The disruption that the pandemic has caused to the education system has ranged from kids having to transition to remote learning, parents experiencing burnout trying to help their kids learn and balance work life, but it has also caused a teacher shortage. Early retirements and quarantines are forcing some school administrators to recruit parents as substitute teachers, increase class sizes, and even use bus drivers to babysit classrooms. Arizona in particular has been hit hard by a shortage of ...
Dec 21, 2020•9 min
As coronavirus vaccines are rolling out, the big question is… Who is next in line? A CDC panel is meeting this weekend to discuss recommendations for who will get the vaccine after healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes. Groups such as teachers, firefighters, and even camp counselors are lobbying to be next. Rachel Roubein, health care reporter at Politico, joins us for who are the next most essential group. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See ...
Dec 18, 2020•6 min
The pandemic has accelerated the exit of many Americans from big cities and tax heavy states to cheaper ones that can provide lower costs, bigger living spaces, and a better quality of life. New York and California have seen a big exodus and people are moving to places like Texas and Florida. Austin, gained the most people between April and October this year. Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how the pandemic is speeding up relocations. Learn more about your ad-ch...
Dec 18, 2020•8 min
The novel coronavirus has been with us for about a year now, we have vaccines rolling out and know a lot about the virus that has wreaked havoc on the world, but we also still have many questions. It is a virus of contrasts… it’s dangerous enough to send some to the hospital and kill over 1.6 million people worldwide, but mild enough for many to recover quickly or be asymptomatic. Andrew Joseph, reporter at STAT News, joins us for what we know about coronavirus one year in. Learn more about your...
Dec 17, 2020•8 min
We are on track to get the second coronavirus vaccine approved by the end of the week. On Tuesday, the FDA confirmed that Moderna’s two-dose vaccine is safe and effective. In the first week of its rollout about 6 million doses will be shipped out. The government also bought another 100 million doses from Moderna for a total of 200 million at a cost of $3.2 billion. Sarah Owermohle, health care reporter at Politico joins us for more good vaccine news. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
Dec 16, 2020•7 min
Many are still experiencing COVID fatigue and its happening at the worst time. Despite vaccines starting to rollout, cases are rising and ICU bed availability is low, and people are letting their guard down. People are also experiencing news overload and are tired of hearing about coronavirus. Zlati Meyer, staff writer at Fast Company, joins us for what the latest polls say about how over the pandemic everyone is. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnys...
Dec 16, 2020•6 min
The worst fears of public health experts came true after Thanksgiving travel… rising Covid cases, reduced ICU bed capacity, and more lockdowns. Even though vaccines are currently rolling out, health officials are worried about Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. They are already urging caution about traveling, but as we saw already, many people will probably not follow that advice. There were some lessons learned from the last time… officials need better messaging and provide better testing a...
Dec 15, 2020•7 min
The Pfizer vaccine is being shipped out now to all the states and will start being administered immediately as we mark another turn in the pandemic. Despite President Trump's record on handling the coronavirus, Operation Warp Speed has been a success in getting a vaccine approved in less than a year. In other news, after suffering another loss in court, it seems that the president is all out of options to overturn the election. The Electoral College is meeting today to formally cast votes for Jo...
Dec 14, 2020•8 min
An FDA advisory committee has recommended authorization of the Pfizer vaccine and it will soon start making its way through the U.S., but some of the biggest hurdles still to overcome are mistrust in both the government and vaccines themselves. Polls are showing that many still do not want to take the vaccine as soon as it is available. This is especially evident in communities of color who are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. We need about 70-75% of people to get vaccinated so th...
Dec 11, 2020•7 min
As we wait for the emergency use authorization here in the U.S. for the Pfizer vaccine, all eyes are on the U.K. with their program and many were alarmed when two British people had allergic reactions to the vaccine. It prompted British officials to advise those with serious allergies to avoid getting vaccinated for now. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for the latest as the Pfizer vaccine continues its rollout. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...
Dec 10, 2020•6 min
The U.K. has begun the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine and all eyes will be on them for things they do right and things they get wrong. It has been less than a week that Britain has granted emergency use authorization and because of limited supplies and how difficult the Pfizer vaccine is to ship and store, only about 50 hospital hubs will be able to administer the vaccine for now. Joanna Sugden, assistant editor at the WSJ based in London, joins us for how vaccine distribution is going in the U.K...
Dec 09, 2020•7 min
We have two vaccine candidates that are on their way very soon to be approved by the FDA for distribution, but while those may begin being administered shortly, the long haul of vaccine results is just beginning. We have another candidate from AstraZeneca that has released preliminary findings with some promising and confusing results, as well as other trials underway. Sarah Zhang, staff writer at the Atlantic, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
Dec 08, 2020•7 min
Because of the pandemic and dealing with isolation and the need for social interaction, it has forced some men to realize that they need deeper friendships. Many male friendships are rooted in "shoulder-to-shoulder" interactions such as watching sports or playing video games and with most of that gone right now, they are feeling the need more than ever to make deeper connections. Samantha Schmidt, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how some men are looking for more out of their friend...
Dec 07, 2020•7 min
We are seeing coronavirus continue to spread across the country, hospitalizations and deaths are also on the uptick and doctors and nurses are caught in the middle with treating the sick and people who still think the virus isn’t as bad as some make it seem. Some health-care workers call it “Covid denial,” and on top of the physical and mental demands of the job, they say this makes it harder for them to provide care. Sarah Krouse, health reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more on this extra chal...
Dec 04, 2020•8 min
Lots of news out of the CDC recently when it comes to COVID-19. First, the CDC said that the standard 14 day quarantine can be shortened to 10 days or even seven if certain criteria are met. It can be 10 days if you are showing no symptoms at all, and seven if you get a negative test. New guidelines were also released when it comes to testing before and after travel. Joel Achenbach, science reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for the latest guideline adjustments. Learn more about your ad-c...
Dec 03, 2020•7 min
A federal vaccine advisory panel has recommended that health-care workers and residents of nursing homes be the first people to receive any vaccine that might soon be approved. About 40 million doses of vaccine should be available by the end of December, and since it is a two-shot protocol, only about 20 million people will be vaccinated until more can be manufactured. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for this, and a new analysis of blood donations that shows coronavirus was infec...
Dec 03, 2020•12 min
We are getting some information on how children have been faring during the pandemic amid shutdowns and remote learning. It seems that kids have been doing well and consistent when it comes to reading, but have been slowing down when it comes to math. Researchers say that parents are more comfortable helping kids with reading than math assignments. Leslie Brody, education reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how math progress has slowed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...
Dec 02, 2020•6 min
Moderna has now become the second company to request emergency use authorization from the FDA for their vaccine candidate. In their latest findings, the vaccine is over 94% effective against coronavirus and very effective at preventing serious cases of the virus. The next step will be on Dec. 10 when the FDA will discuss approval for Pfizer and then Dec. 17 for Moderna. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for more as we get closer to vaccine approvals. Learn more about your a...
Dec 01, 2020•6 min
The two leading vaccine candidates are using technology that has never been approved in a commercial vaccine before. They both use messenger RNA to direct human cells to manufacture the spike protein found on the coronavirus. While this technology has been in development for two decades, the latest vaccines prove the science is sound and could change the way future vaccines are made. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for how these mRNA vaccines work and why they do so well....
Nov 30, 2020•7 min
Looking forward to Christmas and trying to get in some of those traditional experiences, how will your visit to Santa be different during the pandemic? Some retailers are cancelling Santa visits and opting for a virtual meet-up. Others are doing in-person visits where Santa could be protected inside a giant snow globe or barricaded behind an 8-ft picture frame. Abha Bhattarai, national retail reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how your Santa visit won’t be the same. Learn more about y...
Nov 27, 2020•7 min
One of the most interesting symptoms of COVID-19 is when people lose their sense of smell and taste. As many as 80% of people experience a temporary loss of smell and while most recover in about two weeks, for some, it can last much longer and even distort some of the smells of very familiar things. French fries might smell like rotting meat, coffee could smell like burning rubber. This condition is known as parosmia. Scientists are studying why this happens and are getting clues to how recovery...
Nov 26, 2020•9 min
Retailers are preparing for another surge of shoppers as we are seeing rising coronavirus cases and in some areas, new rounds of lockdowns. All the while, essential workers continue to go in to work and put their health at risk. Hazard pay incentives that we saw at the beginning of the pandemic have not come back and some companies don’t plan on bringing it back. Michael Corkery, business reporter at the NY Times, joins us for more on the lack of coronavirus hazard pay. Learn more about your ad-...
Nov 25, 2020•7 min
Once again, more good news on the vaccine front. AstraZeneca and Oxford University has released some early data saying their vaccine candidate on average is 70% effective against coronavirus. In some cases depending on the dosing, it can be up to 90% effective. This vaccine candidate is also cheaper to make and can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures. Adam Feuerstein, reporter at STAT News, joins us for the latest vaccine results. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...
Nov 24, 2020•7 min
For all those parents with kids doing remote learning this year, pay attention to your children's grades. In some cases, the auto-grading software used to grade quizzes and schoolwork are getting it wrong. If a student's answers don't match exactly what's in the teacher's answer guide, it can be marked wrong, even if it's just a capitalization discrepancy. Julie Jargon, family and tech columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how these auto-grading systems are causing some headaches. Learn more about ...
Nov 23, 2020•7 min
It looks like people are rushing the toilet paper aisle again. We are seeing cases of coronavirus rise and with it, new lockdowns in certain states. The next logical thing to do is stock up on toilet paper obviously, and while we are seeing some empty shelves already, supply chain experts say that it won't be the same this time. Mark Hay, contributor to the Daily Beast, joins us for how stores are better prepared for toilet paper panic buying. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
Nov 23, 2020•7 min
An unfortunate update on many of the small businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans… about 300 of them have had to file for bankruptcy. The stimulus funds were not enough to keep these businesses open as the pandemic continues to hamper economic activity and a lack of additional help from Congress. In filings, the pandemic was the primary reason for declaring bankruptcy. Shane Shifflet, data reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how tough it is for these businesses and why the numb...
Nov 20, 2020•8 min
Thinking of getting tested before Thanksgiving? Be careful if you’re planning the… everyone-has-gotten-tested approach to getting together with family at Thanksgiving. Getting a negative test doesn’t clear you from continuing to wear masks or social distance. While this approach can be used as a form of risk reduction, it is not a guarantee of safety from the virus. Quarantining can also help, but they day is quickly approaching. Christie Aschwanden, reporter at Wired, joins us for more. Learn m...
Nov 19, 2020•7 min
Coronavirus is still running rampant across the country as the death count in the U.S. is now over 250,000. Thanksgiving is approaching and public health experts have urged caution over large gatherings. One more point of caution, more than 3 million people are estimated to be contagious with the coronavirus according to new models by epidemiologists at Columbia University. Joel Achenbach, science reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for why this estimate is so much higher than the official...
Nov 19, 2020•7 min
There is a lot of talk about a new round of lockdowns as the country sees increased cases of coronavirus. Some states have already imposed more restrictions on businesses as we wade into all too familiar territory, and the focus again turns to what Congress can do to help individuals and businesses with more stimulus to get through more closures. Courtenay Brown, markets reporter at Axios, joins us for what could be the economic fallout of lockdown 2.0. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Nov 18, 2020•7 min
Covid cases are surging in the U.S. and Europe and as a result we are seeing a new wave of lockdowns, but officials are struggling to identify where people are getting infected. Most people are being infected at home, but because contact tracing efforts are pretty much a failure right now, it is hard to trace where the infections are originating. Matthew Dalton, Paris correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for how it’s still difficult to pinpoint how everyone keeps getting sick. Learn more about you...
Nov 17, 2020•7 min
