French Will Need Health Pass By August 9th After Court Approval

PARIS (AP) — A French constitutional court on Thursday validated most aspects of a new law that, starting next week, requires people to carry a special COVID-19 health pass to access cafes, restaurants, long-distance travel and, in some cases, hospitals. But it struck down several measures for not meeting constitutional muster.

The Constitutional Council ruled that the automatic 10-day isolation of people infected with the virus, allowed to go outside for only two hours per day, goes against French freedoms. Such deprivation of liberty is not “necessary, adapted or proportional,” the ruling said. The current, less strict 10-day self-isolation for people infected with the virus will apparently remain in effect.

The court also struck down suspension of short-term contracts for those without a health pass — while accepting a suspension without remuneration of salaried employees with long-term contracts.

The legislation was sped urgently through parliament last week as virus infections soared, due to the highly contagious delta variant which now accounts for most cases in France.

Polls show that most French support the health pass. But the measure has ardent opponents, with many claiming their freedoms will be compromised. It is issued to people either vaccinated against COVID-19, or who have proof of recent recovery from the infection, or a recent negative test.

Starting Monday, it will be required for long-distance travel by train, plane or bus, entering restaurants, cafes and their terraces and rest homes — among a long list laid out in the law and approved in the ruling. The special court appeared to wince at the regulations but decided that overall a balance was struck between freedom and “the constitutional value of health protection.”

The Council also approved obliging health care workers to be vaccinated against the virus by Sept. 15. And it ruled that requiring the health pass for hospital visitors and others is justified — if it “doesn’t create an obstacle to accessing health care.”

Several hundred noisy protesters in front of the Constitutional Council in Paris denounced the ruling, under the eye of nearly as many heavily armed police.

Julien Bailly, 37, who makes harpsichords, wore a “Health dictatorship: Stop” sticker on his shirt.

He said he was fully vaccinated, but “everyone should be able to make that choice freely, not because oppressive laws force them to. Soon we’ll need QR codes for everything in life,” he added. “This is a slippery slope and an unprecedented attack on our freedoms.”

Critics complain that it limits their movements outside home — and implicitly renders vaccinations obligatory. Opponents have demonstrated around the country by the tens of thousands for the past three Saturdays, with more protests expected this weekend.

A 26-year-old protester who identified herself only as Charlotte said she distrusts the COVID-19 vaccine and resents it being forced on her. “The health pass won’t change my decision, I’ll never get the vaccine,” she said.

The Constitutional Council which examined the law is a special court which, among other things, reviews the constitutionality of legislation.

The health pass has been in effect since July 21 for cultural and recreational venues, including cinemas, concert halls and theme parks with capacity for more than 50 people. But the new law vastly extends its application.

Many restaurant owners say it is not their job to enforce the law, checking each client for a pass. Some health professionals have voiced fears that patients in need of non-urgent treatment could suffer.

“Quite a few people have told us they wouldn’t be coming back once the health pass is implemented,” said Vanessa Shi, co-owner of a noodle restaurant near the Champs-Elysees Avenue.

“We’ve been insulted on several occasions, with people calling us sell-outs and worse for saying we would implement the measure,” she said. “But with the bills we’ve racked up during the pandemic ... it’s a matter of survival for us.”

Prime Minister Jean Castex said the ruling allows for “full deployment of the strategy against COVID-19.” Disappointed that the article on strict isolation of those infected was struck down, he asked that recommended isolation be “scrupulously” respected.

More than 28,700 new infections were reported as of Wednesday evening, a steep climb from one month ago. The pandemic has claimed more than 112,000 lives in France.

Italy: COVID ‘Green Pass’ Needed For Museums, Indoor Dining

ROME (AP) — Pompeii’s archaeological park is offering free swab tests, the Vatican Museums posted refund instructions and tourists whipped out smart phones to show QR codes along with admission tickets Friday as a new COVID-19 certification rule took effect in Italy as part of the government’s plan to rein in a summer surge in infections.

A so-called “Green Pass” is now required to enter archaeological sites, gyms, theaters, indoor pools and the indoor sections of restaurants, bars and cafes. To obtain a certificate, individuals must show they have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine approved for use in the European Union, recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months or have negative lab results from a test done within the previous 48 hours.

The government announced the rule on July 22. Some 50 million of Italy’s 60 million residents had downloaded the certification by late July.

Vaccine certificates issued by the United States, Canada, Japan and Israel will be accepted for tourists arriving from those countries.

Along the sidewalk flanking Vatican City’s walls, visitors to the Vatican Museums - one of the world’s most popular attractions - got ready to show their cellphones with their QR certificates to staffers at the entrance. The line moved briskly.

Visitors from France found the new Italian system familiar. Their country has already introduced entrance requirements even tougher than Italy’s since they also apply to outdoor dining.

“It is good for everybody’s safety. It is positive for the economy, too,″ French tourist Alexine Prentignac said.

While many find it convenient to flash their Green Pass on a phone, paper certification is acceptable in Italy. The Vatican Museums website cautioned visitors to have an identity document handy so staff could “verify actual ownership” of the Green Pass. For anyone unwilling or unable to comply, the website offered instructions on how to request a ticket refund.

At Pompeii, one of Italy’s most-visited tourist sites, officials teamed up with the city of Naples to offer coronavirus tests during the opening hours of the sprawling park featuring the ancient Roman city’s ruins. For now, the tests are being given on an experimental basis, free-of-charge.

During a global emergency like the pandemic, “it’s the task of those who manage a culture site to reconcile as best as possible the needs of health and public safety with our mission to be an inclusive place,″ accessible to all, said Pompeii’s director general, Gabriel Zuchtriege.

Business owners quickly wove the change into their customer routines. Fabrizio De Falco, the owner of a cafe near St. Peter’s Basilica with both an outdoor terrace and indoor tables, also regarded it a necessary adjustment during the pandemic.

“It is one more duty. It is an additional workload, but it is worth it if it will get us out from this situation,″ said De Falco.

The Green Pass rule applies to those 12 or older, since children under that age aren’t eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Italy.

Much of leisure life in Italy during warm months is spent outdoors. Gyms, cinemas and theaters frequently close in August since staff and clients opt for vacations during the month. With air-conditioning still a relatively new phenomenon for many businesses, dining outdoors at trattorias and cafes is a summertime tradition in much of the nation.

Right-wing leader Matteo Salvini, whose League party is part of Italy’s coalition government, had voiced worry that any Green Pass requirements for long-distance travel would discourage domestic and international tourism. The tourist industry accounts for 13% of Italy’s GDP.

On Thursday evening, Premier Mario Draghi’s Cabinet approved a new rule making such certification obligatory starting on Sept. 1 for those taking flights, high-speed or inter-regional trains or ships sailing between regions. An exception was made for ferries which frequently ply the narrow strait between Sicily and Calabria, a route taken by many commuters and students.

By FRANCES D'EMILIO

Broadway, Hollywood Costumes Go On Exhibit In Heart Of NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — Most Broadway stages may still be dark, but there’s a place in Times Square where the costumes shine.

More than 100 costumes from such shows as “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Wicked” are part of a new exhibit this summer revealing the careful, hand-crafted beauty of garments that can’t always be appreciated from the mezzanine in a theater.

“Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from Stage & Screen” opens Thursday and tickets are $29, with seniors and child access for $24. All proceeds go to the Costume Industry Coalition’s recovery fund.

The costumes have been borrowed from such Broadway hits as “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “The Lion King,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “Chicago,” “The Cher Show,” “Frozen” and “Aladdin,” as well as TV’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Saturday Night Live.”

There also are costumes from the James Bond film “No Time to Die” and the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” as well as cruise ships, Disney World, American Ballet Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.

The 20,000-square-foot, two-level exhibit space at 234 West 42nd St., — once the New York City flagship of the sports retail chain Modell’s — has been transformed into an immersive areas with mannequins sporting the garments. Visitors can see real craftspeople at workspaces beading, painting or stitching costumes, showing intense work that goes into the garments.

“We reached out to all of our partners and asked to borrow assets, not only to show off the product of what we bring to the stage or the screen but also the process,” said Brian Blythe, who co-runs the full-service John Kristiansen costume shop and founded the Costume Industry Coalition.

Sally Ann Parsons, owner of the veteran made-to-order house Parsons-Meares, which made the Nala and Simba costumes for “The Lion King,” will be sending a crew to demonstrate how they make corsets and bodices.

“One of our jobs is to be storytellers and to tell the story of the whole piece. But also we help the performers with their character,” she said. “We’re grateful for the chance to show what we do.”

The coalition was born during the pandemic to advocate for the survival of New York City’s custom costume industry. It is made up of 56 small, unique, independent businesses and artisans in and around New York City, many who pivoted to making masks and surgical gowns during the pandemic. Members collectively lost over $26.6 million in revenue last year.

“The coalition was formed to really advocate for our collective survival. And while we are cordial competitors, we all know each other and we all network because we all work on the same shows together,” said Blythe.

Thinc Design, a global design firm founded by former theater set designer Tom Hennes, has designed the exhibit space to be a journey — complete with video, photographs and music — through the world of costume making.

“I think this is an industry that is fairly invisible to the general public, but it’s composed of this huge variety of craftspeople and artisans, artists who do work that’s just absolutely thrilling to see up close,” said Hennes, who has donated his firm’s services.

Though the costumes may be magical, there is a nod to the current climate: All guests in the space are required to wear a mask throughout the exhibit regardless of vaccination status, except for designated mask-free zones.

Organizers hope the exhibit can spread a little awareness about the intense work that goes into costumes, promote some reopening Broadway shows and offer impatient fans of ballet and theater something to cheer before live venues return.

“It’s a real celebration of the combination of talent and skill and imagination that underwrites some of the spectacle and beauty of the entertainment business in general and theater, film, television and ballet in particular,” said Hennes.

Online: https://www.showstoppersnyc.com

Henry Ford Museum’s New Exhibit Celebrates Motorsports

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The first stop on Romain Grosjean’s monthlong tour of the United States with his family was the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where his wife had arranged a tour for the race car driver and their three children.

On the day The Associated Press visited, IndyCar rookie Scott McLaughlin happened to be in the parking lot waiting for the doors to open.

Small wonder the drivers are so interested: The national landmark museum founded in 1929 by the creator of the Model T and father of Ford Motor Co. houses some of the most historic items in U.S. history, including the presidential limousine of John F. Kennedy, the chair used by Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater, the Rosa Parks bus and the Wright Brothers’ bicycle shop.

The museum’s newest wing includes a sprawling, interactive “Driven to Win” exhibit that provides a comprehensive look at motorsports in all its forms. It took more than a decade from conception until the doors opened earlier this year as part of a rare collaboration between rivals Ford and General Motors, which is the presenting sponsor of the exhibit.

“Racing is the embodiment of American innovation in the world of sports, but its reach has long stretched beyond the track to our showrooms, our roads and our culture,” Mark Reuss, president of General Motors, told The Associated Press of the exhibit.

“‘Driven To Win’ documents and celebrates those contributions, with an exciting and comprehensive presentation of the past, present and future of motorsports,” he said. “I’m proud that GM could help bring it to members and guests of this great museum.”

The permanent exhibit takes visitors on a timeline of motorsports, from soap box derbies to Indy cars, stock cars and dragsters. The Sports Car Performance Center features a full-size clay model of a Ford GT. It’s housed in the same area as the winning car Ford used in the automaker’s 2016 return to Le Mans -- a 50th anniversary celebration of Ford’s 1-2-3 finish in the 1966 endurance race.

One of the vehicles on display at the entrance of the 24,000 square-foot exhibit is “Sweepstakes,” the 1901 race car Henry Ford used following the failure of Detroit Automobile Co., his first car company. Amid doubts over his ability as both an engineer and businessman, Ford believed a successful race car would restore his credibility. On Oct. 10, 1901, novice racer Ford drove Sweepstakes to a victory over the more established Alexander Winton at a horse racing track in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

“What was impressive to me is that the exhibit takes you through the timeline of motorsports right from Sweepstakes all the way to today,” Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance, told AP. “It takes you through all the different racing series and disciplines, and ties in people and technology and how that has been transferred to road cars.”

It is done through interactive displays including simulators, a pit stop challenge and a hand-eye coordination test to measure motor skills and ability to make split-second decisions. A 15-minute short film is shown in a multi-sensory theater and highlights five racers pursuing their dreams.

The film follows two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden (a Chevy driver) preparing for the Indianapolis 500; Brehanna Daniels, the first Black female tire changer in NASCAR; multi-generational Bonneville Salt Flats racer Megan Volk; drag racer Brittany Force; and Tim Hardy, a Pikes Peak International Hill Climb racer.

Trevor Bayne’s 2011 winning Daytona 500 car is on display, as well as the “Yellow Submarine” Chevy-Penske Indy car Rick Mears drove to his third Indianapolis 500 victory in 1988. Among the A.J. Foyt memorabilia is the 1960 Meskowski-Offenhauser Indy Roadster that helped Foyt to his first three Indy car championships in 1960, 1961 and 1963.

“The first time I saw the exhibit it completely exceeded my expectations,” Edsel Ford II told AP. Edsel Ford is a Henry Ford board member, longtime executive of the company founded by his great-grandfather and NASCAR Hall of Fame member based on his contributions to motorsports.

“The exhibits are sensational and many of us had seen the drawings, and had numerous meetings about what it was going to look like, but to finally physically see it, it just took my breath away,” Ford said. “I find it that overwhelming.”

McLaughlin, a New Zealander and three-time V8 Supercars winner now in his first season of IndyCar driving for Roger Penske, has made a social media series titled “Scott Learns America” in which he visits iconic stops along the racing circuit. The Henry Ford was the Chevrolet driver’s stop during IndyCar’s doubleheader in Detroit earlier this season.

McLaughlin enjoyed the exhibit although the interactive test of reaction time was a bust — “I was terrible, I was in the bottom half of the day, 64%, pretty shameful,” he said. But the pieces of American history throughout the museum left an indelible mark.

He spent some of his visit in the aviation portion of the museum, where a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer that Wilbur Wright used for the first heavier-than-air, machine powered flight in the world.

Wright’s journey lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet.

“I actually liked the Wright Brothers stuff and to see how far they actually flew, and I think that resonates to me because we always talk about downforce without completely trying to learn lift,” McLaughlin said. “They didn’t even know what downforce was, or they knew what it was and didn’t have a name for it, so it was cool that the Wright Brothers created lift for us.

“The whole museum just shows how incredible the history of America is and how much innovation moved the entire world forward.”

By JENNA FRYER

Travelore News: NYC Will Require Vaccination Proof For Indoor Dining, Gyms

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City will soon require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone who wants to dine indoors at a restaurant, see a performance or go to the gym, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday, making it the first big city in the U.S. to impose such restrictions.

The new requirement, which will be phased in over several weeks in August and September, is the most aggressive step the city has taken yet to curb a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant. People will have to show proof that they have had at least one dose of a vaccine.

“The only way to patronize these establishments indoors will be if you’re vaccinated,” de Blasio said. “The goal here is to convince everyone that this is the time. If we’re going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now. And that means getting vaccinated right now.”

The Democrat said some details of how the program will work still need to be worked out. The policy will go into effect on Aug. 16 but inspections and enforcement won’t begin until Sept. 13, the week that the city’s public schools reopen for the fall.

De Blasio has focused on getting as many New Yorkers vaccinated as possible while resisting calls to mandate masks indoors, as several cities and counties in California have done.

De Blasio said Monday he was making “a strong recommendation” that everyone wear a mask in public indoor settings but stressed that the city’s “overwhelming strategic thrust” remained getting more people vaccinated.

The mayor announced last week that city employees would be required to get vaccinated by mid-September or to face weekly testing, and he has offered a $100 incentive for city residents who get inoculated.

About 66% of adults in New York City are fully vaccinated, according to official data.

On Monday, the U.S. reached President Joe Biden’s goal of getting at least one COVID-19 shot into 70% of American adult s — a month late and amid a surge by the delta variant that is overwhelming hospitals and prompting renewed pandemic regulations around the country.

Tourists Fined $500 For Touching Hawaiian Monk Seals

HONOLULU (AP) — A woman from Louisiana who was honeymooning in Hawaii has been fined $500 after a social media video showed her touching an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, U.S. authorities said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched an investigation last month and found the woman violated the Endangered Species Act, said Dominic Andrews, a spokesperson for the agency’s Office of Law Enforcement.

A video posted on TikTok and other social media showed a woman touching the seal at a Kauai beach in June. The video showed her running away after the seal snapped at her, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.

The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to reach the couple Thursday. The couple previously apologized and told the Star-Advertiser earlier this month that they love Hawaii and didn’t mean to offend anyone.

There are an estimated 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 300 in the main Hawaiian Islands.

Under state and federal laws, it’s a felony to touch or harass a Hawaiian monk seal. Penalties can include up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Authorities warn people must remain at least 50 feet (15 meters) away from the animals or 150 feet (45 meters) away from pups with their mothers.

NOAA also fined another traveler $500 for touching a resting Hawaiian monk seal. It is unclear when that encountered occurred, but an Instagram account shows the visitor recently visited Oahu in May, the newspaper reported.

US Passport Delays Lead To Long Lines Of Would-Be Travelers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britt Johnson showed up around midnight to the West Los Angeles Federal Building, hoping to apply for a rushed passport when the office opened at 7 a.m.

Johnson, eager to visit a dying relative in Mexico, was in line with hundreds of would-be travelers midmorning Thursday when a security guard announced that walk-ins for passport applications would no longer be taken there.

The disappointment in the crowd has been felt across the U.S. at passport offices, which have been overwhelmed by people ready to travel again as COVID-19 restrictions gradually have lifted in recent months.

The pent-up demand for passports has swelled wait times to between 12 and 18 weeks, according to the State Department. That’s caused many like Johnson to seek expedited appointments at understaffed passport offices. Those now take up to 12 weeks.

“It’s pretty urgent,” Johnson said of his travel plans. “It’s pretty important to me right now. So I’m gonna do my best to try to get this thing.”

Now, his only options for an in-person appointment are to try to schedule it online or by phone. Marvella Carson, who was hoping to attend a cousin’s wedding in Jamaica, said she’s tried both, with no luck.

“You can’t get through. You can’t get on their website. You can’t get through on the phone,” Carson said, waiting outside the federal building in Los Angeles.

She’s resigned herself to the fact that she’s probably not going to make the wedding.

After more than a year of pandemic-related lockdowns, people are ready to travel again, but the State Department closed many of its offices last year in an effort to keep employees safe, creating an enormous backlog.

That’s because of ripple effects from the pandemic that caused extreme disruptions to the process at domestic issuance facilities and overseas embassies and consulates.

The department says a backlog of 1.5 million to 2 million passport requests means that most applications submitted now probably will not be processed until the fall.

Rachel Arndt, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services, said this month that the department is increasing staffing throughout the United States as pandemic restrictions are eased. But she said Americans needing to apply for or renew a passport should do so at least six months ahead of when they plan to travel.

Those without immediate travel plans are encouraged to renew their passports by mail.

Meanwhile, the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have taken steps to ease issues related to Americans abroad with expired passports who are trying to return home.

The departments announced in May that U.S. citizens who are overseas and whose passports expired on or after Jan. 1, 2020, would be able to use their documents to reenter the United States until Dec. 31, 2021. That provision does not apply to travel between other countries unless it is a transit stop.