Reopening America

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Mandates Could Be On Their Way After FDA Grants Full Approval for Current Vaccines Jul 21, 2021

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With the concerning Delta variant of Covid-19 and surging cases of infection, many public health officials think that tactics may need to change to increase vaccination rates. Vaccine mandates have been talked about, but the government and many businesses have not gone that way… yet. Many health experts think that could change once the FDA grants full approval to the current vaccines. Shannon Pettypiece, senior White House reporter at NBC News Digital, joins us for why mandates could be on their way.

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Team USA Alternate Tests Positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo Jul 20, 2021

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18-year-old Kara Eaker is the first U.S. athlete to test positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Tokyo for the Olympic Games. She is an alternate for Team USA Gymnastics and has been taken to a hotel to quarantine until she tests negative. While vaccination rates are low in Japan, about 85% of the delegations are expected to be vaccinated. Tina Reed, healthcare editor and author of VITALS at Axios, joins us for this early test to Olympic Covid protocols.

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Pandemic Reality Check... Things Are Trending In the Wrong Way Again Jul 20, 2021

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Pandemic reality check… we are getting further away from the end than we should be. To be clear, it is nowhere near as bad as it was at the height of the pandemic, but once again numbers are trending in the wrong way. Infections are going up, hospitalizations and deaths are going up, and in some places like L.A. County, mask restrictions are being re-imposed. Joel Achenbach, science reporter at the Washington post, joins us for more.

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Drug Overdoses in 2020 Rose 30% With Fentanyl and Pandemic as Contributing Factors Jul 19, 2021

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Drug overdose deaths have risen sharply in the country by 30% in 2020 with over 93,000 deaths. A large driver of those deaths were the result of the synthetic opioid fentanyl as it has been frequently mixed into other drugs. The pandemic also played a role in this as people who were receiving treatment or wanted it had difficulty accessing it early on. Isolation and other life disruptions also fueled the uptick. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for the rise in overdose deaths.

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Professional Dog Trainers Worry About Misbehaving Pandemic Puppies Jul 16, 2021

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Professional dog trainers are having to deal with an increase in misbehaving pandemic puppies. Because of quarantines and shutdowns many first time dog owners didn’t properly train or socialize their pups which led them to be overly reactive or have separation anxiety. The big worry for these trainers is that if people can’t get dogs under control, they may be surrendered. Bailey Berg, contributor to Vice News, joins us for more.

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Public Health Officials Worry About Superspreader Events in Uptick of COVID Cases Jul 15, 2021

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Public health officials are once again worried about superspreader events as we see lagging vaccination rates and rising Covid cases. With less mask wearing and social distancing, people are going out more and attending larger gatherings. Studies have shown that 10 percent of people infected with Covid could be responsible for 80 percent of the spread. Denise Chow, science reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

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People Are Going Back to Bars and Restaurants, but Those Employees Have Moved On to Other Sectors With Better Pay and Perks Jul 14, 2021

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Checking in on the restaurant and hospitality industry, things have not gotten much better yet. Businesses are still struggling to attract employees who in some cases have moved on to other sectors. Pandemic layoffs pushed many hospitality employees to seek jobs with better pay, more perks, and different career opportunities and some are not going back to their old jobs. Heather Haddon, restaurants reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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Bucking Industry Leaders Tech Companies Are Beginning to Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines Jul 12, 2021

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Most companies are simply encouraging employees to be vaccinated, but a growing number of them are starting to require it. In the tech world, some big software companies are marking a departure from industry leaders like Facebook and Google. Recent surveys found that the majority of professionals support vaccine mandates and say it would make them feel more comfortable about returning to the office. Allison Levitsky, reporter at Protocol, joins us for how vaccine requirements are popping up at the workplace.

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Despite Some Real Challenges During the Pandemic, The Population's Mental Health Was Extremely Resilient Jul 09, 2021

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Throughout the pandemic, mental health has been a big issue with a lot of anxiety and depression going around, but there is a silver lining, the world’s psychological immune system turned out to be more resilient than we thought. Many people were able to weather the psychological challenges of the pandemic and focus on the positive, despite some real challenges. Elizabeth Dunn, psychology professor at the University of British Columbia and Chief Science Officer of Happy Money, joins us for how the pandemic didn’t affect mental health the way you think.

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ER Boarding Can Make It Especially Difficult for Kids Suffering a Mental Health Crisis Jul 08, 2021

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The demand for mental healthcare has overwhelmed supply for most of the pandemic, and in some places like Massachusetts, the need for those services is critical. If traditional hospitals and treatment centers don't have available space for mental health services, some may need to go to the ER in what is known as emergency room boarding for psychiatric patients. These types of stays have risen between 200% and 400% in Massachusetts during the pandemic and ERs are not equipped for this type of treatment. Martha Bebinger, healthcare reporter at WBUR, joins us for what to know and one girl's 17-day stay in an ER.

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