The Heat

As the Trump administration faces criticism for lack of preparation and handling of the COVID-19 crisis - how far will it go in its attempts to blame China? What effect will these attacks have on global efforts to fight the pandemic? We're joined by Martin Jacques, global affairs commentator, academic, and author of the book When China Rules the World.

As the coronavirus outbreak continues in New York City, how are front line medical workers handling the emotional toll? And how can they ensure safety - and dignity - for themselves and the patients they serve. We were joined by Dr Qanta Ahmed, a pulmonologist at New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

Scientists have rejected the theory that the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Wuhan lab. Then why is this conspiracy theory still being spread by right-wing media and politicians? We speak to The Gray Zone founder Max Blumenthal on the motivations - and dangers - of spreading misinformation about coronavirus.

Migrant farmworkers are deemed 'essential' in the U.S. to keep the economy going - and food on the table. But conditions at farms create great risk for catching and spreading coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Trump administration wants to cut their pay. Leydy Rangel of United Farm Workers Foundation joins us to discuss the lack of safety - and justice - for America’s migrant farmers.

As COVID-19 lockdowns continue, there are some for whom “sheltering in place” presents an immediate danger all its own... Those are the victims of domestic violence. We speak to Gemma Sunyer. She's a coordinator at Ana Bella Foundation, an international support network run by survivors of domestic abuse based in Spain.

As COVID-19 spreads in the U.S., the death rate among African Americans is twice that of white citizens. What are the factors for this disparity? Are they biologic? Cultural? Economic? We speak to Joseph P. Williams, Senior Editor at U.S. News World Report, about the disturbing connection between race and health in America.

Andrew Smith is a journalism professor who contracted COVID-19 during a class trip to the UK. After returning home to Kansas, he soon found himself in the ICU fighting for his life. Andrew joins us to share his ordeal with the virus and his road to recovery.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the U.S., shortages of basic safety supplies, such as masks and gowns, endangers the lives of nurses and other health professionals - as they attempt to heal the sick. We speak to Zenei Cortez, a registered nurse and co-president of National Nurses United, about the life threatening burden placed on U.S. health workers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates in the U.S., doctors are forced to make hard choices on who will receive life saving treatment - and who cannot be saved. To speak on the heavy burdens set upon U.S. health workers, we are joined by Dr. Calvin Sun, an Attending Physician at multiple emergency rooms in New York City.

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, many U.S. states are under a strict “shelter in place” order. But what does “shelter in place” mean to those without a home? Sharing a perspective directly from the homeless community is Theo Henderson - an activist and host of the podcast, “We the Unhoused.” Theo, himself, is also Unhoused.