Today on AirTalk, we update you on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions. Also on the show, we discuss Joe Biden's reopening of a migrant facility in Texas; breakdown how real-time communication with lucid dreamers is possible; and more.
DOC AMA: FDA Says Johnson & Johnson Shot Prevents COVID-19, Growing Evidence Vaccines Reduce Transmission And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner, infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Today’s topics include:
FDA says Johnson & Johnson one dose shot prevents COVID-19
Johnson & Johnson could be authorized Saturday
When will life be 'normal' again, post-pandemic?
The growing evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines can reduce transmission
New COVID-19 variant in baby with high viral load puzzles researchers
AstraZeneca targets 50 million doses in April if U.S. clears its vaccine
Guest:
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena
What We Learned About Law Enforcement Preparedness, Communication From Senate Hearing On Capitol Insurrection
Security officials testifying at Congress’ first hearing on the deadly siege of the Capitol cast blame and pointed fingers on Tuesday but also acknowledged they were woefully unprepared for the violence.
Senators drilled down on the stunning security failure and missed warning signs as rioters loyal to former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, in a misguided attempt to stop lawmakers from certifying President Joe Biden’s election.
Five people died in the attack, including a Capitol Police officer. The security officials lost their jobs, and Trump was impeached by the House on a charge of inciting the insurrection, the deadliest attack on Congress in 200 years. Trump was ultimately acquitted by the Senate. Today on AirTalk, we get to the nuts and bolts of what planning went into the attack and where security intelligence went awry. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Matt Zapotosky, national security reporter for the Washington Post, he tweets
Hal Kempfer, CEO of GRIP (Global Risk Intelligence and Planning), a management consulting firm based in Long Beach; former Marine intelligence officer who’s conducted baseline training for major military commands and Southern California school systems on pandemic preparedness, he tweets
As Children’s Migrant Facility Opens In Texas, We Look At Child Detention Facilities And Process Under Biden
President Joe Biden’s administration has reopened a tent facility to house up to 700 immigrant teenagers after they cross the U.S.-Mexico border unaccompanied by a parent, a sign of growing worries about how children are treated in government custody.
U.S. Health and Human Services said Monday that the first teens arrived at Carrizo Springs, Texas, which was converted two years ago into a holding facility under former President Donald Trump. The facility has been closed since July 2019.
Two years ago, Carrizo Springs had a large tent serving as a dining hall and assembly area, with children housed in dormitories with bunk beds and tables. The facility is reopening with changes to account for the coronavirus pandemic.
HHS operates long-term facilities for immigrant children apprehended by the Border Patrol. Its 7,100 beds are almost entirely full, leading the agency to re-open Carrizo Springs. Meanwhile, around 700 children are being held by Border Patrol, which has reopened a tent facility in South Texas and otherwise holds immigrants in stations unequipped to detain children. The Border Patrol’s McAllen Processing Center — where images of detained immigrants were shared worldwide when the Trump administration separated families — is closed for renovations that will remove large cages formed by chain-link fencing.
Democrats during the Trump administration sharply criticized facilities like Carrizo Springs and others at Tornillo, Texas, and Homestead, Florida, for their high cost — an estimated $775 per child per day — and the risks of detaining immigrant children at camps not subject to the same requirements as regular facilities.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the new child detention facility and the status of child detention facilities more broadly
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Silvia Foster-Frau, reporter for the Washington Post who has been covering this story; she tweets
Lindsay Toczylowski, executive director of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center in Southern California, which represents people who would otherwise face immigration judges alone, including unaccompanied minors
Research Shows Real-Time Communication With Lucid Dreamers Is Possible. What Can We Learn From It?
Researchers have broken into the mysterious world of dreams, a place largely uncharted. We still don’t know much about why we dream. Scientists at Northwestern University and other parts of the world released a new study that shows they were able to communicate with individuals during REM sleep.
Researchers asked participants simple questions during the study and some of the participants were able to signal answers with a sequence of eye movements or by contracting face muscles. Authors of the study say with the new insight, the possibilities from this information are somewhat endless. The method could be used to learn more about cognitive abilities during sleep, to address sleep problems such as nightmares or jaw-clenching or even assist in memory function. Today on AirTalk, we talk with one of the senior authors of the study and discuss what it could mean for the future of dreaming. Do you have thoughts or questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Ken Paller, one of the senior authors of the study, professor of psychology and director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University; he tweets
The Voice In Our Head, The Conversations We Have With Ourselves, And How We Can Harness Our Self-Talk For Good
While it might seem strange on the surface, talking to yourself isn’t that unusual. In fact, most of us have a voice in our head, which can act as both a confidence booster and a mood-killer, depending on the situation. But how do we harness that little voice and make it work to our advantage instead of against us?
Author and professor Ethan Kross explores the idea of self-talk in his new book “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.” In it, Kross looks at how “chatter” impacts our life, job and relationships, the ways that giving in to certain kinds of chatter can be detrimental to our health.
Today on AirTalk, Ethan Kross joins Larry Mantle to talk about where the little voice in our head comes from, what we can learn about ourselves from it and how to harness the good chatter and suppress the bad.
Guest:
Ethan Kross, author of “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It” (Crown Publishing, January 2021) and professor in the University of Michigan’s Psychology Department and Ross School of Business; he tweets