Today on AirTalk, we update you on the latest political news from Washington D.C.. Also on the show, we answer your COVID-19 questions; discuss "Framing Britney Spears" and examine the cultural issues surrounding the documentary; and more.
DC Latest: House Cancels Session Due To Security Concerns, But Senate Stays On The Hill To Vote On COVID Relief
Law enforcement was on high alert Thursday around the U.S. Capitol after authorities said intelligence had uncovered a “possible plot” by a militia group to storm the iconic building again. The alert came two months after Donald Trump supporters smashed through windows and doors to try to stop Congress from certifying now-President Joe Biden's victory.
The threat appeared to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that former President Trump would rise again to power on March 4 and that thousands would come to Washington to try to remove Democrats from office. March 4 was the original presidential inauguration day until 1933, when it was moved to Jan. 20. There were no signs of disturbance Thursday at the heavily secured building, with Capitol Police and National Guardsmen on duty and a large fence around the perimeter that was put in place after the Jan. 6 riot. The Pentagon is reviewing a request to extend the Guard deployment 60 days beyond its current expiration date of March 12.
Lawmakers, congressional staffers and law enforcement officials are still on edge after the attack on Jan. 6, even as security around the Capitol remains at an unprecedented level.
The U.S. House wrapped up its work for the week Wednesday night, but the U.S. Senate still had a busy day scheduled for Thursday with votes into the evening planned on its own COVID relief package. Under the current Senate bill, the Biden administration estimates that 158.5 million households will receive direct payments, according to the White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. The official stressed that almost everyone gets a check twice as large as in December, although 3.5 million households that received some payment from the $900 billion December package would no longer qualify.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with California Congressman Ted Lieu about the cancellation of today’s session amid security concerns, the last several days of debate in the House over the COVID relief bill, and talk about what’s in the Senate version of that bill that’s being voted on today.
With files from the Associated Press
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Anna Edgerton, politics editor for Bloomberg; she tweets
Ted Lieu, Democratic congressman representing California’s 33rd district, which includes many Los Angeles County coastal communities; he tweets
COVID-19 AMA: Equity In Vaccine Distribution, Effects Of Winter Surge And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, we speak with nurse and UCLA professor Kristen R Choi.
Topics today include:
CA officials say they’ll be reserving 40 percent of vaccines to areas that are hardest hit by COVID, to help address racial disparities
LA’s winter COVID surge killed Latino and Black people two to three times the rate of white people
There’s a school nurse shortage - what does that mean for the prospects and success of school reopening?
Plus, what are the effects of schools not reopening on kids’ mental health?
Should you get the COVID vaccine if you are pregnant? There’s not a lot of data
Less healthcare workers have COVID in LA County, because many have been vaccinated
Should you be concerned about getting a delayed second dose?
The first non-humans get vaccinated: orangutans and bonobos at the San Diego Zoo
CA’s “My Turn” vaccine appointment system has some...issues
EU regulators start reviewing Russia’s vaccine
Over 12,000 COVID cases reported in the state’s child care centers
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Kristen R. Choi, professor of nursing and public health at UCLA; registered nurse practicing at Gateways Hospital, based in Echo Park
Reflecting On A Year Of Pandemic Coverage
We sit down with KPCC health reporter Jackie Fortiér to discuss her coverage of the pandemic in the last year: the major stories she’s followed, the challenges and her personal and professional takeaways.
Guest:
Jackie Fortiér, health reporter at KPCC and LAist; she tweets
What Is A SPAC And Why Are Celebrities Getting Involved?
Shaquille O’Neal has one, as does Serena Williams and former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. What exactly are SPACs, the investment trend that’s grown popular among the wealthiest Americans during the pandemic?
SPACs— or special-purpose acquisition companies— are shells of companies whose purpose is to find a private company to buy and take public quickly. The result, at least ideally, is a huge payday for everyone involved. They are sometimes referred to as “blank check companies” because investors put up the money before an acquisition target is identified. Some in the finance world are concerned that the SPAC boom could be a bubble that is heading toward bursting.
So what are SPACs, what should you know about them, and where might this new trend be headed? We’re learning more on AirTalk. Comment below or call us with questions at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Amrith Ramkumar, markets reporter for the Wall Street Journal who has been following this story; he tweets
John Howe, professor of finance at the University of Missouri and the author of “The Foolish Corner: Avoiding Mind Traps in Personal Financial Decisions” (Stuart Charles Group, 2017). He also authors the newsletter "Behavioral New World."
The Britney Spears Doc That Sparked A Reexamination Of Misogyny, Media Coverage And Complicity
Last month, the documentary “Framing Britney Spears” reignited a cultural conversation about misogyny, the superstars’ treatment by a ruthless tabloid press and the complicity of all of us who consumed the story.
We sit down with the director of the doc Samantha Stark as well as Vox writer Constance Grady to dive into the documentary and how it’s forced us to re-examine our treatment of female celebrities in the nineties and early aughts.
Guests:
Samantha Stark, director of “Framing Britney Spears,” part of “The New York Times Presents,” a series of standalone documentaries currently available to stream on FX and Hulu; she tweets
Constance Grady, culture writer for Vox, where her recent piece is “Who is responsible for what happened to Britney Spears?”; she tweets