VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 159
AIR DATE 01 29 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Pandemic Woes
((SOT))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
I don’t know whether we have learned. Right now,
everyone has heightened awareness about
pandemics and the threat of pandemics, but we also
have a long tradition of once a threat of this type
disappears, we are very eager to get back to business
as usual.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Generation Z
((SOT))
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
A lot of the work that we do at Coalition Z is recruiting
people who want to be engaged, who really want to
be the next leaders of our political world but aren't
necessarily given the resources from the beginning.
((Banner))
A Look Back
((SOT))
((Ireeta Ubben, Retired School Employee))
The last one in my family, my brother, died from
this virus down at Wichita. So,
I'm the only one left out of the four of us, which is sad.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) COVID-19 RESPONSE / EPIDEMIOLOGIST
((TRT: 05:24))
((Topic Banner: An Epidemiologist’s View of
COVID))
((Reporter/Camera/Producer: Igor Tsikhanenka))
((Camera: Henry Hernendez))
((Map: Washington DC))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
So, the first big mistake was not really having a
surveillance system that allowed us to look for that
very early signature of spillover. Because if we
identified it then, when it was still inefficient, we could
have isolated, eliminated and essentially eradicated
this virus. Period. It never would have become a
source of community transmission.
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
So, allowing it to slowly sort of establish its efficiency
in human-to-human transmission over a period of time
really meant that in December, when it was finally
identified, it was a highly efficient human-to-human
transmission
((Photo Courtesy: AP))
and there was already widespread community
transmission within Wuhan.
((NATS))
((Photo Courtesy: AP))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
So, that’s the second mistake is that we did not then
turn that initial recognition in December, that we had
not only a highly efficient but a lethal virus, into a
coordinated global effort because once something
becomes that efficient, a respiratory virus begins
spreading that easily, borders are of no
consequences. It will spread as quickly as possible.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
In Asia, the Asian countries activated their plans and
they did a good job. So, you can see that in countries
like South Korea, in Taiwan, in Vietnam, in Thailand,
those three countries collectively have barely more
than a thousand deaths, but they have almost the
entire population of the United States. And that’s
because in January, they began activating their plans
((Photo Courtesy: AP))
that spoke to how do you manage the spread of a
respiratory virus. In Europe, in North America and the
United States, we didn’t. As a consequence, we are
paying that price now.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
I’d say we were a total failure. Look, we have 300,
more than 300,000 [currently 425,000] deaths in this
country. An equivalent-sized population is dealing
with a thousand deaths. That difference? This is not
a technologically constrained investment. If Vietnam
and Thailand can bring this virus under control, why
can’t the United States?
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
This pandemic has evolved into, I might say, devolved
into an incredibly fractious political divide within the
United States. And it’s a political divide that says, this
is a myth or this is a reality.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
We need to acknowledge and recognize that there will
be another virus of this type, will emerge and
potentially have this kind of impact again. It’s not a
question of if. It is a question of when. But it is also
important to recognize that this is a pandemic that is
entirely preventable.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
The first step in moving the world towards being more
secure from a future COVID-19 event, is one, having
really our eyes on future threats while they are still
circulating in their natural habitat before they become
a sort of a community-level threat. So, we need a
surveillance system, a global surveillance system that
is routinely tracking and monitoring viruses,
particularly high-risk viruses.
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
The second is that the spillover itself is not a
necessary event. The spillover is a real consequence
of how we interact with the environment around us.
And if, in these hotspots, we pay closer attention to
what are those risky behaviors and practices that
enable spillovers to happen, we can better regulate
and control those behaviors.
Humanity, as a group, tends not to be a quick learner.
So, I don’t know whether we’ve learned. You would
have to come back five years from now. Because
right now, everyone has heightened awareness about
pandemics and the threat of pandemics, but we also
have a long tradition of once a threat of this type
disappears, we are very eager to get back to business
as usual.
((PKG)) COVID / STRAND BOOKSTORE
((TRT: 03:46))
((Topic Banner: Holding On))
((Reporter: Anna Nelson))
((Camera: Natalia Latukhina, Max Avloshenko))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 2 males))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
My first memory is walking into the store and just kind
of seeing it kind of painted ghostly gray, and seeing
all the walls of books everywhere and smelling that
kind of chocolaty, musty kind of smell, and seeing my
grandpa and my dad working side-by-side at the
buying desk, and heading straight back to the
children's section, where it was just candy colored
books. And I felt like such a princess because I could
pick out any book that I wanted or books that I wanted
to.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
So, the store's been around for 93 years. It was
begun by my grandpa, Benjamin Bass, in an area that
was called Book Row that was just around the corner
and there were 48 bookstores at the time.
((Courtesy: Strand Bookstore))
1946, we moved over, just a block over, to a higher
traffic area on Broadway
((Courtesy: Strand Bookstore))
where we are today.
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
The store was then passed on to my dad, Fred Bass,
and then on to me. So, all three of us have worked all
of our lives at the store.
We have survived almost everything: the depression,
two world wars, 9/11, until COVID stopped us in our
tracks - the first thing that has really, really
dangerously affected us.
((NATS))
((Vasilis Terpsopoulos, Rare Book Expert, Strand
Bookstore))
And it's a limited signed edition of James Joyce's
Ulysses, all of which were signed by Henri Matisse,
who was the artist who illustrated it, signed also by
James Joyce.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
Of course, at first it was very painful and I very much
felt all alone and I didn't know, “What am I going to do
next?”
((Courtesy: Strand Bookstore))
So, I decided I would write a letter, a heartfelt letter
and appeal to our customers and my friends and see
if they would, I, the only ask was, “Would you buy
your holiday gifts from us?” Three hours later, our
website crashed. It did not know how to handle that
many orders.
((NATS))
((Dan Roth, Web Orders Manager, Strand
Bookstore))
It was sort of a combination of “Wow” and “Uh-oh”.
So, yeah, you know, we instantly started figuring out,
“How are we going to do this?”
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
We had one lady from the Bronx and she put in an
order of 197 copies.
((NATS))
((Sara Buroi, Customer))
It's really sad. So, everyone's getting books this year
for Christmas, everyone I know.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
We realize that we have to pivot very early to
Christmas holiday buying. So, we just encourage
people to buy early, think indie, you know, and buy
local. Support your neighborhood stores. I just think
this is a little bit of a wake-up call for people that are
just staying at home and, you know, consumed with
the news that when COVID’s over with, they might
wake up and their neighborhood has disappeared.
Neighborhood’s retail stores have disappeared.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
I have to think that my grandpa and dad are looking
down at this turn of events and are just absolutely
floored and cannot believe this phenomenon. And I
never would have imagined this outpouring of love.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
Thank you, New York, for today.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Kids and Vaping
((SOT))
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
Educating young people everywhere about the
dangers of vaping is going to be critical to stopping
this epidemic.
BREAKONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) VAPING
((TRT: 04:29))
((Topic Banner: Dangers of Vaping))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: Mike Burke))
((Map: Reston, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 male))
((NATS))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
My name is Sid Thakker and I’m a rising senior at
James Madison High School. Throughout my high
school life, I've seen e-cigarettes really develop. So,
from ninth grade, it wasn't that big of an issue, but as I
moved on to 10th and 11th grade, the issue became
rampant. Many kids were caught with vapes, with
using an e-cigarette. The incidence rates almost went
up to 25 percent. So, one in every four students were
using one. And this was really concerning for me and
my principal. From 10th grade to 11th grade, we saw
e-cigarette detectors in bathrooms. We saw security
patrolling the hallways to making sure kids weren't
skipping class and using the bathrooms to vape
in. And so, we really saw how this problem became
not just an issue for kids, but an issue for school
security.
((NATS: Sid Thakker))
That dopamine is the main chemical that makes you
hooked onto the substance. It gives you that high,
is what’s makes it addictive.
((Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
My non-profit or NicRreport has really strived to
create a curriculum that's not just inclusive on the
factors of e-cigarettes and why it's such a big
problem, but we really hope to teach students
((Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
ways to say ‘no’ to using these e-cigarettes. One
problem we really face is that kids often don't want to
be using them but are often peer pressured into using
them. So, the curriculum we developed for health
class
((Photo Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
was really used to help educate students on the social
dangers that are around it and the emotional factors
around it.
((Photo Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
And we also created another curriculum in biology
class. And here we really wanted to focus on
educating students on the dangers of e-cigarettes
internally. We focused on how e-cigarettes affect
cells, how they affect our organelles. In total, we've
been able to impact over 3,000 students and
teachers.
((Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((NATS: Sid Thakker and Dr. Subash Baza))
If I'm able to get successful results within the ….
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
We had a chance to talk to over 100 parents on
exactly what I'm doing at our school and why this is
such a big issue.
One student that I was talking with, he was a really
big athlete at our school. And after learning about the
side effects of vaping on lung capacity and how much
air actually runs through his lungs, he was really
shocked to see.
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
And it really persuaded him not to be using the device
anymore.
((NATS: Sid Thakker))
Now we’re planning on actually moving to a couple
other high schools.
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
Sid's efforts at educating his fellow classmates and
young people everywhere about the dangers of
vaping is going to be critical to stopping this
epidemic.
((Courtesy: Reuters))
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
There is a perception that it is “safer” than
conventional cigarettes and conventional
tobacco products even though we don't really know
that. The rapid uptake is probably a product of very
sophisticated and careful marketing. It is marketed as
safer. It is marketed as a good way to help quitting
smoking. From a lung standpoint or a pulmonary
standpoint, there had been up to 2,000 cases
reported of what is termed vaping-induced lung
disease,
((Courtesy: Reuters))
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
where a user suddenly gets a severe lung injury. The
ongoing use of cigarettes, probably combined with
these other products, causes continual damage to the
cardiovascular system.
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
A big lesson from COVID-19 is, you have to maintain
your health in any way possible. And something that
is in people's control is, don’t get started with smoking
or vaping products.
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
We're in our pristine years and we're at an all-time
high. I really hate to see kids really ruin their internal
body through this chemical that’s really just useless.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((PKG)) COALITION Z
((TRT: 5:45))
((Topic Banner: Young, Political and Organized))
((Reporter/Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main characters: 5 females; 1 male))
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
Stop the silence, end gun violence.
Stop the silence, end gun violence.
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Coalition Z is a national student-led policy
organization that basically aims to get Generation Z
involved in the policy making process
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
and turn our passion for social change and activism
into concrete policy change.
Coalition Z was founded in 2016 by three students at
the Dalton School in New York City, named Zoe
Davidson, Alex Lehman and Bryson Wiese. We’re
now a national organization with over 500 members in
33 chapters in 13 different states.
((end Courtesy))
((Durga Sreenivasan, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
So, Generation Z, we’re obviously the generation after
millennials and I believe the official start date of
Generation Z, if you’re born in 1998, that’s when you,
that’s where Generation Z begins.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
But it’s really anyone in middle school, high school
and college right now, I believe is more of a loose like
((end Courtesy))
definition of who Gen Z is right now.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
So, Coalition Z is a completely youth-led political
action group and we are promoting liberal ideals and
((end Courtesy))
liberal causes in America.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner:
Gen Z Americans are more racially and ethnically
diverse than older generations; most view that
diversity positively. They’re also less likely than older
Americans to see the US as superior to other nations.
– Pew Research))
((NATS))
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
A lot of the work that we do at Coalition Z is recruiting
people who want to be engaged,
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
who really want to be the next leaders of our
political world but aren't necessarily given the
resources from the beginning.
((end Courtesy))
((NATS))
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
The issues that are most important to Generation Z, I
would say first and foremost, definitely climate
change.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
Racial justice is really important to our generation. I
think healthcare is particularly important to our
generation. I think it's important to note that
((end Courtesy: Coalition Z))
like we literally grew up through multiple financial
crises.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
Like one of the first news stories I remember as a
child was the 2008 financial crisis. I was like six years
old. And right now, we're coming of age in obviously
another financial crisis.
((end Courtesy: Coalition Z))
((NATS))
Assault weapons have got to go. Hey-hey, ho-ho.
Assault weapons have got to go.
((Gabe Sender, Policy Director, Coalition Z))
I'm the Policy Director for Coalition Z, which means
that I was responsible for developing the policy
platform
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
that we recently put out onto our website. And I'm
also involved with connecting youth to candidates to
make sure that we have an outreach in our
community.
((end Courtesy))
((Samantha Chong, Graphics and Media Director,
Coalition Z))
I do social media. I'm the Graphics and Media
Director.
((Maria Silva, Graphics Designer, Coalition Z))
I design graphics for Coalition Z.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
So, we try to put out pictures that really speak to kids
and that show like kids and teenagers and even
adults to some extent. We try to like show diversity
and try to get people involved.
((end Courtesy))
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Hi, do you have your fast pass? If you don't, that's
okay. They'll look up your information inside. It just
makes everything a lot….
((Voter 1))
I'd like to go faster.
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Yeah, yeah.
((Voter 1))
How are you?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Good. How are you?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Poll working is one of the easiest ways someone like
me, who's 17, can engage with our democracy
without having the ability to vote and I'm not going to
be able to vote actually in the next primary election
here in New York, next June. So, I have a full two
years until I'm eligible to vote.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
I think my first exposure to kind of electroral
organizing was when I was four years old. Every
year, my parents took a trip to Pennsylvania to knock
on doors and I went with them when I was four
and we knocked on doors. And it was my first
opportunity
((end Courtesy))
to talk to voters and talk to people outside of my little
California, New York, progressive bubble. There are
Coalition Z members in New York, in Pennsylvania,
North Carolina, Ohio, California, Texas, Florida, all
working the polls.
((NATS in Spanish))
Hi. Espanol?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Cirector, Coalition
Z))
There’s another line for seniors.
((Voter 2))
Where?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack))
It’s faster, right over here.
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
The day of the election was very, very stressful. I
know we had our Coalition Z chapters and people in
Coalition Z all over the country,
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
really getting down and doing work. We had three
phone banks for our Senate candidates and our
House candidates throughout the country.
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
And then when it was called, I think it was just a day
of joy.
((end Courtesy))
I actually found out because I heard the banging of
the pots outside my apartment window and everyone
cheering.
((Courtesy))
I live in Uptown Manhattan. And like, old ladies came
out of their houses and they were dancing and there
was someone playing saxophone on my corner and…
((end Courtesy))
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
It has been a challenge, especially to be sometimes
the youngest people in the room in
particular, because sometimes we'll be brought into
political spaces as kind of like the Gen Z voice
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
and like the high school voice. And that's always a
really difficult role to play because like Gen Z has a
wide range of experiences and backgrounds and
views and issues that they care about.
((end Courtesy))
((NATS: Josephine O’Brien, Charlotte Ritz-Jack))
Yeah. So, I was talking to students for Ossoff and
Warnock earlier this weekend.
Right.
((Durga Sreenivasan, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
So, in the coming years, we’re definitely going to
continue to grow
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
our leadership to engage more young people around
the country.
((end Courtesy))
Definitely just growing Coalition Z and making our
voices heard.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
At the same time, we're going to start working with
other progressive organizations
((end Courtesy))
like the Sunrise Movement, to start holding Joe Biden
[President] accountable, because as we mentioned,
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
progressives and young people helped get Joe Biden
elected. So, we're going to make sure that our
values, our views, our policies are really reflected in
this administration.
And then, of course, we're not going to forget about
the local level. Our New York City chapters are really
going to be focused on the upcoming 2021 municipal
elections. And then, our chapters nationwide are
going to be focused on local elections in their area.
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
We’re going to go off to college soon and I'm really
excited about the group of young people that
are going to rise into the organization and take over
some of the roles that are going to be left
((end Courtesy))
And I think there's so much opportunity there. And
I'm just really excited to see where it goes.
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director,
Coalition))
Yes, I agree with that.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Reflections
((SOT))
((Ireeta Ubben, Retired School Employee))
My life was interesting to me anyway. It was not real
exciting but, you know,
I loved my husband and I loved my kids and we had a
good time.
BREAK
TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) CONNECT WITH – IREETA UBBEN
((TRT: 03:23))
((Banner: Connect with Ireeta Ubben))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Locater: Phillipsburg, Kansas))
((Main Character: 1 Female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Ireeta Ubben, Retired School Employee))
I'm Ireeta Ubeen. I'm 90 years old.
I was married when I was 19. My husband was 23.
My dad didn't want me to get married. He thought
I was too young, and I said, "How old was mom when
you got married?” "Well, she was 18 but that
was different."
So, which didn't convince me of anything.
So, we ran off and got married. I didn't go to
work that
day, I remember that. I took a taxi to work so
I wouldn't get my, it was raining, so I wouldn't get my
hair wet.
That's what I remember about that.
I had a job at school. I ran the kitchen at the junior
high for 23 years.
My life was interesting to me anyway. It was not real
exciting but, you know,
I loved my husband and I loved my kids and we had a
good time.
After my husband died, I had some good friends, and
we traveled a lot, and we went
and I've been in almost every state except
maybe one. And so, and then they've all, they're all
gone but me.
And that's sad. My best friend and, for 50 years, and
she's gone. So, I outlived my friends.
I live alone. Lot of room but it's my house, so.
I can still drive and so I get around, but like
I say, I'm scared of
this virus. So, I'm staying at home quite a bit.
The last one in my family, my brother, died from this
virus, down at Wichita. So,
I'm the only one left out of the four of us, which is sad.
Since it was this virus, I couldn't even go to the
funeral or anything. It was not a good time.
I just hope I don't have to go to a nursing home.
I don't want to go to a nursing home.
That's my, I don't want to do it.
So, otherwise what’s the use of worrying?
((MUSIC/NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
BREAK
THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
EPISODE 159
AIR DATE 01 29 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Pandemic Woes
((SOT))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
I don’t know whether we have learned. Right now,
everyone has heightened awareness about
pandemics and the threat of pandemics, but we also
have a long tradition of once a threat of this type
disappears, we are very eager to get back to business
as usual.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Generation Z
((SOT))
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
A lot of the work that we do at Coalition Z is recruiting
people who want to be engaged, who really want to
be the next leaders of our political world but aren't
necessarily given the resources from the beginning.
((Banner))
A Look Back
((SOT))
((Ireeta Ubben, Retired School Employee))
The last one in my family, my brother, died from
this virus down at Wichita. So,
I'm the only one left out of the four of us, which is sad.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) COVID-19 RESPONSE / EPIDEMIOLOGIST
((TRT: 05:24))
((Topic Banner: An Epidemiologist’s View of
COVID))
((Reporter/Camera/Producer: Igor Tsikhanenka))
((Camera: Henry Hernendez))
((Map: Washington DC))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
So, the first big mistake was not really having a
surveillance system that allowed us to look for that
very early signature of spillover. Because if we
identified it then, when it was still inefficient, we could
have isolated, eliminated and essentially eradicated
this virus. Period. It never would have become a
source of community transmission.
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
So, allowing it to slowly sort of establish its efficiency
in human-to-human transmission over a period of time
really meant that in December, when it was finally
identified, it was a highly efficient human-to-human
transmission
((Photo Courtesy: AP))
and there was already widespread community
transmission within Wuhan.
((NATS))
((Photo Courtesy: AP))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
So, that’s the second mistake is that we did not then
turn that initial recognition in December, that we had
not only a highly efficient but a lethal virus, into a
coordinated global effort because once something
becomes that efficient, a respiratory virus begins
spreading that easily, borders are of no
consequences. It will spread as quickly as possible.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
In Asia, the Asian countries activated their plans and
they did a good job. So, you can see that in countries
like South Korea, in Taiwan, in Vietnam, in Thailand,
those three countries collectively have barely more
than a thousand deaths, but they have almost the
entire population of the United States. And that’s
because in January, they began activating their plans
((Photo Courtesy: AP))
that spoke to how do you manage the spread of a
respiratory virus. In Europe, in North America and the
United States, we didn’t. As a consequence, we are
paying that price now.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
I’d say we were a total failure. Look, we have 300,
more than 300,000 [currently 425,000] deaths in this
country. An equivalent-sized population is dealing
with a thousand deaths. That difference? This is not
a technologically constrained investment. If Vietnam
and Thailand can bring this virus under control, why
can’t the United States?
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
This pandemic has evolved into, I might say, devolved
into an incredibly fractious political divide within the
United States. And it’s a political divide that says, this
is a myth or this is a reality.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
We need to acknowledge and recognize that there will
be another virus of this type, will emerge and
potentially have this kind of impact again. It’s not a
question of if. It is a question of when. But it is also
important to recognize that this is a pandemic that is
entirely preventable.
((NATS))
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
The first step in moving the world towards being more
secure from a future COVID-19 event, is one, having
really our eyes on future threats while they are still
circulating in their natural habitat before they become
a sort of a community-level threat. So, we need a
surveillance system, a global surveillance system that
is routinely tracking and monitoring viruses,
particularly high-risk viruses.
((Dennis Carroll, Chair, Global Virome Project,
Leadership Board))
The second is that the spillover itself is not a
necessary event. The spillover is a real consequence
of how we interact with the environment around us.
And if, in these hotspots, we pay closer attention to
what are those risky behaviors and practices that
enable spillovers to happen, we can better regulate
and control those behaviors.
Humanity, as a group, tends not to be a quick learner.
So, I don’t know whether we’ve learned. You would
have to come back five years from now. Because
right now, everyone has heightened awareness about
pandemics and the threat of pandemics, but we also
have a long tradition of once a threat of this type
disappears, we are very eager to get back to business
as usual.
((PKG)) COVID / STRAND BOOKSTORE
((TRT: 03:46))
((Topic Banner: Holding On))
((Reporter: Anna Nelson))
((Camera: Natalia Latukhina, Max Avloshenko))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 2 males))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
My first memory is walking into the store and just kind
of seeing it kind of painted ghostly gray, and seeing
all the walls of books everywhere and smelling that
kind of chocolaty, musty kind of smell, and seeing my
grandpa and my dad working side-by-side at the
buying desk, and heading straight back to the
children's section, where it was just candy colored
books. And I felt like such a princess because I could
pick out any book that I wanted or books that I wanted
to.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
So, the store's been around for 93 years. It was
begun by my grandpa, Benjamin Bass, in an area that
was called Book Row that was just around the corner
and there were 48 bookstores at the time.
((Courtesy: Strand Bookstore))
1946, we moved over, just a block over, to a higher
traffic area on Broadway
((Courtesy: Strand Bookstore))
where we are today.
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
The store was then passed on to my dad, Fred Bass,
and then on to me. So, all three of us have worked all
of our lives at the store.
We have survived almost everything: the depression,
two world wars, 9/11, until COVID stopped us in our
tracks - the first thing that has really, really
dangerously affected us.
((NATS))
((Vasilis Terpsopoulos, Rare Book Expert, Strand
Bookstore))
And it's a limited signed edition of James Joyce's
Ulysses, all of which were signed by Henri Matisse,
who was the artist who illustrated it, signed also by
James Joyce.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
Of course, at first it was very painful and I very much
felt all alone and I didn't know, “What am I going to do
next?”
((Courtesy: Strand Bookstore))
So, I decided I would write a letter, a heartfelt letter
and appeal to our customers and my friends and see
if they would, I, the only ask was, “Would you buy
your holiday gifts from us?” Three hours later, our
website crashed. It did not know how to handle that
many orders.
((NATS))
((Dan Roth, Web Orders Manager, Strand
Bookstore))
It was sort of a combination of “Wow” and “Uh-oh”.
So, yeah, you know, we instantly started figuring out,
“How are we going to do this?”
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
We had one lady from the Bronx and she put in an
order of 197 copies.
((NATS))
((Sara Buroi, Customer))
It's really sad. So, everyone's getting books this year
for Christmas, everyone I know.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
We realize that we have to pivot very early to
Christmas holiday buying. So, we just encourage
people to buy early, think indie, you know, and buy
local. Support your neighborhood stores. I just think
this is a little bit of a wake-up call for people that are
just staying at home and, you know, consumed with
the news that when COVID’s over with, they might
wake up and their neighborhood has disappeared.
Neighborhood’s retail stores have disappeared.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
I have to think that my grandpa and dad are looking
down at this turn of events and are just absolutely
floored and cannot believe this phenomenon. And I
never would have imagined this outpouring of love.
((NATS))
((Nancy Bass Wyden, Owner, Strand Bookstore))
Thank you, New York, for today.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Kids and Vaping
((SOT))
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
Educating young people everywhere about the
dangers of vaping is going to be critical to stopping
this epidemic.
BREAKONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) VAPING
((TRT: 04:29))
((Topic Banner: Dangers of Vaping))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: Mike Burke))
((Map: Reston, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 male))
((NATS))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
My name is Sid Thakker and I’m a rising senior at
James Madison High School. Throughout my high
school life, I've seen e-cigarettes really develop. So,
from ninth grade, it wasn't that big of an issue, but as I
moved on to 10th and 11th grade, the issue became
rampant. Many kids were caught with vapes, with
using an e-cigarette. The incidence rates almost went
up to 25 percent. So, one in every four students were
using one. And this was really concerning for me and
my principal. From 10th grade to 11th grade, we saw
e-cigarette detectors in bathrooms. We saw security
patrolling the hallways to making sure kids weren't
skipping class and using the bathrooms to vape
in. And so, we really saw how this problem became
not just an issue for kids, but an issue for school
security.
((NATS: Sid Thakker))
That dopamine is the main chemical that makes you
hooked onto the substance. It gives you that high,
is what’s makes it addictive.
((Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
My non-profit or NicRreport has really strived to
create a curriculum that's not just inclusive on the
factors of e-cigarettes and why it's such a big
problem, but we really hope to teach students
((Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
ways to say ‘no’ to using these e-cigarettes. One
problem we really face is that kids often don't want to
be using them but are often peer pressured into using
them. So, the curriculum we developed for health
class
((Photo Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
was really used to help educate students on the social
dangers that are around it and the emotional factors
around it.
((Photo Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
And we also created another curriculum in biology
class. And here we really wanted to focus on
educating students on the dangers of e-cigarettes
internally. We focused on how e-cigarettes affect
cells, how they affect our organelles. In total, we've
been able to impact over 3,000 students and
teachers.
((Courtesy: Sid Thakker/ NicReport.org))
((NATS: Sid Thakker and Dr. Subash Baza))
If I'm able to get successful results within the ….
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
We had a chance to talk to over 100 parents on
exactly what I'm doing at our school and why this is
such a big issue.
One student that I was talking with, he was a really
big athlete at our school. And after learning about the
side effects of vaping on lung capacity and how much
air actually runs through his lungs, he was really
shocked to see.
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
And it really persuaded him not to be using the device
anymore.
((NATS: Sid Thakker))
Now we’re planning on actually moving to a couple
other high schools.
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
Sid's efforts at educating his fellow classmates and
young people everywhere about the dangers of
vaping is going to be critical to stopping this
epidemic.
((Courtesy: Reuters))
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
There is a perception that it is “safer” than
conventional cigarettes and conventional
tobacco products even though we don't really know
that. The rapid uptake is probably a product of very
sophisticated and careful marketing. It is marketed as
safer. It is marketed as a good way to help quitting
smoking. From a lung standpoint or a pulmonary
standpoint, there had been up to 2,000 cases
reported of what is termed vaping-induced lung
disease,
((Courtesy: Reuters))
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
where a user suddenly gets a severe lung injury. The
ongoing use of cigarettes, probably combined with
these other products, causes continual damage to the
cardiovascular system.
((Dr. Subash Bazaz, Cardiologist, General and
Nuclear Cardiology))
A big lesson from COVID-19 is, you have to maintain
your health in any way possible. And something that
is in people's control is, don’t get started with smoking
or vaping products.
((Sid Thakker, Founder, NicReport; High School
Senior))
We're in our pristine years and we're at an all-time
high. I really hate to see kids really ruin their internal
body through this chemical that’s really just useless.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((PKG)) COALITION Z
((TRT: 5:45))
((Topic Banner: Young, Political and Organized))
((Reporter/Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main characters: 5 females; 1 male))
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
Stop the silence, end gun violence.
Stop the silence, end gun violence.
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Coalition Z is a national student-led policy
organization that basically aims to get Generation Z
involved in the policy making process
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
and turn our passion for social change and activism
into concrete policy change.
Coalition Z was founded in 2016 by three students at
the Dalton School in New York City, named Zoe
Davidson, Alex Lehman and Bryson Wiese. We’re
now a national organization with over 500 members in
33 chapters in 13 different states.
((end Courtesy))
((Durga Sreenivasan, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
So, Generation Z, we’re obviously the generation after
millennials and I believe the official start date of
Generation Z, if you’re born in 1998, that’s when you,
that’s where Generation Z begins.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
But it’s really anyone in middle school, high school
and college right now, I believe is more of a loose like
((end Courtesy))
definition of who Gen Z is right now.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
So, Coalition Z is a completely youth-led political
action group and we are promoting liberal ideals and
((end Courtesy))
liberal causes in America.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner:
Gen Z Americans are more racially and ethnically
diverse than older generations; most view that
diversity positively. They’re also less likely than older
Americans to see the US as superior to other nations.
– Pew Research))
((NATS))
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
A lot of the work that we do at Coalition Z is recruiting
people who want to be engaged,
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
who really want to be the next leaders of our
political world but aren't necessarily given the
resources from the beginning.
((end Courtesy))
((NATS))
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
The issues that are most important to Generation Z, I
would say first and foremost, definitely climate
change.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
Racial justice is really important to our generation. I
think healthcare is particularly important to our
generation. I think it's important to note that
((end Courtesy: Coalition Z))
like we literally grew up through multiple financial
crises.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
Like one of the first news stories I remember as a
child was the 2008 financial crisis. I was like six years
old. And right now, we're coming of age in obviously
another financial crisis.
((end Courtesy: Coalition Z))
((NATS))
Assault weapons have got to go. Hey-hey, ho-ho.
Assault weapons have got to go.
((Gabe Sender, Policy Director, Coalition Z))
I'm the Policy Director for Coalition Z, which means
that I was responsible for developing the policy
platform
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
that we recently put out onto our website. And I'm
also involved with connecting youth to candidates to
make sure that we have an outreach in our
community.
((end Courtesy))
((Samantha Chong, Graphics and Media Director,
Coalition Z))
I do social media. I'm the Graphics and Media
Director.
((Maria Silva, Graphics Designer, Coalition Z))
I design graphics for Coalition Z.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
So, we try to put out pictures that really speak to kids
and that show like kids and teenagers and even
adults to some extent. We try to like show diversity
and try to get people involved.
((end Courtesy))
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Hi, do you have your fast pass? If you don't, that's
okay. They'll look up your information inside. It just
makes everything a lot….
((Voter 1))
I'd like to go faster.
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Yeah, yeah.
((Voter 1))
How are you?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Good. How are you?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
Poll working is one of the easiest ways someone like
me, who's 17, can engage with our democracy
without having the ability to vote and I'm not going to
be able to vote actually in the next primary election
here in New York, next June. So, I have a full two
years until I'm eligible to vote.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
I think my first exposure to kind of electroral
organizing was when I was four years old. Every
year, my parents took a trip to Pennsylvania to knock
on doors and I went with them when I was four
and we knocked on doors. And it was my first
opportunity
((end Courtesy))
to talk to voters and talk to people outside of my little
California, New York, progressive bubble. There are
Coalition Z members in New York, in Pennsylvania,
North Carolina, Ohio, California, Texas, Florida, all
working the polls.
((NATS in Spanish))
Hi. Espanol?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Cirector, Coalition
Z))
There’s another line for seniors.
((Voter 2))
Where?
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack))
It’s faster, right over here.
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
The day of the election was very, very stressful. I
know we had our Coalition Z chapters and people in
Coalition Z all over the country,
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
really getting down and doing work. We had three
phone banks for our Senate candidates and our
House candidates throughout the country.
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
And then when it was called, I think it was just a day
of joy.
((end Courtesy))
I actually found out because I heard the banging of
the pots outside my apartment window and everyone
cheering.
((Courtesy))
I live in Uptown Manhattan. And like, old ladies came
out of their houses and they were dancing and there
was someone playing saxophone on my corner and…
((end Courtesy))
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
It has been a challenge, especially to be sometimes
the youngest people in the room in
particular, because sometimes we'll be brought into
political spaces as kind of like the Gen Z voice
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
and like the high school voice. And that's always a
really difficult role to play because like Gen Z has a
wide range of experiences and backgrounds and
views and issues that they care about.
((end Courtesy))
((NATS: Josephine O’Brien, Charlotte Ritz-Jack))
Yeah. So, I was talking to students for Ossoff and
Warnock earlier this weekend.
Right.
((Durga Sreenivasan, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
So, in the coming years, we’re definitely going to
continue to grow
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
our leadership to engage more young people around
the country.
((end Courtesy))
Definitely just growing Coalition Z and making our
voices heard.
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
At the same time, we're going to start working with
other progressive organizations
((end Courtesy))
like the Sunrise Movement, to start holding Joe Biden
[President] accountable, because as we mentioned,
((Courtesy: Coalition Z))
progressives and young people helped get Joe Biden
elected. So, we're going to make sure that our
values, our views, our policies are really reflected in
this administration.
And then, of course, we're not going to forget about
the local level. Our New York City chapters are really
going to be focused on the upcoming 2021 municipal
elections. And then, our chapters nationwide are
going to be focused on local elections in their area.
((Charlotte Ritz-Jack, Executive Director, Coalition
Z))
We’re going to go off to college soon and I'm really
excited about the group of young people that
are going to rise into the organization and take over
some of the roles that are going to be left
((end Courtesy))
And I think there's so much opportunity there. And
I'm just really excited to see where it goes.
((Josephine O’Brien, Executive Director,
Coalition))
Yes, I agree with that.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Reflections
((SOT))
((Ireeta Ubben, Retired School Employee))
My life was interesting to me anyway. It was not real
exciting but, you know,
I loved my husband and I loved my kids and we had a
good time.
BREAK
TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) CONNECT WITH – IREETA UBBEN
((TRT: 03:23))
((Banner: Connect with Ireeta Ubben))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Locater: Phillipsburg, Kansas))
((Main Character: 1 Female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Ireeta Ubben, Retired School Employee))
I'm Ireeta Ubeen. I'm 90 years old.
I was married when I was 19. My husband was 23.
My dad didn't want me to get married. He thought
I was too young, and I said, "How old was mom when
you got married?” "Well, she was 18 but that
was different."
So, which didn't convince me of anything.
So, we ran off and got married. I didn't go to
work that
day, I remember that. I took a taxi to work so
I wouldn't get my, it was raining, so I wouldn't get my
hair wet.
That's what I remember about that.
I had a job at school. I ran the kitchen at the junior
high for 23 years.
My life was interesting to me anyway. It was not real
exciting but, you know,
I loved my husband and I loved my kids and we had a
good time.
After my husband died, I had some good friends, and
we traveled a lot, and we went
and I've been in almost every state except
maybe one. And so, and then they've all, they're all
gone but me.
And that's sad. My best friend and, for 50 years, and
she's gone. So, I outlived my friends.
I live alone. Lot of room but it's my house, so.
I can still drive and so I get around, but like
I say, I'm scared of
this virus. So, I'm staying at home quite a bit.
The last one in my family, my brother, died from this
virus, down at Wichita. So,
I'm the only one left out of the four of us, which is sad.
Since it was this virus, I couldn't even go to the
funeral or anything. It was not a good time.
I just hope I don't have to go to a nursing home.
I don't want to go to a nursing home.
That's my, I don't want to do it.
So, otherwise what’s the use of worrying?
((MUSIC/NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
BREAK
THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
