Mix-n-match Covid booster shots could be on their way soon. The FDA may be allowing Americans to switch to another shot when choosing a booster. Preliminary data shows that it is still safe and gives a huge boost to your protection particularly if you had the J&J shot. The Pfizer vaccine boosted antibody levels by a factor of 35 and Moderna raised it 76-fold. Carl Zimmer, columnist at the NY Times, joins us for more on mix-match boosters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihear...
Oct 20, 2021•7 min
It could be the next generation of the internet. It could be bigger than the impact of the mobile revolution and many companies are gearing up to make it happen. I am talking about the ‘metaverse.’ It is an immersive digital world where you can shop, gather with friends in the form of digital avatars, and experience a world that goes beyond the real one. The technology isn’t completely there yet, but big tech companies like Microsoft and Facebook are working toward that goal. Sarah Needleman, te...
Oct 19, 2021•11 min
What happens when you order things online and send them back? You may think it makes its way back to the shelf and on its way to another person, but that is rarely true. Oftentimes items make their way to bulk resellers overseas, stripped for parts, or just thrown away. Returns are a big problem for companies that are expected to have generous return policies as a default. These reverse logistics are many times cost prohibitive to deal with. Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us fo...
Oct 18, 2021•13 min
The White House has scrambled to help ease the situation at ports off the coast of California and avert a holiday shopping crisis. President Biden announced this week that the Port of Los Angeles will be open 24/7 and that major companies will also expand their working hours to help offload products. While this may help in the short term, supply chain issues are expected to last into next year. Steven Overly, global trade and economics reporter at Politico, joins us for more. Learn more about yo...
Oct 15, 2021•7 min
Confusion in Texas over vaccine mandates. Gov. Greg Abbot just banned vaccine mandates for all entities in the state including private businesses. This could pose a problem for many companies that contract with the federal government since Biden has mandated that they do get vaccinated. Now, some companies are caught in the middle and could lose federal funding or run afoul of the state law. Mitchell Ferman, economy reporter at the Texas Tribune, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choic...
Oct 14, 2021•7 min
President Biden’s numbers have not been improving much and it seems to be the very thing he promised to fix, the pandemic, that’s dragging him down. While there have been some really bad headlines with Afghanistan and immigration, the pandemic looms large as people experience fatigue with continued regulations. Christopher Cadelago, White House reporter at Politico, joins us for why Democrats are worried that Biden can’t shake the pandemic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp...
Oct 13, 2021•8 min
Pharmaceutical company Merck is seeking emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 pill. If approved, it would be the first oral antiviral for Covid. Other treatments such as remdesivir and monoclonal antibody treatments both require an intravenous infusion. The pill reduces risk of hospitalization by 50%. Riley Griffin, healthcare reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more on this pill that directly targets the virus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...
Oct 12, 2021•8 min
America's supply chain is broken and there is no better example than looking at all of the ships sitting off the coast of California. The pandemic caused a major shift in consumer spending and it triggered a huge influx of imports and it's all bottlenecked due to lack of coordination and worker shortages. Ships are at ports waiting to be unloaded, not enough workers there can offload containers in a timely manner, and a shortage of truck drivers is delaying shipments to the rest of the country. ...
Oct 11, 2021•13 min
Scientists are constantly working on averting the next pandemic and one avenue that is being pursued is a so-called pan-coronavirus vaccine. This would be a shot that could block many related viruses all in one. Although still years away, they are trying to develop a vaccine to protect you from everything from Covid variants to the common cold. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for the effort to make a universal vaccine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...
Oct 08, 2021•7 min
Another story about the growing costs of being unvaccinated. A woman in Colorado is being denied a kidney transplant because both she and her donor are unvaccinated. UCHealth said she would be inactivated on the kidney transplant list unless she began the process of getting a vaccine. Studies have shown that Covid-19 can be especially deadly for recipients of kidney transplants with a mortality rate of 20-30%. Hannah Knowles, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more. Learn more about y...
Oct 07, 2021•7 min
Checking in on our furry friends and the people who help keep them healthy… the pandemic has caused all sorts of backlogs at veterinary offices. Vet staff has been increasingly stressed out as there have been spikes in demand for services, slowed-down curbside protocols, labor shortages, and pets having to be turned away in some cases. HG Watson, contributor to the Guardian, joins for what to know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listen...
Oct 05, 2021•7 min
As the deadline for many vaccinate mandates are coming soon, many still resisting their shots are looking for exemptions. Religious exemptions are one way that people are seeking to get out of the mandates, but they may not be as easy to get as some may think. Employers have a lot of discretion when granting these. Employers have to provide reasonable accommodations, but they can also probe whether a person's beliefs are sincere and deny it if they think they are not. Many objections are based i...
Oct 04, 2021•11 min
Where have all the restaurant and retail workers impacted by the pandemic gone? Many of them went to work in the marijuana industry. There is now an estimated 321,000 workers in the legal cannabis industry. Workers in this industry say they are finding better hours, benefits, and more opportunities to advance. Abha Bhattarai, national retail reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for marijuana jobs have been a refuge for retail and restaurant workers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...
Oct 01, 2021•7 min
United Airlines has the strictest vaccine mandates of all the U.S. airlines and just announced that they will move to fire almost 600 workers who failed to comply. The company has about 67,000 employees and about 96% of them have been vaccinated. Others who sought exemptions for religious or medial reasons will be placed on temporary unpaid leave. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for how the ball is dropping for those refusing the mandate. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...
Sep 30, 2021•7 min
The pandemic has amplified the social anxiety that some young people are experiencing, and it was intensified by the isolation many underwent. They aren’t necessarily scared about catching Covid, but just have the intense fear of being watched and judged. Eduardo Medina, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for post pandemic social anxiety. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 29, 2021•7 min
Police officers are continuing to resist vaccinations even as we see more mandates for public employees and as it becomes the number one killer for officers with gunfire coming in second. Cops are lagging behind the general public they serve and for many of the same reasons we hear in other sectors…not wanting to be forced and skepticism over safety. Policy unions are calling for more exemptions or weekly testing. Zusha Elinson, national reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about y...
Sep 28, 2021•8 min
The liquor shortage caused by the pandemic still continues in some states and they are having to resort to rationing liquor supplies to keep up. As with many other industries, problems at every step of the supply chain are affecting liquor stocks. Some producers are having a hard time sourcing glass bottles, the cost of importing liquor is high, and there is a shortage of truck drivers hampering delivery. Joe Hernandez, reporter at NPR, joins us for why some states are still short on liquor. Lea...
Sep 27, 2021•6 min
Good news for home buyers! The crazy housing market cooled down last month, albeit by some very modest numbers. Still, it’s an improvement for many buyers that have struggled and been outbid. Average number of offers per house have gone down, less inspection and appraisal contingencies are being waived, and we are seeing more price cuts. Nicole Friedman, U.S. housing reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why some prices have eased. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork...
Sep 24, 2021•7 min
All of the available vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective against serious illness and hospitalization, but is there one that stands out above the rest? A series of studies have found that the Moderna vaccine may provide the most protection when it comes to antibodies and hospitalization. Part of it may be that the vaccine delivers a larger dose that Pfizer. Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for why Moderna has the edge. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...
Sep 23, 2021•7 min
Love in the time of Covid has been a difficult one. For single people, many relationships started quickly and passionately and also ended just as quickly during the pandemic. Finding someone during a time of loneliness made them hold on tighter, but once the vaccines came along, a lot of relationships fell apart since you didn’t have to lay low anymore. Diana Spechler, contributor to the Guardian, joins us for Covid-era romances. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
Sep 22, 2021•8 min
Starting in November, the U.S. will ease restrictions for international travelers who are vaccinated against Covid-19. The will have to show proof of vaccination and a negative test within three days of departure. There are also new rules for unvaccinated U.S. citizens who will need to have a negative test one day before departure and another test after returning. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for the latest travel changes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe...
Sep 21, 2021•7 min
New Census data show that when accounting for pandemic relief aid such as direct stimulus payments and enhanced unemployment benefits, the poverty rate fell to 9.1% lifting nearly 8.5 million people out of poverty. The other story that we saw was the population of those without health insurance rose, mostly due to people losing private insurance as they lost jobs. We will most likely now see arguments in favor of more aid like this to continue help lifting people out of poverty. Amy Goldstein, n...
Sep 20, 2021•7 min
Throughout the pandemic we have looked to three numbers to track how bad things were getting… cases counts, hospitalizations, and deaths. Hospitalizations in particular have been a key figure in assessing the severity of the illness, but a new study suggests that almost half of those hospitalized have mild or asymptomatic symptoms. While some patients are admitted for serious illness, some are there unrelated to Covid and later test positive, but are still counted toward overall hospital numbers...
Sep 17, 2021•10 min
New Census data show that when accounting for pandemic relief aid such as direct stimulus payments and enhanced unemployment benefits, the poverty rate fell to 9.1% lifting nearly 8.5 million people out of poverty. The other story that we saw was the population of those without health insurance rose, mostly due to people losing private insurance as they lost jobs. We will most likely now see arguments in favor of more aid like this to continue help lifting people out of poverty. Amy Goldstein, n...
Sep 16, 2021•8 min
More vaccine mandates are coming to workplaces and offices including one from the Biden administration on companies with more than 100 employees. For now, many places are just operating on the honor system where health information is given voluntarily, but some employees feel nervous because they are not sure if everyone is following the rules. Ray Smith, lifestyle reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how businesses are handling mandates so far. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihear...
Sep 15, 2021•7 min
New York City is now enforcing its vaccine requirement for restaurant employees and patrons who wish to eat indoors. Anyone aged 12 or older, must show proof of at least one shot to eat or drink indoors at restaurants, bars, nightclubs and more. Establishments will be fined $1,000 for a first violation. Heather Haddon, restaurants reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how businesses and customers are divided over this new enforcement. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...
Sep 14, 2021•6 min
We have heard for a while now that sitting for prolonged periods of time can be very harmful to your health contributing to high blood sugar, high cholesterol and messing with your metabolic health. To counter the ill effects of sitting too long, a new study says that moving for 3 minutes every 30 minutes can be very helpful. Even just walking 15 steps improved the blood sugar of workers in the study. Gretchen Reynolds, Phys Ed columnist at the NY Times, joins us for what to know. Learn more abo...
Sep 13, 2021•7 min
The WSJ set up 31 TikTok accounts registered to teenagers to see what the algorithm would serve them up. What they saw after thousands of videos was a never ending stream content related to sex, drugs, and eating disorders. TikTok’s algorithm is engagement based, so spend any amount of time on a video or re-watch it, and get ready for a flood of similar content. The company uses 10,000 people and other algorithms to police content, but the app does not restrict certain videos based on age. Georg...
Sep 10, 2021•11 min
Despite being vaccinated, many people are still worried about breakthrough Covid infections and curious how to navigate this phase of the pandemic. It really depends on a lot of factors including your overall health and the concentration of infections where you live. Another thing that can help you in managing your risk is more home testing. Tara Parker-Pope, health columnist at the NY Times, joins us for what to know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See ...
Sep 09, 2021•7 min
Retailers are very worried about the holiday shopping season as pandemic related delays continue. Factory shutdowns, computer chip shortages, and clogged ports are gearing up to leave stores with emptier shelves and consumers with higher prices and longer waits for shipping. Abha Bhattarai, national retail reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how September is the new December when it comes to holiday shopping. If there is something you want, get it now. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
Sep 06, 2021•7 min
