Jerry Falwell Jr. vs. the Coronavirus
“Politically incorrect since 1971.” That’s the unofficial motto of Liberty University, an evangelical college located in Lynchburg, Virginia headed by Jerry Falwell Jr. The school and its president take pride in bucking conventional wisdom, so when Jerry Falwell Jr. began to downplay concerns over COVID-19, echoing the rhetoric of the White House in early March, students and staff took notice. Ruth Graham says institutions like this one, institutions that take their cues from the president, have been a beat behind when it comes to responding to our current public health crisis. Guest: Ruth Graham, staff writer at Slate. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2 Apr 202022min
Should You Be Wearing a Mask?
The CDC could soon be changing its guidelines on whether the American public should be wearing masks to combat the spread of COVID-19. What does the data say about mask usage? And how do we calculate the answer for ourselves? Guest: Aaron E. Carroll, professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. He blogs at a website called The Incidental Economist. He’ll also answer your coronavirus questions on YouTube. His channel is Healthcare Triage. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 Apr 202021min
“It’s Every Man for Himself”
As COVID-19 cases continue to mount across the country, many states are still preparing for the virus to hit their populations with full force. In Florida, state officials have voiced concerns about shutting down the economy, while local officials have noted surging hospitalizations in their cities. Now, some mayors are no longer waiting for the governor to order a lockdown. Guest: Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa, Florida. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 Mar 202024min
What New York City Did Wrong
Just a few weeks ago, officials were saying the coronavirus outbreak posed a relatively low risk for people living in New York City. How did health experts and government officials misread the threat so completely? And what can the rest of the country learn from what’s happening in New York now? Guest: Elizabeth Kim, senior editor for Gothamist and WNYC. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 Mar 202025min
TBD | Where Are All the Tests?
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work. The United States failed to roll out widespread testing in the early days of the pandemic. Now it faces critical shortages of supplies as it scrambles to track the disease around the country. Until testing is available at scale, Americans won’t be able to return to their normal lives. So: what will it take to solve the country’s testing shortage? Guest: Robert P. Baird, contributor to the New Yorker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 Mar 202024min
When Your Doctor Gets COVID-19
What happens when the people on the frontlines get sick? An ER doctor shares her experience with coronavirus as doctor and patient. Guest: Dara Kass, Emergency medicine physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Mar 202027min
Does 1918 Even Apply Here?
There’s plenty to be learned from past pandemics. They tend to follow a dramatic arc: denial, blame, and mass mobilization. So far, the coronavirus tracks with some contagions of the past—but can history tell anything about where we’re headed? Guest: David S. Jones, professor of the culture of medicine at Harvard University. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 Mar 202021min
How to Hold an Election During a Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, the United States might have to figure out how to hold an election in a time of social distancing. Will local, state and federal officials be able coordinate in time to transform our election infrastructure? Guest: Nate Persily, Stanford University Law Professor Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 Mar 202027min
