Today on AirTalk. we discuss the impact the pandemic has had on people of color. Also on the show, KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein and Christy Lemire stop by and review this weekend's movie releases on FilmWeek.
Communities Of Color Are Carrying The Brunt Of The Pandemic
It’s no secret that communities of color, particularly Latino and African American households, have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, these groups have seen a larger number of coronavirus cases and have financially been hit harder by the economic fallout that has accompanied the pandemic.
Prior to the COVID outbreak, many communities were not equipped with the resources that could prepare them for a natural disaster like the pandemic. Six months into the crisis, even with the amount of government assistance and private programs established to help create financial safety for households, we now see it wasn’t enough to help many families. A new poll published by NPR, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that about 71% of Latino households and 52% of Black households in Los Angeles County have experienced serious financial problems during the pandemic, compared to 37% of whites. There are many other factors that have played into why communities of color have been more greatly impacted by the virus. These are communities with people who are more likely to be essential workers, live in multigenerational households, and lack efficient access to healthcare.
Today on AirTalk, we dig a little deeper into how and why communities of color have had greater hardships in regards to the pandemic. How has the pandemic affected your life? Do you identify as a person of color? How have you had to adjust? Has the pandemic only exacerbated any prior challenges you were already facing? We want to hear your thoughts. Comment below or call 866-893-5722.
With guest host Elly Yu
Guests:
Robert Blendon, professor emeritus of public health policy and political analysis at Harvard; executive director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School and co-director of the organization’s most recent poll “The Impact of Coronavirus On Households In Major U.S. Cities”
Manuel Pastor, professor of sociology and American studies & ethnicity at USC; director of the USC Equity Research Institute; he is a member of Governor Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery; he tweets at
Paul Simon, M.D., chief science officer and the at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Deborah Prothrow-Stith, M.D., dean and professor of medicine for the College of Medicine at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, a private historically black graduate school in Los Angeles
Tech Workers Are Leaving San Francisco During The Pandemic. Is A Larger Exodus From California’s Cities On The Horizon?
San Francisco, often ranked as the most expensive city to live in in the country, has witnessed a surprising reversal during the pandemic: rents are down.
According to a piece by reporter Katie Bindley in the Wall Street Journal, the trend began to emerge as many tech companies started to allow large blocs of their employees to work from home. Some of those remote workers, gravitating toward the allure of lower housing costs and more open space, have moved out of the Bay Area to cities relatively close by— Sacramento, Los Angeles— where their dollar might stretch to more square footage and amenities.
Others are jetting off out of state, to large and mid-sized cities like New York, Austin, Nashville and Portland. In one survey, two out of three tech workers said they would permanently leave San Francisco if they could continue to work remotely. Although it’s still early, it appears that the industry responsible for dramatically altering the Bay Area and turning it into a tech hub may now be touching off an exodus. In Southern California, meanwhile, real estate prices are at a record high during the pandemic— up 12.1% from a year earlier. Whether the compounded difficulties of housing shortages, high costs and limited space will translate into a broader move of residents from cities remains to be seen.
How are the issues exacerbated by the pandemic affecting who is staying (or leaving) our cities? We’re on with Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Bindley and Adam Fowler of Beacon Economics to learn more. Have you considered moving away during the pandemic? If so, did it accelerate a plan you already had? Or has the pandemic had you considering an entirely different set of priorities? We want to hear from you. Comment below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Elly Yu
Guests:
Katie Bindley, personal tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal and the author of the piece, “Remote Work Is Reshaping San Francisco, as Tech Workers Flee and Rents Fall”; she tweets
, director of research at Beacon Economics whose expertise includes Southern California’s housing market; he tweets
FilmWeek: “Kajillionaire,” “Enola Holmes,” “Misbehaviour,” And More
Guest host John Horn and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Kajilionaire" in wide release (playing at Orange County theaters, Mission Tiki Drive-In in Montclair, Van Buren Drive-In in Riverside & Rubidoux Drive-In in Riverside)
"Enola Holmes" on Netflix
"Misbehaviour" on VOD (iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play & Vudu)
"Inez & Doug & Kira" on VOD (iTunes & Vudu)
"Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles" on VOD (Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play & Vudu)
"LX 2048" on VOD (iTunes, FandangoNOW & Vudu)
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.
With guest host John Horn.
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and film columnist for the Santa Monica Daily Press; she tweets
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets
Not Homeless, Just Houseless: Film Festival Darling “Nomadland” Hits The Open Road In Search Of Work, Americana And Maybe An Oscar
When the housing bubble burst in 2008 and America plunged into what we now call the Great Recession, thousands lost their jobs, their homes and their livelihoods.
Likely few places in the country felt the impact more than the small mining town of Empire, Nevada, near the Black Rock Desert where Burning Man is held each year. It was for years a company town for the United States Gypsum Corporation, but in 2011 the company shut down its mine amid the Recession and its residents all but abandoned their lives there. Some were able to move to new cities and set down roots, but for others, particularly older Americans, it was an opportunity to live a lifestyle they’d never imagined -- one of a modern day “nomad” by choice, exploring the American west and drifting from town to town with their campers and RVs in tow looking for jobs.
Chloe Zhao’s upcoming film “Nomadland,” based on the 2017 book by journalist Jessica Bruder, explores this phenomenon through the eyes of Fern (Frances McDormand), a sixty-something woman who loses her job at the gypsum mine in Empire and hits the road in search of part-time work. What she finds along the way is a life she never imagined filled with drifters and nomads who, like her, chose a life on the road, and are kind enough to help a newly-minted “nomad” find her place in their world.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll hear from some of the folks involved with the making of “Nomadland,” including some of the real-life “nomads” on which the film is based, about what it was like to turn this real life story into a movie for the big screen.
With guest host John Horn
Guests:
Frances McDormand, Oscar-winning actress and producer, and star of “Nomadland”
Chloé Zhao, writer and director of “Nomadland”
Charlene Swankie, “Nomadland” cast member and one of the real-life “nomads” on which the film is based
Derek Endres, “Nomadland” cast member and one of the real-life “nomads” on which the film is based
“Kajillionaire” Writer And Director Miranda July Shares Her Vision For The Perfect LA Con Family
What does it take to be a kajillionaire? Is it worth trying? Miranda July’s new film “Kajillionaire” shows us how through the trials and tribulations of a con-artist family whose livelihood relies on their schemes.
Writer and director Miranda July has graced the big screen with films like “Me and You and Everyone We Know” and “The Future.” Her new film starring Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez is an exploration of family relationships and morality with LA as the perfect backdrop for these conflicting characters. John Horn spoke with July about her new film and what she hopes audiences will take away from it.
With contributions from John Horn
Guest:
Miranda July, actress, writer and director; her new film “Kajillionare” is out this week; she tweets