Today on AirTalk, we discuss Sen. Bernie Sanders decision to end his campaign for president, leaving a path for former VP Joe Biden to secure the Democratic nomination. We also speak with Rep. Adam Schiff on the federal pandemic response; look at how the UC system is adjusting their application process; and more.
Feel The Bern: Sanders Suspends Presidential Campaign
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is officially suspending his presidential campaign. Sanders ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, an acknowledgment that former Vice President Joe Biden is too far ahead for him to have any reasonable hope of catching up. The Vermont senator’s announcement makes Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November.
Sanders initially exceeded sky-high expectations about his ability to recreate the magic of his 2016 presidential bid, and even overcame a heart attack last October on the campaign trail. But he found himself unable to convert unwavering support from progressives into a viable path to the nomination amid “electability” fears fueled by questions about whether his democratic socialist ideology would be palatable to general election voters. NPR’s Ron Elving joins Larry for the latest and to discuss what Sanders’ decision could mean come November. Do you have questions? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets
COVID-19 Medical AMA: Latest Numbers, Guidance On Masks And More
On Tuesday afternoon, L.A. County reported 550 new cases and 22 new deaths, marking a rise in the mortality rate to 2.4%. There have now been more than 6,900 total confirmed cases here.
According to the CDC, the state and Los Angeles County, everyone, with the exception of small children, should put on some kind of cloth facial covering before heading outside to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Read more about this on LAist here and here.
We discuss the latest recommendations and also take your questions with our medical expert. Call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist.
Guest:
Timothy Brewer, M.D., professor of medicine and epidemiology at UCLA; has consulted for the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Adam Schiff On Wanting To Establish Commission To Review Federal Pandemic Response
House Democrats are drafting legislation that would create a bipartisan commission to study the U.S. government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, modeled on one that examined the 9/11 attacks.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., are working on separate bills establishing a commission. Draft legislation from Thompson’s committee says the commission would provide a “full and complete accounting” of the U.S. efforts.
We talk to Chairman Schiff about the Commission, as well as the recent firing of the Pentagon’s inspector general who had been overseeing the federal financial rescue package, the White House’s daily briefings with the public, the Senate’s proposal for a frontline workers pay program and the president’s vision for an economic bounceback.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman representing California’s 28 Congressional District, which includes Burbank, parts of Pasadena, and Glendale; chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; he tweets
UC System Is Relaxing Admissions Requirements Due To COVID-19. How Will That Work?
Responding to the unprecedented shift to remote learning and other challenges to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the University of California is temporarily suspending its core admissions requirements for students seeking to enroll.
The decision by the UC Board of Regents takes a big weight off the shoulders of high school seniors, especially those who have been unable to fully access online courses. Universities can and often do withdraw admissions offers when seniors' grades fall. In a dramatic shift from past standards, the UC system suspended the requirement to submit a score from a standardized test, like the ACT or SAT, for students submitting applications for fall 2021 enrollment. The university emphasized that the change is not permanent. Use of standardized tests has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates who say they are biased in favor of students who can afford extensive test preparation. A lawsuit filed last fall is pending. And future use of testing requirements is still being considered by the school system. UC administrators have also suspended the requirement that admitted 12th graders earn at least a C in senior year classes in so-called A-G courses, which include history/social science, English, math, science, languages other than English, visual and performing arts courses, and college-prep electives. Today on AirTalk, we discuss how UC came to the decision to ease requirements and what impact it could have. Do you have thoughts or questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Read the full LAist story from Adolfo Guzman-Lopez here.
Guests:
Eddie Comeaux, professor of higher education at UC Riverside and chair of the Academic Senate committee (BOARS) that oversees undergraduate admission policies and practices throughout the UC system; he tweets
John A. Pérez, chair of the UC Board of Regents and speaker emeritus of the California Assembly; he tweets
COVID-19: Is Pulling A Loved One Out Of A Nursing Home The Right Decision?
As the coronavirus crisis deepens, nursing homes and assisted living facilities have become particular areas of concern for public health officials, residents, staff and their loved ones. Because older people and people with underlying health conditions are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, outbreaks at the facilities can have much more deadly consequences.
In a press conference yesterday, L.A. County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer for the first time advised people to take their loved ones out of nursing homes and assisted living facilities if they can. "In general, we do concur with the advice that's come from both the CDC and the state," Ferrer said, "that if you have a loved one in a facility and at this point in time you're able to care for them at home, this would be perfectly appropriate."
Ferrer also acknowledged that many families "are faced with the horrible reality that they cannot effectively care for a person in their home, either because... they don't have a place to care for them, or because the person requires a lot of care, and that that care really does need to happen in our skilled nursing facilities or a long-term care facility."
Dr. Ferrer reported Tuesday that investigations are being conducted in 121 institutional settings in L.A. County, which include nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and that 37 people who have died of COVID-19 were residents in these facilities. Those numbers include an assisted living center in Redondo Beach where four people have died and 38 others have tested positive for the virus.
Today on AirTalk, we talk with a doctor and professor of gerontology about what families should consider when deciding whether to remove a family member from a nursing home, assisted living facility or long-term care facility. If you're weighing this decision now and have questions, call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Edward Schneider M.D., professor of Gerontology, Medicine and Biology at USC; he is on board of directors for the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the aging