vox--2020-07-20--Why America’s public health system can’t withstand Trump

Rather than engineer a robust federal response to the coronavirus , President Donald Trump has instead tried to exploit the decentralized nature of the US public health system to abdicate all responsibility for the virus ’ s toll on America ’ s health and economy .
The New York Times delved deep over the weekend on the decision by the Trump administration to delegate as much responsibility for the Covid-19 response ( and , by proxy , blame ) as possible from the federal government to the states : As a rule , state and local governments do occupy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health emergency .
They work with their hospital systems to create enough capacity , they employ the staff members who do the work of contact tracing , they set up mobile testing sites , etc .
and so forth .
“ Different infectious diseases will affect different communities in different ways , and ultimately you want to have responses that address the specific needs of affected communities , ” Angela Rasmussen , a virologist at Columbia University , told me .
“ But there ’ s delegation of local issues to local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then there is dereliction of duty to provide any leadership at all.
” The federal government must play a critical role in providing resources and coordinating amongst states during a public health crisis .
The CDC collects and publishes data on outbreaks , the FDA approves vaccines and treatments , the NIH directs and funds scientific research .
The feds can allocate supplies , issue guidance for states and cities to follow , and provide money for state and local health departments to perform their vital duties .
What we are seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in performing any of those roles .
As early as April , according to the Times report , the administration was trying to figure out how to shirk its responsibilities , on the false belief that they had already done enough and the pandemic was starting to subside .
Now cases , hospitalizations and deaths are rising again and the US has not built up the capacity to contain the virus — by testing and contact tracing — that other countries successfully have .
“ We are witnessing what happens in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts public health first , ” Rasmussen said .
“ The federal government has failed to provide leadership on virtually all of these points.
” That was the near-unanimous consensus of the public health experts I spoke with on Monday .
The coronavirus doesn ’ t respect state borders and therefore stopping it requires a national response .
But Trump has failed in delivering one .
Yes , America ’ s public health system is designed to place states and local governments in charge of the first level of defense against a deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still not fulfilled its own duties under such a system and , in fact , has hampered the US response because of its delinquency .
“ From Day One , the Trump White House has delegated coronavirus response largely to the state and local jurisdictions .
That ’ s an unprecedented decision in a national emergency of this kind , ” says David Harvey , executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors , whose members oversee contact tracing programs .
“ We need federal leadership , federal plans , a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen that from this administration.
” The sidelining of the CDC is an indisputable fact at this point ; the agency was barred for months from holding its own briefings and its guidelines have either been delayed or watered down over political concerns .
The FDA has a mixed record in approving tests and treatments : Some are approved too quickly , others too slowly , experts say .
And when the Trump administration is not outright blocking its government scientists from speaking to the press or issuing the guidance that state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials or the president himself have been blatantly undermining the public ’ s trust in their authority .
The Trump administration has not only neglected its responsibilities but broken from long-standing precedents in ways that have added to a confused national response .
Last week , for example , the Trump administration asked hospitals to stop reporting their data to the CDC , as they have always done , and start sending it to the Department of Health and Human Services instead .
Earlier in the crisis , the administration was reluctant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies like masks and ventilators .
White House adviser Jared Kushner even said the stockpile was not meant for states , as it historically has been understood to be .
Instead , the states found themselves competing against each other for scarce supplies during an emergency .
“ In this response , the notion that it ’ s up to states and local government to figure it out was quite inconsistent with not only past practice but what the past federal protocols were , ” John Auerbach , now the president of Trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a top public health official at the state and federal level , told me .
“ You just can ’ t change the rules in the middle of an emergency .
It ’ s just too disruptive.
” And now , the administration is reportedly trying to block Congress from allocating more money for testing and contact tracing — once again giving up on what is supposed to be one of its primary functions , providing funding in a public health emergency .
“ It is mind-boggling that there is a debate about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Harvey says .
“ It ’ s a no-brainer , we need these funds.
” Trump didn ’ t set up this system of governance .
It goes back to the founding and the 10th Amendment .
America ’ s problems with properly prioritizing public health precede him by decades as well ; a recent New York Times magazine feature explored that long history .
According to Trust for America ’ s Health , the funding for the CDC has been effectively flat for the last decade .
State and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 jobs in the Great Recession , and most of those jobs have not been filled since .
America ’ s chronic inability to invest in public health exacerbated the obesity and diabetes epidemics .
That shortsightedness made the US more vulnerable to Covid-19 , which is particularly hard on people with those chronic conditions .
And a decentralized system does not mean a country is fated to struggle in responding to the coronavirus .
Other countries with federalist structures have contained their outbreaks much better than the US has .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities are needed in the time of a public health crisis is precisely to be able to contain outbreaks that do not respect borders ( state or local ) and can not be addressed on a piecemeal basis , by localities , ” Jennifer Kates at the Kaiser Family Foundation , told me .
“ Other federalized nations ( Australia , Canada , Germany ) have figured out how to do this.
” Rather , it has been the debilitating combination of these two variables — a decentralized health system and an intransigent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States the epicenter of the worst pandemic in a generation .
“ The national response strategy is a hodgepodge of half-measures that appear to be characterized by cronyism and political considerations over public health , ” Rasmussen said .
“ President Trump ’ s guiding principle in public health policy making appears to be magical thinking.
” But despite these efforts , the American public appears to be holding the president accountable for his inaction in a pandemic that has left more than 140,000 Americans dead .
Approval of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 50 percent in March to less than 40 percent now , according to the Washington Post .
There is some bitter irony in those numbers : A pandemic response strategy founded in shifting the blame and wishing the virus away has now left Trump as a historically weak incumbent just a few short months before Election Day .
And that failure came at a deep cost to Americans , one that is still being paid today .
This story appears in VoxCare , a newsletter from Vox on the latest twists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
Sign up to get VoxCare in your inbox along with more health care stats and news .
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Rather than engineer a robust federal response to the coronavirus, President Donald Trump has instead tried to exploit the decentralized nature of the US public health system to abdicate all responsibility for the virus’s toll on America’s health and economy.
The New York Times delved deep over the weekend on the decision by the Trump administration to delegate as much responsibility for the Covid-19 response (and, by proxy, blame) as possible from the federal government to the states:
Their ultimate goal was to shift responsibility for leading the fight against the pandemic from the White House to the states. They referred to this as “state authority handoff,” and it was at the heart of what would become at once a catastrophic policy blunder and an attempt to escape blame for a crisis that had engulfed the country — perhaps one of the greatest failures of presidential leadership in generations.
As a rule, state and local governments do occupy the front lines in the response to any public health emergency. They work with their hospital systems to create enough capacity, they employ the staff members who do the work of contact tracing, they set up mobile testing sites, etc. and so forth.
“Different infectious diseases will affect different communities in different ways, and ultimately you want to have responses that address the specific needs of affected communities,” Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, told me.
“But there’s delegation of local issues to local leaders,” she continued, “and then there is dereliction of duty to provide any leadership at all.”
The federal government must play a critical role in providing resources and coordinating amongst states during a public health crisis. The CDC collects and publishes data on outbreaks, the FDA approves vaccines and treatments, the NIH directs and funds scientific research. The feds can allocate supplies, issue guidance for states and cities to follow, and provide money for state and local health departments to perform their vital duties.
What we are seeing from the Trump White House is zero interest in performing any of those roles. As early as April, according to the Times report, the administration was trying to figure out how to shirk its responsibilities, on the false belief that they had already done enough and the pandemic was starting to subside. Now cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising again and the US has not built up the capacity to contain the virus — by testing and contact tracing — that other countries successfully have.
“We are witnessing what happens in the absence of a coherent federal leadership that puts public health first,” Rasmussen said. “The federal government has failed to provide leadership on virtually all of these points.”
That was the near-unanimous consensus of the public health experts I spoke with on Monday. The coronavirus doesn’t respect state borders and therefore stopping it requires a national response. But Trump has failed in delivering one.
Yes, America’s public health system is designed to place states and local governments in charge of the first level of defense against a deadly virus. But the Trump administration has still not fulfilled its own duties under such a system and, in fact, has hampered the US response because of its delinquency.
“From Day One, the Trump White House has delegated coronavirus response largely to the state and local jurisdictions. That’s an unprecedented decision in a national emergency of this kind,” says David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, whose members oversee contact tracing programs. “We need federal leadership, federal plans, a federal coordinating body. We’ve not seen that from this administration.”
The sidelining of the CDC is an indisputable fact at this point; the agency was barred for months from holding its own briefings and its guidelines have either been delayed or watered down over political concerns. The FDA has a mixed record in approving tests and treatments: Some are approved too quickly, others too slowly, experts say. And when the Trump administration is not outright blocking its government scientists from speaking to the press or issuing the guidance that state and local governments depend on, White House officials or the president himself have been blatantly undermining the public’s trust in their authority.
The Trump administration has not only neglected its responsibilities but broken from long-standing precedents in ways that have added to a confused national response. Last week, for example, the Trump administration asked hospitals to stop reporting their data to the CDC, as they have always done, and start sending it to the Department of Health and Human Services instead.
Earlier in the crisis, the administration was reluctant to deploy the strategic national stockpile for critical supplies like masks and ventilators. White House adviser Jared Kushner even said the stockpile was not meant for states, as it historically has been understood to be. Instead, the states found themselves competing against each other for scarce supplies during an emergency.
“In this response, the notion that it’s up to states and local government to figure it out was quite inconsistent with not only past practice but what the past federal protocols were,” John Auerbach, now the president of Trust for America’s Health and previously a top public health official at the state and federal level, told me. “You just can’t change the rules in the middle of an emergency. It’s just too disruptive.”
And now, the administration is reportedly trying to block Congress from allocating more money for testing and contact tracing — once again giving up on what is supposed to be one of its primary functions, providing funding in a public health emergency.
“It is mind-boggling that there is a debate about whether there needs to be more money,” Harvey says. “It’s a no-brainer, we need these funds.”
Trump didn’t set up this system of governance. It goes back to the founding and the 10th Amendment. America’s problems with properly prioritizing public health precede him by decades as well; a recent New York Times magazine feature explored that long history.
According to Trust for America’s Health, the funding for the CDC has been effectively flat for the last decade. State and local health agencies had to cut more than 50,000 jobs in the Great Recession, and most of those jobs have not been filled since. America’s chronic inability to invest in public health exacerbated the obesity and diabetes epidemics. That shortsightedness made the US more vulnerable to Covid-19, which is particularly hard on people with those chronic conditions.
And a decentralized system does not mean a country is fated to struggle in responding to the coronavirus. Other countries with federalist structures have contained their outbreaks much better than the US has.
“The reason a national plan and federal emergency authorities are needed in the time of a public health crisis is precisely to be able to contain outbreaks that do not respect borders (state or local) and cannot be addressed on a piecemeal basis, by localities,” Jennifer Kates at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told me. “Other federalized nations (Australia, Canada, Germany) have figured out how to do this.”
Rather, it has been the debilitating combination of these two variables — a decentralized health system and an intransigent national government — that has helped make the United States the epicenter of the worst pandemic in a generation.
“The national response strategy is a hodgepodge of half-measures that appear to be characterized by cronyism and political considerations over public health,” Rasmussen said. “President Trump’s guiding principle in public health policy making appears to be magical thinking.”
But despite these efforts, the American public appears to be holding the president accountable for his inaction in a pandemic that has left more than 140,000 Americans dead. Approval of Trump’s response to Covid-19 fell from more than 50 percent in March to less than 40 percent now, according to the Washington Post.
There is some bitter irony in those numbers: A pandemic response strategy founded in shifting the blame and wishing the virus away has now left Trump as a historically weak incumbent just a few short months before Election Day. And that failure came at a deep cost to Americans, one that is still being paid today.
This story appears in VoxCare, a newsletter from Vox on the latest twists and turns in America’s health care debate. Sign up to get VoxCare in your inbox along with more health care stats and news.


vox--2020-07-20--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 impact of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries will certainly grow .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry in response to the pandemic .
Most recently , Christopher Nolan ’ s new film Tenet was delayed indefinitely .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 : The 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival , arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world , is still in question following an announcement from the festival ’ s organizers on March 19 that the gathering could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 indefinitely : 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 is now set to open on July 24 , 2020 , while Jungle Cruise , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , moved to July 30 , 2021 .
An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9 , 2021 , to July 29 , 2022 .
Changes in the MCU calendar set off a domino effect .
Black Widow is 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 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Wes Anderson ’ s newest film , The French Dispatch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 , 2020 .
Artemis Fowl , which has seen its release date pushed several times already , will be released on Disney+ .
On May 12 , Disney announced that Hamilton , a filmed version of the hit Broadway musical , would premiere on Disney+ on July 3 , 2020 , 15 months earlier than its original release date .
On May 13 , Disney set The New Mutants release date for August 28 .
It was originally slated for April 3 .
A release date for The Woman in the Window @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been set yet .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 12 , Disney confirmed that three of its biggest releases of the year — Mulan ( scheduled for March 27 ) , The New Mutants ( scheduled for April 3 ) , and Antlers ( scheduled for April 17 ) — would be postponed .
Mulan is now set to open on July 24 , 2020 .
The Chinese and European premieres of Mulan had previously been delayed as well .
On March 17 , Disney announced the postponement of three more films : Black Widow ( originally set for May 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Copperfield ( May 8 ) , and The Woman in the Window ( May 15 ) .
The delays followed movie theater shutdowns in multiple states as well as country-wide shutdowns of Regal and AMC theaters .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first major tentpole release to be delayed worldwide .
The film ’ s release date moved one more time on June 12 , from November 25 to November 20 .
Sonic the Hedgehog : On February 24 , Paramount Pictures announced that it would delay the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in China , with a new release date to be determined .
Peter Rabbit 2 : On March 10 , Sony announced that it would push the global release of Peter Rabbit 2 : The Runaway from late March/early April to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : On March 12 , A Quiet Place Part II director John Krasinski 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 !
” 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 p.m. on April 11 , including a “ Weekend Update ” segment .
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Saturday Night Live also announced on March 16 that it would suspend its next three shows , the first of which was scheduled for March 28 , with John Krasinski hosting .
( Krasinski ’ s film A Quiet Place Part II , originally scheduled for release on March 19 , was also delayed . )
Late-night shows suspend production or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 ) .
North American movie theaters shut down or begin “ social distancing ” measures : On March 13 , a number of theaters and theater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 .
Italian cultural sites closed : In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and institutions in China that have been closed to the public include Tiananmen Square ’ s National Museum of China , the Forbidden City , and a section of the Great Wall of China located near Beijing .
We will continue to update this article as the story develops .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you through understanding .
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Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
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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--2020-07-20--We are sleepwalking toward economic catastrophe

The country is ambling toward a cliff , putting millions of Americans ’ lives and livelihoods in danger and all but ensuring prolonged economic distress nationwide .
It didn ’ t have to be this way .
Yet here we are , unable to shake out of it .
The Covid-19 pandemic tossed much of the US economy into disarray earlier this year .
Millions of Americans lost their jobs , and businesses across the country closed their doors as part of a planned shutdown .
In March , Congress passed the CARES Act , an ambitious $ 2 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bleeding .
The plan was to buy the country time to get the virus under control and begin to safely reopen to get the economy on track to recovery .
But things have not gone according to plan .
Amid reopenings , coronavirus cases are spiking across the country , and many states and cities are reversing course .
There are signs the recovery that was happening is dissipating .
And now many of the measures that kept so many American households afloat in recent months are about to come to an abrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what , if much of anything , Congress and the White House plan to do about it .
“ It could be cataclysmic , ” said Angela Hanks , deputy executive director of the progressive group Groundwork Collaborative .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s any way to overestimate what happens when you have a pandemic worsening , not improving , when we have an economic crisis that ’ s intensifying , and frankly , there ’ s no response.
” At the end of the month , the extra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits put in place under the CARES Act is set to expire , which could affect some 33 million workers .
In the coming weeks and months , eviction moratoriums and mortgage and student loan forbearance programs will wind down .
Small businesses continue to struggle to stay afloat , and many of those that got loans have used them up already .
State and local governments are still in dire need of financial assistance .
These issues aren ’ t ones that only plague the parties that are directly affected ; they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not being able to pay rent isn ’ t just a problem for the tenant — it ’ s also a problem for the landlord .
It ’ s an urgent situation , but many people in government aren ’ t treating it that way .
We ’ re sleepwalking toward catastrophe .
“ The cliff is totally visible in front of us , and yet we ’ re not ready , ” said Paul Krugman , a Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist .
“ It ’ s probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ We designed an economic response that was predicated on a public health response that did not materialize ” The Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Stability Act , or CARES Act , signed into law by President Trump in March , was an unprecedented act of fiscal policy by the US government .
It entailed measures that would have once seemed unthinkable , including an extra $ 600 in unemployment benefits , $ 1,200 stimulus checks to most Americans , and billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently laid out , the Covid-19 response was larger than the stimulus policies put in place in response to the Great Recession and , from a fiscal standpoint , bigger than the New Deal .
It made a difference .
Personal incomes actually went up in April thanks in large part to unemployment insurance and stimulus checks .
Poverty rates didn ’ t increase .
“ We ’ ve basically kept income growth where it was before , ” said George Pearkes , a global macro strategist at Bespoke Investment Group .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment insurance , then income from households looks about stable.
” The stimulus bill was far from perfect .
Many unemployed people struggled to get the money they deserved , and some issues , such as state and local budget shortfalls , were not addressed .
But in aggregate , the social safety net worked .
“ When incomes get destroyed , people still have certain kinds of liabilities and expenses to pay off , ” said Skanda Amarnath , director of research and analysis at the think tank Employ America .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ types of fiscal policy measures to replace the lost income.
” The stimulus bill had with it an underlying assumption that the economy would improve by the summer , and that was predicated on the country getting its outbreak under control .
But the country didn ’ t — a series of public policy and leadership failures at the federal , state , and local levels have allowed the virus to thrive .
“ We designed an economic response that was predicated on a public health response that did not materialize , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio State University and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research .
States such as Texas , Florida , Arizona , and California have begun to close down parts of their economies again as coronavirus cases rise , and other states have paused some reopening plans .
And even where lawmakers are ignoring the problem , consumers , workers , and businesses can ’ t .
According to data from Glassdoor , job openings are falling , and JPMorgan ’ s consumer spending tracker has flattened .
Data from the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen an increase in Covid-19 cases have seen a reversal in hours worked at small businesses .
While it appeared jobs lost in May and June were beginning to come back , that ’ s started to stall .
“ Just across the board , there ’ s a litany of indicators that progress has slowed , and that ’ s going to have bad impacts on labor markets , ” Pearkes said .
The US hasn ’ t fixed the coronavirus problem , so the question now is whether the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ( hopefully ) tries to do that , or whether it leaves the economic problem as unaddressed as the public health one .
One of the most pressing points of concern is the extra weekly money to the unemployed , which is set to expire at the end of the month .
As Vox ’ s Li Zhou recently laid out , if the program is allowed to expire , some 33 million people who have been kept afloat by those benefits will take an enormous hit .
Congress is still haggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertain .
“ The loss in payments that we ’ re looking at here is going to be about twice as big as a share of GDP as the Obama stimulus was at its peak , ” Krugman said .
“ We ’ re talking about a really big fiscal contraction about to hit an economy that is nowhere near recovered.
” This would leave millions of workers staring down a dark tunnel .
Many would be forced to go back to work in risky situations , putting not only their own health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it ’ s not clear that there are enough jobs for them to return to .
“ There ’ s going to be a disruption in a significant amount of income for many households , ” said Damon Jones , an economist at the University of Chicago .
“ People are going to be unnecessarily suffering.
” “ There ’ s going to be a disruption in a significant amount of income for many households .
People are going to be unnecessarily suffering.
” The issue stretches far beyond unemployment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Paycheck Protection Program to keep workers paid has been spent , and many small businesses were locked out of those loans altogether .
There is evidence people are already hurting .
An estimated one in three people in the US missed their housing payments in June , and while we ’ ve seen a recovery in the aggregate unemployment rate , for Black workers , that progress hasn ’ t been shared .
“ We already know that family food insecurity has increased dramatically with the pandemic and is racially disproportionate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the CARES Act , are substantial , ” Logan said .
“ If there ’ s no additional support , we will see a significant number of household balance sheets go to immediate insolvency.
” The longer the pandemic goes on , the worse the economic fallout gets .
Some companies that hoped to weather the storm for a few months are deciding they have no more time to spare .
Both United Airlines and American Airlines have signaled they may lay off thousands of workers in the fall .
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily lost at the outset of the pandemic , many of the job losses happening now are permanent .
“ Those companies don ’ t have a real plan to bring you back , ” said Betsey Stevenson , an economist at the University of Michigan and former Obama administration official .
“ It ’ s thoughtful , these layoffs .
And I ’ m not trying to say they ’ re good , I ’ m saying they ’ re not a rushed decision .
They are crunching the numbers , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re doing their best to forecast for the next six months , and then they ’ re saying they can ’ t sustain this level of payroll.
” It ’ s not just what Congress needs to do again but also what it hasn ’ t done yet .
State and local governments are facing enormous shortfalls that still haven ’ t been addressed .
There is still no broad plan on what to do about kids and schools , and child care is an economic problem .
Even if it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving parts create a broader drag on the economy that makes the recovery harder and longer .
And all these crises are mounting on top of longstanding systems of racial and economic inequality in the country .
“ There are things we can do now to stem the bleeding , but fundamentally , it ’ s exposed that our economy isn ’ t prepared for a shock of any kind , let alone the scale of economic crisis that we ’ re seeing now , ” Hanks said .
You can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not the version of 2020 anyone wanted , including the White House and Congress .
But this is the reality we are in : A pandemic has set off an economic calamity , and neither front is under control .
The disease is still spreading , and much of the country is struggling to stay above water .
The urgency of the situation feels almost undeniable , and yet in some quarters , it ’ s being denied .
The president ’ s strategy seems to be hoping that if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go away , and whenever anyone asks about the economy , just point to the stock market , which has become completely disjointed from reality .
Many Republican governors are opting to take the same route , as are many Republicans in Congress .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants companies to get liability protections if their workers get sick through 2024 .
“ There are things we can do now to stem the bleeding , but fundamentally , it ’ s exposed that our economy isn ’ t prepared for a shock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale of economic crisis that we ’ re seeing now ” “ It ’ s been wishful thinking all the way that Trump wanted to preside over a roaring economy spurred on by tax cuts and has simply refused to accept that we have a crisis that requires , at least for the time being , more government , not less , ” Krugman said .
“ You can ’ t really have a roaring economy when people are afraid to go out.
” Hanks made a starker assessment : “ In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of people go broke and have no recourse , among Leader McConnell ’ s proposals is a corporate liability shield that lasts until 2024 and a capital gains tax holiday .
I don ’ t know anyone who would be helped by any of those things , but I do know a lot of people who would be hurt by losing unemployment insurance.
” There are certainly ideas and proposals out there to continue to support the economy and get people the help they need during the pandemic .
House Democrats passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the CARES Act , but so far , it ’ s been untouched in the Senate .
And some believe the bill isn ’ t enough .
More recently , a group of progressive organizations including Color of Change and the Sunrise Movement sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pushing them to incorporate paycheck guarantees and anti-monopoly measures in legislation .
The clock is ticking , and the hard truth is that on some fronts , it might be too late .
It took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their unemployment insurance systems to meet the CARES Act ’ s expansion ; ramping down and then up again is going to cost precious time .
It ’ s not enough to just pass legislation — it also has to grind through the administrative system to be put into place .
At the outset of the pandemic , Congress rushed to react with three separate pieces of legislation .
Lawmakers had time to craft a follow-up bill since then , but Senate Republicans , at least , largely haven ’ t used it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation very much of its own making .
“ They ’ ve had a lot of time to figure this out , and they ’ re just waiting , ” Stevenson said .
It ’ s a failure of astounding magnitude .
The US has been incapable of getting the pandemic under control , and now the government is resistant to addressing the resulting economic reality .
There were so many ways to not end up here .
“ If this is as bad as it feels like to everyone , how is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward comfortably ?
” Jones said .
“ What does it say about how well-functioning our democracy is ?
” Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

The country is ambling toward a cliff, putting millions of Americans’ lives and livelihoods in danger and all but ensuring prolonged economic distress nationwide. It didn’t have to be this way. Yet here we are, unable to shake out of it.
The Covid-19 pandemic tossed much of the US economy into disarray earlier this year. Millions of Americans lost their jobs, and businesses across the country closed their doors as part of a planned shutdown. In March, Congress passed the CARES Act, an ambitious $2 trillion stimulus package to try to stop the bleeding. The plan was to buy the country time to get the virus under control and begin to safely reopen to get the economy on track to recovery.
But things have not gone according to plan. Amid reopenings, coronavirus cases are spiking across the country, and many states and cities are reversing course. There are signs the recovery that was happening is dissipating. And now many of the measures that kept so many American households afloat in recent months are about to come to an abrupt end. It’s not clear what, if much of anything, Congress and the White House plan to do about it.
“It could be cataclysmic,” said Angela Hanks, deputy executive director of the progressive group Groundwork Collaborative. “I don’t think there’s any way to overestimate what happens when you have a pandemic worsening, not improving, when we have an economic crisis that’s intensifying, and frankly, there’s no response.”
At the end of the month, the extra $600 per week of unemployment insurance benefits put in place under the CARES Act is set to expire, which could affect some 33 million workers. In the coming weeks and months, eviction moratoriums and mortgage and student loan forbearance programs will wind down. Small businesses continue to struggle to stay afloat, and many of those that got loans have used them up already. State and local governments are still in dire need of financial assistance. These issues aren’t ones that only plague the parties that are directly affected; they also have knock-on effects across the economy. Not being able to pay rent isn’t just a problem for the tenant — it’s also a problem for the landlord.
It’s an urgent situation, but many people in government aren’t treating it that way. We’re sleepwalking toward catastrophe.
“The cliff is totally visible in front of us, and yet we’re not ready,” said Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist. “It’s probably already too late to avoid enormous hardship.”
“We designed an economic response that was predicated on a public health response that did not materialize”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act, or CARES Act, signed into law by President Trump in March, was an unprecedented act of fiscal policy by the US government. It entailed measures that would have once seemed unthinkable, including an extra $600 in unemployment benefits, $1,200 stimulus checks to most Americans, and billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses. As Vox’s Dylan Matthews recently laid out, the Covid-19 response was larger than the stimulus policies put in place in response to the Great Recession and, from a fiscal standpoint, bigger than the New Deal.
It made a difference. Personal incomes actually went up in April thanks in large part to unemployment insurance and stimulus checks. Poverty rates didn’t increase.
“We’ve basically kept income growth where it was before,” said George Pearkes, a global macro strategist at Bespoke Investment Group. “If you take the market income and unemployment insurance, then income from households looks about stable.”
The stimulus bill was far from perfect. Many unemployed people struggled to get the money they deserved, and some issues, such as state and local budget shortfalls, were not addressed. But in aggregate, the social safety net worked.
“When incomes get destroyed, people still have certain kinds of liabilities and expenses to pay off,” said Skanda Amarnath, director of research and analysis at the think tank Employ America. “This was exactly where we needed different types of fiscal policy measures to replace the lost income.”
The stimulus bill had with it an underlying assumption that the economy would improve by the summer, and that was predicated on the country getting its outbreak under control. But the country didn’t — a series of public policy and leadership failures at the federal, state, and local levels have allowed the virus to thrive.
“We designed an economic response that was predicated on a public health response that did not materialize,” said Trevon Logan, an economist at Ohio State University and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
States such as Texas, Florida, Arizona, and California have begun to close down parts of their economies again as coronavirus cases rise, and other states have paused some reopening plans. And even where lawmakers are ignoring the problem, consumers, workers, and businesses can’t.
According to data from Glassdoor, job openings are falling, and JPMorgan’s consumer spending tracker has flattened. Data from the team management software provider Homebase shows states that have seen an increase in Covid-19 cases have seen a reversal in hours worked at small businesses. While it appeared jobs lost in May and June were beginning to come back, that’s started to stall.
“Just across the board, there’s a litany of indicators that progress has slowed, and that’s going to have bad impacts on labor markets,” Pearkes said.
What’s at stake
The US hasn’t fixed the coronavirus problem, so the question now is whether the government tries to prop up the economy while it (hopefully) tries to do that, or whether it leaves the economic problem as unaddressed as the public health one.
One of the most pressing points of concern is the extra weekly money to the unemployed, which is set to expire at the end of the month. As Vox’s Li Zhou recently laid out, if the program is allowed to expire, some 33 million people who have been kept afloat by those benefits will take an enormous hit. Congress is still haggling about it, and the outcome remains uncertain.
“The loss in payments that we’re looking at here is going to be about twice as big as a share of GDP as the Obama stimulus was at its peak,” Krugman said. “We’re talking about a really big fiscal contraction about to hit an economy that is nowhere near recovered.”
This would leave millions of workers staring down a dark tunnel. Many would be forced to go back to work in risky situations, putting not only their own health at risk but also their families’. And it’s not clear that there are enough jobs for them to return to.
“There’s going to be a disruption in a significant amount of income for many households,” said Damon Jones, an economist at the University of Chicago. “People are going to be unnecessarily suffering.”
“There’s going to be a disruption in a significant amount of income for many households. People are going to be unnecessarily suffering.”
The issue stretches far beyond unemployment. Much of the money given out through the Paycheck Protection Program to keep workers paid has been spent, and many small businesses were locked out of those loans altogether. There is evidence people are already hurting. An estimated one in three people in the US missed their housing payments in June, and while we’ve seen a recovery in the aggregate unemployment rate, for Black workers, that progress hasn’t been shared.
“We already know that family food insecurity has increased dramatically with the pandemic and is racially disproportionate. Missed mortgages and rent payments, even with the CARES Act, are substantial,” Logan said. “If there’s no additional support, we will see a significant number of household balance sheets go to immediate insolvency.”
The longer the pandemic goes on, the worse the economic fallout gets. Some companies that hoped to weather the storm for a few months are deciding they have no more time to spare. Both United Airlines and American Airlines have signaled they may lay off thousands of workers in the fall. And as compared to the restaurant and retail jobs temporarily lost at the outset of the pandemic, many of the job losses happening now are permanent.
“Those companies don’t have a real plan to bring you back,” said Betsey Stevenson, an economist at the University of Michigan and former Obama administration official. “It’s thoughtful, these layoffs. And I’m not trying to say they’re good, I’m saying they’re not a rushed decision. They are crunching the numbers, they’re looking forward, they’re doing their best to forecast for the next six months, and then they’re saying they can’t sustain this level of payroll.”
It’s not just what Congress needs to do again but also what it hasn’t done yet. State and local governments are facing enormous shortfalls that still haven’t been addressed. There is still no broad plan on what to do about kids and schools, and child care is an economic problem. Even if it doesn’t affect everyone personally, all the moving parts create a broader drag on the economy that makes the recovery harder and longer. And all these crises are mounting on top of longstanding systems of racial and economic inequality in the country.
“There are things we can do now to stem the bleeding, but fundamentally, it’s exposed that our economy isn’t prepared for a shock of any kind, let alone the scale of economic crisis that we’re seeing now,” Hanks said.
You can’t pretend your way out of a pandemic
This is not the version of 2020 anyone wanted, including the White House and Congress. But this is the reality we are in: A pandemic has set off an economic calamity, and neither front is under control. The disease is still spreading, and much of the country is struggling to stay above water.
The urgency of the situation feels almost undeniable, and yet in some quarters, it’s being denied. The president’s strategy seems to be hoping that if you ignore the pandemic, it will just go away, and whenever anyone asks about the economy, just point to the stock market, which has become completely disjointed from reality. Many Republican governors are opting to take the same route, as are many Republicans in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants companies to get liability protections if their workers get sick through 2024.
“There are things we can do now to stem the bleeding, but fundamentally, it’s exposed that our economy isn’t prepared for a shock of any kind, let alone the scale of economic crisis that we’re seeing now”
“It’s been wishful thinking all the way that Trump wanted to preside over a roaring economy spurred on by tax cuts and has simply refused to accept that we have a crisis that requires, at least for the time being, more government, not less,” Krugman said. “You can’t really have a roaring economy when people are afraid to go out.”
Hanks made a starker assessment: “In a moment where we are about to see millions of people go broke and have no recourse, among Leader McConnell’s proposals is a corporate liability shield that lasts until 2024 and a capital gains tax holiday. I don’t know anyone who would be helped by any of those things, but I do know a lot of people who would be hurt by losing unemployment insurance.”
There are certainly ideas and proposals out there to continue to support the economy and get people the help they need during the pandemic. House Democrats passed the HEROES Act as an ambitious follow-up to the CARES Act, but so far, it’s been untouched in the Senate. And some believe the bill isn’t enough. More recently, a group of progressive organizations including Color of Change and the Sunrise Movement sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pushing them to incorporate paycheck guarantees and anti-monopoly measures in legislation.
The clock is ticking, and the hard truth is that on some fronts, it might be too late. It took states a long time to ramp up their unemployment insurance systems to meet the CARES Act’s expansion; ramping down and then up again is going to cost precious time. It’s not enough to just pass legislation — it also has to grind through the administrative system to be put into place.
At the outset of the pandemic, Congress rushed to react with three separate pieces of legislation. Lawmakers had time to craft a follow-up bill since then, but Senate Republicans, at least, largely haven’t used it. Congress has procrastinated into another urgent situation very much of its own making.
“They’ve had a lot of time to figure this out, and they’re just waiting,” Stevenson said.
It’s a failure of astounding magnitude. The US has been incapable of getting the pandemic under control, and now the government is resistant to addressing the resulting economic reality. There were so many ways to not end up here.
“If this is as bad as it feels like to everyone, how is it possible that our representatives can move forward comfortably?” Jones said. “What does it say about how well-functioning our democracy is?”