COVID-19 VACCINE - Distribution

"What is driving the disparities in vaccine distribution?" PBS NewsHour 1/25/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  There have been more than 40 million Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses delivered around the U.S. thus far, with more than half of those administered.  But while the pace has increased, the rates of vaccination vary widely by states and counties.  Dr. Jennifer Kates, senior Vice President and Director of Global Health at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

 

 

"Biden’s latest executive actions take on vaccine distribution, racial inequality" PBS NewsHour 1/26/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Biden is moving on new fronts in his latest spate of policy actions Tuesday that include boosting COVID vaccine supplies and addressing racial equity.  Biden's actions come as the U.S. Senate gears up to put his predecessor on trial.  Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor report.

 

 

"With high-risk populations, vaccinations lag at long-term care facilities" PBS NewsHour 1/26/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  By one count nursing homes and assisted-living facilities account for about 6 percent of COVID cases but 40 percent of virus-related deaths.  Now some state officials are worried vaccinations are moving on to other parts of the populations before long-term care residents and staff are inoculated.  David Grabowski, health care policy professor at Harvard Medical School, joins John Yang to discuss.

 

 

"In Ohio, putting boots on the ground to overcome inequities in vaccinations" PBS NewsHour 1/27/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A recent analysis by Kaiser Health News finds Black and Latino citizens are getting vaccines at significantly lower rates in many states.  This is especially worrying given disparities in COVID-19 death rates, with Black, Indigenous and Latino people dying at much higher rates than white people.  Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Public Health Commissioner of Columbus [Public Health], Ohio, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss.

 

 

"For some Americans, finding a vaccine involves anger, frustration and anxiety" PBS NewsHour 1/28/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  More than 25 million shots of a COVID vaccine have been given out, or about 8 doses for every 100 people.  But the process can be difficult and overwhelming.  Here's a sampling of what some Americans say they are facing as they attempt to get vaccinated.

 

 

"How to protect yourself from the new coronavirus strains" PBS NewsHour 1/28/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  There are now several troubling variants of the coronavirus circulating, and a few seem to make the virus more contagious.  One variant , the United Kingdom strain, is also more likely to make people sick or to kill them.  The CDC believes that strain will become dominant in the U.S. as soon as March.  William Brangham reports on what experts say about avoiding exposure.

 

 

"New vaccines show promise amid concerns over coronavirus variants" PBS NewsHour 1/29/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  New vaccines created by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax are showing promising results in reducing illness caused by the coronavirus, though they were less effective than other vaccines and against some virus variants, which are causing growing concerns.  White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports.

 

 

"Fauci on the efficacy of new vaccines and preparing for coronavirus variants" PBS NewsHour 1/29/2021

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The drive to get more coronavirus vaccines into more arms is gaining momentum, with two new COVID vaccines possibly accelerating the effort.  Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH and a top adviser to President Biden on the pandemic, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the efficacy of the new vaccines and preparing for the virus variants.

AMERICAN ECONOMY - The Fed Acts Again

"What Fed’s 2nd interest rate cut in 3 months says about the U.S. economy" PBS NewsHour 9/18/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the second time in three months in a bid to keep the U.S. economy growing.  What indicators are driving the recent rate reductions, and what is the larger influence of economists on U.S. fiscal and monetary policy?  Judy Woodruff sits down with Binyamin Appelbaum of The New York Times, author of “The Economists’ Hour,” to discuss growth vs. inequality.

RACE IN AMERICA - The Great Land Robbery

"How southern black farmers were forced from their land, and their heritage" PBS NewsHour 8/13/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  African Americans have lost millions of acres of farmland across the South during the last century, in a trend propelled by economic forces, racism and white economic and political power.  Most of the losses occurred since the 1950s.  John Yang talks to Vann Newkirk of The Atlantic, which highlights the story in its September issue, about the origins of what Newkirk calls “the great land robbery.”

ARROGANT RICH - Bribing Children Into College

"How a bombshell bribery scandal illuminates the ‘corruption’ of college admissions" PBS NewsHour 3/12/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Scandal has ensnared some of the nation’s top colleges, as prosecutors allege that wealthy parents conspired to help their kids cheat on college admissions tests and funnel bribes to college athletic coaches to secure admission into elite schools.  William Brangham talks to Jeffrey Selingo, who covers higher education, about the stunning charges federal prosecutors brought on Tuesday.

"Explosive cheating scandal illuminates hidden inequities of college admissions" PBS NewsHour 3/14/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  An explosive scandal around bribery and cheating in college admissions has prompted new questions about access, race and inequality in elite higher education.  Judy Woodruff explores some of them with Daniel Golden, senior editor at ProPublica and author of a book on the unfairness of college admissions; and Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, an organization focused on racial justice.

INEQUALITY IN AMERICA - Might Affect Well-Being

"How economic inequality might affect a society’s well-being" PBS NewsHour 2/28/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Economic inequality is a major theme in the American political dialogue.  As the country’s wealthiest people continually become richer at the expense of the poor, some research suggests they may actually become less happy and healthy.  Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on the nuanced data and the challenges of evaluating a society’s well-being.

Oxfam

MLK DAY - Poor People’s Campaign

"On MLK Day, the need for a ‘deeply moral argument’ about American injustice" PBS NewsHour 1/21/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  On Martin Luther King Day, we return to a segment we first aired last year, about an effort to revive one of Dr. King’s signature programs, what he called the Poor People’s Campaign.  Judy Woodruff sat down with Reverend William J. Barber, co-chair of the 2018 organization, to discuss its mission of reducing poverty and inequality and tackling issues of social injustice.

INEQUALITY IN AMERICA - Amplification by Technology?

"How technological innovation could amplify income inequality" PBS NewsHour 11/29/2018

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Technological advancement often brings the promise of increased efficiency in the workplace.  But it also means apprehension about humans potentially being replaced by automation and artificial intelligence.  In a new series, "The Future of Work," Paul Solman explores the concept of "creative destruction" and how innovation is poised to affect jobs, income inequality, mental health and more.