The Daily Dive

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Demand for Service Dogs Creates an Unregulated ‘Wild West’ Market Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

Everyone wants a service dog and the demand for these helpful pups has led to the rise of an industry with almost no regulation and it can be pricey. Organizations can charge anywhere from $15,000 to $40,000 for a fully trained service dog depending on the type of ailments they are supposed to help with. Trainers for their part do incur a lot of costs for boarding, training and feeding and must also account for some 60% of dogs that don't make it through the training process. Some families in desperate need of these services opt for buying their own dog and then getting them trained which could be a gamble. Markian Hawryluk, senior Colorado correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins us for the 'Wild West' market of service dogs.

Next, like many industries, the pandemic has taken the plant-based food industry on a rollercoaster ride. Early on, regular meat prices rose by about 40% which led to sales of plant-based meat as an alternative rise by 65%. However, by the end of last year sales were down leading many to think that maybe the novelty had worn off and the industry had peaked. The reality is that there is still a lot more to come, whether it be in the form of more fast food launches or other products beyond meat alternatives such as chicken, seafood, and bacon. Kenny Torella, reporter at Vox, joins us for the pandemic highs and lows of the plant-based food industry.

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School Board Members Face Death Threats Over Gender, Race and Covid Policies Feb 21, 2022

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The center for many of the discussions surrounding covid policy, race and gender is your local school board. School districts are having to navigate constantly changing health guidelines and other hot button issues while they face threats of violence often from anonymous harassers. One school board member in Virginia named Brenda Sheridan was the target of many letters and voicemails in which she and her children received threats of death. School board members are asking for increased security during meetings and police are having a difficult time tracking down the anonymous threats. Gabriella Borter, U.S. national correspondent at Reuters, joins us for more.

Next, many metaverse early adopters are finding themselves accident prone as they play with VR headsets. It can make for some funny videos on social media, but the injuries can be very real. One teen fell and fractured his kneecap within hours of opening his new headset, others have broken vases and even injured innocent bystanders. There is even a Reddit group called VRtoER where people share stories and videos of their mishaps. Salvador Rodriguez, tech reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how you still need to be careful even in virtual spaces.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Woman Apparently Cued of HIV and Deep Brain Stimulation Used as a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Feb 20, 2022

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Russian Invasion of Ukraine Looms, Next Health Crisis Could Be Cancers We Missed, Jobs Americans Want Feb 19, 2022

Show notes

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.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Still Looms and Gun Detection Technologies Face Criticism Feb 18, 2022

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The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine still looms with officials saying it could happen within several days. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, appearing at the United Nations, laid out what a Russian invasion could look like saying that missiles and bombs could drop across Ukraine, communications would be jammed, and cyber-attacks could shut down key institutions. Officials said that Russia could be trying to set up a pretext such as a violent event that would justify an invasion. Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for more.

Next, gunshot detection devices that are used in cities across the U.S. are getting criticism for their high cost and whether they are effective at reducing crime. One such company is called ShotSpotter who has contracts with about 120 police agencies who pay $65,000 to $90,000 a year for each square mile of service. The other angle to this is that ShotSpotter helps police departments apply for federal grants so they can afford the technology. Jon Schuppe, reporter at NBC News Digital, joins us for how ShotSpotter is winning police contracts and fighting criticism.

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Woman May Have Been Cured of HIV and Human Smuggling Ring Led by U.S. Marines Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

In good medical news, a woman in New York City appears to have been cured of HIV. The woman also had a form of leukemia which made her a candidate for a transplant of stem cells that carry a rare genetic mutation that blocks HIV. She received those stem cells in the form of umbilical-cord blood from a newborn. While scientists are encouraged by this development, treating HIV with transplants is still risky and costly and really only an option for those that need them for treatment for other diseases like cancer. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, we are learning more about a massive human smuggling ring that was led by U.S. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton. This story dates back to 2019 where Marines were recruited to pick up immigrants near the border and drive them inland to be released. They made perfect smugglers because no one would suspect them and wave them passed various checkpoints. It was obviously all about money and soldiers could make anywhere from $500-$750 per immigrant that they picked up. In the end, many of the Marines involved in the plot were let go on technicalities. Emily Green, reporter for Vice News, joins us for how it all went down.

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DoorDash Bumping up Fees on McDonald’s and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Mode Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

DoorDash is bumping up its fees on the restaurant side of things. Specifically when it comes to McDonald’s, the delivery platform will charge higher commissions when orders are taking longer to fill and if drivers are kept waiting. It is all an effort to improve efficiency and cut losses. We all know that getting food delivered is more expensive, but we are also learning that you are being charged more for the food itself than if you ordered it in-store. Heather Haddon, restaurants reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, Tesla is currently running a beta test of its “Full self-driving” mode on certain models and looking at footage posted by beta testers, it is not going as smooth as Tesla might have hoped. No injuries or major accidents have been recorded, but what we see is a system that is still hesitant in certain situations, struggle to control the system, and a near miss with a pedestrian. Faiz Siddiqui, tech reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for a look at how this mode handles in real-world situations.

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Cancers Not Caught Because of Missed Screenings May Be the Next Health Crisis Feb 15, 2022

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Public health experts are worried about the next crisis that could overwhelm the healthcare system… a wave of cancers that we didn’t catch. The rates of cancer screenings dropped over the pandemic and have not recovered. Many put off regular screenings and may have missed a diagnosis that could save their lives. Dylan Scott, senior correspondent at Vox, joins us for this problem which we might not see the extent of for years.

Next, the search for Dillon the Pickle is on. The costume for the Portland Pickles mascot is missing and police are on the hunt to get it back. After being lost on a plane on a trip back from the Dominican Republic, the duffel bag with the costume was found by the airline and placed on the porch of the team’s general manager, only to have the bag stolen by a man with a mask on. Joseph Pisani, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the hunt for this pickle mascot.

Finally, after leaving their jobs in the Great Resignation what are the jobs that people actually want? According to Google search data, some of the top “How to become” searches last year were real estate agent, flight attendant, therapist and notary. While the search data doesn’t indicate if people actually picked up those jobs, it does track with other pandemic trends. Rani Molla, senior data reporter at Recode, joins us for more on the jobs Americans want.

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Ukraine Crisis Continues and Deep Brain Stimulation Used to Treat Alzheimer’s Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

The threat of a Russian invasion in Ukraine is still keeping Western officials on high alert. President Biden and Vladimir Putin held an hour-long discussion over the weekend where Biden said there would be "swift and severe" consequences should they attack Ukraine. In the meantime, Russia has other ways of maintaining pressure through a destabilization campaign of cyber attacks, fake bomb threats, and economic disruption. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and former President Trump's penchant for destroying records.

Next, a woman in San Antonio named Jane became one of the first to undergo surgery for a treatment of Alzheimer's called deep brain stimulation. This is not a treatment to reverse the disease, rather it is aimed at helping people maintain their memories and independence. The surgery involved implanting electrodes in the brain to keep the memory areas stimulated. The process uses a very sophisticated robotic system to make the precise movements needed while the patient is awake. Dr. Alexander Papanastassiou, associate professor of neurosurgery at UT Health San Antonio, was involved in this surgery and joins us for how it all works.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Criminal Crypto Couple Arrested, McCormick Wants to Be the King of Hot Sauce Feb 13, 2022

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.