Aug 17, 2021

For hospitals, COVID surges mean staff and bed shortages yet again

Nurses care for COVID-19 patients in a makeshift ICU at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, in January. Some seven months later, hospitals are once again running out of ICU beds. Mario Tama via Getty Images

Also on today's show: how countries might do business with the Taliban, the efficacy of carbon offsets for air travel and why the number of women in the construction trades remains small.

Segments From this episode

COVID-19

COVID surge might not be the main factor in retail sales drop

by Marielle Segarra

Aug 17, 2021

The obvious explanation for July's 1.1% dip would be the coronavirus delta variant. Not so fast; inflation may also be a culprit.

Despite consumer purchases being down 1.1% last month, they were still nearly 16% higher than in July 2020.

Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Housing Works

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Cutting the Taliban off from global trade could be a tall order

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer

Aug 17, 2021

The U.S. has already frozen Afghan assets in this country.

Pedestrians pass Afghanistan's Kabul Bank in 2010. The Taliban, which have retaken control of the country, remain under long-standing U.S. financial sanctions.

Shah Marai/AFP via Getty Images

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COVID-19

Hospitals are short-staffed and running out of beds. Again.

by Samantha Fields

Aug 17, 2021

With COVID-19 cases rising, at least a few hospitals in almost every state are dealing with critical staffing shortages, including nurses and custodians.

Nurses care for COVID-19 patients in a makeshift ICU at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, in January. Some seven months later, hospitals are once again running out of ICU beds.

Mario Tama via Getty Images

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Business districts face an uncertain future as return-to-office is delayed

by Kristin Schwab

Aug 17, 2021

State Street is closing its two Manhattan offices — a sign of what may be to come as we get closer to many companies' back-to-office target dates.

A year and a half into the pandemic, average office occupancy rates in the U.S. are around 30%, according to commercial real estate firm JLL. Above, an empty street and closed businesses in New York City's financial district in April 2020.

Stephanie Keith via Getty Images

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A Warmer World

Emissions offsets ease travel guilt, but do they reduce carbon footprints?

by Amanda Peacher

Aug 17, 2021

The voluntary carbon offsets market is unregulated, with no standard pricing. And offsets may not deliver what they promise.

Though eco-conscious flyers may pay to offset their emissions, experts say a better way to reduce your carbon footprint is to fly or drive less.

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

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Where are all the construction tradeswomen?

by Jill Replogle

Aug 17, 2021

Despite steady progress toward gender equality in other fields, women still make up only a small percentage of construction workers.

Melissa Delgado, left, and Rebecca Gollnick-Starr practice the proper way to hand off a hammer on a jobsite. Both are in the pre-apprenticeship program at Women In Non Traditional Employment Roles.

Jill Replogle

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Music from the episode

Old Graffiti Bibio

Occasional Magic Yppah

It Starts With Bongos Kid Spatula

Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore) B.o.B, Hayley Williams

I Feel It Coming The Weeknd, Daft Punk

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer

Maria Hollenhorst Producer II

Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II

Richard Cunningham Associate Producer I

Dylan Miettinen Associate Digital Producer

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