Skimm This

Health officials are warning that this will be an especially tough week. Are hospitals ready? A new federal report gives us an indication. Meanwhile: the United Nations says that reported incidents of domestic violence are on the rise during the pandemic. We’ll look into why that is. Also on today’s show: we share a few ways you can say thanks to healthcare workers near you. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233. If you're unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When news broke that COVID-19 had hit the US, many of us were told not to wear masks unless we were sick. Now the US government is reportedly reconsidering that guidance. We’ll tell you why. Meanwhile, US unemployment data for the month of March just got released. We’ll break down what the numbers mean and why they’re getting so much attention today. Also on today’s show: we check up on New York’s new floating hospital, and explain why celebrities are reading children’s books on social media. Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We woke up this morning to some record-breaking unemployment numbers — as huge as they are, they may not even be showing the full picture. We’ll explain why. Meanwhile: the US’s secret stockpile of emergency medical equipment is running low. We’ll explain what the stockpile is and why this is happening at precisely the wrong moment in history. Also on today’s show: two cruise ships get the green light to dock in Florida after days of pleading. We tell you why more cruise ship drama is likely to come. This morning, theSkimm hosted a live presentation: Recessions, Skimm’d. We explained what recessions are, why they’re a big deal, and how you can be prepared for when one comes up.Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US intelligence community is reportedly warning that China hid key info about the severity of its COVID-19 outbreak. We’ll walk you through what that could mean for other countries that relied on Chinese data as they crafted their own epidemic response plans. Meanwhile: it’s Census Day. We’ll explain what that means and how COVID-19 is complicating the count. Also on today’s show: more states are telling residents to stay at home after the White House revealed models showing dire statistics about the likely course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A US Navy Captain is pleading for help containing a COVID-19 outbreak onboard an American aircraft carrier in Guam. We’ll explain why the Navy is facing similar problems as cruise ships, and why having a nuclear power plant and fighter jets on board make this situation totally different. Meanwhile, a field hospital opened today on a grassy patch of Central Park, famous for its sunbathers and picnickers. We look at why these makeshift medical facilities are cropping up all over the country. Also on today’s show: a story so cute, we can’t even bear it.Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grocery delivery workers went on strike today. We’ll explain how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the delivery industry and how consumers can respond. Meanwhile: the White House extends social distancing guidelines until the end of April. But it remains up to states to decide how to actually enforce them. We look at a few approaches different states are taking. Also on today’s show: trivia night just got a reboot. Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 2020 and women’s median earnings are about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. Cool cool. That’s known as the gender pay gap. Ahead of Equal Pay Day on March 31st, we wanted to find out why this gap has persisted for so long, and what’s being done about it. That includes steps you can take. Yes, you. We talked to: Jennifer Klein, chief strategy and policy officer for Time’s Up Claire Wasserman, founder of ladiesgetpaid.com Maria Colacurcio, CEO of pay analysis software Syndio Skimm more: Wasserman recommends approaching your HR department about setting up a professional sponsorship program. Here’s what that can mean. Research has shown that salary transparency can help close the gender pay gap. Read up here and here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump just signed the most expensive relief bill in US history, but it wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. We explain the drama that had lawmakers scrambling to fly back to the Capitol. Meanwhile, officials at the World Health Organization have been warning for weeks that developing nations could have a tougher time coping with COVID-19. We break down why that is and why more developed nations should care. Also on today’s show: what it means now that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19, and the new fashion trend that Walmart says WFH life is driving.Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest US unemployment numbers are in. They’re historic, and not in a good way. We’ll break down the data and look at how Congress is trying to patch up the unemployment insurance system in the middle of a health crisis. Meanwhile: how do world leaders hold an emergency summit when they’re supposed to be social distancing? We’ll explain the plan G20 leaders put together to fight COVID-19 while governing-from-home. (Here’s what their WFH confab looked like.) Also on today’s show: how dating sites are helping people connect remotely.Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate leaders say they’ve reached a historic deal to help Americans and American businesses deal with the economic fallout of COVID-19. The $2 trillion relief package will also steer billions of dollars to hospitals and local governments to respond to the ongoing health crisis. We’ll tell you what’s (probably) in the bill and why each part of it matters. Meanwhile, New York is being called an ‘epicenter’ of COVID-19. We’ll explain why New York has been hit so hard and what the rest of the country might be able learn from its experience. Also on today’s show: states are asking Amazon and other online retailers to do more to crack down on COVID-19 price gouging, and our recs for the best zoo webcams (links below). Here’s a penguin frolicking through a field at the Santa Barbara Zoo Here are live streams of snow leopard cubs at the Melbourne Zoo Here’s a live feed of a coral reef in Australia  Call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370 to shout-out a loved one or share how you’re helping your community during the pandemic. You might hear your message on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices