COVID-19 AMA: California To Require Healthcare Workers To Get Boosters, Army Says It’s Created Single Vaccine Against All Variants And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, guest host Austin Cross speaks with professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital Dr. Dean Blumberg.
Topics today include:
- California will require boosters for healthcare workers
- Center Theatre Group cancels “A Christmas Carol” productions
- L.A. County says no lockdown needed now as California requires boosters for health workers
- U.S. Army creates single vaccine against all COVID & SARS variants, researchers say
- 2021 on track to surpass last year as nation’s deadliest
- Omicron symptoms: What we know about illness caused by the new variant
- Israel begins fourth COVID-19 dose vaccine rollout for people 60 and over as Omicron cases surge
Why Do Street Upgrades Take So Long In L.A.? A Lot Depends On Who Represents Your Neighborhood
Alessa Fajardo and Monique Muñoz were killed by drivers on the same Los Angeles street about 8 miles and 16 months apart. On Oct. 16, 2019, Alessa, a 4-year-old preschooler, was a few yards from her school, walking in a crosswalk with her mother, when a driver turned left into the crosswalk and hit them. Alessa suffered severe brain trauma and died at the hospital. On Feb. 17, 2021, Muñoz, 32, was driving home from work and attempted to make a left turn at an intersection with traffic signals. A teen driver in a Lamborghini sped through the intersection at more than 100 mph according to prosecutors. He hit Muñoz’s car, and killed her.
Both traffic deaths happened on Olympic Boulevard: Alessa at the intersection of Normandie Avenue in Koreatown and Muñoz at the intersection of Overland Avenue in West L.A. Both deaths led to calls for safety improvements on the road. Less than two months after Muñoz died, left-turn phasing was installed at the West L.A. intersection where she died. But Alessa’s parents have been waiting more than two years for similar changes where their daughter was killed. Why? LAist transportation mobility reporter Ryan Fonseca says the answer lies in how projects are funded - or not - and which projects city councilmembers prioritize. Today on AirTalk, Ryan joins guest host Austin Cross to discuss his new report on what drives street upgrades in Los Angeles.
With files from LAist. You can read Ryan’s full report here.
NASA Launches Its Most Complicated Telescope To Date: The James Webb
Earlier this morning, NASA launched a project that’s been in the works for decades. The James Webb Space telescope will search for answers to some big questions, like how galaxies, stars, and planets form. The $10 billion dollar telescope will spend weeks unfolding its intricate mirrors, then months testing its instruments before it’s finally ready to start probing into the depths of space for information on some of the oldest known galaxies. Today on AirTalk, we reprise a conversation Larry Mantle had earlier this month with NASA research scientistNatasha Batalha and NASA astrophysicist and the Project Scientist for Operations for the James Webb Space Telescope,Jane Rigby.
As Omicron Takes Hold, How Are You Doing Mentally?
The Omicron variant now accounts for more than 70% of new United States coronavirus infections, and health officials worry we’re on the brink of another winter surge. Déjà vu anyone?
The pandemic seems to be never ending, and the ups and downs and constant worry over protecting yourself and others is mentally draining. Now there is concern that a mental health crisis may be coming our way - if it’s not here already. The Government Accountability Office recently released a report to Congress containing a Census Bureau survey that found between 29 and 43 percent of adults in the U.S. have symptoms of anxiety or depression. The letter also says data shows use of alcohol and drugs has increased during the pandemic. Today, guest host Austin Cross talks with Erlanger Turner, licensed psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University in Malibu, about what people can do to better address their mental health.
If you or a loved one needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Los Angeles County maintains a 24-hour bilingual hotline at 1-800-854-7771.
What Life Event Helped You Get Through 2021?
The pandemic has left many finding ways to keep them in a cheerful or positive mood. Whether it be through music, books, film or television–there’s many ways people have been able to cope with the year that is 2021.
For many, there have been life moments that have helped them get through the year, whether they be little or small. Could be an insightful conversation with a relative, going to your college commencement or picking up a hobby, people had positive experiences coming out of this year.
Today on AirTalk, guest host Austin Cross speaks with therapist and meditation expert Aruna Shields about why it's important to identify these specific kinds of memories. We also talk to listeners about what from this year helped them get over this annual hump.