Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest COVID-19 headlines. Also on the show, we look at the potential power outages due to California's drought; analyze the trend of productive employees working from home; and more.
COVID-19 AMA: UK Variant Most Dominant in LA County, Pfizer Begins Testing Booster Shot And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Huntington Hospital infectious disease specialist Dr. Kimberly Shriner.
Topics today include:
UK variant now most dominant in LA County
Pfizer starts testing on booster shot and pneumonia shot
More LA mass vaccination sites to shut down
Study shows Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines are effective against variant from India
Will COVID-19 change the doctor’s waiting room?
New info on whether COVID-19 may have escaped from a lab
Shortfall of CA’s recruitment of COVID-19 volunteers
Chinese health experts to promote third dose of Chinese-developed vaccines
Guest:
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena
After The Loss Of 6 Year Old Boy On The 55, Understanding And Avoiding Road Rage
The family of Aiden Leos, 6, is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of his suspected killer, who shot at his mother’s car during a road rage incident last Friday on the 55 Freeway in Orange.
The search is on for what has been described as a white Volkswagen station wagon. Santa Ana CHP Spokesperson Officer Florentino Olivera told KPCC/LAist that the department is looking for witnesses who may have been traveling along the Northbound 55 near Chapman Avenue last Friday between 7:55 and 8:15 AM - especially if they have a dashcam.
Today on Airtalk we get the latest on the investigation into the killing of Leos and talk with an anger management expert about why these aggressions happen and how to prevent them. Have you been involved in a serious, dangerous road rage altercation? Call in at 866-893-5722 to share your story.
Guests:
Jeffrey Spring, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA)
Sandra Cox, LMFT and licensed educational psychologist, executive director of the Coalition of Mental Health Professionals, a counseling agency in South Los Angeles that began in wake of the the Rodney King verdict
Checking In On California’s Drought, Plus The Potential For Power Outages This Summer
California is heading into summer, which means hot, dry weather and wildfires, which can strain state resources and the power grid.
Early reports predicted an intense fire season in southern California, which due to a combination of exacerbating factors (depleted snowpack, meager rainy season and dry vegetation) could turn out to be historic. High heats could also put a strain on the power grid and could cause outages. And some experts say California is even less prepared for drought than it was previously, particularly in northern California.
Today on AirTalk, we’re looking at drought, infrastructure, wildfire and climate change in the state ahead of a hot, dry summer. Questions? Leave them below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Sammy Roth, energy reporter for the LA Times, he tweets
Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University; he tweets
Jim Carlton, reporter for the Wall Street Journal who’s been covering how the drought is impacting California; his most recent piece is “Drought Imperils Economy in California’s Farm Country”; he tweets
Remote Employees Have Been Productive During The Pandemic, But Bosses Still Aren’t Sold
With COVID-19 vaccinations rolled out across the country, heads of companies that went remote during the pandemic are mulling back-to-the-office approaches for this summer.
And although office workers stayed productive throughout the pandemic, some high profile CEOs have declared remote workan “aberration” or not fit for “those who want to hustle.” The statements— from JP Morgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, respectively— reveal a long-held bias against work from home that some workers thought the pandemic might quash. But not all workers want to stay fully remote. For younger employees hoping to make connections in their industry, virtual work cannot compare to the benefits of in-person. Many companies are in the early stages of fleshing out hybridized workplace models, which would promote flexibility in the workplace for both bosses and workers.
Why do some employers believe that remote work shows less commitment on behalf of the workers? And what would employees like to see from their companies? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest
Vanessa Fuhrmans, staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal and author of the recent piece “Bosses Still Aren’t Sure Remote Workers Have ‘Hustle’”; she tweets
The Pandemic Slowed Down Life For Many Overscheduled Families -- Will That Last When It’s Over?
There aren’t many silver linings to the cloud of the coronavirus pandemic that has been hanging over us for the last 15 months, but one of the few just might be how the pandemic likely made many of our schedules just a little less hectic. With playdates on hold, after school activities cancelled, school sports seasons at a halt and parties postponed, many parents found themselves living a slightly slower-paced life. And according to a recent survey of parents, some of them...actually kind of liked it. In a recent article, Wall Street Journal reporter Anne Marie Chaker cites a poll from Pittsburgh-based consumer research company CivicScience that surveyed more than 2,600 parents and found that almost a third of them said they would do fewer activities than before the pandemic.
Many parents with children who have aspirations of attending a college or university encourage participation in clubs, school sports and other extracurricular activities to bolster their transcript, but though data suggest some have gotten accustomed to the slower pace of life and want to keep it that way after the pandemic in the hopes that it will make both their lives and their kids’ lives a little less busy.
Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you -- are you planning to ramp back up to a regular level of activity once the pandemic is over, or do you think you’ll try and keep up with a more relaxed pace of life? Has being forced to abandon those regular activities made you rethink the way you value them? Tell us what you think by calling 866-893-5722.