UpFront

Asm. Ash Kalra kills California single payer bill; Healthcare workers condemn decision by legislator; Canadian suicidologist on children’s mental health during COVID pandemic; Plus how to pay attention with Johann Hari

A young student attends school from home. | Image by Joe Shlabotnik is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

On today’s show:

0:08 The legislative package that would have brought California closer to its own single payer healthcare system stopped dead in its tracks yesterday. Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose (@Ash_Kalra) joins us to unpack his decision to call off a floor vote for AB 1400.

0:16 – After that, president of the California Nurses Association (@CalNurses), which has been campaigning for single payer bills in the state capitol for almost two decades, RN Zenei Triunfo-Cortez joins us to discuss Asm. Kalra’s decision. Also joining us is Dr. Rupa Marya (@DrRupaMarya), Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF, co-founder of the Do No Harm Coalition, and one of Governor Newsom’s appointees to the Healthy California for All Commission.

0:33 – Dr. Tyler Black (@tylerblack32) Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia, suicidologist, and full-time emergency psychiatrist at a provincial hospital in Canada joins us to discuss the COVID pandemic’s impact on children’s mental health.

1:08 – We spend our second hour with Johann Hari (@johannhari101), who joins us to discuss his latest book Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again.