Simple paper-strip test might spot flu, identify strain

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News

A simple and inexpensive paper strip test could help diagnose a case of the flu, and even identify the influenza strain that caused it, a new study finds. 

Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

A simple and inexpensive paper strip test could help diagnose a case of the flu, and even identify the influenza strain that caused it, a new study finds.

The test can distinguish between influenza A and B -- the two main types of seasonal flu -- as well as identifying more virulent strains like H1N1 and H3N2, according to results published in the July issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

The goal is to create a fast, accurate and cheap test that can improve outbreak response and infection care around the world, researchers said.

"Ultimately, we hope these tests will be as simple as rapid antigen tests" used to test for COVID, said co-senior researcher Cameron Myhrvold, an assistant professor at Princeton University in New Jersey.

The test uses genetically engineered enzymes to identify specific sequences of viral RNA in samples, researchers said.

The technology was first used to test for the COVID coronavirus, and later to distinguish between the Delta and Omicron variants, researchers said.

In 2022, the team began adapting the test to detect the influenza virus, with the aim of creating a screening tool that could be used in the field or in clinics rather than hospitals or high-tech diagnostic labs.

"Using a paper strip readout instead of expensive fluorescence machinery is a big advancement, not only in terms of clinical care but also for epidemiological surveillance purposes," said co-lead researcher Ben Zhang, a medical student at Harvard Medical School.

The test can be conducted at room temperature in about 90 minutes, but researchers hope to have it eventually produce results in as little as 15 minutes.

The test also can distinguish between different flu strains. This could help doctors identify strains that resist antiviral treatments like the drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

"Being able to tease apart what strain or subtype of influenza is infecting a patient has repercussions both for treating them and public health interventions," co-lead study author Jon Arizti-Sanz, a postdoctoral researcher at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, said in a institute news release.

The researchers now are working to adapt the test so it can track avian and swine flu strains that are threatening to cross over into humans, Arizti-Sanz said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about influenza.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Federal judges block parts of Biden's student loan forgiveness plan



Students decorate their graduation caps during Commencement at the University of Colorado at Folsom Stadium in Boulder, Colo., on, May 9. On Monday, two federal judges separately blocked parts of President Joe Biden's plan to forgive student debt. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

June 25 (UPI) -- A pair of federal judges blocked parts of President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan less than a week before it was to go fully into effect.

In Missouri, U.S. District Judge John Ross on Monday blocked the Department of Education from further implementation of the the Saving on a Valuable Education plan, which aimed to lower monthly repayments and shorten the repayment period to as little as 10 years, finding the states were likely to succeed on their merits.

Ross ruled that the Biden administration "lacks the authority" to forgive loans as part of the Income-Contingent Repayment plan and that doing so would "likely harm Missouri" by decreasing the administrative fees collected by the state's High Education Loan Authority.

In Kansas, District Judge Daniel Crabtree enjoined the SAVE plan in part nationwide but decided not to undo actions already taken under the program as the states have failed to show that they would be harmed if the status quo was maintained.

The Biden administration has repeatedly sought to cancel billions of dollars in student loans and each time has been met by staunch Republican and conservative opposition.

Last summer, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's plan to offer up to $20,000 in student loan relief to millions of eligible borrowers.

In response, the White House in February announced the plan, which was to fully go into effect Monday and has already canceled some $5.5 billion in student debt held by 414,000 borrowers.

Both Kansas and Missouri followed the announcement with separate lawsuits, accusing the Biden administration of trying to illegally bypass Congress to force taxpayers to pay off the student laws of other Americans.

Kansas, leading an 11-state coalition, filed its lawsuit in late March, followed by Missouri and its seven-state coalition suing the Biden administration in early April.

Earlier this month, a judge ruled eight states of Kansas' coalition do not have standing.

The Republican attorney generals from both Missouri and Kansas issued statements celebrating their separate decisions.

"Blue collar Kansas workers who didn't go to college shouldn't have to pay off the student loans of New Yorkers with gender studies degrees," said Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey similarly accused Biden of attempting to "saddle working Missourians with Ivy League debt" through his plan.

"Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president," he said. "Today's ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone else's debt."

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement that they are reviewing the rulings while remaining committed to fixing "a broken student loan system" and making "college more affordable for more Americans."

"We remain proud of our work providing debt relief to more than 4.75 million Americans," he said. "We will continue to provide this long-overdue relief, no matter how many times Republican elected officials and their allies try to stop us."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the rulings in a statement, sounding a defiant tone in saying that the administration would continue to look for ways to provide student loan relief.

"It's unfortunate that Republican elected officials and their allies have fought tooth and nail to prevent their constituents from accessing lower payments and a faster path to debt forgiveness - and that the courts are now rejecting authority that the [Education] department has applied repeatedly for decades to improve income-driven repayment plans," she said.

"Today's ruling won't stop our administration from using every took available to give students and borrowers the relief they need."

Misspelled Pennsylvania highway sign directed drivers to 'Cenrtal Phila'



June 25 (UPI) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation apologized for a highway sign that misspelled the world "Central" as "Cenrtal."

Drivers on Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia noticed the new sign directing travelers to southbound Interstate 95 read, "Cenrtal Phila," and photos of the sign quickly went viral Monday.

PennDOT apologized Tuesday on social media.

"We were so focused on getting this done and reopening the 95 Cottman ramp that we moved a little too quickly... and forgot to proofread. Sorry, Philadelphia," the post said.



The post was accompanied by a photo of the corrected "Central Phila" sign.

Oklahoma Supreme Court says public funding for religious school unconstitutional

"All charter schools are public schools,"

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against public funding for a proposed virtual Catholic school serving the state's rural communities. 

Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma State Courts Network

June 25 (UPI) -- The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 6-2 that it is unconstitutional to publicly fund a religious charter school, setting up a potential appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School was the nation's first publicly funded religious school, but Sooner State's highest court ruled the funding "violates state and federal law and is unconstitutional."

The court said public funding for the religious charter school would create a "slippery slope" and ordered the Oklahoma Charter School Board to revoke its contract with the online school.

The school is intended to be an online Catholic school that mostly educates students in Oklahoma's rural areas and includes religious instruction in its curriculum.

Related

Lawsuits target first religious public charter school in U.S.
Oklahoma approves first religious public charter school in United States
Supreme Court rules states cannot exclude religious schools from tuition help

Instead of operating as a private school that charges for tuition, state taxpayer dollars were used to fund the religious school.

The National Alliance of Public Charter Schools chief executive officer Eric Paisner, in a prepared statement, called the court's decision a "resounding victory for the integrity of public education."

"All charter schools are public schools," Paisner said, adding "charter schools, like all other public schools, may not be religious institutions."

Catholic Conference of Oklahoma executive director Brett Farley disagrees and told The Hill, "For anyone to say ... that all charter schools are public schools is disingenuous because each state has a different program."

"Charter schools are non-state actors because our framework is very loose," Farley added.

The ruling comes after the archdiocese spent several months seeking regulatory approval for the online school.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City can request the matter be reheard and could appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. pedestrian deaths fall for first time since pandemic

By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay News

Pedestrian deaths in the United States declined in 2023 but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to new data. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

For the first time since the pandemic, it got a little safer to cross America's streets in 2023, new statistics show.

According to data released Monday from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 7,318 American pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles last year -- a dip of 5.4% from 2022 and the first such decline seen since the pandemic ended.

But it's no time for celebration: The 2023 number for pedestrian deaths is still 14.1% above pre-pandemic levels.

Still, the news is somewhat heartening, said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins.

"A decline in pedestrian deaths offers hope that, after years of rising fatalities, a new trend is starting," he said in a GHSA news release. "Each death is tragic and preventable. We know how to improve safety for people walking -- more infrastructure, vehicles designed to protect people walking, lower speeds and equitable traffic enforcement. It will take all this, and more, to keep the numbers going in the right direction."

The new data comes from the State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the GHSA said.

The report also gave insights into how and where pedestrians are most often killed:

There's been no big change in the kinds of vehicles driven when a pedestrian dies, only that the percentage of deaths involving light trucks (SUVs, pickups and vans) is rising as they take up a bigger share of the motor vehicle market.

You're far more likely to be hit by a car at night (78% of pedestrian deaths in 2022) than in the daytime, and "nighttime fatal pedestrian crashes nearly doubled from 3,030 in 2010 to 5,798 in 2022," GHSA said. That's a much steeper rise than happened for deaths occurring during the day.

Sidewalks are crucial. In 2022, 66% of pedestrian deaths occurred in locales without sidewalks. "Sidewalks can help protect people walking by providing a physical separation between them and motor vehicle traffic," GHSA said. "But they are missing or in poor condition in many parts of the country." Three-quarters of pedestrian deaths in 2022 were not at an intersection.

You're most endangered when walking on what the GHSA called "non-freeway arterial roads," where 60% of deaths happened in 2022. But 1,300 Americans died while walking along freeways that year, too. "Stranded motorists exiting their vehicles, first responders and tow truck drivers are all examples of pedestrians who have been killed on freeways," the GHSA said. "All states have Move Over laws, but they are difficult to enforce."

Alcohol is too often a factor, as well. "In 2022, 30% of pedestrians 16 and older killed in motor vehicle crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher," the GHSA said. That was true for 19% of drivers who killed a pedestrian.

What can be done to bring these numbers down and prevent senseless tragedies on America's roadways?

According to the GHSA, "traffic safety cameras and engaging with unhoused populations" who are at special risk of roadside deaths is crucial. Adding in or repairing sidewalks could also help, as could digital alerts that warn drivers of vehicles parked on the roadside.

More information

Find out more about pedestrian safety at the National Safety Council

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Philippines court drops final charge against opposition lawmaker Leila de Lima


A Philippines court on Monday dismissed the final charge against former senator Leila De Lima (C), who was arrested in February 2017. 

File Photo by Joseph Vidal/Philippine Senate Public Relations and information bureau/EPA


June 24 (UPI) -- Former senator and human rights advocate Leila de Lima had her third and final drug trafficking-related charge dismissed by a Philippines court on Monday, ending her more than half decade legal ordeal that followed her criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial and deadly war on drugs.

De Lima was detained in February 2017 on three drug-related charges that she described as political, stemming from her outspoken criticism of then-President Duterte's violent crack down on drug traffickers and users. Her arrest was condemned by Democratic nations and human rights advocates.

A court dismissed one of the three charges against her in 2021, with the second charge falling in May 2023. De Lima was then released on bail in November.

Her third and final charged was dismissed Monday by the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 206, granting de Lima's request on accusations the government lacked evidence.

After the hearing, Judge Gener Gito told de Lima that she now has "unmitigated freedom," Rappler reported.

"My heart is full with all the love pouring in today after the dismissal of all my cases," deLima said in a statement Monday.

"Thank you to everyone who believed in my innocence and that one day I will be finally vindicated. Today is that day of sweet and just freedom."

De Lima was one of the most outspoken critics of Duterte and his regime and she was arrested amid her efforts to open an investigation into his controversial war on drugs campaign that began in 2016 and, which, according to estimates from the International Criminal Court, resulted in the killings of between 12,000 and 30,000 people.

"This is full freedom and vindication, finally, for human rights defender Leila de Lima, after her nearly seven years of arbitrary detention, as well as relentless political persecution," Montse Ferrer, deputy regional director of for research at Amnesty International, said Monday in a statement.

Ferrer described de Lima's detention as a "gross injustice" and that Monday's dismissal "is a clear rejection of concerted government efforts to silence her and undermine her human rights work."

She is also calling on the government of President Ferdinand Marcos to improve conditions in the country for human rights defenders and to investigate those responsible for de Lima's detention.

According to the U.S. State Department's annual report on human rights conditions in the Philippines, human rights advocates and non-government organizations experienced a chilling under Duterte that has continued at a "lower level" under the Marcos administration, which began in June 2022.

It said significant human rights issues are present in the country, including arbitrary or unlawful killings as well as arbitrary detention.

The U.S. State Department on Monday welcomed de Lima's acquittal.

"We continue to urge the Philippines to resolve politically motivated cases, including those against journalists and civil society, in a manner consistent with its international human rights obligations and commitments," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

 

LA protesters march to 'activate' on second anniversary of Roe vs. Wade reversal

By Sheri Walsh

1 of 5 | Hundreds protest the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade in Los Angeles on Monday on the steps of City Hall, calling it an "anniversary that we activate" as they urge women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights." Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

June 24 (UPI) -- Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Los Angeles on Monday to the steps of City Hall to protest the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

"This is not an anniversary that we celebrate. This is an anniversary that we activate," said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents California's 37th district in Los Angeles.

The protesters chanted and carried signs to urge women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights," as more than a dozen states have either banned or restricted abortions since the Supreme Court ruling.

"It's been two years since Dobbs," Kamlager-Dove wrote Monday in a post on X.

"[Twenty-one] states have banned abortion. Many have criminalized patients and providers. One in three women now live in states where their reproductive freedom is under attack, placing burdens on states like California," Kamlager-Dove added. "We must act to ensure access to reproductive care for all."

"The reversal of Roe vs. Wade, a landmark decision, is a stark reminder of how quickly our freedoms can be eroded," Emiliana Guereca, president of the Women's March Foundation which organized Monday's rally, said in a statement.

"We stand united and resolute, continuing to demand that every woman has the right to make decisions about her own body," Guereca added. "Our fight is far from over, and we will persist until justice and equality prevail for all."

While many protested the anniversary of the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, others celebrated the Supreme Court's decision two years later.

"The reversal of Roe vs. Wade brought new opportunities to protect innocent human life," Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in a statement Monday. "Each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the cause of life."

Economic stress affects pets in Detroit and beyond
By Laura A. Reese, Michigan State University


Inequities and economic stress in humans contribute to "animal welfare deserts" in Detroit and other cities. 

Photo by Claudio Olivares Medina/Pexels

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. households have at least one pet. More than ever before, companion animals are a part of life -- particularly in cities, where the majority of Americans live.

Cities offer access to many resources, but often it's not distributed evenly. Some scholars describe parts of U.S. cities with few or no grocery stores as food deserts. Others have identified zones they call transit deserts, where reliable and convenient public transit is scarce or nonexistent.

While the "desert" framing is controversial, there is little disagreement that access to goods and services in many U.S. cities is unequal. I have studied urban animal welfare issues for the past 15 years, and I have found that the inequities and economic stress humans face affect animals as well.

Recently, University of Nebraska geographer Xiaomeng Li and I explored access to animal welfare services in Detroit. We found that pet resources were significantly more likely to be located in ZIP codes with more highly educated residents, higher incomes, fewer children under 18 and higher median rents.

If households with pets were located mainly in these areas, it would make sense for pet resources to be similarly concentrated. However, while many Detroit households own animals, some parts of the city offer much more access to basic pet supplies and care than others.

Pets come with costs and benefits

Detroit had 639,111 residents as of 2020. Assuming that pet ownership in Detroit resembles the national average, nearly two-thirds of its 249,518 households would have at least one pet, which would total just over 157,000 companion animals in the city.

Detroit is more economically distressed than the U.S. overall, with a median household income of $36,140, compared with the U.S. median of $67,521. Nearly one-third (30%) of Detroit residents are in poverty, compared with 11.4% nationwide. Racial segregation and income inequality are also high.

Detroit's well-publicized economic and fiscal struggles undermine the city's ability to provide services, including animal care and control. Other factors, including housing vacancy and abandonment and a high number of stray and feral dogs, add to the animal welfare challenge.

Still, there is good reason for Detroit and other cities to support pet ownership. Studies show that having companion animals in the home boosts human mental and physical well-being. Dog owners report getting more exercise than non-dog owners. And surveys conducted during the pandemic suggested that animals reduced the stress and anxiety of lockdowns.

Mapping pet care resources

For our analysis, we compiled data on locations of pet stores and veterinarians from the ReferenceUSA Business Historical Data Files and Google Maps. We combined it with census data to see how pet resources correlated with the demographic characteristics of Detroit ZIP codes. We also mapped demand for animal support services, which we defined as dog bites and animal cruelty cases, in each ZIP code.

Our main finding was that Detroit has few dedicated pet stores and veterinary clinics, and these resources are not evenly distributed. Eleven of the city's 26 ZIP codes, clustered in contiguous areas, have no pet stores or vet clinics. They form two large areas: a band stretching across the mid-city, and a zone in southwest Detroit.

We identified 11 specialty pet supply stores that serve Detroit's 243,000 households. Four of these stores are in the downtown/midtown area -- which, due to gentrification, has an increasing number of younger, white and higher-income residents.

This map show the locations of dedicated pet supply stores in Detroit, with circles identifying areas within 1 mile of each store. Photo by Laura A. Reese/CC BY-ND

The other seven stores are scattered around the periphery of the city. This distribution leaves a large underserved area in between, with many residents living a mile or more away from a pet store.

Veterinary practices are not clustered in the same way. While there are very few vet offices relative to our estimated number of pets, these offices are spread relatively evenly across the city and are more likely than pet stores to be located in middle- or lower-income ZIP codes.

Overall, we found that Detroit ZIP codes with more young, single and highly educated residents and higher median rents have significantly more pet resources per capita. More densely populated areas -- such as Mexican Town, with high numbers of Hispanic residents, and the city's far east side, with a high proportion of African Americans -- have significantly fewer.

Overtasked animal shelters

Lack of access to pet food and supplies is a problem in low-income areas, even in the age of online providers such as Amazon and Chewy. Shopping online requires internet access and credit card payment. People who can't mail-order pet supplies need physical access to stores.

There's no official data source on Detroit's pet abandonment rates, but the city has a long-standing and significant stray dog problem.

In 2022, the four largest animal shelters in Detroit took in 7,095 dogs. For comparison, Animal Rescue League shelters in Boston, which has a similar population size, took in 1,049 dogs in 2019.

The collective 2022 dog euthanasia rate for the four Detroit shelters was about 22%, although it varied widely among the shelters. Animal shelters that are designated "no-kill" generally aim to euthanize no more than 10% of the animals they take in, and to do so only when irreparable health or behavioral issues prevent the animals from finding new homes. Detroit Animal Care and Control, a city agency, regularly operates beyond capacity and has to euthanize animals due to lack of space.

Having ready access to pet resources could encourage Detroit residents of all income levels to adopt pets and help prevent relinquishment to shelters.

Getting more help to pet owners

Encouraging more pet-related businesses to open in distressed and underserved areas is an economic development challenge. Small-business incubators could support prospective pet store owners and vets who are open to locating in lower-income areas. These organizations typically provide locations for new businesses, offering below-market rents, startup capital and small revolving loan programs.

Incubators are generally run by local governments or public-private partnerships. These organizations could use incentives funded by local taxes to attract businesses in the pet care sector.

Community programs also have a role to play. In high-poverty areas, simply educating people about what kinds of resources are available is a useful starting point.

Many national organizations have programs to help pet owners who are struggling financially. For example, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals provides services in underserved communities, including low-cost veterinary care, supplies and information. Other nonprofit organizations operate mobile veterinary clinics that provide services in areas of need.

In Detroit, organizations such as Dog Aide and C.H.A.I.N.E.D., Inc. provide resources for pet owners, including pet food, outdoor housing, fencing, medications such as heart worm pills and flea preventatives, and low-cost spay and neuter services.

Many food banks and pantries provide free food for pets -- an especially effective way to help both animals and humans. Some home delivery programs, such as Meals on Wheels, partner with pet suppliers to bring pet food and medications to elderly and disabled clients.

Supporting humans and their four-legged companions can promote human and animal health and reduce pressure on animal shelters. Our research shows that cities like Detroit, where many people are financially distressed and don't have easy access to transportation or online shopping, can meaningfully improve residents' lives by helping them meet their pets' basic needs.

Laura A. Reese is a professor emeritus of urban and regional planning at Michigan State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

German giant Siemens to revive historic base in Berlin

Berlin (AFP) – German industrial giant Siemens on Tuesday launched an urban development project worth 4.5 billion euros ($4.8 billion) in the area of Berlin known as Siemensstadt, where the company enjoyed its pre-war heyday.


Issued on: 25/06/2024 - 

Siemens CEO Roland Busch showed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other officials plans for the redevelopment of Siemensstadt Square in Berlin 

© RALF HIRSCHBERGER / POOL/AFP

The Siemensstadt Square "district of the future" will include new living space for up to 7,000 people and create 20,000 additional jobs at the site, where Siemens still manufactures today, the company said.

Siemensstadt Square "aims to link the worlds of work and research, housing and life in a new way -- worlds that were already brought together in the historic Siemensstadt", Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the launch of the project.

The development embodies "the future of Berlin and German industry", he said.

The 76-hectare site, due to be completed by 2035, will include homes, factories and research centres as well as offices, shops and educational, sports and leisure facilities.

The project is a way of "reconciling uses" and showing that "industrial activity still has a place in our cities", said Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens.

Siemens built a series of factories on the outskirts of Berlin at the turn of the 20th century, with thousands of employees working in them to produce cables, motors and electric pumps.

They were soon followed by housing for workers and the area became known as Siemensstadt (Siemens town) from 1914, a name it still bears today.

The area prospered until the 1930s but the destruction of World War II, the division of the city and then the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 put the brakes on further development.

With some 380,000 employees, Siemens has in recent years refocused its business towards digital technology, moving away from the production of heavy industrial equipment.

In another sign of the changing times, the group will not be building housing for its employees in the new development as it did a century ago.

Instead, the 2,500 homes planned will be built by developers.

But Siemens is still billing the development as a return to its Berlin roots, stressing that the company's 750- million-euro contribution to the project is its "largest-ever single investment in Berlin".

© 2024 AFP

‘Love France or leave it’: the small-town voters driving support for Le Pen’s far right

The Seine-et-Marne area southeast of Paris has emerged as a bastion of support for the National Rally in a region that was previously hostile towards Marine Le Pen’s party. Fresh from its triumph in European elections, the far right is riding a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in the French capital’s outlying suburbs as it aims for a historic win in upcoming legislative elections.


Issued on: 25/06/2024 - 

The far-right National Rally is eyeing a breakthrough in Champagne-sur-Seine, southeast of Paris, after it topped the vote here in European elections. 

© Bahar Makooi, FRANCE 24

By: Bahar MAKOOI

Nestled in a loop of the Seine some 80 kilometres upstream from Paris, the town of Champagne-sur-Seine is a prime target for Le Pen’s National Rally (RN).

Over the past decade, the far-right party has seen its share of the vote grow steadily in this town of 6,500 inhabitants, culminating in a crushing victory in European elections on June 9, when it took over 37 percent of the vote.

With the country heading back to polls in snap elections on June 30 and July 7, the RN is now hoping to snatch the local seat at the National Assembly, just two years after it narrowly missed out on a second-round runoff.

At the train station in Champagne-sur-Seine, commuters make no secret of their support for a party that has largely succeeded in “detoxifying” its brand – though many are still reluctant to give their name.

Returning from the inner suburbs of Paris, rail worker Laurent* points to a badge on his jacket bearing the blue, white and red colours of the French flag.

“It sums it up: either you love France or you leave it,” he says. “And that applies to both you and me, whether you’re an 'aspirin tablet' (slang for a White person) or a foreigner who spits on France.”

Like many of Le Pen’s voters, Laurent, 50, cites immigration as his primary concern.

“We can’t even provide food and shelter to those already in the country,” he says. “They should be helped first, instead of bringing more people in.”
‘Troublemakers should be kicked out’

The far right’s ascent in Champagne-sur-Seine is in step with a country-wide surge in support for the National Rally, which has its best chance yet of seizing power following President Emmanuel Macron’s shock decision to dissolve the National Assembly.

Voter surveys suggest Le Pen’s party is poised to win the largest share of votes in the upcoming elections, possibly even clinching an absolute majority of seats in France’s lower house of parliament, which wields greater powers than the Senate.

The latter outcome would lead to France’s first far-right government since the Nazi-allied Vichy Regime – capping an extraordinary turnaround for an extremist party that was co-founded by Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie, a Vichy supporter and convicted anti-Semite.

“Jean-Marie Le Pen was too extreme for me, but Marine has a softer approach,” says Laurent, who began voting for the far right a decade ago, with Marine Le Pen at the party’s helm.

“She says foreigners who are willing to integrate are welcome, but that troublemakers should be kicked out,” he adds.

Read moreHow France’s far right changed the debate on immigration

Fellow commuter Jeremy, 37, says he will also vote for the National Rally, though he is more wary of the far right’s message and its “scary” history.

“I want the National Rally to have a greater presence in parliament but I don’t necessarily want Jordan Bardella as prime minister,” he says, referring to the RN president and poster boy whom Le Pen has named as her candidate for PM.

A former supporter of the mainstream conservative camp, Jeremy says he is “not entirely opposed to immigration”, noting that the “history of this country is built on immigration”.

However, the technician for energy company EDF says he moved to a nearby area because he no longer feels “at home” in his native Champagne-sur-Seine.

A patisserie gone out of business in the centre of Champagne-sur-Seine. 

© Bahar Makooi, FRANCE 24

“My childhood friends here have changed,” he says. “We used to all play together and dress the same, but then they started growing beards, dressing in djellabas and talking about their faith. Now they lecture people about drinking alcohol, eating pork or going out with girls.”

And while a Halal butcher, a kebab stall and two pizzerias have helped revitalise the town’s run-down centre, Jeremy is nostalgic of the traditional shops that vanished years ago, including Champagne-sur-Seine’s old fishing store and a patisserie known for its local specialties.
‘They’ve brought people in from all over the place’

Nostalgia for the “Champagne of old” is a recurring topic of conversation among voters in this former industrial hub, home to a Schneider factory that built shells during World War I and powered the first Paris métro lines at the start of the 20th century.

The factory was both the pride of Champagne-sur-Seine and its main employer, says 70-year-old Jacquot, the town’s former postman, while shopping at the local food market which has shrunk over the years to just a few stalls.

Schneider built the large millstone blocks that surround the market square and once housed the factory’s workers. The company also brought in a large immigrant workforce, changing the town’s demographics.

But the factory closed down in 1989 and was taken over by a Swedish-Swiss company, ABB, which kept only a fraction of the workforce. The local economy took a huge blow and the workers’ homes were converted into social housing.

The blocks that once housed workers at the Schneider factory are now used for social housing. © Bahar Makooi, FRANCE 24

That’s when Jacquot, a former Communist voter, switched allegiance to the RN’s predecessor, the National Front, which lured working-class voters away from the left with its pledge to give French nationals priority access to jobs and welfare.

“They’ve brought people in from all over the place,” says Jacquot, accusing successive governments of favouring immigrants over French nationals. “Prices have gone up and they (immigrants) are given priority over us.”

Crime and incivility are also on the rise, according to the pensioner, who says he was slapped in the face two years ago after lecturing a young person who was cycling on a pavement.

Jaquot, 70, says French nationals should be given priority over immigrants. 

© Bahar Makooi, FRANCE 24

Pierrette Walter, a former deputy mayor, disagrees with Jacquot’s assessment.

“We do have many economically vulnerable residents, but it doesn’t mean they will hurt anyone,” she says, noting that almost half of all homes in Champagne-sur-Seine are classified as social housing.

“It’s going to be a tough election,” adds the former nurse, who “usually” votes left-wing. “But one thing is certain: I will never cast a ballot for the far right.”
‘They didn’t want Blacks and Arabs’

Anne*, a 57-year-old cleaner, has been casting ballots for the far right since the age of 18.

“The only time I tried something different was for (François) Mitterrand in 1981,” says the mother of five, who was soon “disappointed” with the former Socialist president.

From her home, Anne can spot a shelter for asylum seekers that opened in 2015, at the height of Europe’s refugee crisis. Run by the Red Cross, it houses mostly single men, many of them Afghans, who make daily trips to Paris alongside the town’s commuters.

“Here I am struggling to make ends meet, while the lights stay on all night at the migrant hostel. And what’s more, they get food stamps,” she seethes. “We could at least ask them to make a token contribution, to the town’s community work scheme, for instance.”

She adds: “I’m not racist. I have grandchildren of foreign origin. I’m not discriminating against anyone, but I do want (immigrants) to respect the country that took them in. Today, I think too many people trash it.”

The former Schneider factory, now home to a dozen small companies. 

© Bahar Makooi, FRANCE 24

The decision to open an emergency shelter in the town has stoked tensions among local residents, says Sara*, a 40-year-old mother who lives in a middle-class area of Champagne-sur-Seine and whose neighbours frequently complain about immigrants.

“What bothers them is that most of these new arrivals are men of colour or from visible minorities,” she says. “They think there are too many foreigners.”

She recalled a neighbourhood meeting that “got out of hand” last year when residents were consulted on plans to create a playground linking their residential quarters to nearby social housing projects.

“Some residents opposed the plan because they didn’t want ‘Blacks and Arabs’ squatting in the area,” says Sara, whose parents are of North African origin. She blames parts of the media for spreading the far right’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“We’ve been lynched in the media for a while now, it’s become commonplace,” she says. “You can now attack a whole section of the population without getting into trouble.”

A teacher, Sara says she will do her bit to “block the far right” and encourage others to go out and vote. But she is pessimistic about the outcome of the election and alarmed at the rise in support for Le Pen’s among young voters.

“I can excuse older voters and those who struggle to pay their bills, but I cannot understand this new generation of RN voters,” she says. “When it’s your own childhood friends, those who used to come over to your place for a meal – that’s when it really hurts.”

*Names have been changed

This article is a translation of the original in French.