The Daily Dive

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Teachers Experiment With Alternatives to Letter Grades Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

Educators have been experimenting with new grading systems since before the pandemic, but when everything switched to remote learning and students were having a tough time keeping up, many teachers did away with the traditional A-F grades. Some experiments include relaxing penalties for late or incomplete work and retaking exams once an understanding of the material had been established. Valerie Strauss, education reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for the hunt for a fairer grading system.

Next, New York City is about to let non-citizens vote in elections for mayor, City Council and other local elections. This will not include undocumented immigrants, but is open to about 800,000 green card holders and others authorized to work in the country. Lawsuits have already been filed and opponents say it could dilute the power of Black voters. Erin Durkin, reporter at Politico New York, joins us for more.

Finally, the office romance might have made a comeback, and it happened all over Zoom. Two years of isolation led to many making more connections over video chats and Slack with co-workers. Even for front-line workers, smaller social circles meant spending more time with and falling for your fellow employee. Callum Borchers, On the Clock columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how workplace loved bloomed despite being at home.

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Biden Aims for Unity in State of the Union Speech, Republicans Respond With Attacks on Inflation and Education Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

President Biden tried to strike a tone of unity during his State of the Union speech and at key points it seems he succeeded. Speaking about the country’s support for the Ukrainian people and opposition to Putin’s invasion Biden received applause from both sides of the aisle. He later highlighted issues that do garner bipartisan support like fixing the opioid epidemic, funding the police, mental health and fighting cancer. The Republican response focused on what we might be seeing during the midterm elections… a focus on parents and education and hammering Biden on inflation. Julia Manchester, national political reporter at The Hill, joins us for all the fallout.

Next, in another preview of what we could be seeing in the midterm elections, Texas had its primary and the establishment seems to have maintained the momentum for now. No incumbent Republican was ousted especially Gov. Greg Abbott who won easily despite some early pushback from the right. President Trump was also a player in the primary as he supported some 16 House incumbents and 2 candidates in open seats. David Siders, national political reporter at Politico, joins us for more.

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Officials Worry That Next Phase of Russian Invasion Could Be More Brutal Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

We could be in store for a more brutal phase of fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We have seen some civilian targets be hit and deaths as a result, but all eyes are on this Russian convoy headed toward Kyiv. In the meantime, the isolation of Putin and his country continue as financial and social sanctions hamper the economy and keeps Russians from participating in world events. Dave Lawler, world editor at Axios, joins us for more.

Next, the refugee crisis as a result of the Ukrainian invasion is shaping up to be a huge concern. Over 600,000 people have fled to nearby countries and the numbers are rising. The good news is that Europe is opening its doors when they had been more reluctant in situations past. Lara Jakes, diplomatic correspondent at the NY Times, joins us for how the U.S. and others are handling the influx of Ukrainians.

Finally, with cases of Covid dropping and mask mandates going away, it does seem that we are moving to the next phase of the pandemic, but how many people have actually been infected with coronavirus? A new analysis of blood tests that reveal antibodies from infection estimates that 140 million people have come down with it, that’s 43% of the country that has had a natural infection. Dan Keating, health reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for this and how a majority of children have also been infected.

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The West Steps up Pressure on Russia, Economy Starts to Suffer Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

The West has pressed on with more sanctions and economic punishment for Putin and Russia causing the ruble to crash and closing down their stock market. The big question still remains, how long can Putin let his country feel the economic effects of a prolonged attack. For now, U.S. officials have ruled out imposing a no-fly zone, for fear of a larger conflict. The invasion is even affecting other countries such as Germany which has pledged to dramatically increase its defense spending. Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for how a harsher strategy is being taken with Putin.

Next, we are seeing doctors around the world reporting that patients are coming in with the sudden onset of Tourette’s-like tics. Particularly they are seeing more teenage girls which do not fit the typical profile of someone with Tourette’s and more interesting, many of them seem to share the same outbursts, leading some to believe that social media could be behind it. Theories have gone around suggesting it could be mass psychogenic illness or another condition called functional neurological disorder. Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for what could be behind these new-style tics.

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Ukraine Agrees to Talks With Russia as Putin Puts Nuclear Forces on High Alert Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Ukraine has agreed to talk with Russia hoping to end the invasion, but say they want peace talks and are not ready to surrender. There is little hope for a resolution as Putin has ratcheted up the tensions by ordering his nuclear deterrent forces to be on high alert and with Ukrainians banding together, Russian forces are having a more difficult time taking over the country. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for more.

Next, as Covid infections are dropping, Americans are going back to bars, movies and sporting events but one place they aren't going back to is the office. Employers are doing everything they can to get their workers back, but many have found a work-life balance that they don't want to let go of. It's not even about Covid as 61% of remote workers are doing so by choice. Callum Borchers, On The Clock columnist at the WSJ, joins us for why workers just don't want to go back.

Finally, the days of the International Space Station are numbered as NASA plans to retire it by 2031. It will be quite a spectacle as the plans are to gradually lower it closer to earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. With this massive hole in low Earth orbit, it will also set off the race for private companies to be the next big space research hub. Amanda Schupak, contributor at The Daily Beast, tells us what's next for the ISS.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Demand for Service Dogs Skyrockets and The Nocturnals Feb 27, 2022

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Russia Invades Ukraine and School Board Members Face Death Threats Feb 26, 2022

Show notes

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

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Biden Issues More Sanctions Amid Full-Scale Russian Invasion of Ukraine Feb 25, 2022

Show notes

The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues as we see President Biden announce even stricter sanctions imposed on Russian banks and oligarchs hoping to deter Putin from his mission. But things have progressed too much with reports of Ukrainian deaths, Russia capturing nuclear site Chernobyl, and worries of how far this can go. We are even seeing reports of anti-war protests in Russia. Julia Manchester, national political reporter at the Hill, joins us for the latest sanctions, the impact they might have, and the politics surrounding the invasion.

Next, we will tell you about the Nocturnals. The ultra-introverts that prefer to go about their lives at night relishing in the solitude and quiet. The people that seek out this lifestyle by choice go against what many psychologists think is an important part of human interaction and also against their own natural circadian rhythms. But some feel that the inconveniences of operating at night or even the possible health effects are acceptable trade-offs because it makes them happier and truer to themselves. Faith Hill, associate editor at The Atlantic, joins us for more.

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How the U.S. Could Cut Off Russia’s Tech Supply Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Russia continues to make moves for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with reports that troops are ready to go. In the meantime the U.S. is considering tougher sanctions and even going a step further with export control methods that could keep Russia from obtaining U.S. and foreign made tech. This would degrade industrial production in Russia by keeping things like commercial electronics, semiconductors, and aircraft parts out of their hands. Alexandra Alper, White House reporter at Reuters, joins us for more.

Next, new research shows that everything we see could be from 15 seconds in the past. Our eyes and brains create an illusion of stability so we don’t feel dizzy or nauseated. Instead of analyzing every single visual snapshot, we perceive an average of what we saw in the past 15 seconds. Caroline Delbert, contributing editor at Popular Mechanics, joins us for what this new research says.

Finally, a feel good story about community coming together to help without even asking why. Claire Rowan’s 16 year-old son Will, depends on a specific powdered infant formula as his only source of food. The problem happened when the FDA recalled that formula. That led to Rowan scrambling to find a replacement and posting to online groups where the community took it upon themselves to help track down more. Sydney Page, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how everyone came together to help.

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Biden Issues Sanctions Against Russia for “Beginning” Invasion of Ukraine Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

President Biden has said that we are seeing the “beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” as Putin has moved troops into two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. In response to that, President Biden announced a round of sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs to keep them from conducting financial transactions with the West. Mariana Alfaro, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for what to know about the sanctions and how it could affect gas prices here in the U.S.

Next, in this unrelenting U.S. housing market, renting a home could be harder than buying a home. With a high demand and continuing low supply we have seen rental prices for single-family homes rise 7.8% last year. With people being priced out of owning a home, many resort to renting, only to find the same problems… a rental listing pops up, and an immediate flood of applications for that property. Allison McNeely, personal finance reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

Finally, get ready to start hearing the term megadrought more often when talking about the American Southwest. A new study shows that the past two decades have been the driest in 1,200 years. The study also illustrates the role that temperature plays, more so than precipitation, when it comes to fueling these megadroughts. Henry Fountain, climate reporter at the NY Times, joins us for how we could be in store for this for possibly another ten years.

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