Today on AirTalk, we discuss Gavin Newsom's deal with California legislators to reopen schools. Also on the show, we update you on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions; discuss the future of U.S.-Saudi relations following an intelligence report on journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death; and more.
Governor Gavin Newsom Strikes New School Reopening Deal With California Lawmakers
California Governor Gavin Newsom struck a deal yesterday with state lawmakers to push districts to reopen for some elementary-aged children by the end of March.
The bill does not require schools to reopen, but financially incentivize them to do so. The proposal offers $2 billion in grant money to schools that open transitional kindergarten through second grade and all at-risk students of all grades.
This would include districts still in the state’s purple tier, which teacher’s unions previously argued are too unsafe for reopening. Once school districts move into the red tier (daily case rates below 7 per 100,000 residents), the plan provides grant funding to schools that open for all elementary-aged children and at least one year of middle or high school. An official in Governor Newsom’s office shared today that it will get enough COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the week to inoculate all staff in its elementary schools. That lines up closely with the district’s target date of April 9 to reopen campuses, but it will be a tight turnaround to get all staff to maximum immunity (which takes around five to six weeks to achieve after the first dose).
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about California school reopenings and what Gov. Newsom’s plan could mean for schools in Los Angeles County. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
We reached out to LAUSD. They did not have someone available to join us for the segment.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Ricardo Cano, reporter covering education for CalMatters; he tweets
Kyle Stokes, KPCC/LAist education reporter covering K-12 and the Los Angeles Unified School District; he tweets
Ashley Bettas-Alcalá, president of the San Bernardino Teachers Association
Tammy Scorcia, president of the Alhambra Teachers Association
COVID-19 AMA: Schools, The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Libby Denkmann speaks with UCLA’s Dr. Robert Kim-Farley.
Topics today include:
Newsom and California lawmakers came to an agreement on reopening schools for younger students by the end of March. What is the science on school reopening?
Johnson & Johnson was approved Saturday. It’s the first vaccine authorized in the U.S. that uses a viral-vector technology - what’s that?
Why some parts of Los Angeles didn’t face a winter COVID-19 surge
Can you become a long hauler if you’ve been vaccinated?
Vaccine rollout for farmworkers in California is messy
Blue Shield is responsible for California’s vaccine distribution - how are they following through?
CNN: Single Pfizer vaccine shot provides strong protection for those who've had Covid-19, UK studies suggest
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
As LA County Expands Vaccination Eligibility, We Look At The Ethical Issues In California’s Rollout
Many essential workers, teachers and emergency service workers are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles County— though supplies remain constrained, and ethical issues abound.
Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that vaccine codes intended to help residents of hard-hit Black and Latino neighborhoods access the vaccine were being swapped in the group texts of wealthy, work-from-home individuals. The scandal is just the latest in a vaccine rollout that has raised perpetual ethical questions about who should access the vaccine first. Disability advocates expressed dismay earlier this year when the state announced an age-based model for distribution, which meant that people with high-risk medical conditions would have to wait longer to receive the vaccine. Within LA County, vaccine distribution disparities are stark; in Beverly Hills, 25% of residents have received the first dose of the two-shot vaccine, whereas just 5% have in Compton. County health officials say this is due to long-standing inequities in healthcare access.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the ethical issues involved in the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Have you been offered the vaccine under dubious or potentially unethical circumstances? What do you think of California’s rollout? We want to hear from you! Comment below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Carla Javier, KPCC/LAist reporter; she tweets
Alyssa Burgart, M.D., bioethicist and pediatric anesthesiologist at Stanford University, and is on a vaccine advisory committee for the California Department of Health advocating for people with serious medical conditions; she tweets
Jennifer James, researcher at UCSF Bioethics and assistant professor at UCSF’s Institute for Health & Aging; she tweets
The Future Of US-Saudi Relations Following Report Tying Khashoggi Killing Approval To Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince likely approved the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday that instantly ratcheted up pressure on the Biden administration to hold the kingdom accountable for a murder that drew worldwide outrage.
The intelligence findings were long known to many U.S. officials and, even as they remained classified, had been reported with varying degrees of precision. But the public rebuke of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is still a touchstone in U.S-Saudi relations. It leaves no doubt that as the prince continues in his powerful role and likely ascends to the throne, Americans will forever associate him with the brutal killing of a journalist who promoted democracy and human rights.
Yet even as the Biden administration released the findings, it appeared determined to preserve the Saudi relationship by avoiding direct punishment of the prince himself despite demands from some congressional Democrats and Khashoggi allies for significant and targeted sanctions. It’s unclear how the administration plans to move forward.
Today on AirTalk, we bring you up to speed on the report and discuss what it means for the future of U.S. Saudi relations. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722 to join the conversation.
With files from the Associated Press
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Greg Myre, national security correspondent for NPR with a focus on the intelligence community; he tweets
Aaron David Miller, senior fellow focusing on U.S. foreign policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a foreign-policy think tank; former State Department Middle East analyst and negotiator in Republican and Democratic Administrations; his most recent book is “The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President” (St. Martin's Press 2014); he tweets