The Daily Dive

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Scientists Narrow Down What Could Be Causing Long Covid Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

One of the longest running mysteries of the pandemic has been long Covid and what causes it. Studies have found that 10-20 percent of people that have recovered from the coronavirus get long Covid which can appear up to 3 months after recovery and last for 6 months or more in some cases. Researchers are zeroing in on the causes and the two leading theories are that the virus turns the immune system against the body and despite recovering, the virus could be lingering in the body not in the blood, but in the body's’ tissues. Yasmin Tayag, contributor to Vox, joins us for what could be behind long Covid.

Next, Los Angeles is hoping to build a future where water won’t run out and comes from mostly local sources. Currently Southern California gets most of its water from the Colorado River and up north, but there have been billions of dollars in investment to double down on water recycling, reclamation, and storage. The goals are lofty to treat water locally, but it could set LA up to be water independent as droughts continue. Laura Bliss, reporter at Bloomberg CityLab, joins us for more.

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Police Departments Are Short-Staffed and Struggling to Replace Officers Feb 01, 2022

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Police departments across the country are dealing with resignations and retirements from their officers and struggling to replace them. Some officers describe the job as more stressful and less rewarding than in the past amid increased scrutiny over police actions. Kris Maher, reporter at the WSJ, joins us how police departments are short-staffed and their efforts to recruit.

Next, the fight over Covid misinformation continues on Spotify as Joe Rogan and the company have both responded after Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and others demanded their music be taken off the platform for misinformation spread on Rogan’s podcast. Spotify said they will be more transparent with its rules for what is allowed on the platform as well as add content advisories to podcasts that talk about Covid. Travis Andrews, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

Finally, ransomware hackers are increasingly adding a new tactic to get paid, contacting you directly. After the Allen Independent School District in Dallas was hacked, parents started getting emails threatening to release the sensitive information of their children unless they were paid off. Kevin Collier, cyber security reporter at NBC News, joins us for the evolving practices of ransomware gangs.

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Trucks Clog America’s Roads and Tear up Front Yards Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

You are seeing them everywhere and oddly there still aren’t enough to get Americans all the stuff they want. Tractor trailers and delivery trucks have taken over the roads. While all these deliveries are solving one problem and getting us what we need, it is creating new problems such as damage to roads and even homes as they take up more space on residential streets. Atlanta in particular has been hit hard as it has two of the top five truck bottlenecks in the country. David Harrison, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how this trend will continue with infrastructure projects on their way and no slowing of online orders.

Next, Idaho is sitting on one of the most important elements on Earth… cobalt. Needed for the production of lithium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles, mining companies are beginning to set up operations in what is known as the Idaho Cobalt Belt. It is an interesting development and look at how the clean-energy revolution is reshaping the landscape and posing some environmental risks. Most of the cobalt supply is mined in the Congo and sent to China, so it’s important that we are able to mine domestically. Michael Holtz, contributor to the Atlantic, joins us for more.

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WEEKEND EDITION- SAT Going Digital, Museums Determining Value of NFTs, China Controlling Weather for Winter Olympics Jan 30, 2022

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Stephen Breyer to Retire, Ukraine Crisis, Safe Consumption Sites in NY Jan 29, 2022

Show notes

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

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Russia Opposes NATO Expansion Eastward, Tensions Rise at Ukraine Border Jan 28, 2022

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The tension with Russia continues as fears mount that they could invade Ukraine. But what are all the motivations behind it? Putin wants guarantees that NATO will not expand further eastward. For the U.S., China seems to be a bigger threat, but we are bound to help because of our involvement with NATO. Jonathan Guyer, senior foreign policy writer at Vox, joins us for more.

Next, the crypto crash has erased more than $1 trillion in global value for cryptocurrencies and the drops have hit everyday investors pretty hard. Some are rethinking their investments, others are in it for the long term thinking it could be the financial platform of the future. Tory Newmyer, economic policy reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more on all the crypto volatility.

Finally, the road to filming and producing all those excellent Super Bowl commercials that many love, has been very stressful this year. The average price for 30 seconds of ad time during the game is up to $6.5 million, an increase of a million from last year. However, because of Covid surges, delays and price hikes have affected commercial shoots. Suzanne Vranica, advertising editor at the WSJ, joins us for all the disruptions.

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Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Will Retire Setting up Biden for a New Nomination Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

Big Supreme Court news as we found out Wednesday that Justice Stephen Breyer will be retiring after 27 years, giving President Biden a chance to nominate a new judge. Conservative judges will still control the majority, but it could provide Democrats with some much needed enthusiasm before the midterms. Sam Baker, senior editor at Axios, joins us for some possible front-runners for the job.

Next, the SAT is going digital soon in an effort to make the test easier to take, administer, and be more relevant. The test will go from three hours down to two in part due to a process called “adaptive testing” that will tailor the difficulty of questions to what is appropriate for a student’s performance level. Nick Anderson, higher education reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for all the changes.

Finally, inflation remains at a 40 year high and many are having to adjust their buying habits more than just the simple, switching to generic brands at the grocery store. People are scaling back on other life events and picking up new skills to make due. You can’t make cuts on things like medication, so the savings need to come from other areas. Veronica Dagher, personal finance reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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How Museums Are Trying to Determine What NFT Art Is Worth Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

NFTs have taken over the art world and millions of dollars are being spent on these digital artworks, but how much are they really worth? Right now the Institute for Contemporary Art Miami is going through the difficult process to determine the value of a CryptoPunks NFT named Priscilla in case it gets destroyed, but also for tax purposes for the donor. Kevin Dugan, reporter at NY Mag, joins us for more on what determines an NFTs value.

Next, according to a recent survey of mayors across the country, 73% of them believe that voters hold them accountable for handling homelessness in their cities, but many of them don’t feel like they have control over the issue. A third of mayors said they don’t even have staff dedicated to it. Jennifer Kingson, chief correspondent at Axios, joins us for how some mayors feel powerless to reduce homelessness.

Finally, one of the common themes of the pandemic keeps persisting… nurses stretched too thin and looking for help to avoid burnout. The healthcare sector has lost about 500,000 workers since February of 2020. The staffing shortage coupled with medical workers getting sick with Covid themselves is pushing them to the brink. Julie Wernau, health and medicine reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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China’s Efforts to Control the Weather Will Be Highlighted for the Winter Games Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Next week marks the beginning of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and one thing to watch for will be how the weather behaves. China will be deploying weather modification technology at new levels of scale to make sure the games go off without a hitch. Could-seeding to produce rain and ‘blueskying’ to make sure the skies are beautiful and wiped away of clouds and smog. This is on top of already using millions of gallons of water to create the snow needed for outdoor events. Steven Zeitchik, tech and innovations reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for China’s efforts to control the weather.

Next, in an effort to keep overdoses at a minimum and provide people safe spaces to use drugs without having to be on the street corner, New York has opened two locations where people can use drugs with supervision. If something goes wrong, trained workers can step in with oxygen or other life saving measures. There is opposition where the fear is that these facilities may lessen the incentive for people to enter treatment programs. Meryl Kornfield, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more on these safe consumption sites that could be on their way soon in other places like Rhode Island and California.

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NBC News Poll: The Country Is Headed in the Wrong Direction Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Recent polls by NBC News don't paint a good picture for people's views about the country or the party in power. Large majorities feel that the country is not going in the right direction, households feel like they are falling behind economically, and that political polarization will continue for some time. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for bad polls and Sen. Joe Manchin ready to negotiate on the Build Back Better plan.

Next, what does it mean to be asymptomatic? As Covid guidelines constantly change around us and infections keep spreading, many don't want to believe a sniffle or scratchy throat could be a symptom. To be clear, being asymptomatic means you feel your best and aren't taking any medications to manage symptoms such as a headache. If anything seems amiss, a Covid test might be a smart choice. Allie Volpe, contributor to Vox, joins us for what to know.

Finally, supply chain issues continue to affect many industries, and for anyone that has been trying to buy furniture, you know the pain all too well. Deliveries on couches and other furniture can be up to seven months in some cases and people are having to get by with bean bags and beach chairs until their orders come. Rachel Wolfe, consumer trends reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why you might be waiting a while for that couch.

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