The U.S. has already pledged almost $3 trillion to save Americans and the economy from the coronavirus pandemic. About 60% of the money for businesses large and small and direct payments to people are in the form of grants, which are funds that will not be recovered by taxpayers. Scott Newsome, PhD candidate at the University of California Santa Cruz, joins us for how the coronavirus bailout will cost us hundreds of billions of dollars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...
Apr 29, 2020•6 min
Some things might never be the same after going through this pandemic. One such thing that could change is grocery shopping. The current crisis has accelerated the use of personal shoppers on services like Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart Grocery. Supermarkets also operate on the psychology of shopping and spending as much time as possible in store and with social distancing, that could also change the way things are done. Stores could expand warehouse space to allow personal shoppers to qui...
Apr 28, 2020•13 min
The quarantine fatigue is real! Researchers analyzing smartphone data are finding that more Americans are venturing out despite stay-at-home orders. Work trips have remained about the same, but personal trips are starting to increase and so are trips between counties and state lines. There is also some confusion as states announce plans to open back up, some think that they can start easing up on staying at home. The U.S. has never ordered so many to stay at home all at once, and we might be see...
Apr 28, 2020•8 min
As states begin to reopen for business, many experts agree that a robust system of contact tracing must be implemented to keep the spread of the virus in check. To accomplish this, some estimates say that we could need up to 300,000 workers and we are nowhere near that. These workers would need to interview those that have tested positive, identify those they have come in contact with, and then try convince those people to self-quarantine. Alice Miranda Ollstein, healthcare reporter at Politico....
Apr 27, 2020•9 min
The economy continues to stall while business remains closed. 4.4 million Americans applied for jobless benefits according to the latest numbers which brings us to 26 million unemployment insurance claims in the past five weeks. The wave of layoffs the country is experiencing makes it very important to have a financial plan even if you are still working. Survey your spending, negotiate with lenders, pause college savings, and consolidate debt. Chris Kornelis, contributor to the WSJ, joins us wit...
Apr 27, 2020•8 min
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown American universities for a loop in trying to figure out how to open effectively and provide students with a learning experience on par with what they will be paying for. On one had you have students unsure if they want to incur massive debt just to attend online classes. On the other had colleges are in danger due to lost revenue from athletics, room and board, and tuition. Erica Pandey, reporter at Axios, joins us for the tough decisions for both students an...
Apr 27, 2020•7 min
After a few days of confusion, President Trump signed a proclamation suspending immigration over the next 60 days. While the president made it seem like it would block many from coming in, the order includes broad exemptions for several categories of foreign workers and employers. Molly O’Toole, immigration and security reporter at the LA Times, joins us for what’s in the proclamation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...
Apr 24, 2020•8 min
While we still need more research on which drugs are the most effective in treating COVID-19, a recent study looking at records from the VA shows that there is no overall benefit from using hydroxychloroquine. It was actually linked to more deaths in patients that were treated with it alone than in combination with azithromycin. Chris Rowland, business of healthcare reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for why hydroxychloroquine might not be the most effective treatment. Learn more about yo...
Apr 24, 2020•7 min
One of the key marks that states must achieve to be able to safely re-open their economies is ramped up testing. Being able to test and trace workers is essential to containing the spread of the virus. But expanding the capacity to test has been difficult because of supply shortages and backlogs. One main shortage important to being able to administer the tests is a lack of swabs. Another highly touted test kit by Abbot Labs, has faced shortages of its own single use cartridges. Chris Weaver- Re...
Apr 23, 2020•9 min
Another major meat processing plant has closed due to coronavirus. Tyson Foods has had to close down its Waterloo, Iowa pork processing plant, just as it is re-opening another facility in Columbus Junction that closed on April 6. The plant will be closed indefinitely as they clean, install infrared body temperature scanners, and plexiglass barriers to protect workers. As more plants close around the country, there are increased worries about the supply chain of meat. Tyler Jett, jobs and economy...
Apr 23, 2020•8 min
All eyes will be on Georgia as Gov. Brian Kemp intends to start re-opening his state to business as soon as Friday, April 24. Gyms, barber shops, bowling alleys can re-open although they will still have to practice social distancing and screen people for fever and respiratory issues. Dine-in restaurants and theaters can open Monday and state-wide stay-at-home orders expire at the end of the month. Public health officials have questioned if it is too early, but it is a difficult balance between h...
Apr 22, 2020•8 min
President Trump is suspending U.S. immigration for 60 days, citing the coronavirus crisis and jobs shortage. The thought process behind this is that it will limit the number of people coming from global hotspots and relieve pressure on the healthcare system, but it will also limit job competition from immigrants. While there has already been a lot going on with travel restrictions, slowed visas processing, and barring asylum seekers, this new action will most likely face some type of legal chall...
Apr 22, 2020•7 min
For the first time ever in trading, U.S. oil prices dipped into negative territory on Monday. Companies had to pay to get rid of the over supply of oil, but this doesn't mean that you'll get paid to take gasoline off someones hands. We might see some modest savings in the next few days and weeks, but the big questions remains, what to do with all the extra oil. The administration is planning to add millions of barrels to the nations reserve. Amy Harder, energy reporter at Axios, joins us for mor...
Apr 22, 2020•8 min
A look at the initial stumbles by the CDC in making testing kits. The roll out of testing kits was initially delayed because of faulty CDC test kits with contaminated components. The worse part of it is, that the component that was contaminated was not critical to detecting the virus. It took more than a month for the CDC to get back on track and prevented the U.S. from ramping up at the beginning of the outbreak here. David Willman, investigative reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for mo...
Apr 21, 2020•8 min
The road to re-opening the economy will be a messy fight that the governors of each state will have to handle. We are already seeing protests and lawsuits over stay-at-home orders and people wanting to get back to work. And while the administration has issued guidelines for states to open back up, all the details and final say is left up to the governors. Another source of conflict could be states moving faster than the willingness of cities in re-opening. Brett Samuels, White House reporter at ...
Apr 21, 2020•7 min
To get back to work, companies are trying to secure tests for their workers. Amazon, for example, is looking for ways to test employees regular including building its own testing lab. But there is a big discussion of the best way to proceed. Will employers need more diagnostic tests or would it be better for antibody tests? Then there are also questions about costs, supply, and concerns about employee privacy. Sarah Krouse, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how employers want to ramp up their o...
Apr 21, 2020•7 min
Coronavirus and social distancing has disrupted the power of touch. While we maintain distance, things like the handshake may be dying, you can’t hug a friend or loved one, and some feel like they may be in touch isolation. So what does this mean for how we connect with each other when this is all over? It may take some time to get things back to normal and feel comfortable with the way we touch and want to be touched. In the mean time, experts agree you should give your skin whatever it needs t...
Apr 20, 2020•12 min
As we continue to track and monitor the spread of COVID-19 cases across the country one important metric is the total death count. But depending on which state we are getting numbers from, these deaths can be tallied in very different ways. Some states only count the death if there is a confirmed laboratory test, others count probable cases of coronavirus. Some, like Dr. Deborah Birx say a death should count to the total tally if someone has COVID-19 regardless of the cause of death, others woul...
Apr 20, 2020•7 min
There is still so much yet to be learned about the novel coronavirus causing the pandemic we are currently in. One such thing we still don’t fully understand is the origin of the virus itself. State Department cables dating back to 2015 warned of safety issues at a Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses and potential human transmission. So while it seems that the coronavirus was probably not engineered in a lab, could it have somehow escaped from that lab. Josh Rogin, columnist from the Washington...
Apr 17, 2020•8 min
We taking a look inside Italy’s fight against COVID-19. Isobel Yeung, senior correspondent at Vice News was embedded in the Lombardy region of Italy, a global hotspot for the coronavirus. While she was there she reported from the Papa Giovanni Hospital and spoke to doctors in the ER and ICU about their experiences treating patients, she spoke with local residents about how their lives have changed and if they feel things are getting any better. Isobel also went to a local funeral to observe how ...
Apr 17, 2020•11 min
As the country gets ready to re-open the economy, states are already preparing test-and-trace programs that will help in the effort. Massachusetts, Utah, and North Dakota are among those working on a comprehensive strategy that includes increased testing and contact tracing that will monitor those that are infected and their close contacts. Emma Court, health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how technology will play a major role. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
Apr 16, 2020•8 min
As 17 million Americans file claims for unemployment, many are having problems completing the process online. For some states, the problem is rooted in crashing websites due to a decades old coding language known as COBOL that almost no one knows. There aren’t many programmers that are fluent in this language as most systems have modernized. Makena Kelly, policy reporter at The Verge, joins us for why some unemployment checks are being held up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe...
Apr 16, 2020•7 min
Throughout this pandemic, there are those ready to take advantage of others with fake cures, scams and price gouging. One huge scam that came to light recently involved a union group in CA that was supposed to buy 39 million masks, the only problem… the masks never existed and the union was duped by a supposed broker in Australia and supplier in Kuwait. Adam Elmahrek, investigative reporter at the LA Times, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c...
Apr 16, 2020•8 min
As we continue to monitor the effect that social distancing and closing down large parts of the economy is having on the country we are beginning to see a second round of layoffs. People who thought they were safe are increasingly facing unemployment. Employees working from home, government employees, and even some healthcare workers are all in danger the longer that business is shut down. Harriet Torry, economics reporter at the WSJ, join us for round two of job losses. Learn more about your ad...
Apr 15, 2020•6 min
Worries about the food supply are growing after the world’s biggest pork processing plant had to close its doors due to coronavirus. Smithfield Foods in South Dakota has seen nearly 300 of its employees contract COVID-19 and will be closed for at least two weeks. South Dakota did not have stay-at-home orders in place and workers there had been calling for more personal protective equipment. Alex Gangitano, reporter at The Hill, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Apr 15, 2020•7 min
As we track and map out the spread of the coronavirus, we are learning that most of the cases in New York actually came from Europe and not China. Early travel restrictions from those coming from China were put in place, but the virus had already spread making it much more difficult to contain. Carl Zimmer, Columnist at the NY Times, joins us for how coronavirus came to New York. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Apr 14, 2020•7 min
Last week we heard about Nadia, a tiger in the Bronx zoo that had contracted COVID-19. The tiger and a few other big cats had come down with dry coughs, so the decision was made to test, and the test was one made specifically for the animals. It’s important to understand how the transmission works… can it spread to other animals or even pets? Kate Knibbs, writer at Wired, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
Apr 14, 2020•6 min
Researchers are looking into how an immune system gone haywire may be doing the most damage in patients experiencing some of the most severe symptoms and even death because of COVID-19. This might be happening in two stages, first the immune system fails to respond quickly enough to the virus, then responds too aggressively and causes more damage. Joe Walker, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for why a hyperactive immune response may make things worse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://ww...
Apr 14, 2020•6 min
Everyone is looking forward to how and when we can get back to work and get back to normal. We still have yet to hit the peak number of cases in the U.S. but some are hoping that testing for antibodies in the blood could help get us back. If you have antibodies to COVID-19 it means you already had the disease and could be immune, at least in the short term. Rachel Becker, reporter at CalMatters, joins us how antibody testing could help, but there are still many questions left to be answered. Lea...
Apr 13, 2020•8 min
The virus has changed the way we internet. While some things may be obvious… people are starting to have more video chats with friends, family and co-workers, other aspects of the way we spend our time online can be surprising. People are moving away from their phones and using desktop computers more, people are consuming more news from local and established newspapers and less on partisan sites, and video games have seen an increase while sports have lost out. Nathaniel Popper, reporter at the ...
Apr 13, 2020•11 min
