a number of major museums in Venice, Milan, Turin, and other northern Italian cities were closed as part of the government’s aggressive attempt to contain the virus, and annual Carnivale celebrations stopped early. By early March, with the country under complete lockdown, cultural sites across Italy were closed, including the Colosseum and Pompeii.
Chinese movie theaters shut down for months, tentatively begin to reopen, then re-close: Hoping to contain the coronavirus outbreak, on January 23 the Chinese government temporarily shut down movie theaters throughout the country until further notice. A total film production shutdown soon followed. Loss of revenue over the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, during which movie theaters typically see an uptick in ticket sales, amounted to a staggering $1 billion, according to analysts.
By March 23, about 500 cinemas had reopened in China, roughly 5 percent of the cinemas in the country that were open before the outbreak. Variety reported that box office earnings remained minimal. But by March 27, they were closed again. Some Chinese movie theaters began to open in late July.
We will continue to update this article as the story develops.


vox--2020-09-12--“Unprecedented”: What’s behind the California, Oregon, and Washington wildfires

The one word experts keep using to describe the gargantuan ongoing wildfires in the western United States is “ unprecedented.
” California is experiencing some of the largest fires right now .
The 491,000-acre August Complex Fire is now the largest blaze in state history , and statewide , a total of more than 3 million acres have gone up in smoke , a record area for a single year .
Nearby coastal states like Oregon and Washington are also seeing record blazes , some of which are encroaching on major population centers .
In Oregon , more than 40,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state officials walked back an earlier estimate of 500,000 evacuees ) .
Across the West Coast , at least 18 people have been killed in the recent fires .
“ This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state ’ s history , ” said Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown in a press conference on September 9 .
Washington state has seen dozens of fires that have consumed more than half a million acres .
“ This is an extraordinary series of events we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jay Inslee in a September 9 press conference .
“ The grass is so dry , the temperatures are so hot , and the winds are so heavy ... and these conditions are exacerbated by the changing climate.
” The National Interagency Fire Center reports that across 12 states , 100 large wildfires have burned 4.5 million acres .
Some of the largest blazes burning in the West as of September 11 are in a map below , and the Los Angeles Times has a map of other significant fires .
Wildfires are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these western states , serving to rejuvenate forests and grasslands .
But the scale , intensity , speed , location , and timing of the recent infernos stand out .
They are a part of a pattern of growing fire risk , emerging from a confluence of factors exacerbated by humans , spanning from ignitions to urban planning to forest management to climate change .
What makes the 2020 wildfires in the West stand out among recent years with epic blazes With so many fires burning across a wide region , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of variability in the specific factors at play for a given fire , from the ignition source to what kind of landscape is burning to the local conditions spreading the flames .
However , there are some common factors that tie many of these blazes together and make them exceptional .
The weather and the warming climate : Record heat this summer baked much of the western United States , with states like California experiencing their hottest August on record .
Many cities and counties across the West experienced record or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September .
The summer was capped with a punishing heat wave that settled across the region in August and September and drove temperatures well into triple digits .
It has also been extremely dry in California , Oregon , and Washington this summer , with large sections of each state under “ severe drought ” conditions and some areas reaching “ extreme drought.
” That heat and dryness turned grasses , shrubs , and trees into easy tinder , ready to ignite at the slightest spark .
And in some cases , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority of wildfires in the United States are ignited by human sources — power lines , cigarette butts , machinery , or , in the case of one infamous recent fire , a gender reveal stunt .
But a strange dry lightning storm near the San Francisco Bay Area in August led to more than 11,000 lightning strikes and triggered more than 300 fires in its wake .
The causes of many of the other fires across the region are still being investigated .
The record-breaking weather comports with what scientists expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the burning areas , the climate has already shifted in ways to worsen fire risk .
“ What you can say is that our fire seasons here in California have on average expanded by 75 days , ” said Lynnette Round , a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
“ Our summers are longer which means that conditions are hotter , they ’ re drier , and that makes us more susceptible to wildfires.
” Forecasts across many parts of the West show that conditions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming weeks .
And as the fall approaches , seasonal winds are expected to pick up , increasing the odds of spreading fires .
The timing : Recent extreme weather is a major factor behind why so many fires are burning at the same time .
Different biomes — from coniferous forests to chaparral — are usually primed to burn at different times of the year .
So across the West , fires are typically staggered throughout the season , with the peak of wildfires starting in northern areas midsummer and moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fires are simultaneously burning across huge swaths of the West , a rare occurrence , even in fire-prone regions .
“ Having this many large fires break out simultaneously and , in many cases , move through populated areas so quickly all at once is unprecedented in Oregon , ” said Jason Cox , a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry , in an email .
In some jurisdictions , several nearby fires have been grouped into larger “ complexes ” to coordinate firefighting efforts .
The size and speed : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been how quickly they gained ground , spreading over hundreds of thousands of acres in just a few hours .
It ’ s a sign of just how much dry fuel was ready to burn .
“ It ’ s the rates of spread that are really impactful and impressive , and also I would say largely due to this trajectory of warming and drying that we ’ re on from climate change , ” said Matthew Hurteau , an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico who studies wildfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 72-hour period where 900,000 acres burned .
Cox explained that in the entire 20th century , Oregon saw just six megafires , defined as blazes spanning more than 100,000 acres .
In the first decades of the 21st century , Oregon has seen 11 , but never more than two megafires in a given year .
“ Now over just a couple days , there are five wildfires of this size burning , ” Cox said .
“ The largest wildfire of the 20th century in Oregon was the first Tillamook Burn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen more than twice that many acres burn over just a couple days.
” ( By comparison , the Tillamook Burn took more than 10 days . )
Another unusual aspect of the recent wildfires is how much they ’ ve kept their momentum , especially at night .
In California , the Bear Fire , part of the North Complex Fire , burned more than 100,000 acres in 24 hours after igniting .
A substantial amount of this happened through the night , when typically temperatures drop , relative humidity rises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This North Complex , which is currently burning , and we ’ re seeing this in Oregon and Washington too , these really extreme fire behaviors are occurring in the middle of the night , ” said Hurteau .
“ That kind of fire growth , especially at night , that ’ s a climate signal for sure.
” The health toll : At least 18 people have died in the recent wildfires , and the smoke is affecting the health of millions now subjected to some of the dirtiest air in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can have devastating consequences for respiratory and cardiovascular health , increasing the rates of heart attacks , asthma attacks , and strokes .
Around the world , pollution from tiny particles like those from wildfire smoke remains one of the largest health threats to humanity .
But it will take time to see those signals emerge from the current blazes .
The resources strained by the pandemic : These fires are also coming during the Covid-19 pandemic , which has made it harder to recruit fire crews and has forced responders to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
“ With the pandemic starting earlier in the year , we had time to develop some best practices , ” said Cox .
“ Specifically , we ’ ve limited access to fire camps , implemented firefighting modules where firefighters stay with a specific team , spread out fire crews and taken other physical distancing measures.
” However , with so many wildfires at the same time , there ’ s less personnel to go around .
“ This recent weather event caused wildfires to grow explosively in Oregon at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very thin across the entire western United States , with all three West Coast states fully engaged in fighting fires when these new fires broke out , ” said Cox .
Washington , Oregon , and California also rely on inmates to bolster their firefighting efforts .
But with severe Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons , some inmates were released to relieve overcrowding , while others were sidelined by infections or quarantines .
Some countries have been reluctant to send firefighting help to the US because of the country ’ s poor handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now obtained federal disaster declarations to get help from federal agencies to fight the wildfires .
The wildfire situation is still changing rapidly , but it ’ s clear that 2020 is going to be a year for the record books across much of the West .
And with the current trends in the climate and human activity worsening wildfire risks , it may not hold that record for long .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
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The one word experts keep using to describe the gargantuan ongoing wildfires in the western United States is “unprecedented.”
California is experiencing some of the largest fires right now. The 755,600-acre August Complex Fire is now the largest blaze in state history, and statewide, a total of more than 3.1 million acres have gone up in smoke, a record area for a single year.
Nearby coastal states like Oregon and Washington are also seeing record blazes, some of which are encroaching on major population centers. In Oregon, more than 40,000 people were forced to evacuate.
Up and down the West Coast, at least 35 people have been killed in the recent fires.
“This is truly the bellwether for climate change on the West Coast,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Face the Nation on Sunday. “And this is a wake-up call for all of us that we have got to do everything in our power to tackle climate change.”
Washington state has seen dozens of fires that have consumed more than half a million acres. “This is an extraordinary series of events we have suffered,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in a September 9 press conference. “The grass is so dry, the temperatures are so hot, and the winds are so heavy ... and these conditions are exacerbated by the changing climate.”
The National Interagency Fire Center reports that across 12 states, 100 large wildfires have burned 4.6 million acres. Some of the largest blazes burning on the coast as of September 15 are in a map below, and the Los Angeles Times has a map of other significant fires in the West.
Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems in these western states, serving to rejuvenate forests and grasslands. But the scale, intensity, speed, location, and timing of the recent infernos stand out. They are a part of a pattern of growing fire risk, emerging from a confluence of factors exacerbated by humans, spanning from ignitions to urban planning to forest management to climate change.
What makes the 2020 wildfires in the West stand out among recent years with epic blazes
With so many fires burning across a wide region, it’s important to remember that there is a lot of variability in the specific factors at play for a given fire, from the ignition source to what kind of landscape is burning to the local conditions spreading the flames. However, there are some common factors that tie many of these blazes together and make them exceptional.
The weather and the warming climate: Record heat this summer baked much of the western United States, with states like California experiencing their hottest August on record. Many cities and counties across the West experienced record or near-record heat throughout the summer and into September. The summer was capped with a punishing heat wave that settled across the region in August and September and drove temperatures well into triple digits.
It has also been extremely dry in California, Oregon, and Washington this summer, with large sections of each state under “severe drought” conditions and some areas reaching “extreme drought.”
That heat and dryness turned grasses, shrubs, and trees into easy tinder, ready to ignite at the slightest spark.
And in some cases, the weather has provided that spark. The vast majority of wildfires in the United States are ignited by human sources — power lines, cigarette butts, machinery, or, in the case of one infamous recent fire, a gender reveal stunt. But a strange dry lightning storm near the San Francisco Bay Area in August led to more than 11,000 lightning strikes and triggered more than 300 fires in its wake. The causes of many other fires across the region are still being investigated.
The record-breaking weather comports with what scientists expect as the climate changes, and in many of the burning areas, the climate has already shifted in ways to worsen fire risk.
“What you can say is that our fire seasons here in California have on average expanded by 75 days,” said Lynnette Round, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Our summers are longer which means that conditions are hotter, they’re drier, and that makes us more susceptible to wildfires.”
Forecasts across many parts of the West show that conditions are expected to remain hot and dry for the coming weeks. And as the fall approaches, seasonal winds are expected to pick up, increasing the odds of spreading fires.
The timing: Recent extreme weather is a major factor behind why so many fires are burning at the same time. Different biomes — from coniferous forests to chaparral — are usually primed to burn at different times of the year. So across the West, fires are typically staggered throughout the season, with the peak of wildfires starting in northern areas midsummer and moving south into the autumn.
But dozens of fires are simultaneously burning across huge swaths of the West, a rare occurrence, even in fire-prone regions.
“Having this many large fires break out simultaneously and, in many cases, move through populated areas so quickly all at once is unprecedented in Oregon,” said Jason Cox, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry, in an email.
In some jurisdictions, several nearby fires have been grouped into larger “complexes” to coordinate firefighting efforts.
The size and speed: One hallmark of the recent blazes has been how quickly they gained ground, spreading over hundreds of thousands of acres in just a few hours. It’s a sign of just how much dry fuel was ready to burn.
“It’s the rates of spread that are really impactful and impressive, and also I would say largely due to this trajectory of warming and drying that we’re on from climate change,” said Matthew Hurteau, an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico who studies wildfires.
Oregon, for example, saw a 72-hour period where 900,000 acres burned. Cox explained that in the entire 20th century, Oregon saw just six megafires, defined as blazes spanning more than 100,000 acres. In the first decades of the 21st century, Oregon has seen 11, but never more than two megafires in a given year.
“Now over just a couple days, there are five wildfires of this size burning,” Cox said. “The largest wildfire of the 20th century in Oregon was the first Tillamook Burn in 1933 at 261,000 acres. We have seen more than twice that many acres burn over just a couple days.” (By comparison, the Tillamook Burn took more than 10 days.)
Another unusual aspect of the recent wildfires is how much they’ve kept their momentum, especially at night. In California, the Bear Fire, part of the North Complex Fire, burned more than 100,000 acres in 24 hours after igniting. A substantial amount of this happened through the night, when typically temperatures drop, relative humidity rises, and firefighters make progress.
“This North Complex, which is currently burning, and we’re seeing this in Oregon and Washington too, these really extreme fire behaviors are occurring in the middle of the night,” said Hurteau. “That kind of fire growth, especially at night, that’s a climate signal for sure.”
The health toll: At least 35 people have died in the recent wildfires, and the smoke is affecting the health of millions now subjected to some of the dirtiest air in the world.
Per this app, Portland has the worst air quality of any major city in the world right now, and it’s not even close.
In smaller towns across Oregon, the AQI is even worse. pic.twitter.com/lNDBC2bZYX — Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) September 11, 2020
Such reductions in air quality can have devastating consequences for respiratory and cardiovascular health, increasing the rates of heart attacks, asthma attacks, and strokes. Around the world, pollution from tiny particles like those from wildfire smoke remains one of the largest health threats to humanity. But it will take time to see those signals emerge from the current blazes.
The resources strained by the pandemic: These fires are also coming during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made it harder to recruit fire crews and has forced responders to take additional precautions to limit the spread of the virus.
“With the pandemic starting earlier in the year, we had time to develop some best practices,” said Cox. “Specifically, we’ve limited access to fire camps, implemented firefighting modules where firefighters stay with a specific team, spread out fire crews and taken other physical distancing measures.”
However, with so many wildfires at the same time, there’s less personnel to go around.
“This recent weather event caused wildfires to grow explosively in Oregon at a time when firefighting resources were stretched very thin across the entire western United States, with all three West Coast states fully engaged in fighting fires when these new fires broke out,” said Cox.
Washington, Oregon, and California also rely on inmates to bolster their firefighting efforts. But with severe Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons, some inmates were released to relieve overcrowding, while others were sidelined by infections or quarantines. Some countries have been reluctant to send firefighting help to the US because of the country’s poor handling of the pandemic. (California has passed a new law aimed at helping released inmates get firefighting jobs.)
California and Oregon have now obtained federal disaster declarations to get help from federal agencies to fight the wildfires.
The wildfire situation is still changing rapidly, but it’s clear that 2020 is going to be a year for the record books across much of the West. And with the current trends in the climate and human activity worsening wildfire risks, it may not hold that record for long.


vox--2020-09-12--Trump keeps telling people to vote twice, even though that’s a crime

President Donald Trump violated Twitter rules once again on Saturday , by encouraging North Carolina voters to commit a felony offense .
In a tweet , the president urged voters in the state , which is expected to feature a number of competitive races in November , to vote twice — once by mail and once in person .
Voting twice is illegal in the state of North Carolina , as it is in all states .
Twitter quickly hid the tweet for violating site rules about protecting “ civic and election integrity , ” though it has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be of public interest .
Not only is voting twice is a crime in North Carolina , even Trump ’ s tweet might be a violation of North Carolina election law , which specifies that “ to induce another to [ commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time ] , in the same primary or election ” is unlawful .
Saturday ’ s tweet is not the first time Trump has made the suggestion that it would be wise to vote twice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal .
He also urged voters to vote twice earlier this month at a campaign stop in Wilmington , North Carolina , and he has repeatedly railed against mail-in voting , though there is no evidence that the system is any more vulnerable to fraud than in-person voting ( all forms of voter fraud in the US are vanishingly unlikely ) .
In addition to being illegal , Trump ’ s advice is also wrong .
As North Carolina board of elections director Karen Brinson Bell explained the first time Trump suggested double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received on Election Day are not counted until after the election.
” In other words , if a North Carolina voter ’ s mail-in ballot hasn ’ t been counted by Election Day , that doesn ’ t mean anyone is trying to “ take your vote away ” — their ballot will still be counted as long as it ’ s postmarked by November 3 and received by November 6 .
Those who requested a mail-in ballot , but did not use it , are still allowed to vote in person , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great idea for voters who have already cast a ballot to be thronging to polling places on Election Day from a logistics perspective .
As Bell notes , “ it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading Covid-19.
” The president has made it clear that the real motivation for his attacks on mail-in voting is political .
In March this year , he told Fox & Friends that he was opposed to Democrats ’ efforts to make it easier to vote because “ if you ever agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican elected in this country again.
” In other words , his opposition to vote-by-mail — and his advocacy for double voting — are nakedly political gambits , ones made all the more transparent for the fact that he himself voted by mail in the Florida primary recently .
However , Trump could actually be undermining his own chances this November , particularly with respect to his attacks on mail-in voting .
According to Politico ’ s Anita Kumar , some Republican strategists are worried that the president ’ s fusillade of anti-mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost him the election .
Though an overwhelming majority of all registered voters , and a slimmer majority of Republicans , reported confidence in mail-in voting in a recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted by Ipsos , a far higher proportion of Republicans than Democrats and independents indicate that they are not confident in a mail-in ballot being accurately counted .
Twitter and Facebook are cracking down on election disinformation Trump ’ s vote-by-mail rhetoric is increasingly coming into conflict with social media companies ’ efforts to combat election misinformation .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Twitter and hide Trump ’ s message , Facebook did append a fact-check to Trump ’ s identical Saturday morning post noting that mail-in voting has “ a long history of trustworthiness in the US and the same is predicted this year.
” Both platforms have taken broader steps to combat election-related misinformation ahead of November .
This week , Twitter announced a new set of policies to prevent the dissemination of election dis- and misinformation .
Though the rules don ’ t go into effect until next week , previous Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new policies , as Recode ’ s Shirin Ghaffary has explained .
Facebook took similar steps last week , including an election-week moratorium on new political ads and a policy meant to guard against premature , false claims of victory on election night .
Trump appears set on tweeting through these rule changes , disinformation , illegal suggestions , and all .
If you ’ re planning to vote by mail this November , check out Vox ’ s state-by-state guide to all of the dates you need to know ; for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Jen Kirby has you covered .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

President Donald Trump violated Twitter rules once again on Saturday, by encouraging North Carolina voters to commit a felony offense.
In a tweet, the president urged voters in the state, which is expected to feature a number of competitive races in November, to vote twice — once by mail and once in person. Voting twice is illegal in the state of North Carolina, as it is in all states. Twitter quickly hid the tweet for violating site rules about protecting “civic and election integrity,” though it has not been taken down, having been deemed to be of public interest.
Not only is voting twice is a crime in North Carolina, even Trump’s tweet might be a violation of North Carolina election law, which specifies that “to induce another to [commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time], in the same primary or election” is unlawful.
NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign & send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2020
Saturday’s tweet is not the first time Trump has made the suggestion that it would be wise to vote twice, which, again, is very much illegal. He also urged voters to vote twice earlier this month at a campaign stop in Wilmington, North Carolina, and he has repeatedly railed against mail-in voting, though there is no evidence that the system is any more vulnerable to fraud than in-person voting (all forms of voter fraud in the US are vanishingly unlikely).
In addition to being illegal, Trump’s advice is also wrong. As North Carolina board of elections director Karen Brinson Bell explained the first time Trump suggested double voting, “absentee ballots that are received on Election Day are not counted until after the election.”
In other words, if a North Carolina voter’s mail-in ballot hasn’t been counted by Election Day, that doesn’t mean anyone is trying to “take your vote away” — their ballot will still be counted as long as it’s postmarked by November 3 and received by November 6. Those who requested a mail-in ballot, but did not use it, are still allowed to vote in person, however.
It’s also not a great idea for voters who have already cast a ballot to be thronging to polling places on Election Day from a logistics perspective. As Bell notes, “it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading Covid-19.”
The president has made it clear that the real motivation for his attacks on mail-in voting is political. In March this year, he told Fox & Friends that he was opposed to Democrats’ efforts to make it easier to vote because “if you ever agreed to it you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Trump openly admitting if we made voting easier in America, Republicans wouldn't win elections
Trump: "The things they had in there were crazy. They had levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it you'd never have a Republican elected in this country again." pic.twitter.com/x5HmX6uogo — Lis Power (@LisPower1) March 30, 2020
In other words, his opposition to vote-by-mail — and his advocacy for double voting — are nakedly political gambits, ones made all the more transparent for the fact that he himself voted by mail in the Florida primary recently.
However, Trump could actually be undermining his own chances this November, particularly with respect to his attacks on mail-in voting. According to Politico’s Anita Kumar, some Republican strategists are worried that the president’s fusillade of anti-mail-in voting rhetoric could drive down turnout and cost him the election.
Though an overwhelming majority of all registered voters, and a slimmer majority of Republicans, reported confidence in mail-in voting in a recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted by Ipsos, a far higher proportion of Republicans than Democrats and independents indicate that they are not confident in a mail-in ballot being accurately counted.
Twitter and Facebook are cracking down on election disinformation
Trump’s vote-by-mail rhetoric is increasingly coming into conflict with social media companies’ efforts to combat election misinformation. Though it didn’t go as far as Twitter and hide Trump’s message, Facebook did append a fact-check to Trump’s identical Saturday morning post noting that mail-in voting has “a long history of trustworthiness in the US and the same is predicted this year.”
NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign & send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to... Posted by Donald J. Trump on Saturday, September 12, 2020
Both platforms have taken broader steps to combat election-related misinformation ahead of November. This week, Twitter announced a new set of policies to prevent the dissemination of election dis- and misinformation. Though the rules don’t go into effect until next week, previous Trump tweets would have run afoul of the new policies, as Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary has explained.
Facebook took similar steps last week, including an election-week moratorium on new political ads and a policy meant to guard against premature, false claims of victory on election night.
Trump appears set on tweeting through these rule changes, disinformation, illegal suggestions, and all.
If you’re planning to vote by mail this November, check out Vox’s state-by-state guide to all of the dates you need to know; for all your other voting needs, Vox’s Jen Kirby has you covered.


vox--2020-09-12--Trump officials are reportedly manipulating the CDC’s Covid-19 reports

Political appointees have repeatedly pressured Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials to manipulate reports , in order to make them more closely align with President Donald Trump ’ s public statements about the pandemic , according to a new report from Politico ’ s Dan Diamond .
Diamond writes that “ CDC officials have fought back against the most sweeping changes , ” but the report finds that Trump appointees have nevertheless succeeded in politicizing public health and the response to the coronavirus pandemic , which has now killed more than 193,000 people in the US .
These officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ineffectiveness of hydroxychloroquine ( a drug Trump has routinely touted as being effective against Covid-19 ) , as well as to have the agency change published reports on the risks of the coronavirus and on who might be blamed for infections .
According to Diamond , these political appointees — who are part of former Trump campaign official , and current Department of Health and Human Services spokesman , Michael Caputo ’ s team — review the agency ’ s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports , and have also modified the reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the president .
Modifying what are meant to be scientific , nonpartisan reports to more closely align them to the president ’ s views is concerning in part because Trump has repeatedly downplayed the pandemic , engaged in magical thinking about how it might end , and has outright lied .
And , new revelations this week from journalist Bob Woodward show that the president has done all of this while deliberately misleading the country about the severity of the virus .
Neither HHS nor the CDC have responded to a Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was installed by the White House in April this year , has no health care background or expertise to speak of .
Some prominent members of his team do , however — a fact Caputo has used in his defense , citing the input of one of his advisers , Paul Alexander , on the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports ( MMWRs ) as evidence that his team ’ s interference with CDC work is not politically motivated .
“ He digs into these MMWRs and makes his position known , and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career scientists sometimes , ” Caputo told the New York Times Saturday .
“ Nobody has been ever ordered to do anything .
Some changes have been accepted , most have been rejected .
It ’ s my understanding that that ’ s how science is played.
” Alexander was formerly an assistant professor of health research at Canada ’ s McMaster University , and has been accused of using his position at HHS to promote findings that run counter to the CDC ’ s before .
For instance , Friday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , which chronicles efforts by Alexander to curtail public comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert and a frequent target of the Trump administration .
According to Politico ’ s Sarah Owermohle , Alexander also attempted to block Fauci from warning about the importance of mask-wearing for children and from explaining the value of Covid-19 testing for young children and college students .
In an email , Alexander reportedly argued , incorrectly , that “ There is no data , none , zero , across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially young children , spread this virus to other children , or to adults or to their teachers.
” More than half a million children in the United States have tested positive for Covid-19 , according to the American Academy of Pediatrics , and the number of child cases climbed sharply last month as children began to return to school in some parts of the country .
More than 100 children have died from the virus .
Even before this week , there was abundant evidence that the Trump administration has been working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonpartisan , internationally renowned public health infrastructure .
Just last month , the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) for convalescent plasma as a Covid-19 treatment ; the decision has been widely criticized , including by the National Institutes of Health , and FDA chief Stephen Hahn was ultimately forced to walk back incorrect comments about the treatment ’ s effectiveness shortly after the EUA was announced .
There was also the hydroxychloroquine debacle earlier this summer , where the FDA first granted and then rolled back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over concerns its use was causing dangerous side effects .
Trump has nevertheless repeatedly and baselessly boosted the drug as a silver bullet for Covid-19 , even claiming that he was taking it as a prophylactic .
An HHS decision this month to award a public relations contract worth more than $ 250 million to a small market research firm in Virginia has also raised worries about politics infringing on public health .
With fewer than 60 days until the general election , the contract tasks the firm with finding a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the coronavirus .
House Democrats this week launched an investigation into the contract , describing it as a taxpayer-funded “ political propaganda campaign ” in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar .
And Trump and his appointees haven ’ t just gone after the agencies designed to guide America ’ s public health response ; they have politicized even the most basic tenets of public health in a pandemic .
For instance , the president has long refused to wear a mask — even asking others to remove them in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unmasked and non-distanced political rallies , both at the White House and across the country .
That kind of politicization has consequences : As Vox ’ s Brian Resnick has documented , the president ’ s politicization of the federal government ’ s response — and his dedication to promoting ineffective treatments — has resulted in widespread vaccine skepticism .
The president has touted rapid progress in vaccine development , even promising one as soon as October .
But given vaccines normally take years to develop , many wonder whether a rushed Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would be safe .
That ’ s because the Trump administration ’ s efforts to manipulate public health for political purposes and gaslight the country into believing the US response to the virus has been anything but a colossal failure have chipped away at public confidence .
Trump ’ s opposition to basic safety measures has almost certainly already cost lives — former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain , for example , died of Covid-19 this summer after attending a Trump rally featuring little masking and social distancing — and widespread vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Friday revelation is just the latest manifestation of Trump ’ s deep politicization of public health — and as the US continues to report tens of thousands of new cases of Covid-19 per day for the sixth straight month , there ’ s little reason to believe that will change anytime soon .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If you haven ’ t , please consider helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world : Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

Political appointees have repeatedly pressured Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials to manipulate reports, in order to make them more closely align with President Donald Trump’s public statements about the pandemic, according to a new report from Politico’s Dan Diamond.
Diamond writes that “CDC officials have fought back against the most sweeping changes,” but the report finds that Trump appointees have nevertheless succeeded in politicizing public health and the response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed more than 193,000 people in the US. These officials have reportedly worked to suppress reports on the ineffectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (a drug Trump has routinely touted as being effective against Covid-19), as well as to have the agency change published reports on the risks of the coronavirus and on who might be blamed for infections.
According to Diamond, these political appointees — who are part of former Trump campaign official and current Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Michael Caputo’s team — review the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, and have also modified the reports’ language to make them more sympathetic toward the president.
Modifying what are meant to be scientific, nonpartisan reports to more closely align them to the president’s views is concerning in part because Trump has repeatedly downplayed the pandemic, engaged in magical thinking about how it might end, and has outright lied. New revelations this week from journalist Bob Woodward show that the president has done all of this while deliberately misleading the country about the severity of the virus.
Neither HHS nor the CDC have responded to a Vox request for comment.
Caputo, who was installed by the White House in April this year, has no health care background or expertise to speak of. Some prominent members of his team do, however — a fact Caputo has used in his defense, citing the input of one of his advisers, Paul Alexander, on the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs) as evidence that his team’s interference with CDC work is not politically motivated.
“He digs into these MMWRs and makes his position known, and his position isn’t popular with the career scientists sometimes,” Caputo told the New York Times Saturday. “Nobody has been ever ordered to do anything. Some changes have been accepted, most have been rejected. It’s my understanding that that’s how science is played.”
Alexander was formerly an assistant professor of health research at Canada’s McMaster University, and has been accused before of using his position at HHS to promote findings that run counter to the CDC’s. For instance, Friday’s report follows another Politico scoop earlier this week, which chronicles efforts by Alexander to curtail public comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and a frequent target of the Trump administration.
According to Politico’s Sarah Owermohle, Alexander also attempted to block Fauci from warning about the importance of mask-wearing for children and from explaining the value of Covid-19 testing for young children and college students. In an email, Alexander reportedly argued, incorrectly, that “There is no data, none, zero, across the entire world, that shows children especially young children, spread this virus to other children, or to adults or to their teachers.”
More than half a million children in the United States have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the number of child cases climbed sharply last month as children began to return to school in some parts of the country. More than 100 children have died from the virus.
A pattern of politicized public health guidance
Even before this week, there was abundant evidence that the Trump administration has been working to politicize the US’s previously nonpartisan, internationally renowned public health infrastructure. Just last month, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for convalescent plasma as a Covid-19 treatment; the decision has been widely criticized, including by the National Institutes of Health, and FDA chief Stephen Hahn was ultimately forced to walk back incorrect comments about the treatment’s effectiveness shortly after the EUA was announced.
There was also the hydroxychloroquine debacle earlier this summer, where the FDA first granted and then rolled back an EUA for the unproven antimalarial drug over concerns its use was causing dangerous side effects. Trump has nevertheless repeatedly and baselessly boosted the drug as a silver bullet for Covid-19, even claiming that he was taking it as a prophylactic.
An HHS decision this month to award a public relations contract worth more than $250 million to a small market research firm in Virginia has also raised worries about politics infringing on public health. With fewer than 60 days until the general election, the contract tasks the firm with finding a way to “defeat despair and inspire hope” about the coronavirus. House Democrats this week launched an investigation into the contract, describing it as a taxpayer-funded “political propaganda campaign” in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
And Trump and his appointees haven’t just gone after the agencies designed to guide America’s public health response; they have politicized even the most basic tenets of public health in a pandemic. For instance, the president has long refused to wear a mask — even asking others to remove them in his presence — and continues to hold largely unmasked and non-distanced political rallies, both at the White House and across the country.
That kind of politicization has consequences: As Vox’s Brian Resnick has documented, the president’s politicization of the federal government’s response — and his dedication to promoting ineffective treatments — has resulted in widespread vaccine skepticism. The president has touted rapid progress in vaccine development, even promising one as soon as October. But given vaccines normally take years to develop, many wonder whether a rushed Covid-19 vaccine, particularly one endorsed by Trump, would be safe.
That’s because the Trump administration’s efforts to manipulate public health for political purposes and gaslight the country into believing the US response to the virus has been anything but a colossal failure have chipped away at public confidence. Trump’s opposition to basic safety measures has almost certainly already cost lives — former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, for example, died of Covid-19 this summer after attending a Trump rally featuring little masking and social distancing — and widespread vaccine skepticism could cost many more.
Politico’s Friday revelation is just the latest manifestation of Trump’s deep politicization of public health — and as the US continues to report tens of thousands of new cases of Covid-19 per day for the sixth straight month, there’s little reason to believe that will change anytime soon.