announcer: building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is c news. kristen: thanks fornks fornks i am kristen you are watching "getting answers" live on abc seven, hulu live, and wherever you stream. we asked experts your questions everyday at 3:00 and get answers to you in real-time. international restrictions eased up just for the holidays for also, we will get into the "let's go brandon" viral trend still making headlines but first, the aftermath of the astralworld festival after eight people died all young people between 14 and 27 years old. tragic beyond belief. there are many questions for which we need to get answers.

joining us is paul, from the crowd management strategies consulting firm. thank you for joining us. paul: thank you. kristen: you have been campaigning for safe concert environments for decades. was this clearly an unsafe environment from the get-go, do you think? paul: this was a classic kind of proud crash situation that occurs historically at concerts and festivals. kristen: how so? how is it classic? is it the size? is it the size of the audience? is that the singer himself? paul: it's the crowd environment in which fans, are placed the lack of management, the type of crowd configuration, festival seating, which is the most dangerous and deadly in rock ''' roll history, and it contains a

crowd dynamic extraordinarily dangerous to crowd craze, when people move en masse towards something of perceived value, like the artist. they want to touch the artist, they want a piece of cloth from the artist. this is an extraordinarily dangerous situation that, throughout rock 'n' roll history, is called -- has caused death and injuries just like on friday. kristen: the debt underscores the point that many concerts have that crowd crash potential. you have marsh pegs at concerts. you always have the swaying crowds the performer or headliner what he is about to start. so was there anything particular about his cancer that you have seen that made it extra risky, if you will? paul: it his russian roulette. i have spent 20 years in concerts including shows in san francisco, i have spent all the time in crowd crash festival

seating. first place i go is in front of the stage, in front of the band or singer's mic and that is where i plant myself, because that is usually the most dangerous part of it. there has always been this reckless planning of crowds. it is just that sometimes it is russian roulette and everything goes wrong and people die. but everybody has been on notice. this is dangerous. when you are pulling out a 16-year-old girl from the front of the stage, why is that acceptable? concert after concert -- lollapalooza, tibetan freedom festival, woodstock '99 -- excuse me, thousands of deaths and rapes in front of the stage. 1991, a cdc, two dead. the who concert tragedy, 11

died. only four were not teenagers. i could go on and on. denmark, pearl jam, 2000. . nine dad in almost a copycat incident that you had in houston. this was never acceptable. what happened to cause this tragedy? lack of monitoring the crowd, as usual, lack of monitoring the crowd, managing the crowd, lack of reducing intensity. young people are trying to come out of the pandemic, live their life, enjoy their youth. everybody is extra hyped. and then the artist just adds to it. you put all that together and makes it and that is the cocktail you get. kristen: ic. all the ingredients are always there at other concerts at well, but it was just an added dimension, even more so, if you will. i want to ask you about reports

coming out of this concert, that people were feeling pricks in their neck like they were injected with an unknown drug. have you ever heard of that before? paul: it rarely ever happens. i don't know if that is an attempt, one of the attempts to deflect responsibility from the parties involved? people have been pricked or stabbed -- we don't know who those people are, they have not been identified, they have not spoken. we haven't seen the blood tests. let's see if there are actually any objects, opiates or others, that might have entered these people, including the security guard's system, that are similar. it is just conjecture at this time. we don't know anything. it is just some story to suggest that maybe the tragedy wasn't the result of those who planned,

management, and profited from it. kristen: here is another factor. people are talking about how travis scott has told the crowd before, in the past at other performances, to rush the stage. we don't know if he specifically said that to this crowd. but is that pattern or that behavior in the past important in determining liability or culpability this time? paul: it is not only important there, it is important in deciding whether that event should have even occurred. the first thing you do when organizers want to plan an event if they do it right, is risk assessment. that risk assessment lists all the hazards and dangers and risks that might occur -- bad weather, stage collapsing, drugs, shootings, crowd crush. in that risk assessment, they then profiled entertainment that is going to come. has that entertainment caused

problems in the past at events? what problems -- how are we going to mitigate and stop it? is the crowd that is coming problematic? do they have a history? you go through, can we mitigate that or stop it? that is where you identify travis scott's background and decide if you want to do the show. now the police, everybody is rushing around -- look at travis scott's history. they knew, or should have known that day one, before they decided even to do the event. i am not apologizing for travis scott. i will tell you this, i think he's being made the scapegoat. in my opinion, he is not the only one who has culpability here, in my opinion. you have to look at the organizers, the people who planned the event, managed it, profited from it, and approved

it,. kristen:. kristen: i understand you're saying there is plenty of responsibility and blame to go around. and there are calls for coach alto to cancel the travis scott concert. do you think that is a good idea? paul: i mean, the travis scott concert can be run safely if it is run correctly. if he stays within reason and doesn't wind up the crowd until it spins out of control, travis scott, it can be done in reserved seating, if you wanted. you know? so other than that, i am just saying, these shoes could be made safe. kristen: i mean, coachella is one big giant field. don't know how that would play out. hopefully after this incident, there will be a lot more planning involved, no matter who the headliner. do you think perhaps the travis scott concert should have been stopped when they noticed people passing out? there is video showing people chanting "stop the concert" as

someone passed out, but the performer continued. should that the operating procedure? it seems like other artists keep going, but perhaps they call attention and pause a little bit? paul: the concert should have been stopped and reorganized, the front of the stage managed correctly before it went over the cliff. before people started facing critical injuries. an crowd management expert monitoring that event, if anybody even monitored the crowd , could have seen tragedy building. could have seen -- when you are pulling people over the barricade -- look, as i said, i spent 20 years in these crowd crush situations. i know what happens all the time. people think it's fun because they think there is a safety net. but that is a sign of danger.

when there are crowd surges beginning, they should have stopped the concert well in advance to get control in front of the stage and then gone forward. kristen: yeah, because in the middle of a surge is like being in the middle current in the ocean. you have no control, whatsoever. which is why i am going to end with asking you, if you can give some safety tips to concertgoers? paul: my firm is famous for crowd safety tips on how to get out of a crowd crush. the guidance is worldwide and accepted. but when you get past the point where you cannot escape, there is little you can do. there are some options, but if you have been in a crowd crush, you are being crashed -- you can't move your arms if you haven't lifted them up. you have no control of your feet or your legs, no control over your body. i wanted to mention two things that are very important that

bayou time in a terrible crowd -- that buy you time in a terrible crowd crush like this. don't yell or scream because nobody can hear you past three feet, and if they can, they can't help you. you want to conserve your oxygen. the other thing is, don't fight the crowd surge. it is thousands of pounds of pressure. try to let it pass through you. absorb as much as you can to keep standing. you need to keep your strength. in the third thing really is, pray that you have enough time to be saved. kristen: alright. useful tips for us, paul wertheimer founder of the crowd management strategies consulting firm, thank you for having this conversation with us. take care. paul: my pleasure, kristin. kristen: our big news today, as international travel restrictions these, we have some

kristen: the u.s. is relaxing border restrictions for international travelers. that means international travelers can come to the u.s. if they are fully vaccinated, and have a negative covid test within three days of travel. joining us to answer questions is an air travel industry analyst at atmosphere research group, based in san francisco. thank you so much for joining us. henry: good afternoon. kristen: i want to be clear about the rules of interest, is it proof of vaccination plus a negative covid test? henry: whether you are coming for business or leisure, you

need a negative covid test and be fully vaccinated. that means all produces of your vaccinations must be done at least two weeks before your trip to the u.s. and you have to comply with other rules such as wearing a mask on the airplane and at the airport. kristen: is there an allowance for saying i am not vaccinated yet, but i intend to do it? henry: once i arrive in the u.s.? henry: yes. if you're under the have to be vaccinated, but you do need to show a negative covid test. if you are not vaccinated have to have a negative covid test and you have to take a test within 24 hours of arrival in the u.s. and then upload it to, i believe it is the cdc. kristen: how about tourists arriving by land like from mexico or canada, or those arriving by boat? henry: if you are flying from

canada or mexico, for example, you have to have both the vaccination and negative covid test. if you're traveling across the border by car or if you are sailing into the u.s., you only have to have the vaccinations, you do not have to have the negative covid kristen: how is this new protocol compared to other countries' restrictions? part of the criticism was that when european countries welcomed americans back, america had not reciprocated? henry: in terms of what is required, it is fairly consistent. i have done two trips to europe since august. but the u.s. was slow in reopening, arguably two slow since many places such as europe had higher vaccination rates. what matters is today is the beginning of welcoming more of the world back to the u.s., so it is better late than never.

as an analyst, i am very happy to see the u.s. welcome international travelers here today. kristen: you are based in san francisco, so i want to ask you how important this is to the bay area and the local economy? henry: hugely important. international visitors, whether they are leisure travelers or businesspeople, are bringing in billions of dollars worth of spending. not just the airfare, it is the money they spent at hotels, taxis, restaurants, stores, catering, audiovisual, anything and everything you might imagine a traveler might need if they are here for business or leisure. international visitors tend to stay longer than a traveler from the u.s. when they visit they bay area, and they spend more money when they are here. they have an extremely important role in helping to jumpstart our economy and keep it humming. kristen: our viewer, barbara, has a really good question on facebook live. she wants to know, does it

matter which vaccine the person from abroad entering the u.s. -- that is interesting, because there are other vaccines people got overseas that are not necessarily approved here. henry: basically any vaccination that is approved by the w.h.o. will be recognized by the u.s. the details are contained on the cdc's website, and i would encourage people to double check that. there are a couple of vaccinations the w.h.o. has not approved or does not recognize. those are not valid for travel to the u.s.. kristen: all right, which visitors from which countries do you expect to come back and visit us and take advantage of this new rule first? i am thinking in my mind, perhaps not asian tourists? because when they return to their home countries, they are still mostly subjected to long quarantines. can you talk about where you might see an influx? >> basically the u.s. is now open to more than 100 countries. that is what is so interesting,

the restrictions that have been eased were in some cases already eased for certain travelers. there are, however, certain countries that cannot -- their citizens cannot come to the u.s.. there are also places where the welcoming people from some of these countries for example, china. we are not welcome to go there. so there are a few countries in europe that are not allowed. i believe japan may be on the list, and some countries in southeast asia. kristen: so better to check with the state department website. henry: check with the department of state or with that country's consulate or embassy. kristen:. thank you as you know, there has been a recent surge in cancellations by multiple carriers traveling domestically. really causing a lot of fear and worries about holiday travelers. first of all, what causes the mass cancellations?

i know that staffing is one of the factors. wondering if that is. what can you tell us? henry: what caused most of the cancellations recently at southwestern american -- what caused some of the cancellations were small bits of bad weather that cascaded out of control. it was compounded by the airlines having two many flights scheduled and --, too, many flights scheduled. in american's case, more than 1800 flight attendants rejoined the airline's ranks on of november 600 more go back on the line in december, plus the airline is hiring more new flight attendants. in addition, they are bringing back pilots, same with southwest airlines. another complication that people will worried about, including me, was themandate which origind require all airline employees to be vaccinated by november 24,

the last day before thanksgiving. not a good day to have a deadline. that date has been pushed back to early january. so i think we are set to have a better thanksgiving than we expected. . of course, bad weather is a given during the winter season, so we have to prepare for that. kristen: and that, nobody can predict in advance, except for our weather people, except for spencer christian. henry: except for spencer. he can do it. [laughter] kristen: all right, henry, thank you so much for your expertise. henry: thank you. kristen: coming up next, there kristen: coming up next, there is a good chance you have heard ♪ ♪ low maximum out-of-pocket costs. more saving. more spoiling. one of many cost-saving medicare advantage benefits from scan health plan for 2022. call today, or ask your agent about scan health plan.

♪ ♪ you can jump. $0 gym membership and free fitbit®. for occasional heavy lifting. one of many cost-saving medicare advantage benefits from scan health plan for 2022. call today, or ask your agent about scan health plan. kristen: sometimes internet memes make their way into the real world. "let's go brandon" has broken that boundary. joining us as a professor at the

university of california and she worked with the clinton administration. thanks for your time. >> thanks for having me. kristen: where did it originate, and what does "let's go brandon" mean? >> these things that are hard to understand about the internet and about nature, it is an inside joke of an "i call the dog whistle. you know how dog whistle is a whistle or sound that dogs can hear and we cannot? so, "let's go brandon" is a coded message to republicans or conservatives who don't like joe biden. what happened is a guy named brandon won a nascar race, and when he won, the tv stations covering it heard what sounded like "let's go brandon" being chanted by the crowd behind him. but when they focused the audio behind the crowd, what they heard was "f joe biden."

so it became an inside joke. these coded dog whistles are basically inside jokes. it became an inside joke for conservatives that now when you say "let's go brandon" it is an antidemocratic, anti-joe biden rallying cry. kristen: there have been m emes and inside jokes hurled at every president. when is it harmless, and when does it cross the line? does this one cross the line? >> that is a matter of personal opinion. i think, many times they are harmful when there is a victim. when they hurt people. there have been plenty of these memes or dog whistles that are an inside joke that personally attack an individual. when it comes to a statement

against the president, people in our country and especially in this day and time, like to be polarized and this is their opportunity to be polarized against the current president. in the past three years we have had a huge increase in people being drawn to a polarizing speech. and the internet and social media helps to amplify the polarization. so it is not even remotely surprising that this happened, this is just more covered and -- kristen: and that is why it caught fire. karen: the one victim is brandon, 27-year-old racecar driver, who is apparently astonishingly good, in his moment of glory -- it is like winning the oscar and becoming the butt of jokes. he won a race and now he is a joke. kristen: yes. it is everywhere now. a southwest pilot is under investigation for saying that.

crowds at college football games have been chanting it. when is it going to fade away? karen: usually two things happen, it fades away because it gets boring, or often times when memes happen, if somebody goes too far, it goes too far or if an adult claims it, it becomes not fun. my kids' favorite example is getting on your elbows and doing a push-up plank position, when it became a thing on social media and people were planking all over the place, on the eiffel

we will continue that

conversation. thank you so much. thank you so much for joining us. among the topics we covered today -- c tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. thousands of reunions at american airports. and breaking news as we come on involving boosters. pfizer is likely to ask for approval for everyone 18 and over. the u.s. lifting travel restrictions on dozens of countries. visitors required to show proof of vaccination and a negative coming here.ithin three days of- and the u.s. saying pfizer is set to ask for approval of booster shots, not just for older americans, but for everyone 18 and older. the fbi helping the case tonight. the criminal investigation into the deadly concert horror in houston. tonight, the new and terrifying