The White House has detailed its new strategy to fight coronavirus and keep Omicron at bay. One of the big changes is to tighten up the testing timelines for international travelers coming to the U.S. People will now have to test within a day of departure regardless of vaccination status and continues to wear masks on planes through mid-March. Sabrina Siddiqui, White House reporter at the WSJ, join us for what else is in the plan, testing reimbursements and booster shots. Learn more about your a...
Dec 03, 2021•8 min
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Dec 02, 2021•12 min
There is still much we don’t know about Omicron, the new Covid variant spreading through the world. We don’t know if it is more transmissible or most importantly, if it causes more severe illness, preliminary observations show that it could cause milder infections. If so, that could be good as we get on our way to the virus being endemic. Andrew Joseph, reporter at STAT News, joins us for the bottom line, it will take weeks and more data before we know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Dec 01, 2021•7 min
Some hospitals have been preparing to lose staff over vaccine mandates. Up to 30% of hospital workers aren’t vaccinated and could face termination. In some areas, a reduction of staff could cause disruptions to services. We are also learning that a federal district court in Missouri just issued an injunction temporarily blocking the mandate in 10 states. Julie Wernau, health and medicine reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork....
Nov 30, 2021•7 min
The snowball effect in the supply chain is raising prices and making it harder to get some of the items you want. The biggest challenge that beer and liquor makers are facing is obtaining glass bottles. America loves their chicken tenders, and prices have jumped because of delays at meat processing plants and in Tyson’s case a bad rooster. Medical equipment, toys, video game consoles, and even your favorite athleisure wear are all facing setbacks. Phil McCausland, reporter at NBC News, joins us ...
Nov 29, 2021•11 min
The holiday shopping season is in full swing and a lot has changed since the pandemic began. The biggest shift is that businesses are expecting to see more customers in-person, so expect big crowds. E-commerce is expected to slow, but only slightly as it should top the $200 billion mark for the first time. Customers will have more buy now, pay later options and get ready for live-streaming shopping events. Melissa Repko, retail reporter at CNBC, joins us for what to expect this season. Learn mor...
Nov 26, 2021•9 min
Supply chain issues have plagued various industries as we continue on our way back from the pandemic. Now it is coming for America’s supply of pies! Compounding the issue is climate and bad weather effects on pretty much every ingredient in our favorite pies. Case in point is Tampa-based Mike’s Pies who is struggling to fulfill orders and maintain stock of ingredients, starting with their graham cracker crumb vendor. Laura Riley, business of food reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how...
Nov 25, 2021•11 min
President Biden is tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release 50 million barrel of oil in hopes that it will bring down the price of gas. This is an effort done in coordination with 6 other countries to bring down prices which is a big contributor to inflation. The only snag is that it still may take some time before we see the effects or if it works at all. Tim Puko, energy policy reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...
Nov 24, 2021•7 min
Booster shots have been approved for anyone over 18 that has already been fully vaccinated. Protection from getting infected starts to wane after about 6 months especially for those that are older or immunocompromised. But what should you do if you are healthy and not at risk? Does getting a booster shot take away someone’s opportunity to get their first shot? Kelsey Piper, staff writer at Vox, joins us for what to know about boosters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...
Nov 23, 2021•7 min
Pfizer recently struck a licensing deal with the Medical Patents Pool which in turn can strike deals with other manufacturers to make generic versions of its Covid antiviral pill for poorer countries. But when it comes to its mRNA vaccine, Pfizer has not been so willing to share the recipe. They stand to make $36 billion in revenue this year and have said that they will increase their shipments to poor countries at adjusted prices. Stephanie Baker, senior writer at Bloomberg News, joins us for t...
Nov 22, 2021•13 min
Covid disruptions to classrooms continue to happen across the country, but many schools are turning to testing over quarantine to keep kids in class. Test-to-stay programs are screening students regularly after exposure to known cases rather than sending them straight home. This allows them to remain in class while they continue to test negative. Sabrina Siddiqui, White House reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how schools are finding ways to keep kids in the classroom. Learn more about your ad-ch...
Nov 19, 2021•9 min
Millions of American are expected to travel for Thanksgiving and if you are heading out, you should expect delays. One of the biggest mysteries is how many TSA agents will be in compliance with vaccine mandates for federal workers set for Nov. 22nd. The government doesn’t think there will be any delays, but long wait times are inevitable as TSA employees are leaving for other reasons too. Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, staff writer at Forbes, joins us for how holiday travel could be a mess. Learn more ...
Nov 18, 2021•9 min
Where have all the public bathrooms gone? Going through the pandemic and seeing the closures of bars, restaurants and other public spaces, it laid bare how very few places there are for a person to relieve themselves. It was a trend that was definitely happening before the pandemic with many places being closed or just neglected which also gave public restrooms bad reputations. According to a “Public Toilet Index,” the U.S. only has eight toilets per 100,000 people overall. Elizabeth Yuko, contr...
Nov 17, 2021•9 min
Prices were up 6.2% last month which is the largest rise in 30 years. Inflation is making everything more expensive and the era of cheap everything is over. Supply chain issues continue to be the main culprit for most of our post-pandemic woes, but inflation could wipe away wage gains and savings that many Americans are now having to spend. Kevin Dugan, reporter at NY Magazine, joins us for how everything is more expensive. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...
Nov 12, 2021•7 min
We have been learning a lot about mRNA because of the Covid vaccines, but the next big thing for RNA could be fixing moldy food. The next generation of pesticides and fungicides could use RNA to target very specific insects and fungi. One particular type of fungus they hope to target is responsible for at least $10 billion in damage to crops every year. Matt Reynolds, senior writer at Wired, joins us for how RNA may be used next to help farmers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...
Nov 11, 2021•8 min
We have seen walkouts and protests across the country at fast food restaurants and now we’ll take a look at a rebellion inside a McDonald’s in Bradford, Pa. Workers at this fast food chain were unhappy with wages and conditions and banded together to walkout. Frustrated with the lack of support from the franchise owner and even corporate offices the workers left and in a good twist all found better paying jobs. Online and elsewhere these workers received scathing criticism saying they were entit...
Nov 10, 2021•13 min
There is a new etiquette for post-pandemic office life. Many still have anxieties about being back and others are just rusty from being away for so long. Hugs and handshakes are out, be honest with those close talkers so they give you space, and it is OK to ask about vaccination status. Rachel Feintzeig, work and life columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how to avoid the awkward return. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Nov 09, 2021•6 min
Let's continue to look at how the Great Resignation is affecting the job market. While many have left to pursue better wages and working environments, millions of Americans have been left behind and still can't find work. Millions of jobs are available, but they are not connecting with those who need them. Karla Miller, work advice columnist at the Washington Post, joins us for those left behind and the flip side, what employers did right to hold on to their workers... trust, appreciation, and s...
Nov 08, 2021•12 min
The Biden administration has released new vaccine rules that could cover more than 100 million workers. For companies with more than 100 employees, the deadline is now January 4th for them to be fully vaccinated or get tested weekly. Employers are not required to pay for testing so the burden will most likely be placed on the employee. There is already opposition to the new rules and lawsuits will follow. Mo’Kelly, host of the Mo’Kelly Show on KFI Radio, joins us for what to know. Learn more abo...
Nov 05, 2021•7 min
The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for kids ages 5-11 and while there are a lot of concerns with giving the vaccine to children, the dosage has been adjusted. Children in this age range will only be getting 10 micrograms of RNA in each shot, versus 30 micrograms for those 12 and up. Katherine Wu, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for why the dosage is less about weight and size and more about how the body can marshal a defense. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...
Nov 04, 2021•8 min
Vaccine mandates continue to be a problem for many companies that contract with the federal government. The clock is ticking with a December 8th deadline and thousands of employees have yet to be vaccinated. Many are requesting exemptions for religious and medical reasons and others are readying to file lawsuits in opposition. Tina Bellon, reporter at Reuters, joins us for the rebellion over these mandates. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.c...
Nov 03, 2021•8 min
The pandemic was a big inflection point for workers of all industries, but teachers were put in an especially difficult spot dealing with remote learning, back-to-school craziness, and concerns for their own health. Many teachers quit, and others are still thinking about it. Leslie Gray Streeter, author and contributor to The Washington Post Magazine, joins us to talk about conversations she had with teachers that left their profession because of the pandemic. Many felt guilt, anger and heartbre...
Nov 02, 2021•13 min
There has been a lot of scrutiny placed on social media recently in light of the Facebook Papers, and while social media has opened the line of communication for many, maybe we weren’t meant to talk to each other so much? The number of meaningful relationships a person can have is far less than the number of people you can accumulate in a social network, and that’s where the problems can start. Both genuine speech and misinformation gets muddled together very quickly. Ian Bogost, contributing wr...
Nov 01, 2021•13 min
Beware of higher prices for everyday items. You’ll be paying more for everything from coffee to toilet paper… and big companies are betting that you’ll keep paying those prices. Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Verizon and others all plan to continue raising prices and push customers to more expensive products well into 2022 to help offset the growing costs of the supply chain crisis. Sharon Terlep, consumer products reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why companies think you’ll stick with them as th...
Oct 29, 2021•7 min
The Facebook Papers are out and it is shedding more light on how executives there weighed various tradeoffs between their bottom line and impacts on public safety. In one instance, it took them years to implement a fix for the algorithm that was feeding people angry, emotional content filled with misinformation. If you used the angry emoji on a post instead of the like button, it carried more weight and then feed you more of the same, despite the signal that you did not like it. Jeremy Merrill, ...
Oct 28, 2021•10 min
Remember all those vaccine lotteries? It went something like this… get you vaccine and you’re automatically entered to win a million bucks. 19 states in total ran some type of lottery and spent at least $89 million, unfortunately, they didn’t work too well. Research says that the increases were “very small in magnitude and statistically indistinguishable from zero.” Erin Schumaker, science editor at Business Insider, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...
Oct 27, 2021•6 min
Falling in line with what we heard from Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, Moderna has released interim data showing that their vaccine is also safe and produced the desired immune response in children ages 6-11. The dosage would be half of what it is for adults, but still come in a 2-shot protocol. Peter Loftus, pharmaceutical reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to expect as the vaccines get closer to being approved for children. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com S...
Oct 26, 2021•6 min
We could very soon see mass firings across the country as deadlines for vaccine mandates approach. The federal government, certain states, and private companies have faced opposition from employees as some are still resisting their shots for a variety of reasons, but what happens after that? Disruptions to some essential services could occur as rehiring and training may lag. Firefighters, police, and nursing staff are not so easily replaced. Pedro Gonzalez, associate editor at Chronicles Magazin...
Oct 25, 2021•10 min
A recent phenomena has been turning up in doctors’ offices where teen girls are exhibiting sudden and severe physical tics. After digging into it, many of the girls had one thing in common, they are were watching Tourette syndrome TikTok videos. Most of these teens had also previously been diagnosed with anxiety or depression, but girls with tics are rare and these teens had a high number of them and in some cases the same tic, such as saying the word ‘beans.’ Julie Jargon, family and tech colum...
Oct 22, 2021•11 min
The White House has unveiled its plan for getting kids aged 5-11 vaccinated once the Pfizer vaccine is approved for that age range. The vaccines would be distributed at pediatric offices, pharmacies, and schools. The vaccine would be two shots at a lower dosage given three weeks apart. Kids are largely spared the worst effects of the virus so the big hurdle will be getting parents to vaccinate their kids while there is already so much pushback. Sabrina Siddiqui, White House reporter at the WSJ, ...
Oct 21, 2021•7 min
