Today on AirTalk, we discuss how the coronavirus pandemic is making consumers vulnerable to scammers. Also on the show, we take a look at the Senate's $2 trillion stimulus bill; get the latest on the virus' spread; and more.
AMA COVID-19: Infections Rise In New York, Social Distancing And More
As COVID-19 continues to rapidly spread in many countries, including the United States, cases worldwide now top 436,000. Since last weekend, the U.S. has had the third-highest total confirmed cases in the world. The number of confirmed cases here now stands at 55,238, as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Confirmed cases in Los Angeles County have surged to 662, in part a reflection of increased testing. In the past 48 hours there have been 256 new confirmed cases locally. Read more on LAist.
Ask our experts your questions regarding the novel coronavirus.
With files from LAist.
Guest:
Dean Blumberg, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
The Danger Of Consumer Scams And Phishing Attacks Amid COVID-19
There’s always a risk of consumer scams, suspicious emails and phishing attempts, but the coronavirus pandemic means people are even more vulnerable to these types of attacks.
This is a time of heightened anxiety and distraction, which can mean folks are more likely to fall into a consumer scam or click on the malicious email link. Phishing scams, for example, have exploded over the last week in relation to COVID-19. According to experts, phishing can be particularly dangerous during this time because people are working from home and using unfamiliar technology processes. The FDA has warned against fake at-home coronavirus testing kits as well, the Wall Street Journal reports. Last week, federal authorities at LAX intercepted a package from the UK containing fake testing kits. And this past weekend, a man was arrested in the UK for manufacturing and possessing what authorities believe are fake test kits. It's not clear if the two cases are connected. And on top of that, consumers are up against price gouging and shortages too. The Better Business Bureau has a handy scam tracker. The group also offers tips to help you avoid various scams. Today on AirTalk, Larry chats with California’s attorney general and other experts about scamming amid the pandemic. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
You can report a consumer scam to the state attorney general's office here: OAG.CA.GOV/Report
You can report scams to the city here: https://www.lacityattorney.org/covid19 or call 213-978-8070
With files from LAist. Read the full story from Elina Shatkin here.
Guests:
Xavier Becerra, California Attorney General; he tweets
Mike Feuer, city attorney of Los Angeles; he tweets
Laura Mosqueda, M.D., dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine and professor of family medicine and geriatrics; she’s also the director of USC’s National Center on Elder Abuse; she tweets
Eric Howes, principal lab researcher for KnowBe4, a cybersecurity company focused on phishing prevention
White House, Senate Leaders Agree On $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill -- Here’s What’s In It
The White House and Senate leaders of both parties announced agreement early Wednesday on an unprecedented $2 trillion emergency bill to rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The sprawling, 500 page-plus measure is the third coronavirus response bill produced by Congress and by far the largest, building on earlier efforts focused on vaccines and emergency response, sick and family medical leave for workers, and food aid. It would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. One of the last issues to close concerned $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well. The package would also give one-time direct payments to Americans - $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year, and $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child.
The urgently needed measure is the largest economic rescue bill in history. It is intended as a weekslong or monthslong patch for an economy spiraling into recession - or worse - and a nation facing a potentially ghastly toll. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday morning on CNN that he expects approval later in the day Wednesday. That would leave final congressional approval up to the Democratic-controlled House. In a written statement, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the bipartisan agreement “takes us a long way down the road in meeting the needs of the American people” but she stopped short of fully endorsing it.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll break down the stimulus bill and explain what’s in the agreed-upon version, what isn’t, whether the House is expected to approve it and how much relief it will ultimately provide.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets
Are Gun Stores An Essential Business? It’s Up To CA’s Governor To Decide
Sheriff Villanueva has said that he’ll put a pause on gun store closure efforts until further clarification from the Governor.
Earlier this week, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva had declared that gun stores were non-essential businesses and should be shut down. This was met with an opposing opinion from the LA County Counsel’s office, which said that since neither the Governor’s nor the County’s orders mentioned gun shops specifically, they should be deemed essential.
Amidst rising gun sales, several other states, for example Pennsylvania, have also clashed on whether gun stores qualify as an essential business and whether business can be curbed or shut down.
How does the Second Amendment figure into this conversation? And in what ways can a constitutional right be curtailed during a public health crisis?
We reached out to CA Governor Newsom’s Office. They did not get back to us in time for the interview.
Guest:
Eugene Volokh, law professor at UCLA; he tweets
Are You Actually Missing Your Coworkers? So Are We!
Maybe you thought it could never be possible: actually missing your coworkers. In the times of a coronavirus pandemic, a lot of folks are realizing there’s so much we take for granted, including our colleagues. We’re feeling it here at AirTalk too. Several of us producers haven’t seen Larry Mantle in person in over a week, and it’s killing us!
Like many other workplaces, we’re holding meetings via phone and communicating through email and Slack. We’re really lucky we have the technology we need to do that and can continue fulfilling many of our duties. But it’s not the same as face-to-face contact. According to the New York Times, people who work from home can often be more productive, but they can lose out on creativity and innovation. Beyond that, people create some of the strongest bonds with the ones they work with.
Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you. What are you missing most about being at work with your coworkers? Is communication more difficult, even with technology? How are you staying connected to them? Join the conversation and tell us who you’re missing by calling 866-893-5722.