Preparing for the possibility of a pandemic (episode 384)

Roughly Speaking

Featured in this episode: An infectious disease specialist talks about Bill Gates' repeated warnings that the U.S. and the world are not sufficiently prepared for the possibility of a pandemic that could kill millions. But before we get to that:Book critic Paula Gallagher recommends a new non-fiction title, "The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century," by Kirk Wallace Johnson.Baltimore County executive Kevin Kamenetz, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Maryland, and his running mate, Valerie Ervin, talk about the opioid epidemic. Kamenetz announced Wednesday that the county would open a 70-bed on-demand treatment facility in Owings Mills.Michael Reisch, professor of social justice at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, gives his take on the sturdy Trump base -- why people who might be hurt by the president's policies stick with him.Dr. John Cmar, an expert in infectious disease on the staff of Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, gives some perspective to Bill Gates' most recent warning that the world could face a flu pandemic like the one that killed millions -- and 675,000 in the United States -- 100 years ago.Links:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534655/the-feather-thief-by-kirk-wallace-johnson/9781101981610/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-opioid-announcement-20180501-story.htmlhttp://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/academics/faculty/michael-reisch/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/dan-rodricks-blog/bs-roughly-speaking-donald-trump-evangelical-christians-20180419-htmlstory.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/04/27/bill-gates-calls-on-u-s-to-lead-fight-against-a-pandemic-that-could-kill-millions/?utm_term=.a20a298090f3