Reopening America

The conversation about Covid-19 variants is changing in the hopes of avoiding confusion and stigma. The WHO has announced a new naming scheme that uses the letters of the Greek alphabet instead of numbers or a county’s name. The UK variant known as B.1.1.7 will now be Alpha and the South African variant will be Beta. Out of 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, 10 have already been assigned. Elizabeth Weise, national correspondent at USA Today, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it illegal for businesses to require proof of vaccination? Short answer is no. In some states such as Texas, Florida, Utah and others, they have banned vaccine passports, but that does not apply to private businesses. Misinformation is floating around on the internet citing protection from Fourth Amendment, but the reality is, a business can ask you to voluntarily disclose your vaccination status and you can refuse, but that business also has the right to refuse you entry. Sasha Hupka, reporter at CapRadio.org, joins us for some fact checking.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus lab leak theory got extra attention last week as we found out that three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology got sick in November of 2019 and sought treatment at a hospital. Their symptoms were consistent with Covid and common seasonal illnesses. Also being talk about was an abandoned Chinese mine where people got sick after clearing bat guano. Scientists from the Wuhan institute took samples and found several new coronaviruses in 2012. Ken Dilanian national security correspondent at NBC News, joins us for why calls to investigate the coronavirus origins have intensified.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For all those that are out traveling this Memorial Day weekend, get ready for high costs and lots of people. As the economy continues to rebound from the pandemic, we are seeing vacations get more expensive with rising airfare and hotel rates. The price of gas is even making road trips more expensive too. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for why costs are quickly going up.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has changed how we shop and some things like wider aisles and curbside pickup will be sticking around, while companies that don’t adapt may continue to close. Retailers are expecting a spending boom, but business will have to give consumers reasons to get out, like new concept stores and in-store experiences. Hillary George-Parkin, contributor to Vox, joins us for what to expect from post-pandemic shopping.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another important piece of the vaccine puzzle has come into play. Moderna says that its vaccine has been found to be 100% effective in kids ages 12-17, two week after their second dose. Moderna will seek for FDA authorization early in June offering more choices for families over summer vacation and before the new school year begins. Elizabeth Weise, national correspondent at USA Today, joins us for how this will help bring us closer to herd immunity.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is out there driving in-person economic spending as the country recovers from the pandemic? Right now, vaccinated consumers have been less likely to go out to restaurants and entertainment venues than those who don’t plan to get the vaccine. Early data shows that the vaccinated are still cautious and avoiding large crowds. Many states that have higher vaccination rates have had a slower rebounds of in-person spending and experts say that spending among vaccinated people will most likely be at full force by summer. Sarah Chaney Cambon, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A growing body of research is showing that dogs can sniff out Covid-19, including people without symptoms. These dogs can be trained relatively quickly and have a pretty good success rate, sometimes doing better than rapid antigen tests. Some companies and countries are now getting ready to deploy these pups to help screen large amounts of people quickly for things like sporting events and more. Ruth Bender, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how dogs can detect the coronavirus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone is expecting the summer travel season to be that comeback moment for airlines and the hospitality industry, but signs are showing that it may already be happening. TSA airport screenings are up 715% compared to the same time last year. If you’re planning to fly, you might want to get your tickets soon, prices are already creeping back up to pre-pandemic levels. Scott McCartney, middle seat columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how the U.S. travel surge is already here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With just over 60 days to go before the Olympics are set to begin in Tokyo, a prominent group of doctors and a majority of those polled in Japan are calling for them to be cancelled once more. New Covid cases have surged and the vaccination rollout remains very slow due to a number of reasons. Less than 2% of the population in Japan is fully vaccinated. Jeff Tracy, sports reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.