Today on AirTalk, we break down the latest COVID-19 headlines. Also on the show, we discuss Amazon's acquisition of MGM; talk with SoCal women in the craft beer industry about their 'Me Too' moment; and more.
Doc AMA: CDC Will Not Investigate Mild Infections In Vaccinated Americans, CDC Chief Tells Vaccinated People To Enjoy Memorial Day 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:
C.D.C. will not investigate mild infections in vaccinated Americans
CDC chief tells vaccinated Americans to enjoy their Memorial Day holiday
Current approach to preventing COVID-19 at the Olympics is "dangerous," US expert says
COVID-19 testing’s value shrinks as vaccines beat back virus
There's a free treatment for COVID-19; why aren't more people using it?
Just how big could India’s true COVID-19 toll be?
How the Wuhan lab-leak theory suddenly became credible
Vaccinations for LAUSD students— what to know
Coronavirus rates plummet but Memorial Day will be a test for LA
With most seniors vaccinated in L.A. County, a higher proportion of younger adults are hospitalized with COVID
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
Amazon To Acquire MGM In Nearly $8.5 Billion Deal
Online shopping giant Amazon is buying MGM, the movie and TV studio behind James Bond, “Legally Blonde” and “Shark Tank,” with the hopes of filling its video streaming service with more stuff to watch.
Amazon is paying $8.45 billion for MGM, making it the company’s second-largest acquisition after it bought grocer Whole Foods for nearly $14 billion in 2017.
The deal is the latest in the media industry that’s aimed at boosting streaming services to compete against Netflix and Disney+. AT&T and Discovery announced last week that they would combine media companies, creating a powerhouse that includes HGTV, CNN, Food Network and HBO. Amazon doesn’t say how many people watch its Prime Video service. But more than 200 million have access to it because they’re signed up for its Prime membership, which gives them faster shipping and other perks. Besides Prime Video, Amazon also has a free streaming service called IMDb TV, where Amazon makes money by playing ads during movies and shows. Buying MGM would give Amazon access to more films, shows and famous characters, including Rocky, RoboCop and Pink Panther. Amazon will also get a cable channel: Epix, which MGM owns. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the details and impact. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
John Horn, KPCC arts and entertainment host; he tweets
Checking In On The Tokyo Olympics As Cases Surge And Officials Warn Americans Not To Travel To Japan
The Japanese government Tuesday was quick to deny a U.S. warning for Americans to avoid traveling to Japan would have an impact on Olympians wanting to compete in the postponed Tokyo Games. U.S. officials cited a surge in coronavirus cases in Japan caused by virus variants that may even be risky to vaccinated people.
They didn’t ban Americans from visiting Japan, but the warnings could affect insurance rates and whether Olympic athletes and other participants decide to join the games that open on July 23. Most metro areas in Japan are under a state of emergency and expected to remain so through mid-June because of rising serious COVID-19 cases that are putting pressure on the country’s medical care systems. That raises concern about how the country could cope with the arrival of tens of thousands of Olympic participants if its hospitals remain stressed and little of its population is vaccinated. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the issue. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Philip Hersh, former Chicago Tribune sports writer and Olympic specialist, he covered 19 games over almost 40 years and currently writes on the topic in his blog “Globetrotting;” he tweets
Multiple Deaths In Shooting At San Jose Railyard
Gunfire erupted at a railyard in San Jose, and authorities say multiple people were killed and wounded. Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said Wednesday that he could not specify the number of dead and wounded. He also said the suspect was dead, but he could not describe how the shooter died. The shooting took place around 6:30 a.m. at a light rail facility next door to the sheriff’s department and across a freeway from the airport. The facility is a transit control center that stores trains and has a maintenance yard.
VTA trains were already out on morning runs when the shooting occurred. Light rail service was to be suspended at noon and replaced with bus bridges.
Two patients were transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, according to spokesperson Joy Alexiou. One person was pronounced dead upon arrival, and the other was in critical condition.
The attack was the county’s second shooting in less than two years. A gunman killed three people before killing himself at a popular garlic festival in Gilroy in July 2019.
Guest:
Rachael Myrow, senior editor at KQED, NPR affiliate in San Francisco; she tweets
Mental Health Has Taken A Toll During The Pandemic, And Reopening Brings Its Own Stressors. How Can We Cope?
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, American mental health has been under tremendous strain— whether from the disease itself, or the economic and social disruption that lockdowns have wrought.
But after over a year of living with COVID-19, reopenings are not the golden ticket to better mental health. Many Americans are struggling with the trauma of losing loved ones to COVID-19. Others feel overwhelmed by the emotional whiplash of constant closures and reopenings, which may leave shaky trust in the institutions that make these decisions. Although vaccines are very effective, for some it is not enough to feel fully confident about resuming life as they lived it before.
Today on AirTalk, we’re discussing mental health during the pandemic and as we move into reopenings. What are you struggling with? How are you coping? Call us at 866-893-5722.
For more information on mental health support, LAist offers a guide with some resources available here.
Guests:
Miguel Gallardo, professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and licensed psychologist in independent practice
Denise Williams, licensed marriage and family therapist at Well Play: Social Wellness Center
SoCal Women In Craft Beer Respond To The Industry’s ‘Me Too’ Moment
Earlier in May, Brienne Allan set off what some are calling the craft beer industry’s “Me Too” reckoning. The production manager at Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts started sharing hundreds of stories of misogyny, sexual assault and workplace discrimination from women in the beer world on her Instagram.
This led to the firing of a staff member at the San Diego brewery Modern Times, whose CEO also stepped down amid allegations of mishandling complaints and creating a toxic work environment.
Though the current world of craft beer is male-dominated, for hundreds of years beer brewing was a woman’s task, and there’s even some thinking that iconography associated with witches - brooms, cats and pointy hats - may have originated from alewives.
We gather a roundtable of SoCal women in craft beer to respond to this moment in the industry and also discuss their own experiences, as well as the history of women in brewing.
Guests:
Alexandra Nowell, co-founder and director of brewing operations at Three Weavers Brewing Company in Inglewood
Ting Su, co-founder of Eagle Rock Brewery, where she also founded a women’s beer forum
Laurie Gutierrez, vice president of SoCal Cerveceros, a latino-based homebrew club, where she heads up an all women brew crew; part time event representative for Sierra Nevada Brewing Company; co-host of The Brew'd Up Podcast, which focuses on homebrewing and craft beer
Frances Michelle Cannon, executive director of the L.A. County Brewers Guild; she is also the associate editor sfor the craft beer news site and podcast TheFullPint; she tweets