The Daily Dive

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Permanent Virtual Classes for Vulnerable Students Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

Even as pandemic disruptions have faded and most schools have returned to in-person instruction, permanent virtual classes are still being offered to protect vulnerable children. Districts in Texas, California, and New York are creating full-time remote learning programs for this school year. The virtual option may only be appropriate for a small percentage of students, but in an effort to fight declining enrollment and disruptions from families moving, virtual schools will remain part of the education system. Ben Chapman, education reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

Next, the country has been grappling with a drug overdose crisis driven by opioids, most notably fentanyl. Early on, most of the fentanyl came from China, but now two Mexican drug cartels have dominated the supply coming to the U.S. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have set up sophisticated operations handling the manufacturing, marketing, and delivery of the synthetic drug. For them, the formula is easy to replicate and inexpensive to make. Jon Kamp, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how these cartels are controlling the U.S. fentanyl market.

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WEEKEND EDITION- How the Baby Formula Shortage Got Started and Psychedelic Pharmaceuticals Are Rushing to Market Sep 04, 2022

Show notes

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Jackson, Mississippi Is Without Water, Hyundais and Kias Being Targeted by Thieves, No More Red Wave Sep 03, 2022

Show notes

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fast Food Franchise Owners Are Mobilizing Against a New Wage Bill in California Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

This week the California legislature passed a bill to create a government panel that would set wages for fast food workers in the state. They would be able to set hourly wages of up to $22/hour. Fast food operators are mobilizing against the bill saying it will drive up operating and labor costs and lead to price increases for consumers. Unions on the other hand are praising the decision and other states are keeping an eye on the developments with a possibility of adopting similar legislation. Heather Haddon, restaurants reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

Next, we are increasingly seeing anxious and depressed teenagers use multiple psychiatric drugs, a practice called polypharmacy. The problem is that many of the medications might not be tested in adolescents or tested for use together. Often this path starts with drugs used to treat ADHD and other medication gets added on to treat side effects or dull the effects of some drugs. A study from 2020, found that over 40% of people ages 2 to 24 who were prescribed ADHD drugs were also prescribed at least one other medication for mood and behavioral disorders. Matt Richtel, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for more.

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COVID Booster Shots Coming in Fall and The Rise of the Magic Mushroom Pill Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

The FDA has cleared the new Covid booster shots that target the Omicron subvariants that are prominent right now. The shots are likely to be offered very soon but complicating the efforts will be the vaccine fatigue that has set in and the fact that these shots have been cleared without results from clinical trials. Vaccine experts say it is not needed since it’s just an update to a proven shot and is similar to the process for flu shots. Liz Whyte, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know about the retooled boosters.

Next, get ready for the magic mushroom pill! As the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs has moved into solid science and more mainstream startups are racing ahead to bring products to market. Psilocybin and other psychedelics have shown promise in treating conditions like depression and PTSD and is especially effective when paired with therapy. As a result, we are seeing an industry pop up that could see a global market for psychedelic pharmaceuticals reach $6.9 billion by 2027. Kristen V Brown, health editor and reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

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Crisis in Jackson, Mississippi as Water System Is Failing Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

The water system in Jackson, Mississippi is failing. There is little to no drinking water and residents are under order to boil water for 3 minutes before drinking or using to cook. Gov. Tate Reeves has signed an emergency declaration and first steps are to restore water quantity at the O.B. Curtis Water treatment plant and then water quality as the shortage is expected to last days. Bobby Harrison, senior capitol reporter at Mississippi Today, joins us for what to know about this water system failure.

Next, thieves across the country are targeting Hyundai and Kia owners. Design flaws in the cars that use a steel key and not fobs or push-button start are being stolen, sometimes in a matter of seconds with as little as a screwdriver or a USB cord. Tutorials online and even groups calling themselves the “Kia Boys” are popularizing the thefts. Annalise Frank, Detroit reporter at Axios, joins us for what to know.

Finally, Republicans had been excited for a red wave to hit in the midterm elections, but those hopes have been running up against a few walls recently. Democrats have a long way to go to maintain their majorities in both chambers of Congress, but Democrats recently scored a victory in a bellwether election, persuadable voters are trending towards Dems, and the abortion issue isn’t playing well for the GOP. Sahil Kapur, senior national political reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

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Salvage Food Stores Growing in Popularity as Inflation Remains High Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

Salvage food stores have long been a place for people to find deals at a deep discount, but inflation and some rebranding is making them grow in popularity. These stores sell what mainstream retailers call “unsellables,” often products like dented cans and boxes, things on the cusp of sell-by dates, and weird holiday marketing attempts. Another thing fueling interest is the small subgenre on social media where people chronicle their trips and display their hauls like trophies. Some people just love finding a good deal. Kim Severson, food correspondent at the NY Times, joins us for what to know about salvage stores.

Next, almost $400 million went to a veteran retraining program as part of the American Rescue Plan, but a lack of oversight and the involvement of for-profit schools led to a flop where only 397 veterans landed jobs. It’s known as the Veteran Rapid Retraining Program or VRRAP. One school where there were problems was the Chicago-based Future Tech Career Institute. Students there said that schedules were disorganized and didn’t follow a set syllabus, and school-issued laptops didn’t have enough memory and couldn’t run critical software. Lisa Rein, reporter at the Washington Post covering the federal government, joins us for more.

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White House Hits Back on Student Loan Critics and How the U.S. Baby Formula Shortage Got Started Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

The discussions surrounding President Biden’s decision to forgive some student debt for millions of Americans continued with some opponents saying it would increase inflation and it amounts to an unfair bailout for elites and those that could not manage their loans. The White House chose to fight back by highlighting several Republican lawmakers who had six and seven figure PPP loans forgiven which taxpayers were also in the hook for. Julia Manchester, national political reporter at The Hill, joins us for this, more fallout from the Mar-a-Lago raid, and Democrats thinking they may have a chance in November after all.

Next, Abbott Laboratories has restarted production of Similac at their plant Michigan that was at the center of the U.S. baby formula shortage. One thing that gets overlooked was what caused the shutdown…a lot of sloppiness coming from the factory. By the time FDA investigators showed up for their annual inspection, it was already a year overdue because of Covid restrictions. Despite finding evidence of cronobacter bacteria at the plant, the FDA relied on Abbot to fix its own problems and then came a whistleblower report. By the time the plant was shut down some babies had fallen ill, and the shortage was imminent. Anna Edney, national healthcare reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how the US baby formula shortage got started.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Blame Florida for Bad Air Travel and How Google Flagged a Father as a Criminal Aug 28, 2022

Show notes

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WEEKEND EDITION- Biden Cancels Student Loan Debt, NASA Rocket Launch, LA’s Street Takeover Scene Aug 27, 2022

Show notes

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.