26 Mars 2020

Rugged individualism vs. social distancing enforcement: Who can keep us home and how?

Much of life as we know it in the United States has drastically changed over recent weeks. Local and state authorities have closed many businesses and mandated that residents stay at home or limit the size of gatherings.
Yet how these restrictions are implemented across the country varies widely. Furthermore, even in areas where restrictions can carry legal penalties, enforcement is rare.
The United States is, of course, set up this way: States have the power to work independently, in coordination with the federal government. But it means our country’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic is much more patchyc and localized than in other countries responding around the world.
The variations across state and local guidance have caused quite a bit of confusion about what exactly is allowed during this time — and where. It has also raised questions about the federal government’s role in instituting social-distancing measures nationwide.
How likely are we to see greater enforcement against breaking social-distancing rules? Can the president order the entire country to shelter in place? On the other hand, if President Trump wants the country to resume normal life soon — as he has both suggested publicly and offered guidelines for in a recent letter to governors — can he force local or state governments to make that happen?
On this week’s episode of the“Can He Do That?” podcast, we’ve answered these questions with national correspondent Griff Witte and Lindsay Wiley, director of the health law and policy program at American University’s Washington College of Law.
Additional coronavirus resources:washingtonpost.com/virusnewsletter washingtonpost.com/coronavirus washingtonpost.com/podcasts
Related episodes:The U.S. stumbled at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Can we make up for lost time?Does the president have much power to control a viral outbreak?

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(402)

Ceasefire

On the final episode of Sidebar, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger breakdown the shaky ceasefire between Iran and Israel – and whether it will hold. And hav...

24 Juni 202550min

Is the U.S. on the brink of war with Iran?

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down the evolving news on Iran – from trading strikes with Israel to President Trump's increasing involvement....

17 Juni 202528min

It's Trump's military, from parade to protests

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down just how much President Trump wants to remind you that he's Commander-in-Chief – from deploying the Natio...

12 Juni 202529min

Elon Musk's messy breakup with Trump

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down the Republican drama surrounding President Trump's signature "Big, beautiful bill" – starting with the dr...

5 Juni 202531min

Republicans' risky fight on health care

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down some of the most controversial provisions in Republicans' giant spending and immigration bill: Provisions...

3 Juni 202529min

Hegseth's drama, Trump's pardoning spree, and Elon Musk is out

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe to delve inside the ongoing drama in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's in...

29 Maj 202529min

Harvard and NPR fight back against Trump

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann dive into the ways institutions are fighting back against President Trump – both culturally and legally – starting w...

27 Maj 202528min

Medicaid cuts and trillions in debt: What's in Trump's bill

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down a busy week in Washington, starting with the shocking shooting of two Israeli embassy employees. Then, th...

22 Maj 202529min