Inside the Issues: The Podcast

With kids back at school and the omicron variant all around, there is more need for tests than ever. But lately, they've been hard to come by, and results have been delayed as labs are inundated. We're joined by Ann Lee, who, along with Sean Penn, started CORE Response, one of the largest providers of tests in the nation. Plus, Dr. David Agus of USC explains the role of communication in fighting COVID-19 and how scientists may have failed us on that front.

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COVID-19 cases are exploding across the state as the omicron variant surges and hospitalizations rise once again. Nurse practitioner James Q. Simmons opens up about the tremendous emotional toll of exhaustion and depression roiling California's health care workers two years into the pandemic. Plus, Dr. Catherine Blish of Stanford University gives us the skinny on fat and why people who are obese and overweight may develop some of the most severe cases of COVID-19.

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• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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• Watch Simmons' Instagram video from a year ago

More people have died of COVID-19 in California than in any other state in the nation, putting the state's funeral industry under tremendous strain. Back in March, when case numbers were declining, host Alex Cohen and mortician Caitlin Doughty discussed what the pandemic revealed about America's attitude toward death. 

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The man, the myth, the maestro Gustavo Dudamel joins us this week to talk about the grand opening of the new permanent home of the Youth Orchestra LA in Inglewood. The Venezuelan conductor shares his thoughts on the value of learning and playing music amid a pandemic. Plus, he reveals how audiences have been changed by COVID-19 — for the better.

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Want to ask Alex a question?

• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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Republicans talk in headlines, Democrats speak in fine print, so how can those on the Left do a better job of messaging? This week, Ben Meiselas, host of "The MeidasTouch" podcast, joins us to talk about creating an effective political message and why many Democrats are lousy at it. Plus, Rep. Katie Porter shares her approach for selling the American public on the Build Back Better Act. 

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Want to ask Alex a question?

• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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In this Episode

• Watch Rep. Katie Porter break down the Build Back Better Act
• Watch the Let’s Go Brandon video 

When the world is in turmoil, how do you even begin to think about planning for a massive event seven years away? This week, we're joined by Casey Wasserman, chair of LA28, the group spearheading the effort to bring the Olympics to Los Angeles. Wasserman discusses what it's like to plan during a pandemic and why he believes LA was born to host the Olympics. He also shares his hot take on the massive Crypto.com naming rights deal at Staples Center.

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Want to ask Alex a question?

• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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In this Episode

• Read the contract between LA28 and the city of LA

A stunning new article in New York Magazine details allegations of sexual harassment by one of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's former chief advisers. Reporter Alissa Walker and Naomi Seligman, Garcetti's former director of communications, join us to discuss power and politics in the City of Angels.

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Want to ask Alex a question?

• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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In this Episode

• Read the New York Magazine article titled "The mayor knew"
• See the photograph discussed in the episode 

After a bleak Thanksgiving 2020, when many folks stayed safer at home, travelers are back at it again. As we adapt to this new normal, COVID-19 expert Dr. Bob Wachter of the University of California, San Francisco joins us to talk about how he is assessing personal risks and how you can make smart, yet socially active, choices, too. 

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• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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Sheriff's deputies and police officers are tasked with enforcing local rules, but are they ready to abide by them? Although many have complied with rules around COVID-19 vaccines, plenty are refusing to get the shots. This week, host Alex Cohen is joined by Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and LAPD Chief Michel Moore on why they have such radically different responses to the vaccine requirements.

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Want to ask Alex a question?

• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
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In this Episode

• Villanueva on invite for LA GOP Winter celebration 

Next week, the new season of the hit show "Star Trek: Discovery" blasts off. The hit show made history as the first of its kind to feature an openly gay character, Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets, played by our guest this week, Anthony Rapp. The actor talks about his groundbreaking role on the show and how he's also been able to push back against gender binaries off-screen after being elected to the board of the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA.

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Want to ask Alex a question?

• Visit the SoCal in 17 page
• On Twitter using hashtag #SOCALIN17 or her handle @alexcoheninla

In this Episode

• '"Star Trek: Discovery" streaming site