The Distance: Coronavirus Dispatches

In the midst of the pandemic, a new foster care model based on community living and known as a "children's village" has opened up to foster youth on the Cheyenne River Reservation. It's a collaboration between the tribe and an organization called Simply Smiles -- with members of the tribe leading the way by sharing traditional knowledge at a critical time. This story was reported with support from USC’s Center for Health Journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alua Arthur is a death doula in Los Angeles, California, where she helps people prepare for death emotionally, spiritually, physically, and even logistically. She says the pandemic itself has a lot in common with the end-of-life experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bianka Rodriguez is a transgender woman and activist in El Salvador who says the pandemic has hit the trans community especially hard -- and that even government aid programs discriminate against trans people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tanzina Vega is a journalist, host of The Takeaway, and a new mother. She gave birth to her son at the end of January--and not long after found herself raising a newborn alone while in quarantine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz had been busking in the New York City subway for over 20 years until the pandemic forced her out -- leaving her without a place to do what she loves most. This story was reported by Drew Schwartz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rayan is a journalist in Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority territory, where a political lockdown imposed in August 2019 was starting to lift when COVID struck in March. We spoke with Rayan for a shorter dispatch back in April, and wanted to hear more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jordan Danielle experienced a mental health crisis that started in Philadelphia--but because of the pandemic, it took her two hospital admissions, an unwanted hospital release, and a solo train ride across state lines to get the care she needed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabriel is a US citizen who immigrated to Stockholm, Sweden with his wife and kids because he believes it gives his family better quality of life. But with so much at stake in the US election, he decides to return so he can vote in person. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel’s daughter was born through IVF to a surrogate mother in Ukraine, in the middle of the pandemic. Because of travel restrictions, Joel ended up flying to Belarus alone and walking over the border into Ukraine to be there for the birth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing a new podcast, VICE News Reports. Episode 1: Alternative Medicine, Politicized. As India’s health professionals battle the spread of COVID-19, some political leaders claim traditional medicine systems can cure the coronavirus. VICE’s Senior Staff Writer Pallavi Pundir reports on how nationalistic furvor for traditional medicine, fake credentialed doctors, and misinformation are gaining momentum in India and making matters worse. New episodes of VICE News Reports drop every Thursdays. Subscribe, rate and review here: apple.co/vicenewsreports All the views, ideas, comments, opinions and statements expressed in this programme are solely those of the guest(s), speaker(s) and the host(s) and VICE Media Group does not subscribe to or endorse the same. None of the comments, dialogues etc. in the podcast are intended to offend anybody’s sentiments or derogate any profession, political party or person, institute, religion, caste, community, section(s) of society or belief of any nature whatsoever. VICE makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this podcast and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at listeners’ own risk. The third-party materials or content of any third-party sources referenced in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of VICE. VICE assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials referenced in this podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and shall not be liable and/or responsible for the same in any manner whatsoever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Channing Lacey is one of the people who shared their story in the VICE podcast PAINKILLER; right now the federal prison where she’s incarcerated in Waseca, MN has the second biggest COVID19 outbreak in the US. This story was reported by Keegan Hamilton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billy is a tattoo artist who specializes in covering up racist symbols for people who have left hate groups and denounced white supremacist ideologies. He’s seen a spike in requests since the murder of George Floyd. This story was reported by Trone Dowd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victor grew up in the largest slum in Nairobi--and since the school year was canceled during the pandemic, he’s been volunteering at a local community resource center where he helps kids learn and study. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Climate Week, VICE has launched its biggest initiative ever -- Climate Uprise. Today, every single VICE Media Group site across the world is striking from the daily news cycle and, instead, only telling stories about the climate crisis. We've also partnered with an international group of young climate activists, who each proposed one way people could help mitigate climate change's devastating effects on their home; you can find their stories at ClimateUprise.Vice.Com. From The Distance, we're resharing a recent episode about the oil spill off the coast of Mauritius, and one volunteer's efforts to help mitigate the damage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie is a volunteer in phase three trials for an experimental COVID19 vaccine. She feels anxious about the possibility of side effects but also curious about the scientific process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cassandra is a poet and writes about being separated from her boyfriend, who has been incarcerated in California since before the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tanzina Vega is a journalist, host of The Takeaway, and a new mother. She gave birth to her son at the end of January-and not long after found herself raising a newborn alone while in quarantine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam lives in Pittsburgh, and has been using the internet to troll conservatives for decades; he says hoaxing has gotten easier and more intense during the pandemic, because people are spending so much time online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a cargo ship runs aground on a reef off of the coast and begins leaking oil, Krishnee decides to join other volunteers in a massive clean-up effort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before coronavirus, Nikolai worked as an advocate for homeschooling Black and Brown families. Now parents are turning to her for schooling advice during the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.