What A Day

We talk to acting President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson about the state of reproductive rights during the pandemic, and the efforts several Republican-governed states have taken to restrict abortion access as part of their coronavirus response.  Congress is looking at a Phase 4 deal, which could include infrastructure projects. And the Trump administration will not reopen t...

We interview New York Times reporter Caitlin Dickerson about the far-reaching effects the pandemic is having on people in our immigration system: asylum seekers, DACA recipients, undocumented workers, ICE detainees and more.  The Trump administration has finally spoken up about their projections for the loss of life that America might experience as a result of Covid-19. Plus, we discuss the curren...

Efforts to bring unhoused people inside have been growing as the coronavirus outbreak takes hold, but advocates say there’s more to be done. We talk to Chris Ko, of the United Way in Los Angeles, to learn more about the situation in that city.  Workers across the country are feeling the impact of the pandemic. Employees at Macy’s, The Gap, and Kohl’s have been furloughed, while employees at Amazon...

Mutual-aid networks, which allow neighbors and community members to pool resources, have blossomed during the coronavirus crisis. We interview Christine Gatson-Michalak, co-founder of the Claremont Mutual Aid Project, about the biggest needs right now.  Trump held a press conference yesterday, where he said among other things that social distancing measures will continue until April 30. So our pro...

The United States now has the most known COVID-19 cases in the world. We discuss the areas that have been hit hardest and how they’re handling the outbreak  Epidemiologist and host of “America Dissected” Dr. Abdul El-Sayed answers more of your most pressing COVID-19 questions. And in headlines: the US indicts Maduro, a half-billion dollar legal win for Maryland HBCUs, and Meghan Markle’s first pos...

The senate approved a nearly $2 trillion relief package to respond to the coronavirus pandemic yesterday, after a day of delays and a lot of debate. We discuss what made it into the bill and what didn’t with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. And in headlines: three states restrict abortion access during Covid-19, everyone’s getting a pandemic pet, and Dr. Dre and Mister Rogers get recognized by the Libr...

Equipment shortages, exposure, and empathy: we hear from healthcare workers who are fighting Covid-19 on the front lines.  Plus, what Democrats are fighting for in the government coronavirus relief package and what Republicans are willing to concede. And how authorities are handling things in New York now that it’s become the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak.  And in headlines: Liberty Uni...

Is America’s internet prepared for all of us to be online all of the time? We interview FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to get her answer. And we discuss how to close digital divide to make sure all students can continue their education online through the pandemic. Trump is suggesting that the economic slowdown resulting from social distancing could be “worse” than the pandemic, and more in t...

We interview Alexis Madrigal, staff writer at the Atlantic and founder of The COVID Tracking project, about the current state of coronavirus testing and why it took so long to get started.  Congress still hasn’t reached a deal on the coronavirus relief bill. We discuss where things stand, with five Republican senators in self-isolation and one recently diagnosed with Covid-19.  And in headlines: K...

We’re joined once again by physician and former Detroit health commissioner Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to discuss Covid-19. We ask him how to evaluate the success of containment strategies, whether you can get coronavirus twice, and more. Congress is still hashing out the details on a the relief bill. Meanwhile, unemployment claims are skyrocketing.  And in headlines: Senators sell off stock ahead of the...

Senator Cory Booker joins us to discuss a proposal he’s drafted with fellow senators to give payments to Americans to help them through the pandemic, and how the current situation reveals the flaws in America’s safety net systems.  The Senate passed the House Bill on paid sick leave to help some US workers affected by Covid-19.  And in headlines: an earthquake near Salt Lake City, Russian archeolo...

Yesterday, three states voted in the first post-pandemic-declaration elections of the presidential primary, and former Vice President Joe Biden won in all three.  Plus, we interview Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon about switching to vote by mail as the primaries continue.  And, Several Democratic Senators have been calling for direct cash payments for all Americans under a certain income le...

Covid-19 has hit the US economy hard, devastating the stock market and prompting limited hours and layoffs around the country. We talk to Annie Lowrey, a staff writer at the Atlantic, to help us parse the economic impact of the virus.  Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Arizona were set to go to the polls today on yet another important day of voting in the presidential primary. We go through the differe...

Covid-19 continues to upend events, entire healthcare systems, and economies worldwide. We discuss the latest updates, including a new CDC recommendation on gatherings of 50 people or more and a bill working its way through congress that would help workers who’s jobs have been affected by the pandemic.  Sunday brought us the first one-on-one debate between former VP Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sa...

Physician and former Detroit health commissioner Abdul El-Sayed comes on the show to discuss Covid-19. We ask him about the government response, how to avoid overloading our healthcare system, and what we can take from the way other countries have responded. Subscribe to the new season of his podcast “America Dissected” to stay up to date on everything you need to know about coronavirus.  Plus, we...

The WHO has officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. And last night, President Trump announced new travel restrictions on foreign nationals coming from Europe. We tell you everything you need to know about where we’re at.  Senator Bernie Sanders spoke yesterday in his first event since Tuesday’s elections. He said he will stay in the race and previewed how he plans to go after Vice Presiden...

It was another good night for former Vice President Joe Biden, who has taken command of the race for the democratic presidential. He won overwhelming victories in Mississippi and Missouri plus a victory in Michigan and Idaho. We discuss the results and where we go from here.  COVID-19 cancel culture is in full swing, with some events like Coachella getting pushed and others like the democratic pre...

Yesterday, US stock markets had their worst day since the financial crisis in 2008. So many investors were selling off assets that trading was temporality halted in the morning and by the day’s end, the Dow finished down nearly 8 percent. We discuss this and more COVID-19 updates.  Six more states are voting today just a week after Super Tuesday, where former VP Joe Biden won big and became the le...

The presidential primary is in full swing, and unfortunately, so is COVID-19. We look at the precautions campaigns are taking against coronavirus and what states are doing to ensure that voting goes smoothly.  Women across Mexico are striking today, in protest of the rise of gender-based violence and killings in the country. Activists are calling on women to boycott work, school, shopping, and eve...

Senator Elizabeth Warren exited the presidential race on Thursday following disappointing results in her home state and beyond on Super Tuesday. Now, like princes at a formal ball, both Biden and Sanders are vying for her affection. We reflect on Warren's campaign and discuss what’s coming next.  It's been 10 years so that means it's census time: the great big test everyone loves to take comes out...

Super Wednesday kicked off with a bang: former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropping out of the race. Plus, the race in Maine was narrowly called for Biden. Now we wait as Senator Elizabeth Warren reassesses her path forward after a disappointing night.  Some coronavirus updates: the death toll from COVID-19 rose to 11 on Wednesday. American cases have surpassed 100, with at least 50 in California and...

Yesterday was Super Tuesday, where 14 states and one territory voted in the presidential primary. Former VP Joe Biden over-performed in what some (read: none) are already calling "Joebal Warming," while Senator Bernie Sanders didn’t do as well as some predicted. Final delegate totals are still coming in—we’ll talk you through what we know.  And in headlines: deadly storms in Tennessee, an election...

Today is Super Tuesday, where 14 states and one territory will vote. It’s the biggest day of the presidential nominating contest so far… and 1,357 delegates are up for grabs.  Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a major abortion rights case out of Louisiana, over a law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. We explain. And in headlines: U...

The government is beginning to dole out COVID-19 testing kits, and hundreds of medical centers in the US have begun developing their own version of testing in the meantime. The South Carolina primary was this weekend, with former VP Joe Biden scoring a decisive victory. A poor showing from former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg led him to drop out on Sunday. Now, it’s onward to Super Tuesday, wher...

South Carolina goes to the polls on Saturday. There are 54 delegates at stake and it’s the first state where black voters make up a majority of the electorate. More coronavirus updates: a whistleblower says more than a dozen federal employees in California weren’t given proper training or protective gear when they were assigned to interact with quarantined Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan....