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One Doctor Says Kaiser Fontana is Running Out of ICU Beds, Biden Picks Calif. Attorney General Xavier Becerra To Head HHS Department, Learning Loss Could Worsen Inequality as Schools Remain Closed

Published December 7, 2020 at 2:45 PM PST
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 31: Mend Urgent Care workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) perform drive-up COVID-19 testing at Central City Value High School on July 31, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The coronavirus pandemic spread quickly throughout the state as California now leads the nation in number of cases. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 31: Mend Urgent Care workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) perform drive-up COVID-19 testing at Central City Value High School on July 31, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The coronavirus pandemic spread quickly throughout the state as California now leads the nation in number of cases. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

One Kaiser Doctor On The Coronavirus: 'Our Resources Are Being Stretched So Thin...We Are Being Overwhelmed'

ICU bed availability in Southern California dropped on Sunday to 10.3 percent, triggering a region wide shutdown order. To understand what is happening in hospitals, A Martinez speaks to a doctor at Kaiser in Fontana, a city hit particularly hard by the coronavirus.

Guest:

  • Dr. Alex McDonald, Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center 

Why AG Xavier Becerra is Being Considered to Lead Health and Human Services 

President-elect Joe Biden announced his pick of California attorney general Xavier Becerra for secretary of health and human services earlier today. If confirmed, Becerra would become the first Latino to lead the health department as it faces challenges critical to containing the coronavirus pandemic across the country. We discuss the significance of Becerra’s nomination. 

Guest:

  • Sonja Diaz, founding director of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative

As Schools Remain Shut Down, Learning Loss Could Worsen Inequality

Today LAUSD announced it will shut down the one -on- one tutoring it had been offering on campus, as well as childcare services now that a new stay at home order has been issued. It makes any return to campus next year seem slim. How much has the pandemic impacted students' education? The test results from the non-profit NWEA offered us a glimpse into how much "learning loss" has occurred among students due to the pandemic, and so far it's mixed.

Guest:

  • Heather Hough, Executive Director of PACE

Biden's Coronavirus Task Force is Playing Catch Up After Trump Administration Delays Sharing of Info

The Golden State is in the midst of a coronavirus surge… with 3-week, regional stay-at-home orders in effect in regions where ICU capacity is below 15-percent. Southern California just fell to a little more than 10 percent. Across the country… more than 14-million coronavirus cases have been reported and more than 270,000 people have died due to COVID-19. To address the pandemic, President-elect Joe Biden has formed a COVID-19 Advisory Board made up of leading public health experts, including one infectious disease expert from California. 

Guest:

  • Dr. Eric Goosby, professor of medicine at UC San Francisco

A New Program Provides Relief To Caregivers of Disabled Veterans 

Burnout is a common problem for family members who care for disabled veterans. And for many of them, the pandemic has made things even harder. Now, a new program is hoping to give some caregivers a break. Cathy Carter reports for the American Homefront Project.

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