The Daily Dive

Latest Episodes:

Why Are Concert Ticket Prices so Expensive Now? Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

Going to see your favorite musical act is getting pricier. Concerts are more expensive than ever, but fans keep paying up. The average price of a ticket to the 100 most popular tours in North America have quadrupled over the past two decades. Lucas Shaw, entertainment reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for why ticket prices keep going up.

Next, politicians have been caught swearing since the beginning of politics, but according to a new analysis the number of swear words used by lawmakers on Twitter took a noticeable jump after 2016. Beto O’Rourke’s latest campaign T-shirt even has the F-word on it. J. Clara Chan, media and politics reporter at The Wrap, joins us for when profanity hits the campaign trail.

Finally, the CIA has declassified dozens of files from its attempts to create secret animal spies. By 1967 the CIA had three programs aimed at using dolphins, cats, dogs, and birds in secret spy missions. While not the most successful programs, it is an interesting look at how animals were being trained to perform a variety of tasks to help gather intel on the enemy. Paul Handley, national security correspondent at AFP news agency, joins us for more.

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Elizabeth Warren Surges and Sequencing DNA from Rootless Hair Sep 23, 2019

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Checking in on the 2020 Democrats…Sen. Elizabeth Warren continues to surge and is getting huge crowds at many of her events. While Joe Biden remains the frontrunner, these large crowds are a sign of growing enthusiasm. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us for that, a new plan on background checks circulating on Capitol Hill, and how President Trump has changed the White House to fit his style.

Next, the movies made it seem so simple, get a strand of hair and you can figure out who it belongs to through DNA. Well that is only true if the hair had a root on it, and in most cases they don’t. That has changed now thanks to a scientist who has developed a new technique that makes is possible to recover and sequence DNA from a hair without a root. The scientist behind the technique is now getting packages of hair from all over in hopes that he can identify serial killers and victims. Heather Murphy, reporter for the NY Times, joins us for the latest advancement in DNA.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Alien News, Peacock Streaming, Online World of Mass Shooters Sep 22, 2019

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Whistleblower Allegations, GM Strike Continues, Nationwide Surveillance Network Sep 21, 2019

Show notes

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

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Americans Are Skeptical of Aliens but Still Think the Government Is Hiding Something Sep 20, 2019

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

Next, vaping related lung illnesses continue to surge as the FDA has disclosed that its enforcement arm is conducting a parallel investigation with the one led by the CDC. Officials now say that at least 530 people in 38 states have fallen ill due to vaping. While the ultimate cause is still unknown, the focus seems to be on black market vaping products. Lena Sun, reporter for the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Finally, a whistleblower complaint has triggered a tense showdown between Congress and the intelligence community. The complaint involves President Trump’s communications with a foreign leader and an alleged “promise” that he made. Caitlin Oprysko, reporter at Politico, joins us for more on this whistleblower allegation that was deemed a credible and “urgent concern” by the Inspector General of the intelligence community.

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Trump Names Robert O'Brien as New National Security Adviser Sep 19, 2019

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President Trump announced that he has selected the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Robert O’Brien to be the new National Security Adviser. O’Brien will be the fourth person to hold the job in Trump’s first term. The president thinks he will be a good pick because he has been successful at getting hostages released from abroad. Alayna Treene, reporter for Axios, joins us for what to know about Trump’s new pick.

Next, a company called 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 Vice’s Motherboard, joins us to talk about DRN and how well it works,

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What to Do About Iran's Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities? Sep 18, 2019

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The Trump administration is weighing a range of options for action against Iran after attacks on Saudi oil plants. Retaliatory action could include a cyberattack or physical strike against Iranian oil facilities. Nahal Toosi, foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for what to know about the attacks and also how Saudi Arabia figures into the foreign policy of the president.

Next, the latest blunder from the NY Times on a story about new sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has raised a lot of questions. A key portion was left out of the initial report that the woman involved has no recollection of the incident. Niall Stanage, White House columnist at The Hill, joins us for more.

Finally, NBCUniversal has released some details of their upcoming streaming service. Launching in April 2020, the service will be called Peacock and will have more than 15,000 hours of content with library titles like The Office and Parks and Recreation and original content such as reboots of Battlestar Galactica and Saved by the Bell. Lesley Goldberg, co-host of TV’s Top 5 Podcast for the Hollywood Reporter, joins us for all the details.

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Nearly 50,000 Workers Walk out on GM over Wages and Closed Plants Sep 17, 2019

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The United Auto Workers union went on strike at General Motors sending almost 50,000 members to the picket lines. The union is pushing for GM to improve wages, narrow the pay gap between new and old workers, and reopen plants that have shut down. Among other things, GM wants workers to pay for a greater portion of their healthcare costs. Phoebe Wall Howard, auto and labor reporter for the Detroit Free Press, joins us for more.

Next, OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has filed for bankruptcy as part of their deal to resolve thousands of lawsuits accusing it of causing an opioid epidemic, but legal battles will still continue because half of the states involved have not signed on to the deal. Sara Randazzo, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for what we know about how Purdue Pharma is trying to settle its part in the opioid crisis.

Finally, actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced last week to serve 14 days in prison and pay a $30,000 fine for her role in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions cheating scandal. Justin Paperny, founder of White Collar Advice and a federal prison consultant, joins us for what Huffman can expect in prison and also the big questions… what does this mean for other parents waiting for their time in court?

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Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Faces Another Allegation of Sexual Misconduct Sep 16, 2019

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Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was accused of another sexual misconduct allegation over the weekend which was reported to the FBI during his confirmation process, but was not investigated. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us to discuss the new allegation, who came out on top from the last Democratic debate, and a new report that says Border Patrol agents are suffering from a crisis in morale, this comes after facing a severe backlash for enforcing President Trump’s immigration policies.

Next, many of the suspects in recent mass shootings have posted to hate-filled online forums such as 8chan. Manifestos are posted there, where people share them, discuss, and get inspiration to commit other attacks. Large numbers of fatalities are even celebrated as "high scores." The difficulty for law enforcement in getting a handle on this is that posts are often anonymous, and when a site gets shut down, people just move on to the next one. Georgia Wells, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for more on the online world where mass shooters thrive.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Antonio Brown Accused of Rape, Juul Under Fire, CIA Spy Extracted from Russia Sep 15, 2019

Show notes

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

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.