Reopening America

The drug maker Gilead has set the price for remdesivir, its anti-viral drug which has been shown to be an effective treatment for COVID-19. For people on private insurance, it will cost $3,120 for a five day treatment. Gilead says that it could save hospitals about $12,000 per patient. Zachary Brennan, reporter at Politico, joins us for more on the costs of treating COVID-19.

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While we are still in the middle of the pandemic, we are starting to see the long-term effects of lost schooling and shutting down travel and business. The GAO is estimating that over the next decade we will see almost $8 trillion in lost economic growth. We are seeing those losses in education, jobs, tourism, and restaurants. Fadel Allasan, reporter for Axios, joins us for more on the pandemic’s lost years.

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Businesses that have been able to reduce the friction in their business models are those that have succeeded throughout the pandemic and will continue to grow as we come out of it. Think of Amazon and how they saved us so much time during the pandemic. No need to go shopping, order it online and it will be delivered, saving time and helping you reduce risks to your health. Same for the workplace, working from home has reduced the friction of commuting. Christiane Lemieux, contributor to Wired and co-author of the new book Frictionless, joins us for how the future of commerce belongs to frictionless businesses that give you your time back.

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The country is experiencing a coronavirus surge and it is everywhere. This past week the U.S. hit its highest single day of new coronavirus cases since April. Texas Gov. Greg Abbot also announced that due to a rise in cases, the state will pause any further phases to reopen. Furthermore, the increase in cases are skewing younger. Sam Baker, healthcare editor at Axios, joins us for the rise in cases.

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Everything that makes a dive bar great, makes them especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Dark interiors and busy atmospheres might lend itself to a good time, but it makes it hard to social distance and keep the air clean. The big questions is… are patrons ready to go back? Nick Mancall-Bitel, reporter at Eater, joins us for more.

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Florida’s party and tourism fueled economy is contributing to a rise in coronavirus cases and it has all the makings of possibly being the next large epicenter. The demographics are also changing, more people in their 20s and 30s are contracting the virus and things could also get complicated when President Trump takes the convention there in August. Francisco Alvarado, contributor to the Daily Beast, joins us for the rising numbers in Florida.

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One of the unfortunate effects of shutting down the economy for months to limit the spread of coronavirus, was that there was no revenue going back into local governments. As a result, budgets have been upended and now, over 700 cash strapped cities have to stop plans to repair roads, water systems, and other investments. Tony Romm, business reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more.

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White House officials are discussing a plan to launch and in-depth review of the CDC and its missteps in handling the coronavirus pandemic, including an early failure to deploy working test kits. Part of the examination would also look into the state-by-state death toll to tally those that died of coronavirus rather than other causes. Adam Cancryn, healthcare reporter at Politico, joins us for why there might be more scrutiny on the CDC.

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What is it like going to a restaurant now? As the country continues to reopen and people are trying to get back to normal, there is a new way of dining out. Employees are required to wears masks and have their temperatures taken and there’s almost nothing on the table, except for hand sanitizer. Sarah Needleman, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for changes to restaurant dining.

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Arizona is reopening, coronavirus cases are rising, and masks continue to cause a divide. After pressure from public health officials, Gov. Doug Ducey is allowing local authorities to mandate the use of masks, a call they previously could not make and many have chosen to do so. But now there is a debate whether Arizonans will comply with the orders. Alicia Caldwell, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the continued fight over wearing facemasks.

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