This month, I’ve been focusing on the return to in-person instruction in the Davis Joint Unified School District. This week I’m speaking with parents who represent different viewpoints on reopening. Dr. Audrey Pan with Safe Classrooms, Safe Community - Davis  joins me in the first interview, and Dr. Rachel Klein of DJUSD Parent Coalition- It's Time to Safely Go Back to School joins me in a second interview. Over the next 1-2 weeks, I will wrap this monthlong series by speaking with several DJUSD students. Previous interviews have included the teachers' perspectives on Feb. 16, and the district 's administration perspective with Dr. John Bowes on Feb. 9, 2021.  All 53 episodes can be streamed at the COVID-19 Community Report show page.

Since mid-March 2020 there has been a huge surge in animal adoptions, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Melissa Bain, a professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, tells us about the joys and challenges of pandemic pets, and what to consider when adopting animal companions during the pandemic. We meet 14-year-old Davis resident Kate Phillips and her canine companion Winston. Winston became part of the Phillips family last summer. Hear about the science behind why there is such a deep bond between dogs and humans and learn some cool facts about dogs. Then visit Siberia, where dogs first joined the human pack 23,000 years ago.

In February 2019, the eight piece soul and funk band  Joy and Madness exploded onto the stage at Odd Fellows Hall, and kept the crowd dancing throughout the evening.  Jim "Live Tracks" Buchanan recorded this epic, joy-filled event and shares it tonight.  Joy and Madness describe their sound as "a raucous mix of raw stonesy energy, pulsing groove, and juicy horn lines coloring tightly crafted songs". They’ve shared the stage with other high energy performers such as Tower of Power, Trombone Shorty, and Collective Soul. They describe their front man and vocalist Hans Eberbach as bringing so much freewheeling energy to the stage, that he has literally broken right through the floorboards.

The Folk Brothers are back with new live shows as the KDRT studios have reopened!  Catch our latest program featuring an eclectic mix:  the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s powerful, new interpretation of “The Times They Are A-Changing”; Gambian Kora player/vocalist Sona Jobarteh; Declan O’Rourke’s autobiographical song “Stars Over Kinvara” from his new release “Arrivals”; rousing instrumentals from Scottish bands Elephant Sessions and Talisk; Jorma Kaukonen from The Cabale Creamery, Berkeley in 1964; Barbara Dane and Lightnin’ Hopkins; and Sea Shanties!