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State of Affairs, Coronavirus Ask an Expert, How to Quarantine Without Going Insane
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Mar 13, 2020
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State of Affairs, Coronavirus Ask an Expert, How to Quarantine Without Going Insane

Local leaders' response to coronavirus concerns, bring in an expert to separate fact from fiction on COVID-19, plus some of the best weekend ideas at home

President Trump speaks at the White House about the U.S. response to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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State of Affairs

As lawmakers determine the appropriate response to Coronavirus, we examine what we've seen so far this week, and explore what more might be done by local leaders. We speak to Zach Courser, co-director of the policy lab at Claremont McKenna College and Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED. 

Guest: 

  • Zach Courser, Co-director of the policy lab at Claremont McKenna College 
  • Marisa Lagos, Political Correspondent for KQED

Coronavirus Ask an Expert

It has been quite a week. This afternoon President Trump declared a national state of emergency over coronavirus. News about the novel Coronavirus has been swift and ever changing, so we brought in an expert to help us separate fact from fiction. We speak to Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. He’s also a former CDC and WHO staffer.

Guest: 

  • Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health

You can find more information on how Jury duty is being affected here.

Coronavirus Sick Leave

The spread of the coronavirus is already leaving many people out of work: Events are canceled, customers are avoiding restaurants and gyms, travel has slowed to a crawl. For those who are still working, the big question is — what happens if I get sick? Can I still make my rent and pay my bills? KPCC's David Wagner covers the economy, and he's here now to break down your options.

Guest:

  • David Wagner, KPCC's Business and Economy Reporter 

Coronavirus How Students Are Impacted

Universities and colleges all over Southern California have canceled class or moved them online so we called up a few students to see how this is all affecting them. Take Two's Ari Saperstein produced this segment.

Coronavirus LAUSD School Closures

Many parents received this message this morning from the Los Angeles Unified School District: "Effective Monday, March 16th we will close public schools for two weeks as we evaluate the appropriate path forward." Already many private schools in the area had closed down earlier in the week, but the move by LAUSD sends more than half a million kids home, creating logistical headaches for families as they scramble to figure out childcare and how to keep kids up on their studies. KPCC's Kyle Stokes has been following this and talks to A Martinez.

Guest: 

  • Kyle Stokes, KPCC's Education Reporter

How to Quarantine Without Going Insane

This is usually the time in the show when we talk about the events happening in our area, but due to the escalating situation around COVID-19 we are offering a special “Cabin Fever” edition of weekend preview. KPCC's Leo Duran shares some of the best ideas on how to stay entertained while at home, and to avoid cabin fever.

Guest:

  • Leo Duran, KPCC's Take Two Reporter and Producer

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