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France is declaring a state of emergency and closing its borders amid Paris attacks

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Libby Nelson is Vox's policy editor, leading coverage of how government action and inaction shape American life. Libby has more than a decade of policy journalism experience, including at Inside Higher Ed and Politico. She joined Vox in 2014.

French President François Hollande is declaring a nationwide state of emergency and closing the country's borders to keep the perpetrators from escaping, he announced in a brief statement Friday evening.

"We know where this attack came from," he said.

Hollande was speaking after terrorist attacks in Paris killed at least 39 in shootings and explosions. The president called for courage and sangfroid. "Facing terror, France must be strong," he said. "What the terrorists want is to scare us."