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Tyson Foods Shuts Down Another Pork Processing Plant Due to Coronavirus Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Another major meat processing plant has closed due to coronavirus. Tyson Foods has had to close down its Waterloo, Iowa pork processing plant, just as it is re-opening another facility in Columbus Junction that closed on April 6. The plant will be closed indefinitely as they clean, install infrared body temperature scanners, and plexiglass barriers to protect workers. As more plants close around the country, there are increased worries about the supply chain of meat. Tyler Jett, jobs and economy reporter for the Des Moines Register, joins us for more.

Next, one of the key marks that states must achieve to be able to safely re-open their economies is ramped up testing. Being able to test and trace workers is essential to containing the spread of the virus. But expanding the capacity to test has been difficult because of supply shortages and backlogs. One main shortage important to being able to administer the tests is a lack of swabs. Another highly touted test kit by Abbot Labs, has faced shortages of its own single use cartridges. Chris Weaver- Reporter for the WSJ, joins us for why it has been so difficult to get testing right.

Finally, the Air Force’s flying hospital pods has had its first mission, pulling COVID-19 patients out of Afghanistan and into Germany for treatment. These bio-containment modules date to the 2014 Ebola crisis and are officially called a "Transportation Isolation System." They allow for moving people who are infected with a contagious infection without giving it to anyone else on the plane, or contaminating the aircraft itself. Rob Verger, associate editor at Popular Science, joins us for what we know about this "TIS" system.

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Georgia at Center of National Debate About How to Re-Open States Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

All eyes will be on Georgia as Gov. Brian Kemp intends to start re-opening his state to business as soon as Friday, April 24. Gyms, barber shops, bowling alleys can re-open although they will still have to practice social distancing and screen people for fever and respiratory issues. Dine-in restaurants and theaters can open Monday and state-wide stay-at-home orders expire at the end of the month. Public health officials have questioned if it is too early, but it is a difficult balance between health and business. James Hohmann- national political correspondent at The Washington Post, joins us for how Georgia will re-open.

Next, for the first time ever in trading, U.S. oil prices dipped into negative territory on Monday. Companies had to pay to get rid of the over supply of oil, but this doesn't mean that you'll get paid to take gasoline off someones hands. We might see some modest savings in the next few days and weeks, but the big questions remains, what to do with all the extra oil. The administration is planning to add millions of barrels to the nations reserve. Amy Harder, energy reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

Finally, President Trump is suspending U.S. immigration for 60 days, citing the coronavirus crisis and jobs shortage. The thought process behind this is that it will limit the number of people coming from global hotspots and relieve pressure on the healthcare system, but it will also limit job competition from immigrants. While there has already been a lot going on with travel restrictions, slowed visas processing, and barring asylum seekers, this new action will most likely face some type of legal challenge. Gabby Orr, White House Reporter at Politico, joins us for new immigration orders.

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Time to Reopen: The Fight Could Be Messy for Governors Apr 21, 2020

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The road to re-opening the economy will be a messy fight that the governors of each state will have to handle. We are already seeing protests and lawsuits over stay-at-home orders and people wanting to get back to work. And while the administration has issued guidelines for states to open back up, all the details and final say is left up to the governors. Another source of conflict could be states moving faster than the willingness of cities in re-opening. Brett Samuels, White House reporter at The Hill, joins us for the fight over coronavirus restrictions.

Next, to get back to work, companies are trying to secure tests for their workers. Amazon, for example, is looking for ways to test employees regular including building its own testing lab. But there is a big discussion of the best way to proceed. Will employers need more diagnostic tests or would it be better for antibody tests? Then there are also questions about costs, supply, and concerns about employee privacy. Sarah Krouse, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how employers want to ramp up their own testing capabilities.

Finally, a look at the initial stumbles by the CDC in making testing kits. The roll out of testing kits was initially delayed because of faulty CDC test kits with contaminated components. The worse part of it is, that the component that was contaminated was not critical to detecting the virus. It took more than a month for the CDC to get back on track and prevented the U.S. from ramping up at the beginning of the outbreak here. David Willman, investigative reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

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How COVID-19 Deaths Are Counted and Touch in the Time of Coronavirus Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

As we continue to track and monitor the spread of COVID-19 cases across the country one important metric is the total death count. But depending on which state we are getting numbers from, these deaths can be tallied in very different ways. Some states only count the death if there is a confirmed laboratory test, others count probable cases of coronavirus. Some, like Dr. Deborah Birx say a death should count to the total tally if someone has COVID-19 regardless of the cause of death, others wouldn’t count it if someone for example died by a heart attack. All of these inconsistencies amount to what could be an undercount in official numbers. Emma Brown, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for which deaths count toward the COVID-19 death toll.

Next, coronavirus and social distancing has disrupted the power of touch. While we maintain distance, things like the handshake may be dying, you can’t hug a friend or loved one, and some feel like they may be in touch isolation. So what does this mean for how we connect with each other when this is all over? It may take some time to get things back to normal and feel comfortable with the way we touch and want to be touched. In the mean time, experts agree you should give your skin whatever it needs to make it feel its best. Tim Teeman, senior editor at the Daily Beast, joins us for a conversation about the power of touch… its importance and how it might comeback

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WEEKEND EDITION- A 2nd Wave of Coronavirus Layoffs May Be Coming, What a Sick Tiger Could Tell Us About COVID-19, How the Pandemic Has Changed the Way We Internet Apr 19, 2020

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- States Try Test-And-Trace Programs, Antibody Testing May Help Us Learn Who's Immune to Coronavirus, Obama Endorses Joe Biden for President Apr 18, 2020

Show notes

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

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State Department Cables Warned of Safety Issues at Wuhan Virus Lab and Italy's Fight Against COVID-19 Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

There is still so much yet to be learned about the novel coronavirus causing the pandemic we are currently in. One such thing we still don’t fully understand is the origin of the virus itself. State Department cables dating back to 2015 warned of safety issues at a Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses and potential human transmission. So while it seems that the coronavirus was probably not engineered in a lab, could it have somehow escaped from that lab. Josh Rogin, columnist from the Washington Post who obtained these State Department cables, joins us for what we know.

Next, we take a look inside Italy’s fight against COVID-19. Isobel Yeung, senior correspondent at Vice News was embedded in the Lombardy region of Italy, a global hotspot for the coronavirus. While she was there she reported from the Papa Giovanni Hospital and spoke to doctors in the ER and ICU about their experiences treating patients, she spoke with local residents about how their lives have changed and if they feel things are getting any better. Isobel also went to a local funeral to observe how social distancing has affected the whole thing. It is an emotional and informative look into how the pandemic has changed Italy and you can see it all on Vice TV.

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For States Wanting to Reopen Their Economies, Test-And-Trace Programs May Be the Key Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

As the country gets ready to re-open the economy, states are already preparing test-and-trace programs that will help in the effort. Massachusetts, Utah, and North Dakota are among those working on a comprehensive strategy that includes increased testing and contact tracing that will monitor those that are infected and their close contacts. Emma Court, health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how technology will play a major role.

Next, throughout this pandemic, there are those ready to take advantage of others with fake cures, scams and price gouging. One huge scam that came to light recently involved a union group in CA that was supposed to buy 39 million masks, the only problem… the masks never existed and the union was duped by a supposed broker in Australia and supplier in Kuwait. Adam Elmahrek, investigative reporter at the LA Times, joins us for more.

Finally, as 17 million Americans file claims for unemployment, many are having problems completing the process online. For some states, the problem is rooted in crashing websites due to a decades old coding language known as COBOL that almost no one knows. There aren’t many programmers that are fluent in this language as most systems have modernized. Makena Kelly, policy reporter at The Verge, joins us for why some unemployment checks are being held up.

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Second Round of Coronavirus Layoffs and Food Supply Worries Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

As we continue to monitor the effect that social distancing and closing down large parts of the economy is having on the country we are beginning to see a second round of layoffs. People who thought they were safe are increasingly facing unemployment. Employees working from home, government employees, and even some healthcare workers are all in danger the longer that business is shut down. Harriet Torry, economics reporter at the WSJ, join us for round two of job losses.

Next, worries about the food supply are growing after the world’s biggest pork processing plant had to close its doors due to coronavirus. Smithfield Foods in South Dakota has seen nearly 300 of its employees contract COVID-19 and will be closed for at least two weeks. South Dakota did not have stay-at-home orders in place and workers there had been calling for more personal protective equipment. Alex Gangitano, reporter at The Hill, joins us for more.

Finally, Joe Biden has picked up a pair of crucial endorsement in his run for president. President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders have both come out in support of Biden. In his endorsement, Obama also addressed the coronavirus pandemic and called out the GOP and the administration for lack of action. Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter at Politico, joins us for what this means for the transition to the general election.

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How a Hyperactive Immune System Can Make COVID-19 More Severe Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

Researchers are looking into how an immune system gone haywire may be doing the most damage in patients experiencing some of the most severe symptoms and even death because of COVID-19. This might be happening in two stages, first the immune system fails to respond quickly enough to the virus, then responds too aggressively and causes more damage. Joe Walker, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for why a hyperactive immune response may make things worse.

Next, last week we heard about Nadia, a tiger in the Bronx zoo that had contracted COVID-19. The tiger and a few other big cats had come down with dry coughs, so the decision was made to test, and the test was one made specifically for the animals. It’s important to understand how the transmission works… can it spread to other animals or even pets? Kate Knibbs, writer at Wired, joins us for more.

Finally, as we track and map out the spread of the coronavirus, we are learning that most of the cases in New York actually came from Europe and not China. Early travel restrictions from those coming from China were put in place, but the virus had already spread making it much more difficult to contain. Carl Zimmer, Columnist at the NY Times, joins us for how coronavirus came to New York.

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