Today on AirTalk, we update you on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions. Also on the show, we discuss the most recent COVID-19 relief package that was signed into law; where the line is drawn for cultural appropriation in fashion; and more.
DOC AMA: COVID-19 Numbers Surge In The Midst Of Holiday Season
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, guest host Austin Cross speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg from UC Davis.
Today’s topics include:
Patients are flooding LA hospitals
Is a new strain spreading in LA County?
AstraZeneca says vaccine is effective against new variant
Are approved antibody therapies going unused?
With guest host Austin Cross
Guest:
Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital; he tweets
Virtual Gatherings, Adjusted Traditions And More. How Did You Celebrate Christmas This Year?
There’s no question that this holiday season has looked different from years past. That’s probably putting it lightly.
Your festivities may not have been as holly jolly as you would have wanted, but we want to hear what you did. How did the pandemic impact your celebrations, and how did you adjust? One person who’s had to overcome challenges this year is Santa Claus himself, well those who dress up and play him throughout the season. We talk with a long-time SoCal Santa who shares how he and others have had to adjust holiday traditions this year. We want to hear your stories too! Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With guest host Austin Cross
Guest:
Douglas Casady, also known as “Santa Doug,” working throughout Southern California
President Trump Signs $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Package. What Now?
President Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown.
The deal also provides $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as an increase in food stamp benefits. The signing Sunday, at his private club in Florida came as he faced escalating criticism over his eleventh-hour demands for larger, $2,000 relief checks and scaled-back spending even though the bill had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins. The bill was passed with what lawmakers had thought was Trump’s blessing, and after months of negotiations with his administration. His foot-dragging resulted in a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions and threatened a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic. But signing the bill into law prevents another crisis of Trump’s own creation and ends a standoff with his own party during the final days of his administration.
With files from the Associated Press
With guest host Austin Cross
Guests:
Anna Edgerton, politics editor for Bloomberg; she tweets
Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers' Rights in Sacramento which advocates for workplace justice, she’s also special counsel at Legal Aid at Work, a San Francisco based nonprofit law firm that assists low-income working families throughout California
Cultural Appropriation In Fashion: What Boundaries Do You Draw?
This year, as protests swept the nation after George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths, KPCC’s LAist started a series called “Racism 101” where we answered readers’ and listeners’ difficult questions about race. And one theme in particular emerged - cultural appropriation.
And today we’re zooming into cultural appropriation in fashion.
One definition of cultural appropriation is when an element of a culture is used by someone outside of that culture to turn a profit, or when it is presented as something “new” without crediting the true origins.
But, the boundaries between appreciation and appropriation can be difficult to draw, and they’re different for everyone.
We want to hear from you. have you seen people outside your culture wearing your culture’s clothing - be it during halloween or as part of their style - and what was your reaction? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Austin Cross
Guests:
Matthew Cuban Hernandez, participant in LAist’s “Racism 101” project
Debora Kamel, participant in LAist’s “Racism 101” project
Roseanne Rosenthal, participant in LAist’s “Racism 101” project