All Sides with Amy Juravich

Book publishers predict winter reading lists will be a mix of non-fiction picks that reflect current events and fiction choices that offer escapism. Other trends include readers reaching for older titles by familiar authors -- the literary equivalent of comfort food.

This episode originally aired on Nov. 17, 2020. The historic victory of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has underscored the expanding opportunities for women in politics, from running to office to helping others run. The 2020 election inspired record numbers of voters to cast their ballots despite the turbulence and danger posed by the pandemic.

Musical performances have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Venues are closed for the foreseeable future and many groups have had to lay off performers. The Columbus Symphony has managed to keep all of its full-time staff and even managed a few concerts this fall with more planned for the holidays.

Two pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer and Moderna, have developed coronavirus vaccines that are close to 95 percent effective. The speedy turnaround in trial results, less than a year after researchers began their work, is record-setting.

Public health experts are concerned the upcoming holiday season will inflame the already surging COVID-19 pandemic. They’re encouraging people to rethink traditional holiday meals this year with smaller numbers and plenty of precautions, or forgo family gatherings altogether.

Gov. Mike DeWine has issued a 21-day statewide curfew starting tomorrow that requires most retail establishments to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The governor said he opted for a slowdown instead of a shutdown to curb the dramatic rise in coronavirus cases. In Ohio’s hardest hit counties, one out of every 100 people was diagnosed with Covid in the last two weeks.

Microsoft said Friday that seven pharmaceutical companies working on COVID-related vaccines and drugs were targeted, some successfully, by hackers originating from Russia and North Korea. Two weeks ago, a ransomware attack took down computers and medical equipment at hospitals across the U.S., delaying some medical procedures and leaving frontline workers using pen and paper.

The historic victory of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has underscored the expanding opportunities for women in politics, from running to office to helping others run. The 2020 election inspired record numbers of voters to cast their ballots despite the turbulence and danger posed by the pandemic.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine drew criticism from state Republican and Democrat leaders on Wednesday as he announced his latest round of COVID-19 orders that affect businesses, their employees and customers. DeWine said if infection and hospitalization rates don’t improve, he may have no choice but to close bars, restaurants and fitness centers as early as this week.

This episode originally aired on September 24, 2020. The pandemic has changed everything, including our language. Words that we never used before have become commonplace, and in some cases, new words have been created to describe new experiences.