COVID Update: Confusing Guidelines, New Studies, And CDC Recommendations
Winter is here, inflicting its usual array of symptoms — coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue and fever — and, this year, a new COVID-19 variant is dominating the scoreboard. COVID-19 is leading hospital admissions among the respiratory viruses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, 25 U.S. states had high or very high levels for respiratory illnesses with fever, cough and other symptoms. That’s down from 37 states the week before, the CDC said. Still, the CDC says that Americans 65 and older should get another dose of the updated vaccine that became available in September — if at least four months has passed since their last shot. In making the recommendation, the agency endorsed guidance proposed by an expert advisory panel earlier in the day.
We talk to:
- Dr. Kimberly Shriner, director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Apple Lets Go Of EV Manufacturing Dreams— What’s The Next Innovation The Tech Giant Is Planning?
For a decade, Apple has been developing an electric vehicle in the hopes of getting a real foothold in that market and diversifying it’s economic prospects. That however, has become a passed dream as the tech giant announced it’s efforts will be put elsewhere, with those in EV development shifting to artificial intelligence. Apple, through the profit it’s made in its phones and electronics, has given itself room to explore new ventures to find its next big cash cow. Yet, what will that next development look like? How will it get evaluated?
We talk to:
- William Antonelli, freelance tech reporter
- Saikat Chaudhuri, teaching professor of Innovation, Strategy, and Engineering Professor at UC Berkeley.
A Deep Dive On Hearing Aids
Hearing loss affects a whole lot of us as we age. Of folks over 60, about half are affected. But when it comes to getting help, relatively few people seek out hearing aids. There are many barriers to entry: cost, a plethora of options, stigma, and aesthetics among them. And it can take trial and error to find the right hearing aid for each patient–for example, older patients with dexterity issues might find larger, “clunkier” devices easier to navigate. But the benefits of hearing aids are significant. So why do so few people use them? And what is the process like for getting them?
We talk to:
- Nicholas Reed, assistant professor of epidemiology and audiology at Johns Hopkins University
- Marquitta Merkison, associate director of audiology practices with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
FilmWeek: Dune: Part Two, The Reverend, Megamind vs The Doom Syndicate And More
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms:
- Dune: Part Two (in wide release)
- Problemista (in select theaters, expands March 22)
- “Spaceman” (Streaming on Netflix)
- Cabrini (wide release March 18)
- Love Lies Bleeding (Los Feliz Theaters in Los Feliz on March 3, expands to select theaters March 15)
- The Reverend (streaming on The Criterion Channel)
- Amelia’s Children (Laemmle Glendale + available on video on demand)
- Megamind vs The Doom Syndicate (streaming on Peacock)
- Silver Haze (Lumiere Cinema in Beverly Hills, available on video on demand March 12)
FilmWeek Feature: We discuss the best international feature nominees ahead Oscars
The Best International Feature Film category for this year’s Academy Awards is stacked with films touching on everything from the monotony of depravity to the hope we carry within our dreams. Today on FilmWeek, LAist film critics Tim Cogshell, Lael Loewenstein, Christy Lemire, and Wade Major review the Oscar-nominated International films and dive in on their favorites from the category, what they thought should have been nominated, and what they believe is destined to win.
