Iowa governor's push to reopen schools descends into chaos

IOWA CITY, Iowa - An aggressive push by Iowa's pro-Trump governor to reopen schools amid a worsening coronavirus outbreak has descended into chaos, with some districts and teachers rebelling and experts calling the scientific benchmarks used by the state arbitrary and unsafe.

The clash in the Midwest has illustrated in condensed form the tension between science and politics - and between economic concerns and health fears - that has characterized the nation's response to the outbreak from the White House on down. The virus has devastated the U.S. economy and killed over 170,000 Americans.

"We're about to see a tragedy occur in the state. And there's not a lot we can do about it. That's frightening," said Sara Anne Willette of Ames, a parent and former math tutor who runs a website tracking state infection data.

https://www.startribune.com/iowa-governor-s-push-to-reopen-schools-descends-into-chaos/572162782/