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The Return of Decency; Vaccine Caution; And, A Run On Christmas Trees

Roger Cohen, a former columnist and current Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, longs for a return to decency - a moral shift away from a Trump Presidency characterized by retreat, self-obsession, and a lack of respect for truth or decency.

He welcomes the tenor he anticipates President-elect Biden will bring to the White House, but cautions against a return to the status quo. Too much has changed that still threatens liberalism and the Western alliance. 

Also this hour: The Trump Administration is not happy that the FDA failed to approve a coronavirus vaccine before the UK did it first. The President's prior interference in FDA decisions led to public resistance against any vaccine they feared was tainted by politics. Are they doing it again

Lastly, there's a national run on Christmas trees this year akin to the run on toilet paper in the spring. Even people who don't usually purchase a real tree seem to want one this year. 

GUESTS: 

  • Roger Cohen runs the Paris bureau for The New York Times. He's also the author of several books, including his family memoir, "The Girl From Human Street: Ghosts of Memory in a Jewish Family."
  • Dan Diamond investigates health care politics and policy for Politico. He co-authors “Politico Pulse,” and hosts Politico’s “Pulse Check” podcast.  
  • Kathy Kogut is president of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 

Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. 

Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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