Today on AirTalk, we discuss sports in the coronavirus era. Also on the show, we dig into childcare and the pandemic; answer your latest questions on COVID-19; and more.
UC Berkeley Study: Covid Deals A Blow to Child Care Centers In California
As parents are likely aware, California’s child care centers have been hit hard by the pandemic.
According to a new study out of UC Berkeley, 25 percent of centers in the state have completely closed down. And those who’ve remained open have seen plunging enrollment numbers and rising debt. And that’s not to mention the anxiety of running such a business during a pandemic and the health risks involved.
We discuss the results of the study and speak to a local child care provider. Plus, if you’re a childcare provider, staff or a parent with young children, we’d like to hear from you. Call us at 866-893-5722.
KPCC is launching a photos project for caregivers to document their lives. People can go to kpcc.org/caregiverphotos to apply
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Sean Doocy, research associate at the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley, where he is one of the authors of the new report “California Child Care in Crisis: The Escalating Impacts of COVID-19 as California Reopens”
Jeannette Romero, executive director of Pasadena Day Nursery for Child Development
Baseball Season Starts Thursday, But Stands Will Be Empty. What Will You Miss Most About Going To Live Sporting Events?
When fans click on the TV to watch the Dodgers and Angels play their opening games this week, they’re bound to notice some unusual new features.
For one, the stands will be completely empty. Well, of real people, anyway. Some teams like the Giants and Athletics are offering fans the opportunity to buy a cardboard cutout of themselves to put in the stands. Players will be wearing masks so long as they are not on the field, though some like New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier will still wear a mask even when they’re on the field or at the plate.
Both teams enter 2020 with high expectations. The Angels signed slugging third baseman Anthony Rendon and former Atlanta Braves ace Julio Teheran during the offseason, and they’re hoping for another MVP-caliber season out of Mike Trout, arguably one of the best players in the game, and for a healthy year for two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who has showed promise in his first two MLB seasons but has struggled with injuries to his throwing elbow that have cut both campaigns short. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are odds-on favorites along with the Yankees to win the World Series and bring back most of their starting lineup from previous years. They also added a superstar in Mookie Betts, the former Red Sox outfielder who you could also argue is the best player in baseball.
Today on AirTalk, two L.A. Times sportswriters join guest host Libby Denkmann to help preview the abbreviated 2020 season for the Dodgers and Angels, talk about the big storylines they’re watching through the year, and explore how baseball will be different in the era of COVID-19.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times reporter covering baseball and sports business; he tweets
Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times sports writer who spent 19 years as a beat writer covering the Los Angeles Angels for the paper; he tweets
LA County Supervisors Push Forward Motion To Commit Funds To Community Services Instead Of Policing
A motion authored by L.A. County Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis would place a charter amendment on the November ballot requiring the county to commit a minimum of 10% of the unrestricted general fund to community programs like mental healthcare, rental assistance and alternatives to incarceration. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, that amounts to about $800 million.
The measure was developed by the Re-Imagine L.A. County coalition, including the United Way, L.A. Community Action Network, Abundant Housing and more.
Supervisors passed the measure in a 4-1 vote Tuesday following debate. Once the charter amendment language is drafted, a final vote to place it on the ballot is expected August 4.
As KPCC's Robert Garrova reports:
The lone dissenting vote was cast by Board Chair Kathryn Barger, who argued that the proposed change to the charter "will nullify any meaningful dialogue or policy deliberations for years to come." She said that before placing the measure on the ballot, the supervisors should subject it to "ample analysis ... unfortunately, that was not the case in this instance.”
Wednesday on AirTalk, guest host Libby Denkmann talked with Kuehl and Barger about the measure and what comes next.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing District 3, which stretches from the ocean to Los Feliz, and from Venice up to San Fernando; she tweets
Kathryn Barger, L.A. County supervisor representing the 5th district, which includes the Antelope, San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita Valleys; she tweets
COVID-19 AMA: UCLA Antibody Study, Trust In Public Health Experts And More
We sit down with a medical expert to discuss the latest in COVID-19 news, including:
Recent study from UCLA finds that antibodies from mild COVID-19 cases can disappear within a year. What implications does that have for how a vaccine would work?
How many people in the U.S. have antibodies?
What will this pandemic do to the public’s trust of health experts?
Why have Filipino Americans been so hard hit by the coronavirus?
U.S. Northeast doing relatively well when it comes to virus control
Spike in L.A. County cases driven by people under 41
Plus, we take your questions at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets