Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith interviewed California Governor Gavin Newsom on some of the biggest topics impacting their state, including climate change, Covid-19, and the upcoming 2020 presidential election, for Rolling Stone‘s first Fridays for Unity event.
Moore addressed climate change by bringing up the recent devastating wildfires in California; she and Goldsmith live in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, where wildfires have only become a greater hazard over the past few summers. Newsom expressed sympathy for his state’s residents who are dealing with the realities of climate change, stating, “You may not even believe in science, but you gotta believe your own eyes.”
“We just had the hottest September in recorded human history worldwide,” he said. “The hottest August in California recorded in history. And arguably the hottest recorded temperature – 130 degrees [Fahrenheit] – in California’s own Death Valley, just two months ago…We have a responsibility to deal with these realities, which means prevention and better strategies to address the insurance issues, to address this wildland-urban interface, and to make sure that we have zones where we can protect households and people.”
Newsom also gave updates on a possible Covid-19 vaccine, stating that a two-shot vaccine could become available to a very small percentage of people in the next few months. When it comes to a widely available vaccine, though, “realistically, we’re looking at March, April of next year.”
“We’re going to be more resilient as human beings, as a state, as a nation, moving forward,” he said, alluding to the 2020 election as well. “But it is going to be trying, because I think people have kind of had it. We’re exhausted. We can’t take another week or month…We’re moving as fast as we can, we’re going to do it safely and responsibly, and we’re not going to do it on a political timeline. We’re going to do it the right way.”
Rolling Stone‘s two-part virtual event kicked off on last Friday and featured Beto O’Rourke in conversation with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, California Governor Gavin Newsom with Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith, and more. Selena Gomez, Jeff Tweedy, Stacey Abrams, Bernie Sanders and others participated in the virtual event — the first of two parts featuring a mix of unique conversations, musical performances and special guest appearances. The second part will air on Friday, October 30th on Rolling Stone‘s YouTube page at 8 p.m. ET.