Reopening America

Latest Episodes:

Delta Variant Causing Concern in Places With Low Vaccination Rates Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

The Delta Covid-19 variant continues to cause worry among public health officials especially in places like Wyoming where only 32% of people are fully vaccinated and big events are taking place like a 10-day rodeo set to start later this month. Hospitals are also seeing a rise in younger patients infected with this variant. Julie Wernau, health and science reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how this variant is gaining ground among the unvaccinated.

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How Opening Sidewalks to Businesses During the Pandemic Shut Things Down for Disabled Users Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

One of the bright spots that helped restaurants and businesses make it through the pandemic was the ability to extend out onto sidewalks and streets. It helped them continue to do business while indoor activities were restricted and in many areas these changes are being made permanent, but for disabled citizens, these changes can make sidewalks feel like obstacle courses. Calls are now being made for "mini equality impact assessments" which notify business owners of reasonable adjustments that can be made to provide better accessibility. John Surico, contributor to Bloomberg CityLab, joins us for how "open streets" impacted disabled users.

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Why It's so Expensive to Build Something in America Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

There is a lot of talk about infrastructure lately as the Biden administration tries to get a bill passed and one of the big questions being debated is how to pay for it. But why does it cost so much to build things in America? When it comes to mass transit and roads, we just don’t build enough and are out of practice. Every time a new project comes along it’s like starting from scratch. There is also the complexity of working across multiple jurisdictions and bottlenecks at every step of the process. Jerusalem Demsas, policy reporter at Vox, joins us for why the U.S. gets very little for what it builds.

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People Are Leaving Unemployment Rolls Faster In Areas Where Enhanced Benefits Have Been Cut Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

We are seeing people leave unemployment rolls faster in states that have cancelled enhanced unemployment benefits than in those keeping them in place. Businesses are still having a tough time attracting workers and keeping them from quitting, and many suspected that workers were still reluctant to go back into the workforce because of these extra benefits. Eric Morath, labor and economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how people are looking for jobs now that unemployment benefits are ending.

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It's a Seller's Market: Dealers Selling Cars for Over Sticker Price Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Car dealers are selling more vehicles above the sticker price as demand continues to remain high while supply is low. Dealers are loading cars with extra additions and in some cases charging 10,000 over MSRP. Nora Naughton, auto industry reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why dealers are selling cars for so much, the short answer… is because they can.

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mRNA Vaccines Are Likely to Provide Immunity From Coronavirus for Years, Study Finds Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

A new study has some good news for the lingering question about how long immunity lasts after being vaccinated. The mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna set off a persistent immune reaction in the body that could protect against the virus for years. The study suggests the most people immunized with mRNA vaccines might not need booster shots, unless the virus and variants evolve too much. Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for more.

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mRNA technology that is used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be used to help treat cancer Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

The same mRNA technology that is used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be used to help treat cancer. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for how mRNA tech is being used for more than Covid.

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Airline Industry Groups and Lawmakers Want More Done to Deal With Unruly Passengers Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

We have been hearing a lot about unruly passengers on flights recently and the thousands of dollars in penalties they face, but now Airline industry groups, flight attendants and lawmakers want more done to help out. Airline reps want the Attorney General to prosecute unruly passengers and there are even call for mandatory self- defense training for flight attendants who have to deal with angry flyers. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for more.

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Officials Urge More to Be Vaccinated as Delta Variant Could Become Dominant Strain Soon in the U.S. Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is getting a lot of attention lately as it is likely to become the dominant strain in the U.S. in the near future. This variant is more transmissible, can infect a large portion of those who have only had one dose of the vaccine, and can also cause more severe disease. Sarah Zhang, staff writer at the Atlantic, joins us for why health officials are using this variant of concern to push more people to be vaccinated.

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Companies Pushing Employees to Disclose Vaccination Status Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

More companies are pushing for employees to prove they are vaccinated for Covid-19. Most employers have not mandated that workers get vaccinated, but are implementing policies for those who choose not to get the shots like continued mask wearing. Employers are bolstered by new guidance that says they can require all workers entering a workplace to be vaccinated. Orla McCaffrey, consumer finance reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

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