This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

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For many, this past year of the pandemic has been a lost year. And for our kids and teens, the disruption to school life has had major impacts on both academic life and also took on emotional toll. In Hobbs, New Mexico, the high school there close and sports were canceled, taking away activities that gave many meaning and provided social interaction. Kooper Davis was one such student who despite his best efforts, felt lost without his normal routine and outlets and the stress eventually overcame him. Alec MacGillis, reporter at ProPublica, joins us for what the pandemic has cost some teenagers.

Next, we have been seeing a decline in those identifying as religious for some time now and in the absence of religious belief many have channeled that into political belief. What is America supposed to mean or what does it mean to be un-American? Politics has become the new religion and ideological intensity has risen driving a divide in the country. Shadi Hamid, contributing writer at The Atlantic, joins us for more.

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Amazon workers at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama are currently voting on whether they want to unionize. The voting period ends on March 29, but already the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has said that in recent weeks, over 1,000 Amazon employees have called to inquire about organizing drives at their own facilities. Jay Greene, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how Amazon is fighting to keep its employees from unionizing.

Next, the tourism industry has taken a huge hit by Covid. Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for one in ten jobs around the world. International travel hit a 74% decline. Worldwide emissions from air travel, dropped about 50% and cruise lines had to stop trips all together with most sailings canceled into May or June. Stephen Hiltner, travel desk editor at the NY Times, joins us for how bad 2020 was for tourism.

Finally, many businesses thrived because of the shifts in spending during lockdowns. Now, looking forward to an economy that will hopefully be getting back to normal soon, these companies are facing questions about if they can keep up. Will people continue to order from DoorDash or go back to restaurants? Will the home improvement sector continue to grow or are people going on vacations? Paul Ziobro, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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Media companies and streamers are having to deal with what to do about problematic content on their platforms. As they build their libraries of older movies and shows, they are experimenting with disclaimers, warnings, or removing content outright that could be deemed racist, sexist, or homophobic. Rebecca Keegan, senior film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, joins us for how Hollywood is addressing it.

Next, as vaccine distribution continues to ramp up, we are still hearing about people resistant to getting the shot. A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation says that nearly one-third of Republicans would not get the vaccine. Reasons range anywhere from side effects, being developed too quickly, and distrust of the government. Dan Diamond, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the upcoming messaging effort to get more people on board.

Finally, the late stage pandemic has been messing with our brains and no one remembers how to be normal. As more people get their vaccines and states ease restrictions, it’s raising hopes about getting back out there, but we are out of practice and stress and boredom has been a strain on our brains. Ellen Cushing, special projects editor at The Atlantic, joins us for more.

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The CDC has issued new guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. The good news is that those people can now visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. And if they are exposed to the virus, there’s no need to quarantine or get tested if they show no symptoms. Lev Facher, Washington correspondent at STAT News, joins us for the new rules for those that have gotten their vaccine.

Next, we are seeing a rise in border crossings at the southern border. Some have blamed the policies from the Biden administration as the reason for encouraging the surge, but that is only a small part. There have been hurricanes in Honduras that have left people homeless, food shortages in Central America, and the pandemic has also been pushing people to the U.S. Stef Kight, immigration reporter at Axios, joins us for why migrants are fleeing their homes once again.

Finally, another tragic story of fraternity hazing gone wrong. 20 year-old Stone Foltz from Bowling Green State University has died after being given “copious amounts of alcohol” as a frat party. His family has decided to donate his organs. The fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, has been stripped of its status as a student organization and an investigation is underway. Bethany Bruner, reporter at The Columbus Dispatch, joins us for more.

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The $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill is on its way to the House for a vote on Tuesday after being passed by the Senate. The bill will give people $1,400 in direct payments and $300 in unemployment benefits. Some of the rules have changed this time around and if you lost your job or made less money this past year, it might be wise to get your taxes done ASAP. States also continue to roll back pandemic restrictions and Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces more allegations of inappropriate behavior from two more women and more calls to resign. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for the latest.

Next, the Covid vaccines have been major breakthroughs in science and technology. They've produced a class of vaccines that researchers believe can protect people from other illnesses and outbreaks. From Pfizer and Moderna we have mRNA platforms and Johnson & Johnson used viral-vector technology. With new insights into the immune system, scientists are reprogramming the body to muster better defenses against viruses. Peter Loftus, health care reporter at the WSJ, joins us to talk about the promising new class of vaccines

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This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The investigation by a team of scientists from the WHO into the origins of Covid- 19 continues to cause tension between the U.S. and China. Now, an interim report that was set to be released has been scrapped and another team of scientists is calling for an all-new investigation with more transparency and access. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more problems for the WHO probe.

Next, Google is phasing out third party cookies and will not introduce other forms of identifiers to track individuals as they browse the internet. Instead they will implement something called a Privacy Sandbox which doesn’t track individual people and instead groups them in crowds of similar interests. Mitchell Clark, news writer at The Verge, joins us for Google’s embrace of a privacy-first internet.

Finally, better numbers and an improved vaccine rollout is making some optimistic for the end of the pandemic, but some scientists are reshaping their views as to when it will all end. We are past the emergency phase of the pandemic, but the rise of Covid variants is very concerning and this is shaping up to be a virus we live with for a long time. Julie Steenhuysen, health and science correspondent at Reuters, joins us for more.

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The rise of doorbell cameras have become a powerful tool for law enforcement, but they also pose a risk. These same cameras can be used against them by allowing suspects to see the cops coming, possibly causing harm to them. It happened in South Florida when two FBI agents were killed by suspects who saw them coming on their Ring doorbell cam. Privacy issues also arise as millions of people are being recorded without their knowledge or consent. Drew Harwell, technology reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, scientists have been talking to people in their sleep and they are answering back. Researchers have been able to establish two-way communication with people while they were in a lucid dreaming state. Participants in the study were asked math questions and responded back with eye movements and facial expressions. Researchers hope that one day some sort of “dream therapy” could be possible in helping people out. Karen Konkoly, Ph.D. students at Northwestern University and one of the researchers on the project joins us for how it all works.

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