Reopening America

We have seen walkouts and protests across the country at fast food restaurants and now we’ll take a look at a rebellion inside a McDonald’s in Bradford, Pa. Workers at this fast food chain were unhappy with wages and conditions and banded together to walkout. Frustrated with the lack of support from the franchise owner and even corporate offices the workers left and in a good twist all found better paying jobs. Online and elsewhere these workers received scathing criticism saying they were entitled, but they also got some support from others in the service industry. Greg Jaffe, national reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how this walkout took place.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a new etiquette for post-pandemic office life. Many still have anxieties about being back and others are just rusty from being away for so long. Hugs and handshakes are out, be honest with those close talkers so they give you space, and it is OK to ask about vaccination status. Rachel Feintzeig, work and life columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how to avoid the awkward return.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's continue to look at how the Great Resignation is affecting the job market. While many have left to pursue better wages and working environments, millions of Americans have been left behind and still can't find work. Millions of jobs are available, but they are not connecting with those who need them. Karla Miller, work advice columnist at the Washington Post, joins us for those left behind and the flip side, what employers did right to hold on to their workers... trust, appreciation, and support go a long way.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Biden administration has released new vaccine rules that could cover more than 100 million workers. For companies with more than 100 employees, the deadline is now January 4th for them to be fully vaccinated or get tested weekly. Employers are not required to pay for testing so the burden will most likely be placed on the employee. There is already opposition to the new rules and lawsuits will follow. Mo’Kelly, host of the Mo’Kelly Show on KFI Radio, joins us for what to know.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for kids ages 5-11 and while there are a lot of concerns with giving the vaccine to children, the dosage has been adjusted. Children in this age range will only be getting 10 micrograms of RNA in each shot, versus 30 micrograms for those 12 and up. Katherine Wu, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for why the dosage is less about weight and size and more about how the body can marshal a defense.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccine mandates continue to be a problem for many companies that contract with the federal government. The clock is ticking with a December 8th deadline and thousands of employees have yet to be vaccinated. Many are requesting exemptions for religious and medical reasons and others are readying to file lawsuits in opposition. Tina Bellon, reporter at Reuters, joins us for the rebellion over these mandates.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic was a big inflection point for workers of all industries, but teachers were put in an especially difficult spot dealing with remote learning, back-to-school craziness, and concerns for their own health. Many teachers quit, and others are still thinking about it. Leslie Gray Streeter, author and contributor to The Washington Post Magazine, joins us to talk about conversations she had with teachers that left their profession because of the pandemic. Many felt guilt, anger and heartbreak over their choices.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a lot of scrutiny placed on social media recently in light of the Facebook Papers, and while social media has opened the line of communication for many, maybe we weren’t meant to talk to each other so much? The number of meaningful relationships a person can have is far less than the number of people you can accumulate in a social network, and that’s where the problems can start. Both genuine speech and misinformation gets muddled together very quickly. Ian Bogost, contributing writer at The Atlantic and Director of Film and Media Studies at Washington University, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beware of higher prices for everyday items. You’ll be paying more for everything from coffee to toilet paper… and big companies are betting that you’ll keep paying those prices. Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Verizon and others all plan to continue raising prices and push customers to more expensive products well into 2022 to help offset the growing costs of the supply chain crisis. Sharon Terlep, consumer products reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why companies think you’ll stick with them as things get more expensive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Facebook Papers are out and it is shedding more light on how executives there weighed various tradeoffs between their bottom line and impacts on public safety. In one instance, it took them years to implement a fix for the algorithm that was feeding people angry, emotional content filled with misinformation. If you used the angry emoji on a post instead of the like button, it carried more weight and then feed you more of the same, despite the signal that you did not like it. Jeremy Merrill, data reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.