Religious Freedom in the Time of Coronavirus

On March 2, Bill de Blasio encouraged New Yorkers “to go on with your lives.” The mayor of America’s largest city went so far as to offer specific suggestions on which films they should go see. Well into the second week of the month, when other big cities were banning gatherings and President Trump suspended travel to the U.S. from Europe, de Blasio continued to push the idea that business-as-usual was the best response to the emerging coronavirus epidemic. He resisted a push to shut down public schools so strongly that top aides launched a revolt. Just days later, de Blasio, whose Democratic bid for president last year never found its footing, was castigating President Trump for failing to lift a finger “for his hometown.”-- More...