Straining to Make Sense of it All

First up: By now you’ve probably heard about some new strains of COVID-19… that kinda sound like spy names. Meet B117, B1351, and P-1. And some bad news: they’re potentially more harmful. We’ll break down what we know so far about how to protect yourself, and whether the vaccines will still be effective against them. (0:58)

Then: This week, all eyes were on...GameStop. And no, that isn’t a typo. We’ll tell you why a lot of people on Reddit have made waves in the stock market. (8:58)

ICYMI: Former President Trump’s second impeachment trial kicks off soon. We’ll tell you what to expect. (11:43)

Next: President Biden repealed former President Trump’s ban on transgender Americans serving in the military. While that’s happening at the federal level, we’ll tell you why you need to keep your eye on legislation on the local level. (14:07)

Later: Protests have broken out all over Russia. We’ll tell you why one man’s return has caused thousands to hit the streets. (18:33)

Finally: We’re helping you Skimm your schedule. Because there are a ton of meetings that could have been emails, right? (23:59)

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Dr. Amber D’Souza, professor of epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice, the ACLU's LGBT & HIV Project

Anna Borshchevskaya, senior fellow for Russia, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Dr. Kristen Shockley, associate professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Georgia.

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Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.