Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest COVID-19 news. Also on the show, we discuss what President Biden's coastal wind energy plan means for California; round up the cases that the Supreme Court is considering; and more.
COVID-19: California Reconsiders Mask Requirements In Workplaces, U.S. Hits Lowest Cases Since Start Of Pandemic And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Peter Chin Hong from UCSF Medical Center.
Today’s topics include:
Cal/OSHA meets today to vote on workplace distancing regulations
U.S. reaches lowest number of COVID-19 cases since start of pandemic
Fauci says COVID vaccines could help lead way on an effective HIV vaccine
mRNA being tested in forms of cancer and shows promise in HIV and RSV
Pandemic toll in nursing homes has dropped significantly
Should you get tested if you’re vaccinated?
As the vaccinated become free of masks, will the unvaccinated follow?
South Africa sees pandemic colliding with HIV/AIDS
Biden incentivizes free beer to adult residents once 70% of Americans are vaccinated
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
What Biden’s Coastal Wind Energy Farm Plan Means For California
California and the U.S. government have agreed to allow massive wind energy farms off the state's central and northern coasts.
The pact announced last week would float hundreds of turbines off the California coasts of Morro Bay and Humboldt Bay and has been promoted as a breakthrough to eventually power 1.6 million homes. The announcement is part of President Joe Biden’s plan to create 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
But what do all these developments and changes mean for Californians? How do these new ocean wind farms factor into both the state’s overall climate goals and the country’s as a whole?
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Sammy Roth, energy reporter for the LA Times; he tweets
Danielle Osborn Mills, California director for the American Clean Power Association
David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission
Supreme Court Decisions Could Decide Course Of Healthcare, The Voting Rights Act, Student Speech Rights And More
The Supreme Court will soon release opinions on two dozen remaining cases, which include decisions on religious and gay rights, healthcare, the Voting Rights Act and more.
The court is expected to pass down at least one decision today, with more in the coming days. Today, the Supreme Court limited prosecutors’ ability to use an anti-hacking law to charge people with computer crimes. Conservative and liberal justices joined to rule 6-3 that prosecutors overreached when they used the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to charge a police sergeant who used a database he had access to for work for a non-work purpose.
Today on AirTalk, we’re looking at the roundup of cases the Supreme Court will soon pass down opinions on, and what the repercussions could be. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Jess Bravin, Supreme Court correspondent for The Wall Street Journal; he tweets
Leah Litman, assistant professor of constitutional law at University of Michigan Law School; she tweets
With Jobless Claims Declining, We Check In On CA’s Labor Market
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week for a fifth straight week to a new pandemic low, the latest evidence that the U.S. job market is regaining its health as the economy further reopens.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims dropped to 385,000, down 20,000 from the week before. The number of weekly applications for unemployment aid, which generally reflects the pace of layoffs, has fallen steadily all year, though it remains high by historical standards.
The decline in applications reflects a swift rebound in economic growth and the job market’s steady recovery from the coronavirus recession. More Americans are venturing out to shop, travel, dine out and congregate at entertainment venues. All that renewed spending has led companies to seek new workers.
We check in on the labor market, both nationally and in California.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
William Lee, chief economist at the Milken Institute, an economic think tank based in Santa Monica; he specializes in Asia, trade, the global economy, job creation and more
Chris Tilly, economist and a professor of urban planning at UCLA
Commencement Speeches: The Inspiring, The Dispiriting And The Bizarre
With graduation season upon us, students everywhere have to sit through one final lecture: the one at their graduation.
Of course, there are plenty of inspiring, even iconic, commencement speeches, from David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water,” to Michelle Obama’s 2015 speech at Tuskegee University.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests that there are plenty of less than stimulating speakers and topic choices at grad’s final hurrahs.
What was the best commencement speech you’ve heard and why? And if there was one that really missed the mark and stuck in your mind, we want to hear about it too. Call us at 866-893-5722.
To see and hear the commencement addresses we discussed on today's show, and more, you can check out NPR's database with hundreds of commencement speeches available.