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Front Burner

Government overreach during the pandemic crisis

As countries around the world take extraordinary measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some experts are worried about governments abusing their power.
CBC News ·
Members of the Airport Medical Service take temperature readings from staff members with a digital thermometer at Budapest's Liszt Ferenc Airport on February 5, 2020 during a presentation for the press. - The international airport prepared special control measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The outbreak that has infected over 24,000 people and killed nearly 500 in mainland China has forced many stores and factories to close and airlines to cancel flights. (Attila Kisbenedek‏/AFP via Getty Images)
Front Burner21:32Government overreach during the pandemic crisis

Governments around the world are making extraordinary moves to get COVID-19 under control -- including the curtailing of individual freedoms. In most countries, people are willing to go along with these measures, as long as they're temporary. But what about when leaders use the coronavirus to grab more power?

Today we're joined by Anne Applebaum, a historian and staff writer at The Atlantic, who has concerns about the potential lasting consequences of some governments' pandemic responses.

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