coronavirus

This episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 22, 2020, features: a look at what South Carolina state lawmakers did during their recent special two-week session; an economic update from Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin; South Carolina's rankings in a report released by this week by the White House Coronavirus Task Force; and more.

Last Year's Operating Budget to Remain In Effect

It now appears that South Carolina’s state government will operate for the first half of its’ current fiscal year using last year’s budget.  A lack of action by the General Assembly this week left last year’s budget in place as lawmakers face continued uncertainty about the state’s economy.

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Christopher Pelic about the availability and use of tele-mental health services and therapy during the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Pelic is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Medical Director of Telepsychiatry at MUSC.

This episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 22, 2020, features: a look at how you can vote absentee in the November 3 election; the latest from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on the future of the Supreme Court nomination process he will oversee; comments from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams from his recent visit to Columbia; and more.

Individuals with pre-existing, chronic health conditions are probably the highest-risk group during this pandemic.  Couple that with the need for telehealth and other technology solutions and you can see why our next guest’s company has been very busy.

Mike Switzer interviews Jon-Michial Carter, CEO and co-founder of Chartspan in Greenville, SC.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates, recently said that the US Covid testing situation is a mess.  Some of the criticism is pointing out that rapid tests may be proving to be unreliable.  One South Carolina company is right in the middle of all this controversy.

Mike Switzer interviews Scotty Branch, co-founder of Vikor Scientific in Charleston, SC.

This episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 12, 2020, features: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on how the offshore drilling moratorium including South Carolina came about; Gov. Henry McMaster outlines how he would like to spend phase II CARES Act money that the state legislature will decide next week; state health officials project how a COVID-19 vaccine would be implemented in South Carolina; and more. 

The state legislature will return to Columbia next week to once again consider what to do about next year’s operating budget.  Uncertainty about the economy and how much state tax revenue it will generate has lawmakers in a quandary.

Florence Senator Hugh Leatherman, the veteran chairman of the powerful Senate Finance committee said this week that when it comes to the economic uncertainty being caused by the pandemic it’s the most uncertain of times he has ever seen.

The pandemic has certainly changed the workplace, bringing employees’ health and wellness concerns to the forefront.  Our next guest says that the wellness part of that equation is not getting enough attention.

Mike Switzer interviews Lisa Burbage, CEO and founder of Wellness Five in Charleston, SC.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 10, 2020, we look at datacasting to help keep students in South Carolina connected remotely to school even without broadband, hear about how the pandemic could affect the future of land development, get an update on telehealth advancements, and more.

  This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Brenda Hoffman about colon cancer screening options during the pandemic, and why early detection and treatment of colon cancer is important.  Dr. Hoffman is the Chief of the Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence of Digestive Health, Endocrinology and Metabolism at MUSC.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 5, 2020, we examine Facebook's aproach to limiting the spread of disinformation ahead of the November 3 election, discuss whether the stock market is indicative of the greater economy, speak with medical professionals about public trust of a potential coronavirus vaccine, and more.

One of the upsides to having children back in a physical classroom is that the state's child protective services workers can talk to kids again. A lot of them are dealing with abuse or neglect and it's easier to catch up with several of them when they're in one place, away from the people abusing and neglecting them.

On March 6, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. While it may not have garnered as much attention as the CARES act, its impact should not be overlooked.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 3, 2020, we look at how state lawmakers are working to safeguard the November 3 election, hear from state budget officials about how much money is available and how that funding may be used, break down new visitation guidelines announced by Gov. Henry McMaster this week for nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and more.