Across the country, coronavirus infection rates are surging. Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff have been working nonstop to control the virus, but experts are now warning that some hospitals are again on the verge of being overwhelmed. Today, the story of one of those healthcare workers—who’s been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic since the beginning.

Producer: Shania Russell

As people took to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and others killed at the hands of police, many business owners closed their shops and raised plywood boards over their windows. And where those storefronts used to be, local artists like Valendice Payne found themselves with dozens of blank canvases instead.

Producer: Kira Schukar

Across the country, healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line going to work each day. But a lot of healthcare workers are also parents. And with schools closed, many of them don't have anyone to take care of their kids.

This episode is part of our series on the coronavirus pandemic: A gap in America's childcare system and the students stepping in to help.

Minnesota CovidSitters: mncovidsitters.org (mncovidsitters.org)

They’re not household names. But for protestors from Minneapolis and Saint Paul, their calls for justice are a familiar sound.

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Some places to donate:

* We Love Lake Street (https://www.welovelakestreet.com)

* Reclaim the Block (https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home)

* Black Visions Collective (https://www.blackvisionsmn.org)

* Drop-Off/Pick-Up Sites (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S1WuHAJlWgeWEqhYPpB5gl-TY5DcHBoa2dkZqm3L3B0/edit?fbclid=IwAR2cuhRWkwb_9rOhAaMUMN0bGb5t2SoPawYCSSttCc2efMsInhR8pRq6QWs#gid=0) (Credit: BLM at Macalester (instagram.com/blmatmac))

Some resources:

* Ways to Take Long-Term Political Action From Home (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1G-EGnJGYIpwhrMCjxOZGrfW1e-0kWI7M) (Credit: BLM at Macalester (instagram.com/blmatmac))

* Anti-Racism Resources (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/preview?pru=AAABcoS3Ow0*3xWLaV9ZvPgBfMmqVQ3f-w&fbclid=IwAR1dXTVPUyhxL-ua8zO24B4ooVuwrUcYrf30yCGbvnRC17WsfgOa-LKcLj0) (Credit: Amy Martin, Threshold (https://www.thresholdpodcast.org))

* Code Switch (https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/) from NPR

* 1619 (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.html) from The New York Times

For 17 years, he’s been the president of Macalester. This year, he’s stepping down. A final interview with Brian Rosenberg.

Guests: Brian Rosenberg, President of Macalester College

Further reading:

* Controversial party reviewed by College Harassment Committee (https://themacweekly.com/61770/archive/controversial-party-reviewed-by-college-harassment-committee/)

* Green Sheikh appearance cancelled amid protests (https://themacweekly.com/76624/news/green-sheikh-appearance-cancelled-amid-protests/)

* Macalester campus unites for walk-in against hate (https://themacweekly.com/73138/news/macalester-campus-unites-for-walk-in-against-hate/)

* Board says no new fossil fuel investments in victory for student activists (https://themacweekly.com/76670/news/board-says-no-new-fossil-fuel-investments-in-victory-for-student-activists/)

* Six years later, Neill’s name stripped from Humanities Building (https://themacweekly.com/77196/news/six-years-later-neills-name-stripped-from-humanities-building/)

Across the country, states are ordering people to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Two weeks ago, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz issued an executive order that people need to stay inside except for essentials like groceries and exercise. In the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you updates as the crisis continues to unfold. This is part three: Tips for social distancing, working from home, and staying connected.

Guests: Morgan Doherty, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Mac Weekly

Across the world, the pandemic has brought economic activity to a halt. In the last week, the stock market has crashed. Local businesses have been forced to close. And in the US, more than three million people have lost their jobs. In the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you updates as the crisis continues to unfold. This is part two: What you need to know about the coming recession.

Guests: Liang Ding, Associate Professor of International Finance at Macalester; Pete Ferderer, Edward J Noble Professor of Macroeconomics and Economic History

Resources:

* https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-money-unemployment.html

* https://www.uimn.org/applicants/needtoknow/news-updates/covid-19.jsp

* https://www.usa.gov/unemployment

In the last three months, the rapid spread of the coronavirus has overloaded hospitals, forced borders to close, and killed thousands as countries struggle to slow it down. In the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you updates as the crisis continues to unfold. This is part one: Why our ability to fight the virus depends on what you do.

 

Guests: Devavani Chatterjea, Professor of Immunology and Global Health at Macalester

 

Resources:

* Minnesota Department of Health: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html

* Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

For the first time in 60 years, Minnesota lawmakers are changing the rules for the state's presidential primary. Less than a week before the vote, some of those rules are still being written.

Guests: Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State; Sarah West, Professor of Economics at Macalester; Erik Larson, Professor of Sociology at Macalester

College athletics is a $14 billion dollar-industry, but student athletes have never been paid. Now, California says that should change. How the state's Fair Pay to Play Act could remake college athletics across the country.

 

Guests: Liam McMahon, Managing Editor at The Mac Weekly