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Podcasts Take Two
CA Legislature Has 5 Weeks To Tackle Hot-Button Bills, Nursing Homes Continue to Battle Spread of The Coronavirus, Why Sports Should Use Pandemic As An Opportunity to Fix Problems
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Jul 27, 2020
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CA Legislature Has 5 Weeks To Tackle Hot-Button Bills, Nursing Homes Continue to Battle Spread of The Coronavirus, Why Sports Should Use Pandemic As An Opportunity to Fix Problems

Lawmakers have five weeks to decide on hot-button bills, an update on nursing homes in the time of coronavirus, how will folks pay for August rent?
California State Capitol Building in Sacramento.
California State Capitol Building in Sacramento.
(
Jeff's Canon/Flickr Creative Commons
)

California Legislature Returns

California lawmakers ARE back at work Monday - remotely, of course.  They'll have about FIVE weeks to get through a STACK of important proposals several of which deal with some pretty hot-button issues for California: Worker protections in the time of COVID-19… as well as bills dealing with racial justice and policing. So - with that August 31st deadline in mind, let's learn a bit more about what lawmakers will consider. 

Guest:

  • Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED

Nursing Home Check-in

Residents and staff at these facilities continue to be among the hardest hit by the coronavirus. To date 1,790 residents of skilled nursing facilities in LA County have died of COVID-19. We get an update on the problem and how officials are handling it.

Guest:

  • Jackie Fortiér, KPCC health reporter 

Rent Cancellation

July is coming to a close, and, for many people on unemployment, that means the end of the extra $600 a week in federal money that came as part of the CARES Act. That also means that millions of renters in Southern California are asking themselves: How do I pay August rent?

  • Matt Tinoco, KPCC's Homelessness Reporter

OC Update

Orange County, where coronavirus continues to affect countless parts of life, from hospitals to schools to government meetings.  Nick Gerda has been covering these issues. He's a reporter with the non-profit news site, the Voice of OC, and joins us regularly for the OC Update.

Guest:

  • Nick Gerda, The Voice of OC Reporter

Remaking Sports

Sports is back – sort of. Major League Baseball had its opening day last Thursday with no fans in the seats – only cardboard cuts outs of those who paid for the privilege. And after the coronavirus interrupted its season, the National Basketball Association will be back THIS Thursday…in a pandemic sorta way. Hockey is next, then football …maybe … if nothing too terrible happens. It’s anything but CONVENTIONAL, and there are concerns that the current struggle could HURT some teams over time. So, here’s a thought - why not use this moment to rethink how these games are played…and maybe make them better?

Guest:

  • John Branch, New York Times Sportswriter

Hollywood: The Sequel Sneak Peek

Changes in the film and TV business usually happen pretty slowly but in this era of the pandemic we're getting nearly DAILY news.  John Horn is covering ALL of it In his podcast Hollywood: The Sequel. He joins us every Monday for a preview of the week's episode and to check in on other industry news.

Guest:

  • John Horn, host of Hollywood: The Sequel