In The Spotlight: Behind southern U.S. governors' controversial race to reopen

Across a slew of states in the American south, life is returning to "normal" in dribs and drabs. In Florida, big crowds are sunbathing on Pinellas County beaches. In Texas, movie lovers can't wait to pack dark cinemas with popcorn and ice soda. In Georgia, golf courses remain open as the ideal location for men to sharpen their business acumen. In Mississippi, people are getting haircuts at barbershops following the end of the less-than-a-month lockdown.

The governors of these southern Republican states are racing to reopen their economies despite repeated warnings from epidemiologists that the move may trigger a second outbreak. And in some of them, there are still grim updates in COVID-19 cases. Nonetheless, as unemployment claims surge, governors are facing an uphill battle in trying to mitigate a painful economic downturn while keeping the coronavirus resurgence at bay.

They've drawn wide controversy for loosening restrictions too early. In a recent poll conducted by the Washington Post and Ipsos on how the public thinks their leaders are handling the outbreak, Republican governors of three states – Georgia, Texas and Florida – made up the bottom three.

Are these governors putting lives below GDP? Are they making decisions based on science or politics? We take a look at four of these leaders in the South.

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