Honduras Election Results; Bannon Contempt Charges; Ghislaine Maxwell Trial

Travel restrictions put in place as Omicron variant spreads. How a multi-pronged approach will be more effective at fighting new strains.

Dr. Lisa Gralinski, epidemiologist at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, joins us to talk about the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 first detected in South Africa, which is quickly spreading around the world. We talk about Biden’s press conference regarding Omicron, how vaccine mandates and vaccine drives are important, but not the only solution to this evolving pandemic, which should involve a multilayered approach involving, testing, and new treatments. We also talk about how the travel ban on South Africa may not be a solution since other countries where the variant is present have not been subjected to travel restrictions, and how restrictions on non-essential travel, in general, may be more effective as the holiday travel season approaches.

Wyatt Reed, Sputnik News correspondent, talks to us about the presidential election results in Honduras as they roll in. The results are seeing the ruling party lose its grip in power after 12 years marred by widespread violence, increasing inequality, and corruption. The left opposition candidate, Xiomara Castro, holds a seemingly insurmountable lead in the polls. We also talk about what sort of political program the new administration may propose, how this may affect regional political alignments and the reaction by the US and international bodies like the Organization of American States.

Robert Hockett, Edward Cornell Professor of Law and a professor of public policy at Cornell University in New York, Senior Counsel at Westwood Capital, and a fellow of The Century Foundation, joins us to discuss Biden’s nomination of Jerome Powell to a second term as Federal Reserve chair. We discuss Biden’s statements on the economy, the steps taken to reduce oil prices by tapping the strategic reserves and tackling supply-chain issues, and whether this proposal will be effective. We also talk about the debate about raising the debt ceiling, and the merits of discussing debt in apocalyptic terms that enable a bipartisan failure to act.

In addition, we touch upon Steve Bannon and Ghislaine Maxwell.

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