Virtual brands are taking over your favorite food delivery apps. The pandemic has transformed the food industry and in a time when many restaurants were closing, food brands have proliferated. Big chains and even mom and pop restaurants are expanding the brands housed in their kitchens and offering burgers, pizza, and especially chicken wings all coming from the same kitchen, just under different names. Uber Eats estimates that there are over 10,000 virtual brands on its platform alone. Josh, Dz...
Jun 08, 2021•10 min
A look into the public safety app that is pushing boundaries and unfortunately making some mistakes along the way. The Citizen app recently put out a reward for the capture of a man who they believed started a brush fire in Los Angeles. The man that was singled out, didn't actually have anything to do with the fire. The app was also considering branching out into somewhat of a private security force for a monthly fee. Former employees and some experts say that this new aggressive direction could...
Jun 07, 2021•12 min
As many companies are debating what the road back to the office will look like, they better be prepared to make remote work a part of the equation. A recent survey showed that almost 40% of workers would quit a job if their employers were not flexible about working remotely. Top reasons for wanted to keep that set up is the lack of commute and cost savings associated with that. Anders Melin, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how important remote work has become over the course of the pand...
Jun 04, 2021•7 min
Some concerning news for those with immunocompromised systems has emerged. A recent study found that the vaccines are proving less effective than for people with normal immune systems. 46% of transplant patients had no antibodies after two vaccine shots and the other 54% who did develop antibodies, were at lower levels. Joe Barrett, senior Midwest correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for why immunocompromised people might be looking at booster shots to help. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...
Jun 03, 2021•7 min
The conversation about Covid-19 variants is changing in the hopes of avoiding confusion and stigma. The WHO has announced a new naming scheme that uses the letters of the Greek alphabet instead of numbers or a county’s name. The UK variant known as B.1.1.7 will now be Alpha and the South African variant will be Beta. Out of 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, 10 have already been assigned. Elizabeth Weise, national correspondent at USA Today, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
Jun 02, 2021•6 min
Is it illegal for businesses to require proof of vaccination? Short answer is no. In some states such as Texas, Florida, Utah and others, they have banned vaccine passports, but that does not apply to private businesses. Misinformation is floating around on the internet citing protection from Fourth Amendment, but the reality is, a business can ask you to voluntarily disclose your vaccination status and you can refuse, but that business also has the right to refuse you entry. Sasha Hupka, report...
Jun 01, 2021•7 min
The coronavirus lab leak theory got extra attention last week as we found out that three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology got sick in November of 2019 and sought treatment at a hospital. Their symptoms were consistent with Covid and common seasonal illnesses. Also being talk about was an abandoned Chinese mine where people got sick after clearing bat guano. Scientists from the Wuhan institute took samples and found several new coronaviruses in 2012. Ken Dilanian national security c...
May 31, 2021•10 min
For all those that are out traveling this Memorial Day weekend, get ready for high costs and lots of people. As the economy continues to rebound from the pandemic, we are seeing vacations get more expensive with rising airfare and hotel rates. The price of gas is even making road trips more expensive too. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for why costs are quickly going up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
May 28, 2021•8 min
The pandemic has changed how we shop and some things like wider aisles and curbside pickup will be sticking around, while companies that don’t adapt may continue to close. Retailers are expecting a spending boom, but business will have to give consumers reasons to get out, like new concept stores and in-store experiences. Hillary George-Parkin, contributor to Vox, joins us for what to expect from post-pandemic shopping. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See...
May 27, 2021•7 min
Another important piece of the vaccine puzzle has come into play. Moderna says that its vaccine has been found to be 100% effective in kids ages 12-17, two week after their second dose. Moderna will seek for FDA authorization early in June offering more choices for families over summer vacation and before the new school year begins. Elizabeth Weise, national correspondent at USA Today, joins us for how this will help bring us closer to herd immunity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
May 26, 2021•6 min
Who is out there driving in-person economic spending as the country recovers from the pandemic? Right now, vaccinated consumers have been less likely to go out to restaurants and entertainment venues than those who don’t plan to get the vaccine. Early data shows that the vaccinated are still cautious and avoiding large crowds. Many states that have higher vaccination rates have had a slower rebounds of in-person spending and experts say that spending among vaccinated people will most likely be a...
May 25, 2021•8 min
A growing body of research is showing that dogs can sniff out Covid-19, including people without symptoms. These dogs can be trained relatively quickly and have a pretty good success rate, sometimes doing better than rapid antigen tests. Some companies and countries are now getting ready to deploy these pups to help screen large amounts of people quickly for things like sporting events and more. Ruth Bender, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how dogs can detect the coronavirus. Learn more about ...
May 24, 2021•8 min
Everyone is expecting the summer travel season to be that comeback moment for airlines and the hospitality industry, but signs are showing that it may already be happening. TSA airport screenings are up 715% compared to the same time last year. If you’re planning to fly, you might want to get your tickets soon, prices are already creeping back up to pre-pandemic levels. Scott McCartney, middle seat columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how the U.S. travel surge is already here. Learn more about you...
May 21, 2021•7 min
With just over 60 days to go before the Olympics are set to begin in Tokyo, a prominent group of doctors and a majority of those polled in Japan are calling for them to be cancelled once more. New Covid cases have surged and the vaccination rollout remains very slow due to a number of reasons. Less than 2% of the population in Japan is fully vaccinated. Jeff Tracy, sports reporter at Axios, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio...
May 20, 2021•7 min
How do you manage your workforce now that more people are returning to the office? Some workers are sad about leaving their remote work setup, others anxious about getting sick, and there are those that are burnt out. It’s important to give employees flexibility, help smooth out social interactions, and foster a focus on workflow. Rachel Feintzeig, work and life columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how to rally the post-pandemic workforce. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
May 19, 2021•7 min
Vaccine hesitancy continues to be an issue in the push to get everyone vaccinated and we have seen some smaller incentives such as free doughnuts and tickets to sporting events among other things, but Ohio has definitely stepped up its game. Gov. Mike DeWine is offering $1 million each to five adults by lottery if you get your shots. Separately, he is offering full-ride scholarships at a public state university to five vaccinated teenagers. Incentives have been shown to work in some cases, but t...
May 18, 2021•7 min
As students spent more than a year at home in remote-learning settings, cheating has become more rampant and easier than ever. At North Carolina State University, more than 200 students were caught cheating. Texas A&M University had a 50% increase in cheating. Educators say a big part of this is the stress and pressure during the pandemic, and a lot of the cheating is done on homework help and homework auction sites where students can post their assignments and people bid on completing them ...
May 17, 2021•12 min
The CDC has updated its guidance saying fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or physically distance regardless of crowd size. Only a few instances remain where you need the mask. The reason for this announcement is that the vaccines have been shown to work in the real world, protect against variants, and vaccinated people are less likely to transmit the virus. Marissa Fernandez, health care reporter at Axios, joins us for the latest from the CDC. Learn more about your ad-...
May 14, 2021•5 min
The economy is in comeback mode but businesses can’t find enough people to hire, despite millions of people that are still unemployed. Potential workers are holding back because of fears of getting sick, lack of child care, and some are still making more money with enhanced unemployment benefits than they made in their pre-pandemic jobs. Eric Morath, labor and economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why despite an economy ready to be on fire, some businesses can’t find employees. Learn more ...
May 13, 2021•7 min
The FDA has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for adolescents ages 12-15. They could be getting shots later this week, but as the pool of eligible recipients starts to skew younger, many parents may have questions about vaccinating their kids. The dosage is the same as adults and was shown to be 100% effective against symptomatic Covid. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for what to know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystu...
May 12, 2021•6 min
The pandemic-era real estate market is crazy and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. This time has been a windfall for sellers entertaining multiple offers above asking price and headaches for buyers, where offering more money is no longer good enough, contingencies are being waived and other concessions are also being made. Aimee Picchi, reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, joins us for the ulta-tight pandemic housing market. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com Se...
May 11, 2021•8 min
Supply continues to outweigh demand for the coronavirus vaccine as some states are beginning to order fewer doses than what they are supposed to be allotted. The Biden administration has a goal of 70% of adults vaccinated by July 4, but only about 57% of adults have received at least one shot so far. Also in an effort to get people back in the workforce, some states are rolling back enhanced unemployment benefits. Some governors argue that the extra money is keeping people from going back to wor...
May 10, 2021•9 min
Drug makers and labs are already working on the next-generation of Covid vaccines, and they could come in the form of a pill or nasal spray. Two oral formulations and seven nasal spray formulations are currently being worked on and tested. Researchers also hope to eventually work on a universal vaccine to provide protection against all types of coronaviruses. Gregory Zuckerman, special writer at the WSJ, joins us for the next generation of Covid-19 vaccines. Learn more about your ad-choices at h...
May 06, 2021•8 min
Part of the next phase of the vaccine effort is targeting those that are still hesitant or refusing to get their shots. The White House and public health experts are playing close attention to recent focus groups of vaccine skeptics that changed their minds. Some heard info from doctors they trust, others heard stories from long haul survivors whose symptoms improved with the shot. Dan Diamond, national health reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for why some are changing their minds on get...
May 05, 2021•7 min
Florida has taken another step in moving on from the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning vaccine passports and an executive order invalidating all remaining local emergency orders, saying the state is no longer in a state of emergency. Some mayors were pushing back on the orders while other lawmakers argued they were trying to strike a balance of protecting people and protecting their civil liberties. Mary Ellen Klas, Capitol Bureau Chief at the Miami Herald,...
May 04, 2021•9 min
The coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing, but we have gotten parts of it under control. Vaccines are being administered and thanks to the work of various countries, we have treatments that can help spare people some of the most severe infections. One such example is the U.K., not so much a pandemic success story, but their Covid-19 trials is. Through their Recovery Trial project, they were able to mobilize a massive clinical trial that tested various treatments and ultimately found a cheap and ...
May 03, 2021•14 min
The CDC updated guidance this week for those that are fully vaccinated saying you no longer need to wear a mask outdoors, except if you are in crowded areas such as concerts or sporting events. There has been ongoing pushback over continued mask wearing with some states rolling back their mandates and others keeping them intact. Lena Sun, health reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for why you can toss that mask when outdoors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet...
Apr 30, 2021•7 min
Two camps are emerging as more than a quarter of Americans are fully vaccinated… those that want to party, travel, and get back to normal, and those that are still nervous about catching the coronavirus. Some are finding it hard to turn off the past year of extra precautions taken not to get sick and are wary about returning to in-person interactions. Elizabeth Chuck, senior writer at NBC News Digital, joins us why some are still nervous about Covid, despite being vaccinated. Learn more about yo...
Apr 29, 2021•7 min
We know that women and especially mothers of school-aged children have had a tough time when it comes to staying in the workforce. Now, we have some numbers, Nearly 1.5 million mothers are still missing from the workforce compared to last year at the beginning of the pandemic. Two big factors driving those numbers, are access to child care and the demands of the home and virtual schooling for kids. Katie Riley, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
Apr 28, 2021•6 min
Many companies are starting to hire again and some have a special requirement before coming on board, a Covid-19 vaccine. Employers are starting to mandate candidates get a shot before they are hired and are also applying the rule to existing employees too. Certain exemptions can be made, but generally, it is legal for employers to mandate such vaccinations. Chip Cutter, workplace reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how employers across all industries are beginning to require Covid vaccines. Learn...
Apr 27, 2021•7 min
