Pandemic Voices, Infrastructure Costs, Oberammergau

We’re All in This Together: Voices From Around the World During a Pandemic (0:31) It’s strange to think that even isolated in our homes and offices during this pandemic, that almost all of humanity is going through the same thing, experiencing the same emotions. We wanted to know how people around the world are coping. How they’re relieving stress. What they’re looking forward to doing again when this is all over. We’re getting some insight into the daily realities of people all over the world right now as we cope with the global pandemic. Cynthia and David Nanto in Japan Addo Samuel in Ghana Teresa Marongiu Settineri in Italy Cherry Leung in China Rising Building Costs (35:15) Guest: Leah Brooks, Professor of Political Economy at George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Affairs The US government spends $400 billion per year on infrastructure. And yet, both President Trump and Joe Biden agree that it needs major help – a trillion dollar infrastructure overhaul plan is part of both of their campaigns. So why in the world does building cost so much? It didn’t used to be so expensive – we’re not getting the same bang for our buck today as we did decades ago. And that’s left researchers puzzled as to what’s changed. Tracking Racism During COVID-19 (50:35) Guest: Russell Jeung, Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University Since the pandemic started, people of Asian descent in the US have reported a spike in xenophobic attacks against them online and in person. More than a thousand incidents have been reported to a new tracking project. Tumor DNA May Explain Why Some People Respond Better to Cancer Treatment (1:07:56) Guest: Anindya Dutta, PhD, Professor, Chair, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia It’s common for people with the exact same cancer at the exact same stage to respond very differently to the exact same treatment. And doctors don’t really know why. Maybe they missed something in the diagnosis? Or maybe there’s something going on at the genetic level in the patient’s cancer cells that can explain the difference? Of Plays and Plagues: Oberammergau Cancelled (1:20:46) Guest: Frederik Mayet, Spokesperson the Oberammergau Passion Play, and Actor Playing the Role of Jesus Christ In the 1600s, a village in the German alps made a vow to God that if he would spare their village from the bubonic plague, they would perform a play every 10 years, honoring the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  To this day, the Oberammergau Passion Play is one of the oldest theater traditions in the world and this year – 2020 was to be its 42nd production. But it has been postponed because of COVID-19.  So a play that began in response to a pandemic has been canceled because of one.