The Daily Dive

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Gift Card Scams Are on the Rise Jan 02, 2020

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Scammers are always looking for new ways to cheat you out of your money. And one scam in particular that is ramping up are gift card scams. People are posing as grandchildren, government officials, and tech-support agents and ask for payments through store gift cards. Gifts cards are the choice of scammers because purchases can be made immediately and anonymously. Julie Jargon, family and tech columnist at the WSJ, joins us with a story of how one family learned the hard way.

Next, cannabis restaurants are coming to California and if all goes well, this could be a model you start seeing in other states. The now open Lowell Farms Cannabis Café is pairing a farm to table meal with “flower service” so you can pair your meal with the perfect weed strain. Even though the state has legalized recreational marijuana, running a cannabis restaurant is nothing like running a typical restaurant and there are a lot more regulations to follow. Maura Judkis, reporter for the Washington Post, joins us for some of the creative ways this will all work.

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Cover That Webcam, Beware of Hackers Jan 01, 2020

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First, we speak to Joanna Stern from the WSJ, who asked a certified ethical hacker to get into as many of her webcams as he could. He was easily able to get into her system, snap shots of her and even spy on her child through a Wi-Fi connected baby monitor. Joanna joins us for some tips on how to protect yourself, and the big realization, we are often our own worst enemies.

Next, a company call Digital Recognition Network has built a private, nationwide surveillance database that could potentially track the movements of car owners over long periods of time. This network is built on the backs of repo men equipped with cameras that scan the license plates of every car they drive by and then add it to a searchable database accessible to private investigators, repo agents, and insurance companies. Joseph Cox, senior writer at the Vice’s Motherboard, joins us to talk about DRN and how well it works, Vice tracked someone using this surveillance tool.

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Stream Test: Buying More Bandwidth Might Not Be Worth It Dec 31, 2019

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Americans are spending more money on faster internet speeds on the promise of faster load times and higher quality streaming, but is it really worth it? Recent tests by the WSJ show that a typical household doesn’t use most of their bandwidth while streaming and only get marginal gains from upgrading your speed. Shalini Ramachandran, reporter for the WSJ joins us for why upgrading your bandwidth might not be the best choice.

Next, as the impeachment inquiry got underway this year, it all started with a whistleblower complaint against the president. And as President Trump continues to cast doubt on all the allegations, we are awaiting a Senate trial in the new year. Whistleblowing has been around since the beginning of the country and has always been a tool to prevent the abuse of power by those who hold it. Allison Stanger, author of Whistleblowers: Honesty in American from Washington to Trump, joins us to discuss what prompted the first whistleblower protection law to be enacted and how protecting them is more important than ever.

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"Prime Editing" Offers More Precise Gene Cuts Dec 30, 2019

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Scientists have created a new more powerful technique to edit genes. While most people may be familiar with CRISPR, this new method is called “prime editing” and it offers more precise gene cuts with less errors. Jackson Ryan, science editor at CNET, joins us more on this new gene editing technique that could enable treatment for approximately 89% of genetic mutations that cause disease.

Next, something very exciting as we talk to a 2019 Nobel Prize winner! Earlier in the year, Dr. Gregg Semenza and two others received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work into how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. Because of their discoveries, there have been advancements that led to anemia and cancer drugs. Dr. Semenza, Professor of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and 2019 Nobel Laureate, joins us to explain his work, how he reacted when he got the call notifying him he had won, and the high school teacher that inspired his love of science and discovery.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Dog Food, Amazon Ring, Nimitz UFO Encounter Dec 29, 2019

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This is a compilation of the best stories of the week.

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WEEKEND EDITION: Collectible Toys, Christmas Trees, Alien Survey Dec 28, 2019

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This is a compilation of the best stories of the week.

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Let's See Them Aliens! Dec 27, 2019

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Aliens have been in the news a lot recently! An internet campaign to “Storm Area 51” got a lot of attention earlier this year and the Navy just confirmed the authenticity of declassified vides that show “unidentified aerial phenomenon.” Lydia Saad, researcher at Gallup, joins us to discuss their latest survey on Americans thought on UFOs. Most Americans are skeptical, but say the government knows more than they are letting on.

Next, it is one of the most compelling UFO cases in modern history: the Nimitz UFO Encounters. And while we already know about how the Nimitz encountered a Tic Tac shaped aerial vehicle, we are hearing from other witnesses to the event. These witness accounts say that shortly after the encounter, there was a rush to turn over all the data concerning the UFO sighting and that two men quickly departed with all the relevant data to the event. Tim McMillan, contributor to Popular Mechanics, joins us for what he learned from the other Nimitz witnesses.

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Amazon Ring Partners with Local Law Enforcement Dec 26, 2019

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Amazon’s home security company Ring has made partnerships with local law enforcement all across the country and the result is starting to look like an Amazon- Ring- Police surveillance network. Amazon gives local police ring products, the police encourage adoption of the ring platform, and then people give police access to their doorbell cams. Caroline Haskins, writer at Vice’s Motherboard, joins us for more.

Next, a million Americans are arrested every year for drunken driving, and in many cases, the breathalyzer test is what seals the deal. But a recent NY Times investigation has found that these devices can give skewed results because of human error or because the devices haven’t been properly calibrated. There have been so many errors that judges in Massachusetts and New Jersey have thrown out more than 30,000 breath tests in the past 12 months alone. Stacy Cowley, reporter for the NY Times, joins us for why we can’t always trust the breathalyzer test.

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Science of Growing the Perfect Christmas Tree Dec 25, 2019

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Every year, millions of Americans head to Christmas tree lots to pick out that perfect tree. But have you ever stopped and wondered how that tree got there? Of course not! What you may not know is that researchers are working to bring you better trees every year and avoid the dreaded coning. Robbie Gonzalez, senior writer at Wired, joins us for the science of growing the perfect tree.

Next, Collectible toy values are on the rise. Matthew Kitchen, Gear and Gadgets editor for the WSJ joins us to talk about the rising collectible market and the 20 year rule. That means start looking for your Power Rangers and Harry Potter toys. We will also tell you what the Holy Grail of toys is, so you can start looking.

Finally, the FDA has named 16 brands of dog food that have been linked to canine heart disease. The FDA isn’t suggesting that pet owners stop feeding their dogs these brands just yet, but some vets are advising against “grain free” foods. Rachel Feltman, science editor at Popular Science, joins us for what pet owner should know.

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NASA Twin Study Dec 24, 2019

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We got some results from the NASA Twin Study and it’s teaching us about long term space travel. The study focused on identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly. Scott spent 340 days in space, while Mark remained on Earth. Comparing their results, NASA found that there were changes to Scott’s DNA, genes, body bacteria and more. Claire Maldareli, Associate editor at Popular Science, joins us for what happens to your body when you live in space for a year.

Next, Washington has become the first state in the country to legalize human composting. Before, the only acceptable means of disposition of a human body was burial or cremation, now we have “natural organic reduction.” The process involves wood chips, takes about four weeks, and yields about two wheelbarrows worth of soil. Brendan Kiley, reporter for the Seattle Times, joins us for a new alternative to burial or cremation

Finally, we speak to Sarah Zhang, writer at the Atlantic, about the sperm donor who has met 17 of his kids. Tim Gullicksen began donating sperm in 1989 and most of his kids are 18-25 years old now. They found him and other siblings through the Donor Sibling Registry and DNA test sites like 23andMe. A new family unit has formed and Sarah helps tell you their story.

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