Today on AirTalk, we answer your COVID-19 questions. Also on the show we discuss the LAUSD survey administered to parents in order to gauge their interest in hybrid learning for their children; KPCC film critics Wade Major and Lael Lowenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases; and more.
COVID-19: Hospitals Fear Staffing Shortages, CA’s Regional Stay-At-Home Order 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:
- L.A. County breaks single day case record Thursday
- Officials fear hospital staffing shortages as beds fill
- CA’s new regional, limited stay-at-home order
- How vaccines are being prioritized in CA
- NYT: How 700 Epidemiologists Are Living Now, and What They Think Is Next
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
LAUSD Wants Parents To Weigh In By Sunday On Whether They’d Send Their Kids Back For In-Person Learning
Los Angeles Unified School District campuses remain closed for in-person learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the district wants parents to tell them whether or not they’d send their kids back for in-person learning when the time does come for the morning bell to ring again.
LAUSD has sent a survey to parents in the district that aims to collect information on where parents stand in terms of desire to have their kids back in school in a hybrid model or to remain at home doing distance learning. The district has provided some details on what the hybrid model will look like, but has not given any specific information on things like whether kids would come in for morning or afternoon instruction and which grades would be on campus when in-person instruction resumes.
Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from LAUSD parents and students wrestling with this decision. What is the reasoning behind what you’ll choose for your child on the survey? How are you balancing your child’s safety and making sure they receive the most comprehensive learning experience possible? Join the live conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722.
For more from KPCC + LAist’s Carla Javier, click here.
Are you deciding whether to go back to school in person or stay remote? KPCC + LAist journalist Carla Javier wants to hear from you! How are you thinking about your decision? What information are you turning to to help you decide? Tell us your thoughts here. We’ll read every response, but nothing is shared without your permission.
Guest:
Carla Javier, KPCC/LAist reporter covering education; she tweets
Transportation Dept Restricts Service And Emotional Support Animal Rules
The days of pets flying with their owners in airplane cabins for free are coming to an end.
The Transportation Department issued a final rule Wednesday covering animals on airlines. It decided that only dogs can fly as service animals, and companions that passengers use for emotional support don’t count.
The rule aims to settle years of tension between airlines and passengers who bring their pets on board for free by saying they need them for emotional help. Under a longstanding department policy, all the passengers needed was a note from a health professional.
Airlines argued that passengers abused the situation to bring a menagerie of animals on board including cats, turtles, pot-bellied pigs and, in one case, a peacock.
The agency said Wednesday that it was rewriting the rules partly because passengers carrying unusual animals on board “eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals.” It also cited the increasing frequency of people “fraudulently representing their pets as service animals,” and a rise in misbehavior by emotional-support animals, ranging from peeing on the carpet to biting other passengers.
What do you think? Are you a frequent flier who encounters animals on planes? Do you rely on a service or emotional support animal? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Lori Aratani, transportation reporter for the Washington Post; she tweets
FilmWeek: ‘Red, White And Blue,’ ‘Mank,’ ‘76 Days,’ And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Lael Lowenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- "Red White and Blue" on Amazon Prime Video
- "Mank" on Netflix
- "76 Days" on Laemmle's Virtual Cinema
- "The Prom" showing at the Vineland Drive-In (City of Industry) & the Mary Pickford Theater (Cathedral City); Netflix on Dec. 11
- "Dear Santa" on VOD (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV & Vudu)
- "Ending Disease" on Laemmle's Virtual Cinema
- "Black Bear" showing at the Arena Cinelounge (Hollywood); VOD (including Vudu, FandangoNOW & Google Play)
- "Baby God" on HBO Max
- "Half Brothers" showing at the Rubidoux Drive In (Riverside), Van Buren Drive In (Riverside) & Mission Tiki Drive In (Montclair)
- "Another Round" on Laemmle's Virtual Cinema; VOD on Dec. 18
- "Mayor" on Laemmle's Virtual Cinema
- "Godmothered" on Disney+
- "Luxor" on VOD (including FandangoNOW & iTunes)
- "Billie" on VOD (including Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video)
- "Elyse" on all VOD platforms
Our FilmWeek critics have been curating personal lists of their favorite TV shows and movies to binge-watch during self-quarantine. You can see recommendations from each of the critics and where you can watch them here.
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and film columnist for the Santa Monica Daily Press; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
John Horn Talks With Director Hao Wu About The Making Of ‘76 Days’ Amid Chaos
The documentary “76 Days” takes viewers into Wuhan hospitals, following frontline healthcare workers as they battled COVID-19 during the city’s months-long lockdown early in the pandemic. KPCC’s John Horn talked with Director Hao Wu about how the film came together during such a chaotic time. You can see the film now at Laemmle’s Virtual Cinema.
Guest:
Hao Wu, director of the new documentary “76 Days;” he tweets