Who knew that face masks would become such a political flashpoint in the midst of a pandemic?!

But that seems to be the case in several parts of the country where elected officials have had to backtrack over making the masks mandatory in public. There was an aggressive backlash.  Are masks symbols of tyranny, or a small but necessary step to slow the spread of coronavirus?  We'll go In Depth.

The man who helped discover HIV has turned his attention toward defeating COVID-19, and he's taking an unusual approach in the effort.  We'll talk with Dr. Robert Gallo, an instrumental researcher into the AIDS epidemic in the 1980's, who's working now to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

A small school in rural Montana finds itself making history:  it will become what is believed to be the first school in the country to reopen its classrooms to students, starting tomorrow.  Why are they so intent on finishing the last two-and-a-half weeks of the academic year with in-person instruction?  We'll ask.

And today is national nurses day.......if it wasn't already evident how nurses are the backbone of this country's healthcare system, this outbreak has made it clear. 

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Just when you think you get to know a coronavirus, it goes and changes on you......

That's the theory coming out of new research about a mutated strain of COVID-19 that could be more contagious than the original.  Just the thought is troubling, but this could also mean major complications for the effort to create a vaccine.

The city of Beverly Hills followed Governor Newsom, and rolled back restrictions on elective surgeries last week, but here's the question: are liposuction, a face lift and Botox considered elective procedures?  Some plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills say yes, and that's touched off a debate.

Both Australia and New Zealand are pretty confident they've got a handle on their outbreaks, but they got there through very different means.  While New Zealand instituted a strict lockdown, Australia's was a little more lax.

And lawsuits in the midst of a pandemic: this has opened up a flood of lawsuit possibilities over who might be responsible for other people getting infected with COVID.  We'll talk with a pair of tort lawyers on coronavirus-themed lawsuits. Tort. And retort.

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Ready or not, America appears to slowly be opening back up from the coronavirus quarantine.  Dozens of states will allow most segments of their economies to resume some form of operations today; meanwhile here in California, some retail stores could be allowed to reopen by the end of the week.

But the way that retailers, restaurants, movie theaters and many more actually DO their business will look radically different, as COVID-19 infections and deaths continue to mount across the country. So we'll check in with a pair of mayors about their balancing the rush to reopen with fears that it will bring a coronavirus resurgence.

In the search for treatments to lessen the risks and mortality of COVID-19, researchers -- and this dumbs down what they're doing -- but...they're throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. We're going to talk about how old medications can be used for entirely different illnesses. And how and why they can come in handy.

And if you're headed back to the office - eventually -- your office will not look the same.  We'll talk about designing work spaces at time when preventing infections is the priority.

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The itch to reopen is growing, here in California and across the country.  There are a few dozen states that are set to reopen businesses, even as coroanvirus infections and deaths continue to spread.  So we'll check in with a city in Northern California. The mayor there...concerned that the economic pressure is just too great.

And then we'll head down to Orange County where protests are underway over the governor's order about the beaches.

If segments of the economy and society continue to reopen, what are public health officials looking for when it comes to the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 infections--what alarm bells would they need to see to recommend a second lockdown.

In the continuing search for effective coronavirus treatments, a commonly used and available asthma drug might prove to be a surprising therapy.

And in non-coronavirus news today, Joe Biden finally addresses the allegation of sexual assault aimed against him.

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It's a special extended edition of In Depth today, as the LA County Public Health Department's news conferences is on hiatus for one day.  We are covering several angles of the coronavirus outbreak, as the deaths and infections continue to mount but sections of the country are eager to start reopening their economies.

Because of that rush to reopen, a key coronavirus model is now projecting a sharp increase in deaths from the virus.

And up in the air, with an anticipation that more people will start taking flights again, there's a push to make sure all passengers wear face masks on all planes, for the foreseeable future.

There's some positive news to report, progress on a vaccine out of Oxford.......but now comes the hard part of quickly manufacturing and distributing that vaccine to millions.

A unique clinical trial is underway here at a Los Angeles hospital that aims to tackle why men are being hit with coroanvirus cases much harder than women.

And we'll take you halfway across the world to New Zealand, where they're increasingly confident that they're beating back the virus outbreak.

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Testing, testing, testing.  We've heard the calls for increased testing, whether it's for people who might be infected with COVID-19...or for antibodies... to find out who's already had it. Testing seems to be the key to the reopening of society. But widespread, aggressive testing can be easier said than done.

California's insurance commissioner was successful in pressuring most auto insurance carriers in the state to reduce rates or offer rebates to customers, since most of us aren't driving these days -- next up, he's taking on health insurance companies that plan to dramatically increase premiums.

What do you do if your laptop, a lifeline these days to work, school and almost any kind of social interaction, dies? What do you do if your refrigerator or water heater breaks down?  We'll talk appliance and computer repairs during a pandemic.

In non-coronavirus news, President Obama officially jumps into the 2020 campaign with that long awaited endorsement.

And we'll talk to the owner of an LA restaurant trying to keep her business afloat, while also cooking thousands of meals for people in need.

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Just what every home and property owner needed in the middle of a pandemic and historic economic collapse: property taxes are due.  No, that payment deadline can't be extended, but there may be ways to get out from under the penalties for paying late -- we'll get you some guidance.

Here's another way to know the situation we're in is unprecedented: Apple and Google are working together!  The two Silicon Valley giants will release new technology to be used on smartphones to let you know if you've come into contact with someone who's tested positive for COVID-19 -- we'll explain how it will work.

It's Good Friday, leading into Easter Sunday........how will millions of Christians be celebrating holy days, in isolation? And how many churches will violate social distancing orders to open up for services?

An LA doctor believes there may be a method to identify the most critical coronavirus cases earlier in the process, we'll ask him about that.

And we'll talk with a coronavirus survivor who got sick out of one of the original hot spots in the country, New Rochelle, New York.

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With millions more Americans filing for unemployment over the last week, we knew April was going to be a brutal month for the economy.  Now we know some of the damage: almost one-third of renters in the country did not pay their April rent, and while there are supposed to be some new protections in place, they're not always doing the job -- so we'll go in depth.

Why is the novel coronavirus hitting certain segments of the population -- like men, African Americans and, surprisingly, some very fit young people -- harder than other demographic groups? We'll talk with a researcher who's trying to find out.  

With the economy sinking badly and all of us suffering from cabin fever, what conditions need to be in place in order to reopen society?  We'll talk with a scientist who's advising the White House on these tricky issues.

With most people who are out in public covered up...we're going to ask a simple question: are we using those masks and gloves in the right ways?

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$2 trillion isn't going to cut it.  Even with all of that money approved in the fist stimulus bill in the early stages of going out to individual Americans and small businesses it's clear a lot more is needed.  

With labs around the world rushing to develop drug therapies and vaccines to treat COVID-19, there is one new antiviral drug that is showing a lot of early promise. 

One man who was infected with the novel coronavirus was minutes away from being put on a ventilator, but then came back from the brink with the help of another, much debated drug therapy.

Bernie Sanders, after holding onto fading hopes that he could still compete for the Democratic presidential nomination, is officially out of the race today.  Let the Biden-Trump general election matchup officially begin.

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California was among the first states in the country to order its residents to shelter in place, locking down much of society to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.  And so far, at least, that early action seems to be paying dividends --- and now California finds itself in a leadership position among states in acquiring vital medical gear.  We will talk about all of this when we go In Depth with Governor Gavin Newsom.

But...bad news for residents of Los Angeles, or any big city with chronic air pollution: COVID-19 is found to be much deadlier for those of us who have been breathing in smog for years.

Step outside your home these days and it's pretty hard to avoid seeing people in face masks---rightfully so, we're all doing what we've been told, to cover our faces in some way to slow the possible spread of coronavirus.  But how effective are masks and gloves...could we actually be doing more harm than good?

One segment of the population has expressed major hesitations in covering their faces, given some really unfortunate history in this area---we'll explain.

And a rare positive in this pandemic: you might be getting a rebate from your auto insurance company.

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