Today on AirTalk, we break down President Biden's proposed $1.8 trillion 'American Families Plan.' Also on the show, we learn how California parks are rebuilding after devastating wildfires; analyze the potential outcomes of the FDA's proposed ban on menthol cigarettes; and more.
DOC AMA: Vaccines Slow Spread of COVID-19 Infections, Poorer Countries May Wait Years For Vaccines And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Tim Brewer from UCLA.
Today’s topics include:
Some young Americans are hesitant about getting a COVID-19 shot. Here's why that's an issue for all Americans
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can remain stable at refrigerated temperatures for 3 months, company says
Vaccines appear to be slowing spread of COVID-19 infections
Opioids for COVID-19 'long haulers' raise addiction fears
India and poorer countries may wait years for COVID-19 vaccines as rich countries hoard them
Guest:
Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health; has served on the advisory boards of the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
After Devastating Wildfires, California’s Parks Hope To Rebuild And Reimagine The Future
Last summer wildfires ravaged Big Basin Redwoods State Park so devastatingly that in just one day, 97% of it burned, turning its cathedral-like redwoods to black and wiping out critical infrastructure.
Now park officials are hoping to rebuild and reopen parts of the park. And although the devastation is immense, it has also provided a unique opportunity for officials to reimagine what the park might look like going forward. Though many species have been wiped out completely (don’t expect to see any Douglas Firs, for example), others, like the eponymous redwoods, are already showing signs of regrowth. Officials say their charred trunks could be an opportunity to educate visitors on wildfires and forest management. This summer, park leaders will convene stakeholders to weigh in not only on ecological education, but the indigenous history of the land, which has not previously been a prominent feature of the park’s educational materials. It will take years to eventually reopen the park, but parks management are emphasizing that when visitors are eventually allowed back, they will encounter a very different park from the one they last met.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about how California parks are rebuilding after devastating wildfires. Questions? Comment below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Julie Cart, environment reporter at Cal Matters and author of the recent piece, “Battered, burned but alive: Time will heal park’s wounds, but it needs big money, too”; she tweets
Joanne Kerbavaz, senior environmental scientist at Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Adrienne Dunfee, deputy monument manager at the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument; she was agency administrator representative on last year’s Bobcat Fire
Diving Into Biden’s $1.8 Trillion ‘American Families Plan’
President Joe Biden declared that “America is rising anew” as he called for an expansion of federal programs to drive the economy past the coronavirus pandemic and broadly extend the social safety net on a scale not seen in decades.
Biden’s nationally televised address to Congress, his first, raised the stakes for his ability to sell his plans to voters of both parties, even if Republican lawmakers prove resistant. The Democratic president is following Wednesday night’s speech by pushing his plans in person, beginning in Georgia on Thursday and then on to Pennsylvania and Virginia in the days ahead.
Speaking in highly personal terms while demanding massive structural changes, the president marked his first 100 days in office by proposing a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education to help rebuild an economy devastated by the virus and compete with rising global competitors.
We dive into the American Families Plan - what’s in it, how it will be funded and its political viability.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Anita Kumar, White House correspondent and associate editor for POLITICO; she tweets
Elizabeth Spalding, senior fellow at the Pepperdine school of public policy
Renée Van Vechten, professor of political science at University of Redlands; she tweets
As FDA Weighs Banning Menthol Cigarettes, We Discuss Its Impact
U.S. health regulators pledged again Thursday to try to ban menthol cigarettes, this time under pressure from African American groups to remove the mint flavor popular among Black smokers.
The Food and Drug Administration has attempted several times to get rid of menthol but faced pushback from Big Tobacco, members of Congress and competing political interests in both the Obama and Trump administrations. Any menthol ban will take years to implement and will likely face legal challenges from tobacco companies.
Thursday’s announcement is the result of a lawsuit filed by anti-smoking and medical groups last summer to force the FDA to finally make a decision on menthol, alleging that regulators had “unreasonably delayed” responding to a 2013 petition seeking to ban the flavor. The deadline for the agency’s response was Thursday. The FDA said it aims to introduce the regulations banning the flavor in the coming year.
There has also been some discourse in implementing such a ban despite the drug disproportionately hurting the health of Black Americans, with the policing of this issue potentially becoming a problematic byproduct of the proposed policy. Today on AirTalk, we debate the potential outcomes of this proposed FDA policy and weigh its benefits and risks. Questions? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Carol McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council; she tweets
Jody Armour, professor of law at USC; he wrote “The carceral consequences of a menthol cigarette ban on communities of color”; he tweets