Telescope

From Neon Hum Media and L.A. Taco, this is Smoke Screen: The Sellout, a podcast about a politician dogged by allegations of corruption, harassment and pathological pettiness. It's about the residents who fought gentrification even as their neighborhoods were auctioned off to the highest bidder. And it's about a community that feels the pain of betrayal – from one of their own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It sometimes feels like we’re living in a time warp. Like we just went into lockdown. But it’s been four months – and the whole world is different now than it was then. After 50 episodes of Telescope, we’re checking back in with five people we spoke to this season, to see how they’re handling the new normal. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporters: Catherine Saint Louis, Joanna Clay, Tanner Robbins, Carla Green & Jonathan Hirsch Producer: Carla Green Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eleven-year-old Emerson Weber has something of a hobby: she loves to write letters. And one day, she decided to write one to the person who makes her hobby possible -- her mailman. And, to her surprise, that gesture went much, much further than she ever imagined. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Joanna Clay Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caitlin Doughty wants you to reconsider your relationship with death. She’s a funeral director and “Death Positivity” advocate in Los Angeles. And she believes that facing your own mortality can be transformative, even in the middle of a pandemic. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Science journalist Ed Yong covers the pandemic for The Atlantic. But he also saw it coming, writing a story two years ago predicting the issues that we’re seeing now in the U.S. He reflected on hindsight compared to what he sees now and how this pandemic might end. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Joanna Clay Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the pandemic shuttered stages across the country, playwright Qui Nguyen wanted to give schools a little bit of hope. He took his popular play, She Kills Monsters, and adapted it for video conferencing, with all new cues and ideas. The University of Pittsburgh had put on the play in 2018. They knew the show well. So they thought they’d try to revive it on Skype. How much could be different? Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Kate Mishkin Editors: Nick White, Catherine Saint Louis & Vikram Patel Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something about these long hot days just feels off when there isn’t a baseball game on in the background. Games are about to start up again, but without any fans or most of the stadium staff. Today, we hear from a Dodger Stadium employee who has worked there every season for almost three decades -- until this year -- and what missing this season means for her and her family. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Hayley Fager Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

American democracy is complicated, especially when it comes to voting. Sam Levine is a journalist covering voter rights at The Guardian. As the 2020 election approaches, Sam will help us understand what is going right and what is going wrong as we prepare to go to the ballot box in November. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Derrick Sanderlin was well-acquainted with the San Jose police department – he volunteered his time to train police on implicit bias. Then, he found himself at a protest where that very same police department was indiscriminately firing rubber bullets at the crowd. Derrick stepped up to try to deescalate the situation – and found that it was impossible. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter: Catherine Saint Louis Producer: Carla Green Editors: Vikram Patel & Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As COVID settled over college campuses, most schools moved students’ education entirely online. It was a necessary move, designed to prevent the spread of the virus. But American college tuition now costs tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of dollars. And coronavirus has, for the first time, moved students and their parents into the driver’s seat. Some have decided to sue the very schools they’d been so eager to gain admission to, demanding colleges give them some money back. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Carla Green Editors: Catherine Saint Louis & Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Teaching high school during a pandemic has been near impossible. Educators are in crisis mode. One English teacher in Flint, Michigan, has spent the last few months trying to teach remotely and worrying about her students. Students who have lost family members to COVID and are working essential jobs. But she also sees an opportunity to completely change the system. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Hayley Fager Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When stay-at-home orders hit, daycares and preschools across the country had to figure out new protocols. Some shut down. Some laid off staff. Some reopened to serve essential workers with new safety measures. We look at two early childhood educators -- Melissa Belnap in Oregon and Tanya Garcia in Los Angeles -- to see how two classrooms are adapting to this new normal.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Laurie Santos is something of an expert at being happy. Her class “Psychology and the Good Life” became the most popular class at Yale University. She also hosts a podcast called “The Happiness Lab,” where she talks about counting blessings, battling misconceptions about happiness and maintaining good relationships -- lessons that feel even more relevant in the time of Covid-19. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Kate Mishkin Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that many of us are in isolation, we have to use technology to communicate with each other. But that technology isn’t always built with everyone in mind. On today’s episode, we talk about what the transition to virtual learning -- and to quarantine life in general -- has meant for one person in the Deaf community as she spends her last semester of college online. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter: Catherine Saint Louis Producer: Hayley Fager Editors: Vikram Patel Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many of us, our weekly trip to the grocery store is the most dangerous outing of the week. The place we’re most likely to be exposed to coronavirus. Today on Telescope, we spend some time with two people who are spending forty hours a week in those stores – praying that they don’t get sick. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Carla Green Editors: Catherine Saint Louis & Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today is Juneteenth. It’s a holiday that marks the end of slavery in America, and for many it represents a second day of independence. As the mass protests against police brutality and systemic racism continue across the country, journalist Soledad O’Brien gives her take on how the media narratives around police are changing and how coronavirus helped inspire outrage. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Guest Host: Catherine Saint Louis Reporters: Catherine Saint Louis & Kate Mishkin Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel & Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Social media’s role during this moment -- as we face two pandemics in the name of COVID and racism -- is cyclical. It’s both impacting and being impacted by the various tragedies that have unfolded over the last few months. To dig deeper into this phenomena, Neon Hum's Senior Editor Catherine Saint Louis speaks with Slate Magazine reporter Julia Craven about what we're seeing online with white people confronting their whiteness -- how it's different, how it's the same, and whether or not things will really change this time. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Guest Hosts: John Asante & Catherine Saint Louis Reporter: Catherine Saint Louis Producers: Mary Knauf & Kate Mishkin Editors: Vikram Patel & Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two activists share their journeys of leading anti-racism protests in response to the killing of George Floyd. KC Short -- an Army veteran based near San Diego -- quickly learned the ins and outs of organizing protests. Melina Abdullah, a longtime organizer and the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, juggles her efforts to defund the LAPD with the overwhelming response to thousands of people joining the protests she’s leading. Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Guest Host & Managing Producer: John Asante Producers: Carla Green & Joanna Clay Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel, Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zach Stafford rose like a comet through the media, going from Huffington Post blogger to Editor-In-Chief of The Advocate magazine in just a few short years. As a Black gay man, Zach’s identity has driven him to fight the systemic problems in our society. Now, he wants LGBTQ Pride to meet the moment and stand up against police brutality. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Hirsch and Seth Fischer tell the stories of their fathers. How their robust intellects fell to late-life mental illnesses. And how living in an elder-care facility made them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Kate Mishkin Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Olympic fencers Ysaora Thibus and Race Imboden were set to compete in the most important matches of their careers at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. But when the coronavirus postponed the Games until July 2021, the couple had to scrap their plans and make new ones. Now they have to figure out how to train while sheltering in place in Los Angeles, thousands of miles away from their training facility in Italy. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: John Asante Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we all prepare for summer, we’re trying to decide what is safe and what isn’t safe to do. Joel Stein has been reporting on wealth disparities, risk analysis, and whether or not we trust experts to tell us what to do next. And according to his reporting, it seems like we aren’t going through this moment together. Our different circumstances -- jobs, living situations, mayors -- change how we experience this pandemic. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Hayley Fager Editor: Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live sports is one of the many things that’s halted during the pandemic. But recently ESPN the got rights to air South Korean baseball games. Dan Kurtz, a superfan, explains why the KBO is worth watching -- and why it holds a special place in his heart. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Joanna Clay Editor: Vikram Patel Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the coronavirus pandemic, most non-essential business have taken a hit. But there are always exceptions. And Todd Thornbury’s hot tub business in Southern California happens to be one of the more fascinating ones. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Natalie Rinn Editors: Vikram Patel & Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Sam Sanders isn’t hosting NPR's "It’s Been A Minute," he’s watching TV and movies, reading books, and doing research for interviews with high profile celebrities. In quarantine, all of it has gotten to be a bit much. It’s made him realize that even before quarantine he was cramming too much stuff into his day. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions You can find out more about Heather Atles' company, Singing Telegrams Now, here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Layla Besson is a special education teacher, and a mother of three boys. She’s well-organized, resourceful – knows how to juggle. But then, the lockdown started. And everything fell apart. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Carla Green Editors: Vikram Patel & Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Self-isolating has inevitably changed the dynamic of every household, but what are the particular nuances involved with quarantined roommates right now? On this episode, we explore three different roommate relationships to try and figure out how people are managing the highs and lows of isolating with housemates. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Mary Knauf Editor: Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music: Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Singer-songwriter Greyson Chance was preparing for one of the most exciting moments of his career, which included a world tour and a new album. When the pandemic hit, he felt like all his momentum deflated. But Greyson has found other ways to bring joy and music to his fans while back home in Oklahoma City. You can find Greyson's new single, "Honeysuckle," and more of his music here: https://greysonchancemusic.com/ And you can find Sarah Ramey's book, "The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness: A Memoir" here: https://www.sarahmarieramey.com/ Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Hayley Fager Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis, Odelia Rubin Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Duvall and his family, from Athens, Georgia, have been sheltering in place since before the stay at home order came down from Governor Brian Kemp. And in the weeks that followed, Scott realized he and his wife weren’t just processing this new normal -- but so were his three kids. COVID-19 proved to be a reality he couldn’t completely shelter them from. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Joanna Clay Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the host of the podcast "The Lonely Hour," Julia Bainbridge has been studying loneliness in American life since well before we began isolating ourselves. When the pandemic began, her dating life started to feel lonely, as it was limited to the online world. But without the option to meet someone in real life, Julia found love in a hopeless place. Read the article on Julia's story in Refinery 29: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9794920/new-boyfriend-dating-during-coronavirus-story Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nelufar Hedayat wants to change the world one small step at a time. As the correspondent for Doha Debates and host of the Course Correction podcast, she’s personally taking on some of the largest issues facing the world. To her, COVID-19 is just another opportunity to find solutions for the problems facing us all. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Los Angeles, Rabbi Rose Prevezer and is helping young people reimagine what Jewish life could look like for them. Now, as coronavirus forces us to reimagine our daily life, there’s an even greater need to make those traditions last. And Rose’s organization, NuRoots, is finding creative ways to foster community in this unprecedented time. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Kate Mishkin Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There have been more than 400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among people in ICE custody, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement website. Five of those people who tested positive were at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. Cristian Sanchez is an immigration attorney and some of his clients are in that detention center. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Hayley Fager Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. Email us your story. We’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. Also, you can join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nine years ago, Bassem Youssef skyrocketed to fame as Egypt’s most famous satirist – the “Jon Stewart of the Middle East." Three years later, he was forced to flee, with death threats hanging over his head. He’s stuck in quarantine in the United States now, just like us. But despite all of America’s foibles, Bassem says he’s glad to be here. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Carla Green Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us -- we’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. You can also join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Animal Crossing” is one of the many Nintendo games blowing up right now during quarantine. Sharmin Asha and Nazmul Ahmed got obsessed with it -- around the same time they had to decide to cancel their April 12th wedding. This inspired Nazmul to come up with a creative way to show his love for Sharmin. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Joanna Clay Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us -- we’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. You can also join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Addison Proctor and his family left their lives behind to sail across the Pacfic, but the world shut down right as their trip began. Now, they are anchored off the coast of Florida, with hurricane season right around the corner, and their fate in the hands of the coronavirus. Just waiting. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Vikram Patel, Kate Mishkin Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us -- we’re also interested in hearing what life in isolation sounds like to you. We welcome your voice memo recordings. You can email them to pitches@neonhum.com. You can also join our Facebook group by searching for Telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sports in America and around the world are on hold, but that hasn’t stopped ESPN Daily host Mina Kimes. In the absence of the NBA playoffs and March Madness, she’s turned her focus to the plight of arena workers and minor leaguers whose jobs up and vanished in March. And though we like to think this hiatus is temporary, she thinks sports will never be the same. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. Join us on Facebook by searching for Telescope. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us: email pitches@neonhum.com. You just might end up on our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Theo Henderson has lived outside a recreation center in Los Angeles’ Chinatown for the past seven years. Since the outbreak started, Theo’s been trying to stay far away from anyone who might have coronavirus. But he’s worried he might get it anyway. He’s worried the city of Los Angeles is going to give it to him. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter & Producer: Carla Green Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow up on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David and Jason are brothers. They describe themselves as opposites. David lives in Florida, has 4 kids and a partner. Jason, who is six years younger, is the cool uncle. He lives in Nevada and spends most of his time skiing and mountain biking. They do have one thing in common: they are both sober. And going through isolation has brought them together in ways they didn’t expect. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Reporter: Shara Morris Producers: Shara Morris, Hayley Fager, Joanna Clay Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow up on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In early March, the Trump administration claimed that a million COVID tests were available, but nobody was keeping tabs on the results. Alexis Madrigal, Atlantic staff writer and co-founder of the Covid Tracking Project, talks about how he stumbled into leading the charge to track the virus, and what the lasting cultural impact of this virus will be. Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Producer: Tanner Robbins Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow up on Twitter and Instagram: @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Charleston, West Virginia, Kin Ship Goods is more than a shop — it’s an institution. In the middle of March, as Covid-19 came closer and closer, West Virginia still hadn’t reported its first case. But Kin Ship’s owners, Dan and Hillary, decided to do something few other businesses were doing: shut down. For a small business, closing shop was a risky move. Yet for Dan and Hillary, it was the right thing to do.  Host & Executive Producer: Jonathan Hirsch Producer: Kate Mishkin Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Managing Producer: John Asante Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions  Follow up on Twitter and Instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Anthony Lazzara dedicated his life to caring for destitute, sick children in a small village in Peru. But the coronavirus trapped him on the wrong continent, and now he is stuck, far away from the people who need him most. And it’s all he can do to keep things going from afar, until he’s finally allowed to return. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Producers: Carla Green, Jonathan Hirsch Managing Producer: John Asante Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Hue-Tam canceled her trip to Vietnam because of the coronavirus, she had no idea what she would miss. Hue-Tam’s family is scattered around the globe, from Vietnam to France, and now California. But thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to communicate with your loved ones far away. You just don’t feel as far as you really are. You’re just a flight away, you tell yourself. Until one day, someone you love is dying and you can’t be there. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Jonathan Hirsch Producers: Vikram Patel, Tanner Robbins Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Garcia is a comedian and TV writer living in LA. Before COVID-19, he was performing standup in front of live audiences two to three nights a week. But now, he’s got to find more creative ways to test jokes -- like talking to strangers through his phone. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Producers: Kate Mishkin, Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drew made a huge mistake, and he paid for that mistake. More than he'd ever imagined he would. In May of 2019, he was arrested for a DUI and for evading the police. He was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail. His lawyer told him he'd only serve a few days. But an unforgivable error gave Drew a sentence that was way more than he bargained for. When he returned from jail, it was March 12th, 2020 -- the day the country irrevocably changed. Special thanks to Drew for sharing his story with us. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Producers: Kate Mishkin & Jonathan Hirsch Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After several years of working non-union gigs as a set dresser for TV shows, Thomas earns security and steady work after joining a union. But when coronavirus brings show production to a screeching halt, he and over 100,000 workers in the entertainment industry are out of work. Now, Thomas is trying to figure out his next steps in a time of great uncertainty. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel, Jonathan Hirsch Reporter & Producer: Tanner Robbins Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Alan Braid is an abortion doctor in San Antonio, Texas. His clinic is one of two that provides abortions in the city. Like all doctors these days during coronavirus, he has a new challenge. He doesn't have the resources and safety measures he needs to do his work. We caught up with Dr. Braid as some news was breaking in Texas. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Vikram Patel, Jonathan Hirsch Producers: Shara Morris, Hayley Fager, Joanna Clay Reporter: Catherine Saint Louis Engineer: Mark Bush Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A local legend, the mysterious Pied Piper of Pasadena is a man who rocks out hard in his car, with the windows down, while playing songs on his recorder. He was a fixture in the lives of many Angelenos, inspiring countless Youtube videos and internet memes. But where is he now? Producer Mary Knauf went in search of answers. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Producers: Mary Knauf, John Asante, Natalie Rinn Reporter: Mary Knauf Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Twitter and instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After their residency was shut down because of coronavirus, a group of musicians found a clever way to still perform for an audience: they organized a "drive-in concert" in the parking lot of a Vons grocery store in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Thanks to Jeremiah Chiu and Celia Hollander for sharing their story. Special thanks to Dublab for their support of the concert. You can find the full broadcast of their show here. Watch the whole video fo the Italian piano player performing the theme song toTitanic here. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Vikram Patel, Catherine Saint Louis Producers: Tanner Robbins, Kate Mishkin Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions. Follow us on Twitter and instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we'll hear from Stacy. She and her husband have been trying to have kids for years which hasn't been easy. They're currently on their fourth round of IVF - a process that depends on perfectly timed schedules between hormone shots and embryo implants. But COVID-19 doesn't care about calendars and fertility rates. And now suddenly Stacy and her husband face some very consequential decisions. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Vikram Patel, Jonathan Hirsch Reporter: Catherine Saint Louis Producers: Joanna Clay, Hayley Fager, Shara Morris Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions. Follow us on twitter and instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first episode of Telescope, we hear from Carmen Graterol, a Venezuelan living in Mexico City. On a planned trip to Caracas to visit family, suddenly it's unclear whether she'll be able to leave. Host & Executive Producer Jonathan Hirsch Editors: Catherine Saint Louis, Vikram Patel Producers: Shara Morris, John Asante, Mary Knauf Engineer: Scott Somerville Music by Matt McGinley & Blue Dot Sessions. Follow us on twitter and instagram @neonhummedia. We want to stay connected with you during this unprecedented time in our history, so please don’t be shy. Share your stories with us. Our DMs are open. If you have a story of life in isolation because of the coronavirus that you want to share with us, email us at pitches@neonhum.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices