Today on AirTalk, we discuss Governor Gavin Newsom's extension on an eviction moratorium for Californians. Also on the show, we break down the latest COVID-19 news; analyze a new government UFO report; and more.
COVID-19 AMA: Indoor Masking, The Delta Variant And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with UCLA’s Dr. Kim-Farley.
Topics today include:
WHO encourages people to wear masks indoors to prevent transmission of Delta variant (even if you’re vaccinated)
The LA County Public Health Department is making a similar recommendation
Delta variant found in Long Beach
How can public health convince skeptical young healthy people to get the vaccine?
Could sneezing be a sign of COVID, despite being vaccinated?
East Asia was hit by a pandemic 20,000 years ago
Guest:
Robert Kim-Farley, M.D., professor of epidemiology and community health sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health; he served as the director of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health from 2004-2018 and is a former senior official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO
Haven’t Gotten Your CA Real ID? Here’s What You Need To Know
Deadlines, documents and everything else you need to know to finally get your Real ID.
Guest:
Steve Gordon, director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles
New Report Finds Alien Solar System Looking For Other Planets Could Soon Spot Earth
A new report published in the journal Nature found that a solar system of Earth-sized planets orbiting a dim star could soon have the proper vantage point to view Earth.
However, if there is life on those planets, and if they have the same capabilities as humans do to peek into the stars, they are still about three decades away from viewing us. But after that time, the stars will have moved enough so that anyone viewing our sun would be able to observe the slight dimming that occurs when Earth moves in front of it. No one knows, of course, whether intelligent life exists on other planets, though planets with Earth-like conditions have been observed. The universe is massive, and the extent of exploration that humans have so far been able to execute is miniscule.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the conditions that could make it possible for alien life to observe our planet. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Jackie Faherty, senior scientist and senior education manager at the American Museum of Natural History, and co-author of the report; she tweets
CA Extends Rent Protections, Plans To Pay Past-Due Rent For Low-Income Residents. What Does This Mean For Tenants And Landlords?
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that extends an eviction moratorium for three more months and means some residents will see all their past-due rent paid for by the state.
Original protections were set to expire this Wednesday, but the extension now will last through Sept. 30. The move also significantly increases the rent relief program for low-income residents. According to the LA Times’ reporting, both landlords and tenants can apply immediately. Some landlord organizations opposed the extension of the eviction moratorium, citing financial distress among landlords. Today on AirTalk, we talk about what the extended and increased protections mean for both tenants and landlords. We also want to hear from you! Are you a landlord or renter who’s been impacted financially during the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the protections helped or harmed you? What do you think of the latest effort by the state and Newsom? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Adam Beam, Sacramento-based reporter for the Associated Press who’s been covering this; he tweets
A New Government UFO Report Finds No Sign Of Alien Life, Cannot Explain Over Hundred Object Sightings
A long-awaited U.S. government report on UFOs released Friday makes at least one thing clear: The truth is still out there.
Investigators did not find extraterrestrial links in reviewing 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. But they drew few other conclusions and instead highlighted the need for better data collection about what’s increasingly seen by Democrats and Republicans as a national security concern. In all but one of the sightings investigated, there was too little information for investigators to even broadly characterize the nature of the incident.
There were 18 cases in which witnesses saw “unusual” patterns of movement or flight characteristics, the report said, adding that more analysis was needed to determine if those sightings represented “breakthrough” technology.
Long the domain of science fiction and so-called ufologists, the subject of UFOs has in recent years drawn serious study from the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. The prospect of an adversary spying with unknown technology has alarmed lawmakers in both parties.
Congress last year required the creation of the report delivered Friday. While its lack of conclusions has already been made public, the report on what the government calls “unidentified aerial phenomena” still represents a milestone in the study of the issue.
U.S. officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity said there were “no clear indications” that the sightings could be linked to alien life. There is also no definitive linkage of sightings to potentially unknown technology of an adversary like Russia or China.
“It’s clear that we need to improve our capacity to further analyze remaining UAP observations, even as we accept that there are some limits to our capacity to characterize and understand some of the observations that we have,” one official said.
Today on AirTalk, we’re hearing more about the report and what questions it leaves open for future investigators. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Missy Ryan, reporter covering the Pentagon, military issues and national security for the Washington Post; she tweets
Marik Von Rennenkampff, served as an analyst with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, and was an Obama administration appointee to the U.S. Department of Defense; he tweets
How Has Your Culture Impacted Your Relationship Or Lack Thereof With Mental Health?
Mental health has long been stigmatized across the board, but within some cultures the challenges involved in seeking help can be intensified. LA Times Columnist Frank Shyong recently pinned a letter to his parents in a column that pulls back the curtain on some of his own struggles, and it’s starting a conversation.
Shyong’s column titled “A letter to my parents about depression and mental illness,” explains his difficulty expressing his feelings over the last several years. He says he’s dealt with depression most of his adult life, and it came to an extremely low point when certain aspects of his life otherwise appeared to be thriving. Today on AirTalk, Larry chats with a psychologist about mental health and the particular challenges within certain cultures, who says Shyong’s story is a typical one among Asian families. We also want to hear from you! How has your culture impacted how you look at your own mental health and how you’ve addressed mental health struggles or seeking help? Tell us your experience by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Hsing-Fang Chang, Pasadena-based psychologist who focuses on cross-cultural counseling, which includes things like intercultural relationship issues and intergenerational family conflicts, she also specializes depression, anxiety, life coaching and more