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U.S. NEWS Monday 23 noveMber 2020
Many Americans flying for holiday despite CDC pleas

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) difficult" as the virus spirals
— Millions of Americans out of control heading into
bought tickets to fly some- colder weather and the
where for Thanksgiving be- December holiday season.
fore the nation's top public For most people, the new
health agency pleaded coronavirus causes mild or
with them not to travel for moderate symptoms, such
the holiday. as fever and cough that
So what are they do- clear up in two to three
ing now? In many cases, weeks. For some — es-
they're still crowding air- pecially older adults and
ports and boarding planes. people with existing health
That's despite relatively problems — it can cause
lenient cancellation poli- more severe illness, includ-
cies that major airlines ing pneumonia, and death.
have implemented since Airlines have emphasized
the coronavirus pandemic what they're doing to
emerged earlier this year. sanitize gates and kiosks,
"Consumers should feel shorten lines and gather-
comfortable changing ings and purify the air. But
their plans and canceling most are also offering op-
their flights if they need to People wait to speak to a United Airlines representative at a terminal at O'Hare International Air- portunities for people to
for health reasons," said port in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. skip their holiday flights and
John Breyault of the Na- Associated Press travel later, though travel-
tional Consumers League. ers might have to pay more
Most airlines won't pay vouchers. Images that since mid-March that daily of crowding at U.S. airports for the replacement flight if
cash to refund a flight if emerged this weekend of airport screenings topped from Thanksgiving travel it's more expensive.
you decide to heed na- crowded airport terminals 1 million. could lead to a perilous sit- Some have argued that
tional health warnings but showed that plenty of peo- A day earlier, the Centers uation as COVID-19 cases airlines should do more.
they are waiving fees and ple are flying anyway. for Disease Control and surge. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a
offering vouchers. Breyault More than 2 million people Prevention said Americans Fauci told CBS' "Face the Massachusetts Democrat
said to "familiarize yourself were screened at U.S. air- should skip Thanksgiving Nation" that people at air- who has pushed for cash
with the policies" because ports on Friday and Sat- travel and not spend the ports "are going to get us refunds for skipped flights
the voucher specifics vary urday, according to the holiday with people from into even more trouble during the pandemic, said
by airline and can depend Transportation Security outside their household. than we're in right now." people who dropped their
on when the ticket was Administration. While that's The nation's top infectious He said that new COVID-19 Thanksgiving travel are do-
booked. far lower than during the diseases expert, Dr. An- cases from Thanksgiving ing the right thing and fol-
It's not clear how many same time last year, Friday thony Fauci, said Sunday won't become evident until lowing public health guid-
people are taking those was only the second time he's worried that instances weeks later, making it "very ance. q

Judge rules against Trump global media chief after firings

By LYNN BERRY the leadership at Radio interference.
Associated Press Free Europe/Radio Liberty, After the suit was filed,
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Radio Free Asia, Middle Pack announced he had
federal judge has ruled East Broadcasting Net- rescinded the "firewall rule"
against the head of the works and the Open Tech- issued by the Broadcast-
agency that runs the Voice nology Fund, which works ing Board of Governors.
of America and other U.S.- to provide secure internet In a statement posted on
funded news outlets who access to people around his agency's website, he
was accused of trying to the world. The director and said the rule wrongly pro-
turn it into a propaganda deputy director of VOA re- hibited him from directing
vehicle to promote Presi- signed just days before the broadcast operations and
dent Donald Trump's agen- firings. Pack also dismissed "made the agency difficult
da. their governing boards. to manage."
The ruling effectively bars His moves were criticized In her ruling late Friday,
U.S. Agency for Global Me- by both Democrats and Judge Beryl Howell im-
dia CEO Michael Pack from Republicans in Congress posed preliminary injunc- In this June 15, 2020, file photo, the Voice of America building
making personnel decisions who control the agency's tions that prevent Pak from stands in Washington.
and interfering in editorial budget. making personnel decisions Associated Press
operations. The lawsuit was filed last about journalists employed
Pack, a conservative film- month in U.S. District Court by the agency, directly dent-elect Joe Biden on a ing Pack's actions, includ-
maker, Trump ally and for the District of Columbia communicating with them VOA website. He called the ing the dismissal of foreign
onetime associate of for- by five executives who had and conducting any inves- segment "pro-Biden" and journalists and his com-
mer Trump political adviser been fired or suspended. tigations into editorial con- said his staff was weighing ments denigrating VOA
Steve Bannon, made no They accused Pack and his tent or individual journalists. disciplinary action against staff, which they said were
secret of his intent to shake senior advisers of violating In July, Pack had ordered those responsible. endangering their col-
up the agency after taking the "statutory firewall" in- an investigation into the Fourteen senior VOA jour- leagues and the interna-
over in June. tended to protect the news posting of a video pack- nalists sent a letter to man- tional broadcaster's cred-
He proceeded to purge organizations from political age featuring now Presi- agement in August protest- ibility. q