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Calls to Defund Police Continue, Where Could Those Cuts Come From? Jun 12, 2020

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You’ve heard the rallying cry to “defund the police,” but while many local officials and law enforcement experts disagree with the idea of dismantling police departments, they do say however, that some of the duties police perform could be better handled by others. The idea of taking funds away from police budgets and redirecting that money into resources that support homeless housing, mental health, addiction, and employment services is gaining steam. Kim Hart, cities reporter at Axios, joins us for where it might make sense to cut police budgets.

Next, when the country shut down to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, it was also thrust into the learning experiment of mass remote learning. As the end of the school year approaches, the results are in: It didn’t work. The problems quickly stacked up in school districts ill equipped to make such drastic changes. Some students lacked access to computers or internet, teachers had no experience with remote learning, and some parents were unavailable to help. Lee Hawkins, education reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how the remote learning experiment went and what’s on deck for next year.

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Summer of Testing: Coronavirus Vaccine Candidates Most to Final Phase of Trials Jun 11, 2020

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This summer will be very important in the fight against COVID-19. Three coronavirus vaccine candidates will be entering phase 3 of clinical trials in the race for an effective treatment. Each of these trials will involve tens of thousands of people and researchers hope to get some results within six to eight months. Peter Loftus, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the race to a vaccine.

Next, news that we did not want to hear… several states have seen an increase of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations following Memorial Day. Data from the states that are reporting some of their highest seven-day averages of new cases also suggests that the increases are not just due to more testing. What is more concerning is that some states are nearing hospital bed capacity. Jacqueline Dupree, who keeps track of coronavirus numbers for the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Finally, amid the pandemic and protests against police brutality, there are still elections happening… and in Georgia, Tuesday was a mess. People were waiting in lines over 4 hours to cast ballots, some voting machines didn’t work, there were provisional ballot shortages, and all this happened while trying to social distance. Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter at Politico, joins us for the chaos in Georgia and why people are concerned for November.

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The CDC Wants States to Count 'Probable' Coronavirus Cases and Deaths, but Not All Counting the Same Way Jun 10, 2020

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One thing that has eluded the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic is accurate counting of cases and deaths. Every state counts the numbers differently, despite guidelines from the CDC to count both lab confirmed cases and “probable” cases of COVID-19. The goal is to get accurate national statistics that inform public health decision making. Beth Reinhard, investigative reporter at the Washington Post joins us for how cases are counted.

Next, the pandemic has led to the fastest rise in food prices in more than 40 years and consumers are on the hunt for more value. Shutdowns at meat processing plants, increased costs for labor and transportation, and a pullback on promotions at grocery stores all contributed to the price raises. Annie Gasparro, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why your grocery bill is so high.

Finally, as all eyes are on police departments to enact some type of reforms to end police brutality. Some departments have already begun to ban chokeholds and require authorization to use crowd control measures with “less than lethal” weapons. Louise Matsakis, writer at Wired, joins us for more on these nonlethal weapons and the serious harm they can do.

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Protesters Are Hoping for Meaningful Police Reforms, but the Road Ahead Will Be Challenging Jun 09, 2020

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As protests continue throughout the country, many hope that this could be a moment for police reforms, but experts say that it will be a difficult path and the politics of police reform have squashed efforts before because of powerful police unions and legal immunity. But public perception of police bias has started to shift and many recognize a deeper problem. Kimberly Kindy, national investigative reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, the country continues to make its way back from the shutdowns of the coronavirus pandemic. NYC, the hardest hit area in the U.S., began reopening Monday with construction, agriculture, and manufacturing sites opening including retail stores offering curbside and in-store pickup. Stephanie Yang, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the first day of reopening in NYC.

Finally, when the protests first started and quickly turned violent, the big question was who was high jacking the demonstrations. Many blamed far-right and far-left extremist groups. One such group called the “Boogaloo Boys,” who wear Hawaiian shirts and carry guns, just had some members arrested in Las Vegas for trying to incite violence. Craig Timberg, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more on the “Boogaloo Boys.”

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The Push to Defund the Police and Hollywood Begins Reopening Jun 08, 2020

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Amid the protests against police brutality sweeping the country after the death of George Floyd, there have been many calls to defund the police. The concept is to take money away from police department budgets, which can be in the billions in some cities, and move that money to community services. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, just announced that the LAPD budget could be cut by up to $150 million and reinvest that money into communities of color. I’ll tell you more about the growing calls to defund police.

Next, as we continue to reopen the country after the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down, one industry that has yet to formalize a plan to get back is the entertainment industry. What we do know, is that whatever the plan is that eventually comes out, it will be expensive to restart production. There will be shorter shooting days and longer shooting schedules, casts and crews will be put in quarantine, breaks for temperature checks and COVID testing, and new personnel dedicated to health and safety. Adam B. Vary, senior entertainment writer at Variety, joins us for the pricey plan to restart production.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Protests Turn Peaceful, COVID Blood Vessel Damage, Vaccine May Need Two Shots Jun 07, 2020

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This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Charges in George Floyd Case, Autopsy Results, Looting in Los Angeles Jun 06, 2020

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This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

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Coronavirus Vaccine May Require More Than One Shot to Grant Immunity Jun 05, 2020

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Right now there are over 100 coronavirus vaccine candidates in various stages of testing and when one finally breaks through, it may not be as simple as one shot and you’re done. There is a high likelihood that an eventual vaccine could be a two-dose protocol given a month or two apart, with the first injection priming the immune system and the second strengthening the immune response. Elizabeth Weise, reporter at USA Today, joins us for why you might need two coronavirus shots.

Next, as protests continue around the country, the DEA has been given permission to collect intelligence on people protesting George Floyd’s death according to a memo obtained by BuzzFeed News. The authority was granted only on a two week basis as they look to provide law enforcement with backup in investigating extremist groups and those causing violence. Jason Leopold, senior investigative reporter at BuzzFeed News, joins us for more.

Finally, the latest unemployment data is showing that the number of workers applying for and receiving unemployment benefits still remained historically high, but eased at the end of May. This leads many to hope that the worst of the economic fallout from that pandemic is over. Sarah Chaney, economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for some good economic news.

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George Floyd Death: Murder Charges Upgraded for Ex-Minneapolis Officer and 3 Others Also Charged Jun 04, 2020

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New charges in the case of George Floyd. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison increased the murder charge for Derek Chauvin to second-degree murder and also charged the other three officers present at the time with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Kim Bellware, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more on these new charges.

Next, there are approximately 1,600 active duty U.S. Army troops waiting for a possible deployment into the streets of Washington D.C. to restore order if protests get out of hand. President Trump would have to enact the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy them, but the plan has been met with opposition by many including Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Nancy Youssef, national security correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for the plan to activate the military.

Finally, the coronavirus pandemic has reduced public education in the U.S. to a shell of its former self. A Reuters survey of several school districts found that students aren’t having enough facetime with teachers, some districts don’t even take attendance for online classes, and access to classes is also difficult at times. Michael Pell, reporter at Reuters, joins us for how schools have been affected.

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Civil Rights Charge Filed Against Minneapolis Police Department Jun 03, 2020

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The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will launch an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department after filing a civil rights charge because of the death George Floyd. As that plays out, protests continue in Minneapolis and around the country. Lam Thuy Vo, senior reporter at BuzzFeed News, is on the ground with protesters and tells us about the change they want to see.

Next, continued unrest and protests are derailing the plans of some restaurants and businesses to reopen. After being shut down for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses have had to shift their focus to protecting staff and inserting themselves in the moment at hand. Heather Haddon, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, there have been over 40,000 deaths tied to U.S. nursing homes because of COVID-19 according to a USA Today analysis. It is about 40% of nation’s coronavirus death toll. Limited testing, a lack of personal protective equipment, and poor infection control at these facilities has hit this vulnerable population hard. Marisa Kwiatkowski, investigative reporter at USA Today, joins us for how there is growing concern of more infection as states reopen.

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