Today on AirTalk, we answer your COVID-19 questions. Also on the show, we discuss how employers can address worker burnout; the progress California has made in trying to convert to more Hydrogen-field vehicles; and more.
COVID-19 AMA: What A New T-Cell Test Might Tell Us About Immunity
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious disease expert Dr. Kimberly Shriner from Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Topics today include:
- California pulls the “emergency brake” on reopening
- New type of test may better discern immunity to coronavirus
- People using COVID testing as an excuse to socialize & dangers of falling into false sense of security with testing
- L.A. Times editorial: “America’s broken PPE pipeline is still broken”
- COVID-19 testing before flying could become the norm as airlines try to boost confidence and woo travelers
Guest:
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena
LA Equity Index: How Where You Live Impacts The Opportunities Available To You
Have you ever wondered how the geographic and socioeconomic facts of where you live affect you?
A new interactive map of Los Angeles from the City Controller attempts to explore how variables like the environment, the cost of housing and education levels all influence opportunities available to Angelenos, based on where they live.
We sit down with L.A. Controller Ron Galperin to discuss how the L.A. Equity Index was put together and what it’s meant to achieve.
Guest:
Ron Galperin, controller of the City of Los Angeles; he tweets
How Can Employers Address Worker Burnout? Some Companies Are Getting Creative
After working through eight months of a pandemic that shows no sign of abating, many white collar workers are becoming burned out and exhausted by remote work.
To combat this, some corporate employers are rolling out new approaches to combat burnout. Eventbrite, for instance, altered their leadership training to put an emphasis on how supervisors can manage more empathetically during the pandemic. Fidelity Investments recently piloted a program allowing employees to work 30 hours a week, with a small pay cut (but retained benefits), to keep their employees from becoming overwhelmed. Other employers have supplied bonus “self-care days” to encourage their workers to unplug and relax, and pandemic-related peer groups on topics like parenting or isolation have shown success in helping workers stay connected. Although corporate jobs allow more flexibility for managers to intervene, some tactics might be applicable to in-person work as well, like retail and food services.
Has your workplace attempted to address burnout? What would you like to see from your employer? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Chip Cutter, reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering workplace issues, and author of the piece “Companies Offer Creative Solutions to Worker Burnout During the Pandemic”; he tweets
How Did Twitter And Facebook Handle Election-Related Misinformation This Year?
A Senate panel has summoned the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter to defend their handling of disinformation in the 2020 election between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. But the senators are deeply divided by party over the integrity and results of the election itself.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday to question Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter's Jack Dorsey on their companies' actions around the closely contested election. The two social media CEOs are expected to testify via video.
We check in on the latest.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Steven Overly, technology reporter for POLITICO who's been following the hearings; he tweets
Where Does CA’s Hydrogen Economy Stand And What Challenges Remain In Its Path?
Talks of hydrogen one day becoming a prominent power source in the country have long swirled in the air but with little impact. A recent piece in the New York Times explains how California is hoping to push efforts forward in the state.
The lack of infrastructure throughout the state has created challenges in attracting investment, but some executives say they expect to see an increase in investment under President-elect Joe Biden’s administration. The state of California is on track to have invested around $230 million on hydrogen projects by 2023. Experts who study the use of hydrogen don’t necessarily believe hydrogen will become the dominant energy source anytime soon, but say it likely has a significant role to play in decarbonization.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss where things stand with California’s hydrogen economy and the challenges that remain. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Ivan Penn, Los Angeles-based energy correspondent for the New York Times; he tweets
Daniel Sperling, professor of engineering and environmental science and policy and founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis, he’s also a Board member of California Air Resources Board; he tweets
What’s The Greatest Single Dish You’ve Had At Thanksgiving?
For many Americans, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to showcase their best recipes, either inherited down familial and cultural lines or torn straight from the pages of the November issue of Bon Appétit.
Although we all know the classic interpretations of Thanksgiving dinner— a stuffed turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce— anyone who’s had a home cooked meal knows that it matters just as much who makes the dish as what goes in it.
Not only that, but many observers of Thanksgiving do not keep their meal restricted to the kinds of dishes we might expect to see in a Thanksgiving children’s book. Tables may be loaded with dumplings, tamales, stews, tahdig, fritters and other savory mains, as well as pies and cakes.
Given the recent precipitous rise in COVID-19 cases, many of us will be enjoying Thanksgiving alone, or with just a small gathering of household family or friends in order to stay safe. We may be craving our grandmother’s cornbread, or dreaming about our cousin’s secret chili recipe.
Ahead of this unusual Thanksgiving, we are coming together to reflect on our all-time favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Is there a pie you still dream about? Your grandmothers’ recipe for stuffing that she keeps close to her chest? A batch of mac n cheese that came out exceptionally well five years ago that you still fantasize about to this day?