Reopening America

Be warned when making plans this summer… everyone has the same idea as you. Right now, national and state parks are being overwhelmed with people trying to enjoy outdoors activities. At Arches National Park in Utah, they reach capacity and close gates to visitors most days before 9am. You have to also be ready for long lines just to get in anywhere. Allison Pohle, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how it’s packed everywhere, even outdoors.

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A new coronavirus vaccine may soon be available from Novavax as they say their two-dose shot is 90% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19. While it may not make much of an impact in the U.S., it is expected to be a welcome addition to global vaccination efforts. Approval may still take a few months as they ramp up their manufacturing processes, but it is still a big win for Novavax who has never won an approval for a vaccine. Peter Loftus, pharmaceutical reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

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Over the weekend a judge threw out a lawsuit by employees of Houston Methodist Hospital after the hospital mandated that they get Covid vaccines. 117 employees joined the failed lawsuit alleging they did not want to be part of the vaccine experiment. Many legal experts agree that employers can mandate vaccinations as conditions of employment. The G-7 summit also agreed this past weekend to give one billion vaccine doses to poorer countries, half of which will be supplied by the U.S. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and a preview of President Biden's meeting with Vladimir Putin.

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Some good news on the coronavirus front as we might be closer herd immunity than you think. More than 64% of adults have had at least one vaccine dose, and for those who haven’t had the vaccine, about half of them have natural immunity from prior infection. When you factor in natural immunity, the number of individuals protected is more than we think. Dr. Marty Makary, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author of “The Price We Pay: What Broke American Healthcare and How to Fix It,” joins us for why herd immunity is not so far off.

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Plant-based meats were already having a moment before the pandemic showing up in your grocery stores, fast food chains, and restaurants, but as meat and pork prices were going up do to the pandemic, these alternative meats were surging in options and dropping in price.  In 2020, we saw 112 new plant-based meat, egg, and dairy brands hit the shelves and people aren’t just trying them once, we are seeing repeat customers. Laura Riley, business of food reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how plant-based proteins are taking a bite out of Big Meat.

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The FDA has approved a new drug that could help all those that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first new Alzheimer’s drug approved in almost 20 years and targets proteins called amyloids that are thought to play a part in cognitive decline. More studies on its effectiveness will continue to be done and the treatment is very expensive, coming in at over $50,000 a year. Robert Langreth, science and health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

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Virtual brands are taking over your favorite food delivery apps. The pandemic has transformed the food industry and in a time when many restaurants were closing, food brands have proliferated. Big chains and even mom and pop restaurants are expanding the brands housed in their kitchens and offering burgers, pizza, and especially chicken wings all coming from the same kitchen, just under different names. Uber Eats estimates that there are over 10,000 virtual brands on its platform alone. Josh, Dzieza, investigations editor at the Verge, joins us for the rise of virtual brands and how to spot them… keep an eye out for those chicken wing spots.

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A look into the public safety app that is pushing boundaries and unfortunately making some mistakes along the way. The Citizen app recently put out a reward for the capture of a man who they believed started a brush fire in Los Angeles. The man that was singled out, didn't actually have anything to do with the fire. The app was also considering branching out into somewhat of a private security force for a monthly fee. Former employees and some experts say that this new aggressive direction could do more harm than good. Cyrus Farivar, investigative tech reporter at NBC News, joins us for a look into the Citizen app.

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As many companies are debating what the road back to the office will look like, they better be prepared to make remote work a part of the equation. A recent survey showed that almost 40% of workers would quit a job if their employers were not flexible about working remotely. Top reasons for wanted to keep that set up is the lack of commute and cost savings associated with that. Anders Melin, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how important remote work has become over the course of the pandemic.

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Some concerning news for those with immunocompromised systems has emerged. A recent study found that the vaccines are proving less effective than for people with normal immune systems. 46% of transplant patients had no antibodies after two vaccine shots and the other 54% who did develop antibodies, were at lower levels. Joe Barrett, senior Midwest correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for why immunocompromised people might be looking at booster shots to help.

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