VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE #117
AIR DATE 04 10 2020
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Sustenance
((SOT))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
I do whatever I can to calm people down, three people at a
time in the farm store, just trying to comfort them with the
ways that we can with what we have and what we're doing.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Homeschooling
((SOT))
((Lisa Vohra and her daughter, Alyssa Leela Gokhale))
Lisa: You can see the Z and I need you to copy that.
Alyssa: But what if I might not remember?
Lisa: But it’s right there.
Alyssa: I might not remember it.
Lisa: Alyssa Leela Gokhale. Please write your Z right now.
Right now. I’m not writing your Z. We’ll get back to you.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Isolation Blues
((SOT))
((MUSIC))
((Anthony Rosano, Guitarist))
Keep your kids home from school.
Tell grandma and grandpa we’ll see them soon.
Isolation blues.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) WHIFFLETREE FARM
((Banner: Farming During the Pandemic))
((Reporter/Camera: Philip Alexiou, Martin Secrest))
((Producer: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Warrenton, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS: Farm))
((Popup Banner:
Whiffletree Farm is a non-genetically modified sustainable
poultry and livestock farm.
Young chickens are being moved to pasture.))
((NATS: Farm))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
So, you want to grab around their wings and like I'll grab two
together. I'll grab them around their wings here and hold
them together. Yeah, that way they feel safe.
((NATS: Barn))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
If you pack it too tight, especially like in the summer when it's
hot and the crates are all stacked on top of each other and
there's a lot of body heat, you know, then it's dangerous.
((NATS: Farm))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
We’re going to go out to the pasture. You can see we’re
going to go through that tree line and that's where the empty
chicken shelters are. And that's where these chicks are
going to on pasture.
((NATS: Tractor))
((NATS:
Jesse Straight: Oh, I put the count on the sheet, yep, yep.))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
A big distinction for us is what you see on the ground here.
This is fresh grass, fresh air, sunlight, etc. So, we have to
kind of ‘baby’ them in the brooder barn until they get hardy
enough at about three or four weeks to bring them out to
pasture. At this point, they now have their mature feathers.
So, you can kind of see like, you can see they still have some
of their baby feathers here. So, these like downy little soft
feathers on their neck, you know, that's their baby feathers.
That's what they were totally covered with when they are first
the little peep, you know. But then, these white mature
feathers, that's what actually insulates and keeps them warm
and they can regulate their body temperature themselves as
opposed to what in nature their mother would do that for
them.
((NATS: Crates))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Wiffletree Farm))
Of course, our customers love what we do, particularly, you
know, that the animals are actually on fresh pasture, which is
a real game changer. Obviously, right now everyone's
thinking about the coronavirus and that's sort of our moment
right now. I think people are increasingly interested in
thinking about their food as a source of health.
((NATS: Field))
((NATS:
Jesse Straight, on phone:
Whiffletree Farm, this is Jesse. Yeah. Here's the deal. I just
put something on our website to offer like for elderly and
immunosuppressed people to do something like a curbside.
If, you know, if you fall in that category like, yeah.))
((NATS))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
About half of our business before corona(virus) was with
restaurants and half was retail directly to customers.
Restaurant business? Totally toast (stopped), you know,
nothing there, pretty much. There's going to be a real lag
time before the restaurant business can recuperate. You
know, I just got off the phone with a mother of three who's got
a cough and has asthma. She's really worried and, you
know, and people when they see like their food supply
getting low at home and they've seen or heard about the
mayhem at the grocery store and they're worried about the
germs and touching stuff. I do whatever I can to calm people
down, just to be like, ‘Hey, we have food, three people at a
time in the farm store, we're taking these measures.’ (I’m)
just trying to assure people of all the things that might be on
their mind especially and try and comfort them with the ways
that we can with what we have and what we're doing.
((NATS: Rooster, chicken pen))
((NATS: Store, Jesse Straight:
Let’s do curbside after chicks and then let’s do…..power’s
ongoing from there, yeah.))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
You know, obviously, coronavirus as an international story
has been developing for a while. It's exposing how
vulnerable we are. People are so dependent on this
industrial food system and it has such a vulnerable supply
chain and it's run to such tight margins. The inventory is tight
and the supply chain is long and that means there's not a lot
of grace for runs on the system like this.
((Banner:
The following was recorded before Virginia imposed limits on
outside movement and mandated safe distancing due to
COVID-19.))
((NATS))
((PKG)) BLOOD DRIVE
((Banner: Donating Blood))
((Reporter/Camera: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: McLean and Franconia, Virginia))
((Main characters: 2 male; 4 female))
((NATS))
((Ivy Main, Donor))
I saw on the news and social media that that there was a
blood shortage everywhere and I've been a donor in the past
and know that my blood is particularly valuable. I have O
negative blood and so, I've really felt this was a time for me to
come out.
((NATS))
((Andrea Brightwell, Regulatory Affairs Manager, INOVA
Blood Donor Services))
We have quite a dedicated mobile donor base. However, we
have had to decrease on that. So, high school and college
students are, you know, they make up a large portion of our
donors in this country. We actually had to cancel every
single one of those when the coronavirus outbreak really
became a huge problem in this country. So, we've not had
many mobile drives. We've only maybe, had maybe, one
every other day since then.
((NATS))
((Vanessa Ma, Student Coordinator/Donor, INOVA Blood
Donor Services))
For the cancellation of school, it completely canceled the
blood drive in total. I do know there's a lot of community
outreach recently about trying to get people to donate blood
or if they're stuck at home without anything to do, they have
the opportunity to come out to a clean environment and do
something good for the community.
((NATS))
((Andrea Brightwell, Regulatory Affairs Manager, INOVA
Blood Donor Services))
You know, the students who typically donate with us, they
know that their drives have been canceled. So, they're
coming to the centers with their parents. Our parents are like,
‘Okay, you signed up. So, why don’t you come with me and
we can donate together?’
((NATS))
((Sam Meyers, Donor))
My mom is a doctor in the INOVA system and she said that
they're having trouble getting more donors now because of,
you know, coronavirus.
((NATS))
((Ivy Main, Donor))
I really think this is one of the things that we're learning here,
is how much of a responsibility we have to each other and
so, that makes it all the more important that people who can
give blood do. I'm really not concerned for myself. I'm far
more worried about the people who need blood.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Bayless, Blood Donor Services, Mobile
Operations Manager))
All of our employees, all of our staff that are in clinical areas,
will be wearing masks. We also wipe down all of our
clipboards. Again, we use disposable pens. We're going
through gloves and, you know, disinfectants. We're going
through all that, all those supplies, making sure that
everything is clean and safe for the donors. And
right now, we're taking only appointments to be able to one,
provide the social distancing practices that we have in place,
make everyone comfortable and safe. I think what happens
that in a crisis like this, people want to help and this is a feel-
good way of helping. You're giving a blood product that's
going to save someone's life and donating blood is one of
those things that's kind of like a civil service kind of thing that
people do to, they want to help.
((NATS))
((Nicholas Erickson, Donor))
I do have a good friend who typically signs me up. We call
her vampire Karen because she's the blood donor guru of our
group. So, it's just, we're not on the same schedule right
now. So, I did this on my own based upon the perceived
need.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Bayless, Blood Donor Services, Mobile
Operations Manager))
We’ve adjusted our schedules. We’ve extended our blood
drives. So, typically we would do a drive like this in four
hours. Now, we’re doing them in six hours, so that we can
spread out our donors. We still want to see the same amount
of donors. So, we’re trying to accommodate everyone by
having longer drives. We’ll probably leave here with about,
probably about 40, 45 units, depending on how many got
through the process for various reasons.
((NATS))
((Banner:
Since this report, the INOVA mobile blood drives have been
canceled until further notice.))
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Because of COVID-19
((SOT))
((Lisa Vohra and her daughter, Alyssa Leela Gokhale))
Alyssa: It’s because of the coronavirus.
Lisa: Do you know what coronavirus is?
Alyssa: Because you might give people germs.
Lisa: That’s a good answer, sweetie. And then maybe you
get people sick, right? And we want to prevent that, correct?
Alyssa: Yeah.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) QUARANTINE DIARIES
((Banner: Stay at Home))
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 8 female; 1 male))
((NATS: News))
The United States works overtime to screen
thousands…..We’re grateful…..
As lawmakers work on getting more supplies, they are asking
Americans to stay home. Is it working?
((Topic Banner:
Quarantine Diaries
Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I’m here working in my room and Aly is in our bedroom
watching TV again. She’s five years old and she’s in
kindergarten. Everyday it’s gotten worse. So, up until Friday
or up until a few days ago, I thought playdates were okay.
Now I’m second guessing that.
((Banner: Before mandatory Stay-at-Home order))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
And same thing with these neighborhood girls in fifth grade
coming over. I thought that would be okay and now I’m like
second guessing that. I mean, I guess at some point, we
have to realize that even one-on-one interactions makes a
difference and it would kind of defeat the whole purpose of
social isolation.
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Alyssa: It’s because of the coronavirus.
Lisa: Do you know what coronavirus is?
Alyssa: Because you might give people germs.
Lisa: That’s a good answer, sweetie. And then maybe you
get people sick, right? And we want to prevent that, correct?
Alyssa: Yeah.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
My husband Sameer and I are really lucky. We get to work
from home. We have so many friends who haven’t been as
fortunate.
((Jessica Slack Rice, Practice Manager, One Child))
I manage a veterinary hospital. We are considered essential
personnel at this time due to fur babies still needing to be
seen.
((Ekta Vohra, Registered Nurse, BSN CWON))
As a health care worker, you know, I never thought I would
see something like this in my life. It’s unprecedented and it’s
been really challenging because while everyone else is
working from home, I’m still going to work at the hospital.
((NATS: Alyssa outside with friends))
Aly, we can’t get closer because of the coronavirus.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
You’re going to see a lot of my own personal connections
and friends in this, just because we're all in this together.
((Neha Goyal, Manager, Web Development, Two
Children))
My husband and I are working from home and it is
challenging because we have two young kids, a toddler and
a baby. However, we’re fortunate that we have our nanny
who can still come in.
((Banner: Officemates))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
The first thing we’re doing, we’re cleaning her desk and
going to take it up to my room, so that she can study there
while I work.
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Lisa: Okay, the camera is talking to you.
Alyssa: Tell me the truth. Was that your voice?
Lisa: Yes, it was my voice. I was just kidding.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
This is my new office. She’s my new officemate. We just got
everything done, right?
Lisa: What are you doing right now? Are you doing you’re
A,B,Cs?
((Banner: Homeschooling))
((Maryah Roberts Nijim, Landscape Associate, Four
Children))
I have four kids. We do schoolwork from like 8 to10 and then
we take a little break.
((Priya Agarwal, Special Education Teacher, Two
Children))
Through a lot of uncertainty at this point. We have not been
given any directions right now.
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Lisa: You can see the Z and I need you to copy that.
Alyssa: But what if I might not remember?
Lisa: But it’s right there.
Alyssa: I might not remember it.
Lisa: Alyssa Leela Gokhale. Please write your Z right now.
Right now. I’m not writing your Z. We’ll get back to you.
((Banner: A New Daily Routine))
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
As I’m doing this, I’m thinking, okay, I have it. And then I’m
like, oh my god, another whole block of time just empty. All
right, here’s to trying again.
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I’m literally editing the piece, this piece and she’s on my
shoulder. We’re taking a dance break in the middle of
working.
((Bumper: Leaving the House))
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I’m at the grocery store. It’s 6 AM.
((Banner: Before recommendations to wear masks))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
There was a line outside when I came and it’s just, it wasn’t
like a huge line, but just having a line at 6 AM at a grocery
store, it just, it just made it even more real. It’s like empty
here.
((NATS))
((Banner: Creative Parenting))
((Anita Mago, Senior Research Consultant, One Child))
Just today, I created a scavenger hunt for her. She loved this
idea.
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Lisa: We’re looking for the voice, the one that goes…..ah ah
ah ah. But I was only showing. I’m not doing it. We’re
looking for that voice, right?
Alyssa: Go like this, ah ah ah ah.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I think one of the hardest parts about all of this is trying to stay
calm with your kid because, you know, to her we are her
center and if act all anxious and scared, then her center is
literally disrupted. But it’s hard as her center to keep calm
sometimes because we don’t really know what’s going on
and.....so we just try our best. But there are moments, there
are definitely moments.
((Banner: Staying Connected))
((NATS: Zoom family meeting))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
We get to feel like we’re better than you guys.
((Greg Pugliese, Policy Analyst, One Child))
Some of the ways that we’re communicating with the outside
world is we’re doing more Facetime than we usually do.
((NATS))
((Alyssa and her friend))
I miss you.
I miss you too.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
She spent like an hour with her friend on Facetime today and
I had a moment of guilt because I’m like, shouldn’t she be
doing ABC’s, 123’s? And then I’m like, but the girl’s missing
her friend.
((Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter, Five years old))
Alexa, let it go.
((Bumper: Perspective))
((Arianna Cao, Beautician, Three Kids))
We don’t realize how important things are until something
happens and we take so much things for granted everyday.
((Ekta Vohra, Registered Nurse, BSN CWON))
So, while the situation is extremely tense, I think that it's
pretty incredible to see how everyone is coming together and
banding together to work through this.
((Christine Johns, Alyssa’s Kindergarten Teacher, Colvin
Run Elementary School, Two Children))
Hi everyone. This is Mrs. Johns. I teach kindergarten. I’m
going to read a book called, “Too Pickley!” It’s for all you
picky eaters out there. Too burpy.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
Really cool idea. Her teacher, not her teacher, the room
parent came up with, to write letters to her friends but also to
write letters to a nursing home so that they aren’t as lonely,
which I thought was just such a really, really cool concept.
So, she’s writing letters as we speak.
((Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter, Five years old))
Dear Claire,
I’m missing you. I’m sad that you could not tutor me. I want
to stay home so you do not get sick.
Love, Alyssa.
((MUSIC))
((PKG)) EXPLAINER ((ANIM/GFX/MUSIC/VIDEO))
COVID-19: Fast Facts
Can the virus survive in cold weather?
Can it be spread by mosquito bites?
Is there a vaccine that prevents it?
Is there any medicine that cures it?
The answer to all of the questions is: NO
The best steps to take:
Wash your hands
Cover your cough
Stay at home if you are sick or advised to by local authorities.
For more information, visit the World Health Organization’s
website:
www.who.int
or
The Centers for Disease Control’s website:
www.cdc.gov
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Isolation Blues
((SOT))
((Anthony Rosano, Guitarist))
I want to say thank you to all the doctors, nurses and first
responders, everybody out there putting it out on the line to
keep us safe.
((MUSIC))
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) ISOLATION BLUES -- ANTHONY ROSANO
((Banner: Isolation Blues))
((Written and Performed by: Anthony Rosano))
((Map: Norfolk, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((MUSIC))
((Anthony Rosano, Guitarist))
Hey everybody. My name is Anthony Rosano. I’m a
musician from Norfolk, Virginia and I’m going to be playing
an original song called Isolation Blues. I want to say thank
you to all the doctors, nurses and first responders, everybody
out there putting it out on the line to keep us safe. Y’all, let’s
see what we can do to keep them safe. Stay home, wash
your hands and let’s get through these isolation blues
together. Peace.
((MUSIC))
I washed these hands a thousand times,
Trying to ease this worried mind.
Isolation blues,
Oh, isolation blues.
I’m all stocked up for 15 days,
Somehow, I just don’t feel safe
From isolation blues,
Oh, isolation blues.
Wrinkled hands, worry lines,
Six feet might as well be a mile.
TV tells me what to do,
But I somehow can’t tell if it’s the truth.
Oh, I’m quarantined but doing fine.
My wife sanitizes the house just to pass the time.
Isolation blues,
Oh, isolation blues.
Keep your kids home from school.
Tell grandma and grandpa we’ll see them soon.
Isolation blues,
These isolation blues.
Wrinkled hands, worry lines,
Six feet might as well be a mile.
Social life is a distant past,
But I got a good deal on these surgical masks.
Oh, there’s a panic buy in aisle five.
Let’s flatten the curve and hope the strong survive.
It’s isolation blues,
These isolation blues,
These isolation blues,
These isolation blues.
((MUSIC))
((PKG)) PROMO: AMERICANS AND GUNS
((MUSIC))
Americans and Guns
Differing Perspectives
((SOTs))
This is a fight for our way of life and our freedoms as
Americans.
The United States constitution says the right of the people to
keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
Got to be some regulation, stop somewhere.
Guns take on a different meaning when you have to kind of
recognize that they are not just one thing.
Hunting has just kind of been a part of our lives as long back
as I can remember.
((SOTs))
I was shot eight times.
My older son, he was murdered.
People think it’s only a city problem or it’s only a domestic
problem or it’s a gang problem and that is absolutely not the
truth. It hits families from every walk of life.
It’s an attempt to demonize the tool. It’s not the tool that kills.
It’s the person.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
Easy access to a gun turns an impulse into a tragedy.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
What frustrates lawful gun owners is that we get lumped into
this heap in the media with people who are breaking the law.
So, there’s a lot of ways to be safe with the guns.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
We live in different realities, you know. If you have been
affected by gun violence, what guns are is one thing. And if
you have never been affected, you can kind of blithely go on
with your life never really confronting that.
((MUSIC))
Coming Soon on VOAConnect
((MUSIC/NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS/VIDEO/GFX))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
Near the Turkish Embassy
Washington, D.C.
May 16, 2017
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters
“Those terrorists deserved to be beaten”
“They should not be protesting our president”
“They got what they asked for”
While some people may turn away from the news
We cover it
reliably
accurately
objectively
comprehensively
wherever the news matters
VOA
A Free Press Matters
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS/VIDEO/GFX))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
We make a difference
When we unmask terror
When we explain the impossible
When we confront an uncertain future
When we give voice to the voiceless
The difference is Freedom of the Press
We are the Voice of America where
A Free Press Matters
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
SHOW ENDS
EPISODE #117
AIR DATE 04 10 2020
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Sustenance
((SOT))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
I do whatever I can to calm people down, three people at a
time in the farm store, just trying to comfort them with the
ways that we can with what we have and what we're doing.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Homeschooling
((SOT))
((Lisa Vohra and her daughter, Alyssa Leela Gokhale))
Lisa: You can see the Z and I need you to copy that.
Alyssa: But what if I might not remember?
Lisa: But it’s right there.
Alyssa: I might not remember it.
Lisa: Alyssa Leela Gokhale. Please write your Z right now.
Right now. I’m not writing your Z. We’ll get back to you.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Isolation Blues
((SOT))
((MUSIC))
((Anthony Rosano, Guitarist))
Keep your kids home from school.
Tell grandma and grandpa we’ll see them soon.
Isolation blues.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) WHIFFLETREE FARM
((Banner: Farming During the Pandemic))
((Reporter/Camera: Philip Alexiou, Martin Secrest))
((Producer: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Warrenton, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS: Farm))
((Popup Banner:
Whiffletree Farm is a non-genetically modified sustainable
poultry and livestock farm.
Young chickens are being moved to pasture.))
((NATS: Farm))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
So, you want to grab around their wings and like I'll grab two
together. I'll grab them around their wings here and hold
them together. Yeah, that way they feel safe.
((NATS: Barn))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
If you pack it too tight, especially like in the summer when it's
hot and the crates are all stacked on top of each other and
there's a lot of body heat, you know, then it's dangerous.
((NATS: Farm))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
We’re going to go out to the pasture. You can see we’re
going to go through that tree line and that's where the empty
chicken shelters are. And that's where these chicks are
going to on pasture.
((NATS: Tractor))
((NATS:
Jesse Straight: Oh, I put the count on the sheet, yep, yep.))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
A big distinction for us is what you see on the ground here.
This is fresh grass, fresh air, sunlight, etc. So, we have to
kind of ‘baby’ them in the brooder barn until they get hardy
enough at about three or four weeks to bring them out to
pasture. At this point, they now have their mature feathers.
So, you can kind of see like, you can see they still have some
of their baby feathers here. So, these like downy little soft
feathers on their neck, you know, that's their baby feathers.
That's what they were totally covered with when they are first
the little peep, you know. But then, these white mature
feathers, that's what actually insulates and keeps them warm
and they can regulate their body temperature themselves as
opposed to what in nature their mother would do that for
them.
((NATS: Crates))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Wiffletree Farm))
Of course, our customers love what we do, particularly, you
know, that the animals are actually on fresh pasture, which is
a real game changer. Obviously, right now everyone's
thinking about the coronavirus and that's sort of our moment
right now. I think people are increasingly interested in
thinking about their food as a source of health.
((NATS: Field))
((NATS:
Jesse Straight, on phone:
Whiffletree Farm, this is Jesse. Yeah. Here's the deal. I just
put something on our website to offer like for elderly and
immunosuppressed people to do something like a curbside.
If, you know, if you fall in that category like, yeah.))
((NATS))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
About half of our business before corona(virus) was with
restaurants and half was retail directly to customers.
Restaurant business? Totally toast (stopped), you know,
nothing there, pretty much. There's going to be a real lag
time before the restaurant business can recuperate. You
know, I just got off the phone with a mother of three who's got
a cough and has asthma. She's really worried and, you
know, and people when they see like their food supply
getting low at home and they've seen or heard about the
mayhem at the grocery store and they're worried about the
germs and touching stuff. I do whatever I can to calm people
down, just to be like, ‘Hey, we have food, three people at a
time in the farm store, we're taking these measures.’ (I’m)
just trying to assure people of all the things that might be on
their mind especially and try and comfort them with the ways
that we can with what we have and what we're doing.
((NATS: Rooster, chicken pen))
((NATS: Store, Jesse Straight:
Let’s do curbside after chicks and then let’s do…..power’s
ongoing from there, yeah.))
((Jesse Straight, Owner, Whiffletree Farm))
You know, obviously, coronavirus as an international story
has been developing for a while. It's exposing how
vulnerable we are. People are so dependent on this
industrial food system and it has such a vulnerable supply
chain and it's run to such tight margins. The inventory is tight
and the supply chain is long and that means there's not a lot
of grace for runs on the system like this.
((Banner:
The following was recorded before Virginia imposed limits on
outside movement and mandated safe distancing due to
COVID-19.))
((NATS))
((PKG)) BLOOD DRIVE
((Banner: Donating Blood))
((Reporter/Camera: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: McLean and Franconia, Virginia))
((Main characters: 2 male; 4 female))
((NATS))
((Ivy Main, Donor))
I saw on the news and social media that that there was a
blood shortage everywhere and I've been a donor in the past
and know that my blood is particularly valuable. I have O
negative blood and so, I've really felt this was a time for me to
come out.
((NATS))
((Andrea Brightwell, Regulatory Affairs Manager, INOVA
Blood Donor Services))
We have quite a dedicated mobile donor base. However, we
have had to decrease on that. So, high school and college
students are, you know, they make up a large portion of our
donors in this country. We actually had to cancel every
single one of those when the coronavirus outbreak really
became a huge problem in this country. So, we've not had
many mobile drives. We've only maybe, had maybe, one
every other day since then.
((NATS))
((Vanessa Ma, Student Coordinator/Donor, INOVA Blood
Donor Services))
For the cancellation of school, it completely canceled the
blood drive in total. I do know there's a lot of community
outreach recently about trying to get people to donate blood
or if they're stuck at home without anything to do, they have
the opportunity to come out to a clean environment and do
something good for the community.
((NATS))
((Andrea Brightwell, Regulatory Affairs Manager, INOVA
Blood Donor Services))
You know, the students who typically donate with us, they
know that their drives have been canceled. So, they're
coming to the centers with their parents. Our parents are like,
‘Okay, you signed up. So, why don’t you come with me and
we can donate together?’
((NATS))
((Sam Meyers, Donor))
My mom is a doctor in the INOVA system and she said that
they're having trouble getting more donors now because of,
you know, coronavirus.
((NATS))
((Ivy Main, Donor))
I really think this is one of the things that we're learning here,
is how much of a responsibility we have to each other and
so, that makes it all the more important that people who can
give blood do. I'm really not concerned for myself. I'm far
more worried about the people who need blood.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Bayless, Blood Donor Services, Mobile
Operations Manager))
All of our employees, all of our staff that are in clinical areas,
will be wearing masks. We also wipe down all of our
clipboards. Again, we use disposable pens. We're going
through gloves and, you know, disinfectants. We're going
through all that, all those supplies, making sure that
everything is clean and safe for the donors. And
right now, we're taking only appointments to be able to one,
provide the social distancing practices that we have in place,
make everyone comfortable and safe. I think what happens
that in a crisis like this, people want to help and this is a feel-
good way of helping. You're giving a blood product that's
going to save someone's life and donating blood is one of
those things that's kind of like a civil service kind of thing that
people do to, they want to help.
((NATS))
((Nicholas Erickson, Donor))
I do have a good friend who typically signs me up. We call
her vampire Karen because she's the blood donor guru of our
group. So, it's just, we're not on the same schedule right
now. So, I did this on my own based upon the perceived
need.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Bayless, Blood Donor Services, Mobile
Operations Manager))
We’ve adjusted our schedules. We’ve extended our blood
drives. So, typically we would do a drive like this in four
hours. Now, we’re doing them in six hours, so that we can
spread out our donors. We still want to see the same amount
of donors. So, we’re trying to accommodate everyone by
having longer drives. We’ll probably leave here with about,
probably about 40, 45 units, depending on how many got
through the process for various reasons.
((NATS))
((Banner:
Since this report, the INOVA mobile blood drives have been
canceled until further notice.))
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Because of COVID-19
((SOT))
((Lisa Vohra and her daughter, Alyssa Leela Gokhale))
Alyssa: It’s because of the coronavirus.
Lisa: Do you know what coronavirus is?
Alyssa: Because you might give people germs.
Lisa: That’s a good answer, sweetie. And then maybe you
get people sick, right? And we want to prevent that, correct?
Alyssa: Yeah.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) QUARANTINE DIARIES
((Banner: Stay at Home))
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 8 female; 1 male))
((NATS: News))
The United States works overtime to screen
thousands…..We’re grateful…..
As lawmakers work on getting more supplies, they are asking
Americans to stay home. Is it working?
((Topic Banner:
Quarantine Diaries
Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I’m here working in my room and Aly is in our bedroom
watching TV again. She’s five years old and she’s in
kindergarten. Everyday it’s gotten worse. So, up until Friday
or up until a few days ago, I thought playdates were okay.
Now I’m second guessing that.
((Banner: Before mandatory Stay-at-Home order))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
And same thing with these neighborhood girls in fifth grade
coming over. I thought that would be okay and now I’m like
second guessing that. I mean, I guess at some point, we
have to realize that even one-on-one interactions makes a
difference and it would kind of defeat the whole purpose of
social isolation.
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Alyssa: It’s because of the coronavirus.
Lisa: Do you know what coronavirus is?
Alyssa: Because you might give people germs.
Lisa: That’s a good answer, sweetie. And then maybe you
get people sick, right? And we want to prevent that, correct?
Alyssa: Yeah.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
My husband Sameer and I are really lucky. We get to work
from home. We have so many friends who haven’t been as
fortunate.
((Jessica Slack Rice, Practice Manager, One Child))
I manage a veterinary hospital. We are considered essential
personnel at this time due to fur babies still needing to be
seen.
((Ekta Vohra, Registered Nurse, BSN CWON))
As a health care worker, you know, I never thought I would
see something like this in my life. It’s unprecedented and it’s
been really challenging because while everyone else is
working from home, I’m still going to work at the hospital.
((NATS: Alyssa outside with friends))
Aly, we can’t get closer because of the coronavirus.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
You’re going to see a lot of my own personal connections
and friends in this, just because we're all in this together.
((Neha Goyal, Manager, Web Development, Two
Children))
My husband and I are working from home and it is
challenging because we have two young kids, a toddler and
a baby. However, we’re fortunate that we have our nanny
who can still come in.
((Banner: Officemates))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
The first thing we’re doing, we’re cleaning her desk and
going to take it up to my room, so that she can study there
while I work.
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Lisa: Okay, the camera is talking to you.
Alyssa: Tell me the truth. Was that your voice?
Lisa: Yes, it was my voice. I was just kidding.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
This is my new office. She’s my new officemate. We just got
everything done, right?
Lisa: What are you doing right now? Are you doing you’re
A,B,Cs?
((Banner: Homeschooling))
((Maryah Roberts Nijim, Landscape Associate, Four
Children))
I have four kids. We do schoolwork from like 8 to10 and then
we take a little break.
((Priya Agarwal, Special Education Teacher, Two
Children))
Through a lot of uncertainty at this point. We have not been
given any directions right now.
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Lisa: You can see the Z and I need you to copy that.
Alyssa: But what if I might not remember?
Lisa: But it’s right there.
Alyssa: I might not remember it.
Lisa: Alyssa Leela Gokhale. Please write your Z right now.
Right now. I’m not writing your Z. We’ll get back to you.
((Banner: A New Daily Routine))
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
As I’m doing this, I’m thinking, okay, I have it. And then I’m
like, oh my god, another whole block of time just empty. All
right, here’s to trying again.
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I’m literally editing the piece, this piece and she’s on my
shoulder. We’re taking a dance break in the middle of
working.
((Bumper: Leaving the House))
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I’m at the grocery store. It’s 6 AM.
((Banner: Before recommendations to wear masks))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
There was a line outside when I came and it’s just, it wasn’t
like a huge line, but just having a line at 6 AM at a grocery
store, it just, it just made it even more real. It’s like empty
here.
((NATS))
((Banner: Creative Parenting))
((Anita Mago, Senior Research Consultant, One Child))
Just today, I created a scavenger hunt for her. She loved this
idea.
((NATS))
((Lisa Vohra and Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter,
Five years old))
Lisa: We’re looking for the voice, the one that goes…..ah ah
ah ah. But I was only showing. I’m not doing it. We’re
looking for that voice, right?
Alyssa: Go like this, ah ah ah ah.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
I think one of the hardest parts about all of this is trying to stay
calm with your kid because, you know, to her we are her
center and if act all anxious and scared, then her center is
literally disrupted. But it’s hard as her center to keep calm
sometimes because we don’t really know what’s going on
and.....so we just try our best. But there are moments, there
are definitely moments.
((Banner: Staying Connected))
((NATS: Zoom family meeting))
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
We get to feel like we’re better than you guys.
((Greg Pugliese, Policy Analyst, One Child))
Some of the ways that we’re communicating with the outside
world is we’re doing more Facetime than we usually do.
((NATS))
((Alyssa and her friend))
I miss you.
I miss you too.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
She spent like an hour with her friend on Facetime today and
I had a moment of guilt because I’m like, shouldn’t she be
doing ABC’s, 123’s? And then I’m like, but the girl’s missing
her friend.
((Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter, Five years old))
Alexa, let it go.
((Bumper: Perspective))
((Arianna Cao, Beautician, Three Kids))
We don’t realize how important things are until something
happens and we take so much things for granted everyday.
((Ekta Vohra, Registered Nurse, BSN CWON))
So, while the situation is extremely tense, I think that it's
pretty incredible to see how everyone is coming together and
banding together to work through this.
((Christine Johns, Alyssa’s Kindergarten Teacher, Colvin
Run Elementary School, Two Children))
Hi everyone. This is Mrs. Johns. I teach kindergarten. I’m
going to read a book called, “Too Pickley!” It’s for all you
picky eaters out there. Too burpy.
((Lisa Vohra, Producer - VOA Connect, One Child))
Really cool idea. Her teacher, not her teacher, the room
parent came up with, to write letters to her friends but also to
write letters to a nursing home so that they aren’t as lonely,
which I thought was just such a really, really cool concept.
So, she’s writing letters as we speak.
((Alyssa Leela Gokhale, Lisa’s daughter, Five years old))
Dear Claire,
I’m missing you. I’m sad that you could not tutor me. I want
to stay home so you do not get sick.
Love, Alyssa.
((MUSIC))
((PKG)) EXPLAINER ((ANIM/GFX/MUSIC/VIDEO))
COVID-19: Fast Facts
Can the virus survive in cold weather?
Can it be spread by mosquito bites?
Is there a vaccine that prevents it?
Is there any medicine that cures it?
The answer to all of the questions is: NO
The best steps to take:
Wash your hands
Cover your cough
Stay at home if you are sick or advised to by local authorities.
For more information, visit the World Health Organization’s
website:
www.who.int
or
The Centers for Disease Control’s website:
www.cdc.gov
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Isolation Blues
((SOT))
((Anthony Rosano, Guitarist))
I want to say thank you to all the doctors, nurses and first
responders, everybody out there putting it out on the line to
keep us safe.
((MUSIC))
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) ISOLATION BLUES -- ANTHONY ROSANO
((Banner: Isolation Blues))
((Written and Performed by: Anthony Rosano))
((Map: Norfolk, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((MUSIC))
((Anthony Rosano, Guitarist))
Hey everybody. My name is Anthony Rosano. I’m a
musician from Norfolk, Virginia and I’m going to be playing
an original song called Isolation Blues. I want to say thank
you to all the doctors, nurses and first responders, everybody
out there putting it out on the line to keep us safe. Y’all, let’s
see what we can do to keep them safe. Stay home, wash
your hands and let’s get through these isolation blues
together. Peace.
((MUSIC))
I washed these hands a thousand times,
Trying to ease this worried mind.
Isolation blues,
Oh, isolation blues.
I’m all stocked up for 15 days,
Somehow, I just don’t feel safe
From isolation blues,
Oh, isolation blues.
Wrinkled hands, worry lines,
Six feet might as well be a mile.
TV tells me what to do,
But I somehow can’t tell if it’s the truth.
Oh, I’m quarantined but doing fine.
My wife sanitizes the house just to pass the time.
Isolation blues,
Oh, isolation blues.
Keep your kids home from school.
Tell grandma and grandpa we’ll see them soon.
Isolation blues,
These isolation blues.
Wrinkled hands, worry lines,
Six feet might as well be a mile.
Social life is a distant past,
But I got a good deal on these surgical masks.
Oh, there’s a panic buy in aisle five.
Let’s flatten the curve and hope the strong survive.
It’s isolation blues,
These isolation blues,
These isolation blues,
These isolation blues.
((MUSIC))
((PKG)) PROMO: AMERICANS AND GUNS
((MUSIC))
Americans and Guns
Differing Perspectives
((SOTs))
This is a fight for our way of life and our freedoms as
Americans.
The United States constitution says the right of the people to
keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
Got to be some regulation, stop somewhere.
Guns take on a different meaning when you have to kind of
recognize that they are not just one thing.
Hunting has just kind of been a part of our lives as long back
as I can remember.
((SOTs))
I was shot eight times.
My older son, he was murdered.
People think it’s only a city problem or it’s only a domestic
problem or it’s a gang problem and that is absolutely not the
truth. It hits families from every walk of life.
It’s an attempt to demonize the tool. It’s not the tool that kills.
It’s the person.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
Easy access to a gun turns an impulse into a tragedy.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
What frustrates lawful gun owners is that we get lumped into
this heap in the media with people who are breaking the law.
So, there’s a lot of ways to be safe with the guns.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((SOTs))
We live in different realities, you know. If you have been
affected by gun violence, what guns are is one thing. And if
you have never been affected, you can kind of blithely go on
with your life never really confronting that.
((MUSIC))
Coming Soon on VOAConnect
((MUSIC/NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS/VIDEO/GFX))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
Near the Turkish Embassy
Washington, D.C.
May 16, 2017
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters
“Those terrorists deserved to be beaten”
“They should not be protesting our president”
“They got what they asked for”
While some people may turn away from the news
We cover it
reliably
accurately
objectively
comprehensively
wherever the news matters
VOA
A Free Press Matters
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS/VIDEO/GFX))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
We make a difference
When we unmask terror
When we explain the impossible
When we confront an uncertain future
When we give voice to the voiceless
The difference is Freedom of the Press
We are the Voice of America where
A Free Press Matters
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
SHOW ENDS