Why Vaccine Mandates Seem To Cause Backlash

Partisanship explains much of the national division surrounding vaccine mandates, but this divide may highlight another important policy-making challenge--the contemporary American’s reluctance to contribute to the public good. We speak with epidemiologist and public health correspondent Gregg Gonsalves about whether anyone is asking not what the country can do for us, but what we can do for our country.

Puerto Rico Is a COVID Success Story

According to the CDC, the island had fully vaccinated 74 percent of its population as of November 22. That’s higher than any other US state or territory. Puerto Rico also has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates. So how did Puerto Rico become a bright spot in the pandemic? For more on this, The Takeaway spoke with Nicole Narea, immigration reporter for Vox.

Diaper Need Is an Invisible Part of Poverty in the U.S.

The the issue is wide-ranging: 1 in 3 families cannot afford an adequate supply of diapers for their children. Chabeli Carrazana, an economy reporter for the 19th, recently wrote an article about diaper need in rural Missouri, and explained to The Takeaway just how far-reaching this issue is. We also hear from Representative Barbara Lee, who introduced the End Diaper Need Act of 2021 earlier this year with Representative Rosa DeLauro.

Decarceration in New Jersey

In October of 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a law allowing early release of 5,300 prisoners. Under legislation S2519, inmates who were eligible to be released in a year’s time could be awarded public health emergency credits during a public health emergency. Incarcerated adults and juveniles were released 8 months early as a result. When Governor Murphy ended the state’s public health emergency status during the summer of 2021, early releases ended, too. We speak with Karen Yi, a reporter for WNYC Radio, about decarceration in New Jersey.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.