Today on AirTalk, we update you on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions. Also on the show, we talk about the future of sex tech; look at how the city of Los Angeles plans to use its new federal stimulus funds; and more.
Doc AMA: Reflecting After A Year Long Battle With COVID-19, Vaccine Could Offer Less Protection To Cancer Patients And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, we speak with UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong.
Today’s topics include:
Reflection: one year since the coronavirus gripped the world
Could easing restrictions add fuel to coronavirus variants?
Study: Pfizer first dose provides less protection for cancer patients
Denmark pauses AstraZeneca vaccine use over blood clot concerns
EU regulator recommends J&J vaccine approval
Vaccines in the works to target multiple variants
Study: UK variant has higher death rate
Long hauler symptoms may not be unique to COVID-19
Is it safe for vaccinated people to hook up?
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
VR With Exes, Remote Controlled Orgasms: Here’s The Future of Sex Tech To Come
For better or worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the sex life of many couples throughout the U.S., leaving either partners locked together indoors to revitalize their carnal knowledge or long-distance lovers to search for pleasure elsewhere.
It seems that the upward trend of sex tech couldn’t have come at a better time. A 2019 report from Research and Markets predicted the $30 billion industry would balloon to $52.7 billion by 2026. With the pandemic tapping into people’s intimate loneliness, many sex toy shops are experiencing that peak in sales a little earlier than expected.
According to a 2020 consumer behavior report by e-commerce company Ella Paradis, over ¼ of individuals say their sex life has gotten worse since the pandemic and nearly 93% of those surveyed have used sex toys during the pandemic.
New sex tech and intimate products are just beyond the horizon of affordability. Among the new innovations are a kissing device that transmits lip locks to a partner abroad, VR technology that allows for customization and sex dolls that heat up to human touch. But as with any innovation, there are some legal and ethical risks.
Today on AirTalk, we explore the future of the sex tech industry. Have you invested in sexual devices? How has the pandemic fared for your intimate relationships? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722.
Guest:
Justin Lehmiller, social psychologist and research fellow at Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute; author of “Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life” (Hachette Go, July 2020); host of the “Sex and Psychology” podcast; he tweets
Biden Administration Scrambles To Process Unaccompanied Minors At The Border
In the past two weeks, the number of unaccompanied children being held at the border has tripled, with many being held in Customs and Border Protection custody for longer than the 72-hour limit prescribed by law.
According to reporting in the New Yorker, the Biden team tried to prepare for the arrival of minors in the fall, but then-President Donald Trump’s political appointees at H.H.S. and D.H.S. refused to meet with them, deliberately sabotaging their ability to plan ahead.
An array of factors including natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic have led thousands stranded in northern Mexico as they await their hearings and instructions from the administration. In the meantime, immigrants-rights advocates plan to monitor facility conditions and the pace at which unaccompanied children are moved into the care of family sponsors.
John Burnett and Jonathan Ryan join us from their posts near the border to discuss why unaccompanied minors are arriving en masse and what options the government has moving forward. Questions? Call us at (866) 893-5722.
Guests:
John Burnett, NPR southwest correspondent based in Austin, Texas
Jonathan Ryan, CEO of RAICES Texas, a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services for immigrants; he tweets
LA Is Expected To Receive Over A Billion Dollars From The Federal Stimulus. How Should The City Use It?
Los Angeles city leaders received good news yesterday following the passage of the federal stimulus bill, which will allocate $1.35 billion to the city.
Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was “ecstatic” about the bill, which he anticipates will allow the city to pay off debts, cover COVID-19 expenses and potentially provide money to help struggling workers and businesses. President Biden is expected to sign the bill Friday, freeing up the aid for Los Angeles as well as for the state of California, which is slated to receive $42.6 billion ($26 billion for the state government). The money comes at a crucial time for the city, which has asked city workers to take unpaid days off and tapped a significant amount of LA’s reserves. The stimulus bill also includes checks for individuals, which could help provide a small economic boost for Angelenos.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the stimulus bill’s allocation for Los Angeles and what the money will mean for the city’s economic recovery. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles city councilmember for the Seventh Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Pacoima, Mission Hills, Sunland-Tujunga and Sylmar
Maria Salinas, president and CEO of LA Area Chamber of Commerce; she tweets
April Verrett, president of Service Employees International Union Local 15 (SEIU Local 2015), California’s largest union representing over 400,000 home care and nursing home workers throughout California
Talking To A Chaplain About Doing His Work During The Pandemic
The pandemic has changed the nature of all work, including that of hospital chaplains, who’ve experienced a very difficult year while providing counseling and support to patients and their families.
We sit down with Reverend Rudy Rubio, Chaplain at MLK Community Health Foundation to discuss his professional and personal experiences in the last year.
Guest:
Reverend Rudy Rubio, MLK Community Healthcare Chaplain; head of Reformed Church of Los Angeles in Lynwood, CA