The Daily Dive

Latest Episodes:

Let’s See Them Aliens! Jul 16, 2019

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Let’s see them Aliens! You probably noticed an influx of alien memes and jokes on your social media over the weekend… Well that’s because over 1 million people have signed on to a joke Facebook event to storm Area 51 and see what’s inside. Michael Brice-Saddler, reporter for the Washington Post, joins us for how this all got started and how the Air Force plans to respond if people actually show up.

Next, the Trump administration has made moves to eliminate nearly all asylum claims at the southern border. A new directive slated to start today, would prohibit claims from anyone who passes through another country on their way to the U.S., which essentially covers everyone other than people from Mexico. Molly O’Toole, immigration reporter for the LA Times, joins us for this new asylum rule that is certain to face legal scrutiny.

Finally, President Trump has increased his attacks on a group of progressive Democrats known as “the squad” after telling them to go back to the “broken and crime infested” countries they came from. Of the four Congresswomen he is referring to, only one was born out of the country. Many are calling the president’s statements racist, we’ll tell you what you need to know.

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ICE Raids Getting Underway Jul 15, 2019

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Anxiety in immigrant communities is high as long-threatened ICE raids are getting underway. ICE is targeting some 2,000 immigrants with deportation orders in 10 major cities but the extent of the operation is yet to be seen. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us for this, in-fighting between Democrats, and Mueller testimony being delayed a week.

Next, millennials are turning away from traditional organized religion and are embracing more spiritual beliefs like tarot, astrology, meditation, energy healing, and crystals. Millennials are increasingly identifying as “nones” when asked about religious affiliation. They are atheist, agnostic, or spiritual but not religious. Jessica Roy, reporter for the LA Times, tells us about changing attitudes on religion and spirituality.

Finally, did you experience the “Sunday Scaries” last night? Sunday night is becoming the new Monday morning and it is making workers miserable. Late-night and weekend work emails are causing people anxiety and making them feel like they have to address work off hours. Kelsey Gee, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how jobs creep may be a contributor to burnout.

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WEEKEND EDITION- FBI Investigates LA Sheriff Dept, Facial Recognition Database, IVF Mixup Jul 14, 2019

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Citizenship Question, Epstein Charged Again, Acosta Defends Himself Jul 13, 2019

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

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backing Down on the Citizenship Question Jul 12, 2019

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President Trump has decided to drop the effort to get a citizenship question on the 2020 Census and will instead issue an executive order requiring all federal agencies to submit information on citizenship data to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The president is insisting that he is not backing down and will still find out how many citizens and non-citizens are in the country. Nicole Narea, immigration reporter for Law360, joins us to explain it all.

Next, the FBI is investigating a secret gang-like group within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The federal probe comes after there were allegations of beatings and harassment by members of the Banditos, a groups of deputies in the East LA Sheriff’s station. The members of the group all share a tattoo of a skeleton with a sombrero, bandolier and pistol. Maya Lau, reporter for the LA Times, joins us for more.

Finally, a skull fragment found in the roof of a cave in Greece is now considered the oldest fossil of Homo sapiens ever discovered in Europe. Believed to be 210,000 years old the discovery can potentially rewrite the history of humans and Neanderthals in Europe. Ed Yong, writer at the Atlantic, joins us for what this might mean for the history of our species.

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Alexander Acosta Publicly Defends His Role in Epstein's Sex Crimes Jul 11, 2019

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Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta publicly defended his role in overseeing the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein for sex crimes committed in Florida. Democrats have been calling for his resignation for accepting what was called a sweetheart deal that let Epstein off with very little consequences. Acosta said that his office stepped in to make sure he served jail time when going to trial was a roll of the dice. Ursula Perano, reporter at Axios joins us for details.

Next, an Asian couple from Queens gave birth to twins through in-vitro fertilization, but a huge shock came when they were delivered, the babies were not theirs, they were not of Asian descent, and the twins weren’t even related. A Los Angeles fertility clinic screwed the whole thing up and now two lawsuits have been filed over the whole ordeal. My producer Miranda joins us for this IVF mix up.

Finally, Virgin Orbit just dropped a rocket over California in a crucial test flight. For the last 5 years Virgin Orbit has been developing a rocket called LauncherOne that is designed to put satellites the size of washing machines into low orbits around the Earth. Loren Grush, science reporter at The Verge, joins us what you need to know about private companies getting increasingly involved in delivering payloads into space.

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A Missing Cellphone May Win the Groping Case for Kevin Spacey Jul 10, 2019

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The criminal groping case against actor Kevin Spacey shifted dramatically on Monday when the man accusing Spacey of groping him exercised his Fifth Amendment rights, a move that could lead to dismissal of the case. There was also an admission from the accuser’s mother that she had deleted some material from her son’s cellphone, which has now gone missing. Joey Garrison, national correspondent for USA Today, was in court for the turn of events and joins us with details.

Next, it will all be going down on July 17. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is testifying before two House committees about his report on Russian interference in the election and possible obstruction of justice. But while the report has received a lot of attention, many lawmakers and the public at large have yet to read the whole thing. Darren Samuelsohn, senior reporter at Politico, joins us for how lawmakers reacted when he asked them if they read the report or not.

Finally, WarnerMedia has announced its new streamer will be called HBO Max and will be taking one of the top shows on Netflix. HBO Max will be launching next spring and will be taking ‘Friends’ with it at a cost of $425 million for 5 years. Joe Flint, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for what else to expect from this new streaming option.

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NYC Billionaire Arrested for Sex Trafficking Jul 09, 2019

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Federal prosecutors on Monday released an indictment against billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein charging him with sex trafficking and creating a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit. The indictment alleges that he would pay girls for massages that would then become sex acts and then paid the girls more money to recruit other girls. This story has a lot of details and even has connections to the current Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta. Kate Briquelet, senior reporter at the Daily Beast was in court for Epstein’s arraignment and joins us for details.

Next, records shared with the Washington Post are showing that the FBI and ICE are using state driver’s license photos as a go-to place for facial-recognition searches. Agents are scanning the faces of many Americans without their consent or knowledge. Between 2015 and 2017, Utah’s DMV database was alone the subject of nearly 2,000 facial recognition searches from outside law enforcement agencies. Drew Harwell, tech reporter for the Washington Post, joins us for how your state’s DMV database is turning into a facial recognition gold mine.

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Surprising New Poll Numbers for President Trump Jul 08, 2019

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New numbers are in for President Trump and he has hit his highest approval ratings for his presidency according to a Washington Post- ABC News poll. While he continues to have strong numbers for his handling of the economy, a majority of people say that he continues to act un-presidential. Also developing over the weekend, Republican Rep, Justin Amash leaves the party and Nancy Pelosi spars with AOC. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters joins us to break it all down.

Next, it was an elaborate sting operation that Amazon collaborated with the Colorado PD to catch porch pirates, but unfortunately it accomplished nothing. The plan was simple enough, load fake Amazon packages with GPS trackers and then catch thieves on Amazon-owned Ring doorbell cams. It was called Operation Grinch Grab and happened with no arrests. Caroline Haskins, writer for Motherboard at Vice.com joins us for this failed op and also how Amazon’s “Neighbor” app is creating a digital ecosystem in which you are encouraged to think the worst about your neighbors.

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WEEKEND EDITION - New Rules for Grilling, FDA Dog Food Warning, and UFO Reports Jul 07, 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.