Today on AirTalk, we discuss the health and political ramifications of president Donald Trump's contraction of COVID-19. Also on the show, KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Claudia Puig join us to review this weekend’s new movie releases on FilmWeek.
President Trump Tests Positive For Coronavirus. What Process Follows The Diagnosis?
President Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” of COVID-19 after revealing early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunged the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election.
Trump, who has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans, said he and Mrs. Trump were quarantining. The White House physician said the president was expected to continue carrying out his duties “without disruption” while recovering. A White House official said Friday morning that the president was experiencing mild symptoms but was working from the White House residence.
Trump’s diagnosis was sure to have a destabilizing effect in Washington and around the world, raising questions about how far the virus had spread through the highest levels of the U.S. government. Hours before Trump announced he had contracted the virus, the White House said a top aide who had traveled with him during the week had tested positive.
Today on AirTalk, we talk about the political process and messaging happening in Washington D.C.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
, White House reporter for Politico; she tweets
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
Debating Prop 14: Should The State Borrow Money For Stem Cell Research?
Sixteen years ago, Californians allowed the state to borrow $3 billion to fund a stem cell research program, which has since supplied money to various projects and trials, many conducted through the University of California.
Now, the pot of money is almost empty and voters will decide on whether they want to approve $5.5 billion in government bonds for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Prop 14 also establishes some rules for how the money would be spent, including a directive to better patient access.
Supporters think that it’s important for scientific work to continue in this area of research. Detractors say the Institute doesn’t have enough oversight and that the money would be better spent on California’s immediate needs, such as housing and social programs.
We hear from both sides.
Guests:
David Higgins, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) board member; he’s a Parkinson’s patient and patient advocate
Jeff Sheehy, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) board member; patient advocate for those with HIV/AIDS; he is the only CIRM board member opposed to Prop 14
Is It Time To Go Back To The Office? Some Companies Think So
At the start of the pandemic, many of us thought we’d only be working from home for about two weeks, a month tops. Now eight months later, it seems like we might never go back to the office. But some companies are trying to change that.
According to the LA Times, more and more people in Southern California are returning to the office, even as many parts of the region are still under COVID restrictions. But as businesses start to reopen and the rate of positive cases start to decrease, many companies think it’s now the perfect time for employees to return to the office under the right safety measures.
Companies are going to great lengths to create a safe working environment for their employees, creating a rotation system, closing off shared work spaces, even deploying algorithms that would help determine who’d need to return to the office first. Many of these companies are arguing that working from home the past year has hurt productivity and they want to bring back a sense of work culture.
There are probably many people excited about the idea of going back to the office and would be happy to return, but there are worries that those who aren’t as eager to go back will feel pressured to. The emotional stress this is placing on employees has some questioning whether it really is the right time to make the big return.
Today on AirTalk, we take a closer look at why companies are starting to go back to the office, how they’re doing it, and the concerns many people have about returning. Have you started working in the office again? What has the experience been like and what is your company doing to keep you safe? Are you still working from home? Would you want to go back to the office? Is the office a more productive working environment than being at home? Let us know by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Chip Cutter, reporter covering workplace issues for the Wall Street Journal; he tweets at
Bob Nowak, executive vice president at JLL, a commercial real estate services company; he oversees more than 57 million square feet of commercial office and industrial properties in Southern California, Phoenix, and Las Vegas
Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
FilmWeek: “Spontaneous,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Herb Alpert Is…” And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Claudia Puig review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Spontaneous" on VOD Oct. 6 (FandangoNOW, Vudu, iTunes & Google Play)
"Dick Johnson is Dead" on Netflix
"Herb Alpert Is..." on Laemmle Virtual Cinema & VOD (Amazon & iTunes)
"The Forty-Year-Old Version" showing at Vineland Drive-In (City of Industry), Paramount Drive-In, The Lot Fashion Island (Newport Beach), Director's Cut Cinema (Laguna Niguel), Mary Pickford (Palm Springs), Metropolitan Fiesta Theaters (Santa Barbara) & streaming Oct. 9 on Netflix
"My Name is Pedro" on Laemmle Virtual Cinema
"Save Yourselves!" showing at Starlight Cinema City (Anaheim), Starlight Dos Lagos Luxury 15 (Corona) & VOD Oct. 6
"A Call to Spy" on VOD (Amazon & Google Play)
"The Boys in the Band" streaming on Netflix
"Possessor Uncut" showing in select theaters and drive-ins.
Our FilmWeek critics have been curating personal lists of their favorite TV shows and movies to binge-watch during self-quarantine. You can see recommendations from each of the critics and where you can watch them here.
You may hear our FilmWeek critics review films on the show that are playing at indoor venues that have reopened in our listening area. FilmWeek and KPCC are not endorsing or encouraging anyone to see a movie at an indoor theater at this time. If you do decide to attend a showing at an indoor theater, please familiarize yourself with COVID-19 safety protocols from the CDC, your local public health agency, and the theater where you’re seeing the film.
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets
On Its 40th Anniversary, Looking Back At The Journey Of “Somewhere In Time” From Box Office Bust To Cult Favorite
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the 1980 Jeannot Szwarc film “Somewhere in Time” had one of the longest, weirdest journeys to popularity. It’s about a young playwright (Christopher Reeve) who falls in love with an elderly actress (Jane Seymour) at the premiere of his new production and wills himself back in time 67 years to meet her. Though her manager tries to keep them apart, their love conquers all and they have a perfect day and night together before he’s pulled back to his own time period. When it first came out in theaters, critics panned the film for being stodgy, overly-romantic and out of touch. Today, however, the film has become a cult classic and even got a name drop in Marvel’s “Avengers: End Game.”
Today on FilmWeek, KPCC’s John Rabe, host of the new, independent podcast "Call Back Yesterday" takes us on a time travel journey of our own, back to 1979 when the film was made, to chronicle its journey to cult status.
With contributions from KPCC's John Rabe