Today on AirTalk, we give updates on the latest COVID-19 news, including Moderna's announcement that their vaccine is 94.5 % effective. Also on the show, we break down the latest news in ; sit down with Long Beach mayor Robert Garcia; and more.
COVID-19 Update: Moderna Says Its Vaccine Is Nearly 95 Percent Effective, LA County Considers Curfew And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong from UCSF and Soumya Karlamangla of the Los Angeles Times.
Topics today include:
- Is this overlooked variable driving the pandemic?
- COVID-19 vaccine candidate 94.5 percent effective, Moderna says
- The third surge is taking its toll on healthcare workers
- Weekend COVID-19 surge alarms L.A. officials amid talk of curfew, more actions
- Newsom faces backlash after attending French Laundry dinner party
Guests:
Soumya Karlamangla, healthcare reporter for the Los Angeles Times; she tweets
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
Socially Distant Spaces Serve As Silver Lining During Pandemic
Seeking out safe ways to interact with friends and family has been one of countless challenges posed by the pandemic. Many have tried to adapt to socially-distant circumstances by finding new spaces that they can meet up while also abiding by CDC guidelines.
From parks to playgrounds and botanic gardens, L.A.’s greener areas have seen waves of newcomers, even as the weather cools down. Those with a penchant for escapism have frequented hiking trails, drive-in movies, and farmer’s markets in order to interact with loved ones outside of their household.
Are there any new spots you’ve discovered during the pandemic that allow for social distancing? Let us know by calling 866-893-5722.
Politics Roundup: Presidential Transfer Of Power Latest, Biden’s Economic Plan And More
President Donald Trump worked to take back an apparent acknowledgment that Joe Biden won the White House and was making clear he would keep trying to overturn the election result. Trump’s earlier comments Sunday had given some critics and supporters hope that the White House was ready to begin working on a transition with Biden’s team. Not so fast, Trump soon assured.
Trump, without using Biden’s name, said that “He won” as part of a tweet that made baseless claims about a “rigged” election. But as the Republican president saw how his comments were being interpreted as his first public acknowledgment of a Biden victory, he quickly reversed course. Also, Trump’s campaign is withdrawing a central request in its lawsuit seeking to stop the certification of the election results in Pennsylvania, where Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump to capture the state and help win the White House.
Ahead of a Tuesday hearing in the case, Trump’s campaign dropped its request in the lawsuit that hundreds of thousands of mail-in and absentee ballots — 682,479, to be precise — be thrown out because they were processed without its representatives able to watch. The campaign’s revised lawsuit, filed in federal court on Sunday, maintains the aim of blocking Pennsylvania from certifying a victory for Biden in the state, and it maintains its claim that Democratic voters were treated more favorably than Republican voters. Plus, Biden is expected to soon speak about the state of the economy.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest on the presidential transition of power, where legal challenges stand and more. Do you have thoughts or questions? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Anna Edgerton, politics editor for Bloomberg; she tweets
Pandemic May Permanently Shrink Travel For Business As Videoconferencing Rises
Businesses that have traditionally relied on travel have had to adapt to the pandemic’s restrictions, which may permanently reshape the way that they operate. According to an article in the Associated Press, businesses are replacing travel with substitutes such as video conferences, and this could cause problems for hotels, airlines, convention centers, and other industries that have historically relied on business travelers.
In many senses, the pandemic has proven travel obsolete and cut costs for businesses. While retail giants like Amazon have saved billions of dollars, many employees feel that videoconferencing is not as effective as conducting business in person.
We talk with L.A. Times reporter Hugo Martín about the future of business travel. If your travel for work has been reduced or scrapped altogether, call in and let us know how this has affected your employment at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Hugo Martín, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times covering the travel industry; he tweets
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia On His City’s COVID Response, Possibility Of Being Picked For Empty CA Senate Seat And More
Once it became clear that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the 2020 presidential election, among the major questions that some in California started to ask was who Governor Gavin Newsom will appoint as California’s newest senator to replace the seat that Vice President-elect Harris previously held.
Among the names that have initially been discussed are current California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, current Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. Whether or not he’s interested in the position remains to be seen, and most of the time incumbent elected officials punt when asked questions about future political ambitions or possible appointments to a different office, but Garcia is seen by many as a rising star in the Democratic party both here in California and nationwide, and his name is expected to be in the conversation when it’s time for Governor Newsom to make a decision.
Today on AirTalk, Mayor Garcia joins Larry Mantle to talk about his city’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, what
in Long Beach might look like when one is finally available, his thoughts on possibly being chosen to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and more.
Guest:
Robert Garcia, mayor of the City of Long Beach; he tweets