Reopening America

Latest Episodes:

What to Know About Vaccine Passports, Will They Be Ready in the U.S. for the Summer Travel Season? Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

There are a lot of questions about vaccine passports and when they might be available in the U.S. These could be paper or digital documents that show you are fully vaccinated or recently tested negative for coronavirus and may allow you to travel internationally more freely, or avoid local quarantines. Dr. John Torres, senior medical contributor to NBC News, joins us for how the U.S. is still far from laying any groundwork to get these vaccine passports implemented.

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California and Florida Took Completely Different Approaches to the Pandemic, Who Did It Better? Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

As more states start to open up and vaccine distribution continues to grow, many are looking at who did what right during the pandemic. Two states that are often compared for how different an approach they each took are California and Florida. Gov. Newsom in CA if facing a recall effort for his handling of the pandemic, while Gov. Ron DeSantis is being praised in some conservative circles for his handling. California has a better death rate, but higher unemployment. Florida has more kids in school, but is facing a budget shortfall. Soumya Karlamangla, health reporter at the LA Times, joins us for who handled COVID-19 better.

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The Lost Pandemic Year for Teens Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

For many, this past year of the pandemic has been a lost year. And for our kids and teens, the disruption to school life has had major impacts on both academic life and also took on emotional toll. In Hobbs, New Mexico, the high school there close and sports were canceled, taking away activities that gave many meaning and provided social interaction. Kooper Davis was one such student who despite his best efforts, felt lost without his normal routine and outlets and the stress eventually overcame him. Alec MacGillis, reporter at ProPublica, joins us for what the pandemic has cost some teenagers.

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The Pandemic Has Messed With Our Brains, Have We Forgotten How to Be Normal? Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

The late stage pandemic has been messing with our brains and no one remembers how to be normal. As more people get their vaccines and states ease restrictions, it’s raising hopes about getting back out there, but we are out of practice and stress and boredom has been a strain on our brains. Ellen Cushing, special projects editor at The Atlantic, joins us for more.

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Can Businesses That Thrived During Lockdowns Keep up as Economy Gets Back to Normal? Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

Many businesses thrived because of the shifts in spending during lockdowns. Now, looking forward to an economy that will hopefully be getting back to normal soon, these companies are facing questions about if they can keep up. Will people continue to order from DoorDash or go back to restaurants? Will the home improvement sector continue to grow or are people going on vacations? Paul Ziobro, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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Some Republican Voters Are Resistant to Getting the COVID Vaccines, We'll Need Them to Reach Herd Immunity Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

As vaccine distribution continues to ramp up, we are still hearing about people resistant to getting the shot. A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation says that nearly one-third of Republicans would not get the vaccine. Reasons range anywhere from side effects, being developed too quickly, and distrust of the government. Dan Diamond, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the upcoming messaging effort to get more people on board.

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Fully Vaccinated People Can Now Spend Time Together Indoors and Unmasked According to the CDC Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

The CDC has issued new guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. The good news is that those people can now visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. And if they are exposed to the virus, there’s no need to quarantine or get tested if they show no symptoms. Lev Facher, Washington correspondent at STAT News, joins us for the new rules for those that have gotten their vaccine.

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New Vaccine Technology Shows Promise in Creating Treatments for Future Illnesses and Outbreaks Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

The Covid vaccines have been major breakthroughs in science and technology. They've produced a class of vaccines that researchers believe can protect people from other illnesses and outbreaks. From Pfizer and Moderna we have mRNA platforms and Johnson & Johnson used viral-vector technology. With new insights into the immune system, scientists are reprogramming the body to muster better defenses against viruses. Peter Loftus, health care reporter at the WSJ, joins us to talk about the promising new class of vaccines.

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Tensions Rise Between U.S. and China as Group of Scientists Call for New Investigation Into Origins of COVID-19 Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

The investigation by a team of scientists from the WHO into the origins of Covid- 19 continues to cause tension between the U.S. and China. Now, an interim report that was set to be released has been scrapped and another team of scientists is calling for an all-new investigation with more transparency and access. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more problems for the WHO probe.

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Estimates Suggest America May Soon Face a Doctor Shortage Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

Some estimates say that we could face a shortage of doctors in the next decade, but right now there are thousands of doctors that can't get a job. Medical schools are producing more graduates, but residency programs haven't kept up with matching doctors. Part of the problem is matching doctors who went to medical school abroad. Emma Goldberg, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for why many young doctors are in debt and unmatched with residency programs.

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