Today on AirTalk, we gives updates on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions. Also on the show, we discuss the California legislature being back in session and what policies may be proposed; break down California's new master plan for early education; and more.
COVID-19: LA Public School Campuses To Close This Week As County Case Numbers Soar
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center, and Dr. Kimberly Shriner, infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Topics today include:
- LAT: In an alarming new record, daily coronavirus cases surpass 10,500 in L.A. County
- Dangerous COVID-19 surge leads to hard shutdown of L.A. public schools
- LAT: Many aren’t buying public officials’ ‘stay-at-home’ message. Experts say there’s a better way
- WSJ: Scientists investigate whether exposure to early coronavirus helped Asia fight COVID-19
- WSJ: Sweden ends pandemic experiment that avoided implementing COVID-19 restrictions
- NY Times: The United Kingdom will become first Western nation to launch a vaccine drive on Tuesday
Guests:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena
CA’s Legislative Session: What’s To Be Expected As Lawmakers Reconvene During Pandemic
The California Legislature is back in session starting Monday, and it’s already shaping up to be an atypical year with legislators kicking things off at Sacramento’s Golden One basketball arena to accommodate for proper distancing.
According to a recent CalMatters piece from politics observer Dan Walters, this legislative session is bound to be shaped by the pandemic in all kinds of ways. There are concerns over the basic logistics of how lawmakers legislate during the pandemic, which is likely to bleed over from last session. Beyond that, the state’s economy and revenue sit in a state of uncertainty. And some of California’s most pressing matters, like homelessness and housing affordability, remain.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss what to expect this legislative session and how the pandemic will play into priorities and expectations. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Katie Orr, government and politics reporter for KQED; she tweets
Dan Walters, long-time California politics observer with CalMatters, a nonprofit public interest publication; he tweets
California Released A New Master Plan For Early Education. What Will It Mean For An Industry Hit Hard By The Pandemic?
California Health and Human Services released a new Master Plan last week that lays out a blueprint to expand public preschool and remodel the state’s childcare system.
The Plan’s goals include universal standards for early education, better training for child-care workers, easier access to subsidized care for low-income families and universal transitional kindergarten for all California 4-year-olds. But these expansions will take years, and critics argue that the plan doesn’t do enough for the immediate needs of child care providers, who were already struggling before the pandemic and are in an extremely precarious position now. Many critics are concerned that with so many childcare providers at risk, the entire industry could collapse before many of the Plan’s outlined expansions go into effect.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about California’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care. Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Mariana Dale, KPCC reporter who has been covering this story; she tweets
Lupita Cortez Alcala, director of education policy and outcomes at West Ed, which led the research team on California’s Master Plan
Ashley C. Williams, senior policy analyst at the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
What Warner Bros Move To Stream 2021 Movie Slate Might Mean For Theaters
In the most seismic shift by a Hollywood studio yet during the pandemic, Warner Bros. Pictures on Thursday announced that all of its 2021 film slate — including a new “Matrix” movie, “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation “In the Heights” — will stream on HBO Max at the same time the films play in theaters.
Among the myriad release plan changes wrought by the pandemic, no studio has so fully embraced streaming as a lifeline. But after disappointing domestic ticket sales for “Tenet,” and with the majority of U.S. theaters currently closed, the AT&T-owned Warner Bros. will turn to a hybrid distribution model next year. Films will debut simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in the U.S. After one month, they will stop streaming and continue to play only in theaters.
We check in on the story, as well as how it’ll affect the Laemmle Theatres chain in Los Angeles.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
John Horn, arts and entertainment host for KPCC; he tweets
Greg Laemmle, president and CEO of Laemmle Theatres; he tweets