Today on AirTalk, we update you on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions. Also on the show, we discuss the push to recall California governor Gavin Newsom; talk about Los Angeles's history of odd tourist attractions; and more.
COVID-19 AMA: US Approaches Half A Million COVID Deaths, Why Some Experts Say LA May Be Gaining Herd Immunity And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Timothy Brewer, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health.
Topics today include:
U.S. about to surpass 500,000 COVID deaths
Is L.A. building herd immunity? Some medical experts think so.
Can you choose which vaccine you get?
Dr. Fauci says mask-wearing likely to continue into 2022
CalMatters’ county-by-county breakdown of vaccination data looking at racial inequality among who’s being vaccinated
Six Flags Magic Mountain targets spring 2021 reopening -- assuming COVID rules allow
Studies suggest people who have had COVID should get single dose of vaccine
Guest:
Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA; 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
Federal Regulators Order Inspections Of Boeing 777s Following Engine Failure
Federal aviation regulators are ordering United Airlines to step up inspections of all Boeing 777s equipped with the type of engine that suffered a catastrophic failure over Denver on Saturday.
United said it is temporarily removing those aircraft from service, as meanwhile Boeing recommended grounding aircraft with that model engine until the Federal Aviation.
The announcements come a day after United Airlines Flight 328 had to make an emergency landing at Denver International Airport after its right engine blew apart just after takeoff. Pieces of the casing of the engine, a Pratt & Whitney PW4000, rained down on suburban neighborhoods.
The plane with 231 passengers and 10 crew on board landed safely, and nobody aboard or on the ground was reported hurt, authorities said. Boeing said it supported decisions by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and FAA to suspend operations of all 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines. It said there were 69 of the engines in service and another 59 in storage.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss the engine failure and what it means for Boeing and its recent history of safety problems. Do you have questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
David Shepardson, reporter covering transportation and aviation for Reuters; he tweets
Alan Levin, covers aviation safety for Bloomberg News; he tweets
Latest On Newsom Recall, Plus We Look Back At The Last Time A CA Governor Was Successfully Recalled
Last week, state officials said that about 1.1 million signatures were submitted on behalf of the Governor Newsom recall movement, moving the effort forward as next month’s deadline approaches.
The number to watch is 1,495,709 - that’s how many valid signatures need to be submitted by March 17 for a recall to be triggered. State officials are still verifying the validity of the signatures submitted.
We dive into how the recall process works and what might happen. Plus, we’ll look back at last time a Governor was successfully recalled: Governor Gray Davis of California who was recalled in 2003 and replaced by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Guests:
Laurel Rosenhall, reporter covering California politics for CalMatters; she tweets
Rob Stutzman, Republican political consultant and president of Stutzman Public Affairs; former deputy chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; he was Schwarzenegger’s spokesperson during the recall effort; he tweets
US Says It Stands Ready To Rejoin Iran Nuclear Deal, But It’s More Complex Than The Stroke Of A Pen
The United States is prepared to return to the Iran nuclear deal if Tehran shows “strict compliance” with it, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday. It's a new sign of Washington’s ambition to revive the deal rejected by former President Donald Trump even as Tehran appears to be backing further away from it.
Speaking to the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament, Blinken laid out a U.S. wish list about many issues including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and space-borne threats in the future. He expressed concerns about a Russian anti-satellite weapons test last year and China’s “provocative and dangerous weapons development programs,” in addition to the message about Iran.
Blinken’s comments by video signaled another step by the Biden administration to re-engage with many international institutions and agreements that were shunned, rejected or largely ignored by Trump. It is the first time in years a top U.S. diplomat has spoken to the disarmament body, which has become mainly a venue for countries to voice concerns about disarmament because it has failed to usher in any accords. On Sunday, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told reporters after an emergency trip to Tehran that Iran’s government would begin offering “less access” to U.N. weapons inspectors - involving unspecified changes to the type of activity the agency can carry out.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll look at the process of the U.S. rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, the hurdles that remain, and what it all portends for the future of foreign relations between the U.S. and Iran.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Farnaz Fassihi, reporter covering Iran for the International Desk of The New York Times; she tweets
Benjamin Radd, teaching fellow at the UCLA International Institute’s Center for Middle East Development, and a lecturer in political science and public affairs; he tweets
Alligators, Lions And Ostriches: What Happened To The Odd Attractions Of LA’s Past?
Alligators, Lions And Ostriches: What Happened To The Odd Attractions Of LA’s Past?
Before there was Disneyland, there were monkey farms, alligator enclosures and pleasure piers.
In her recent column for the L.A. Times, Patt Morrison takes us back to the 1920s, when Los Angeles was home to some strange and questionably safe attractions.
So where did these oddities go and why did they disappear? Patt joins us to discuss.
Guest:
Patt Morrison, columnist for The Los Angeles Times; her recent column is “Why was there an alligator farm at Lincoln Park? It was one of many odd amusements of L.A.’s past”; she tweets