The Daily Dive

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WEEKEND EDITION- Inflation Cools in October, Meta Lays Off More than 11,000 Employees, Fast Furniture Could Clog Landfills Nov 13, 2022

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WEEKEND EDITION- Red Wave That Wasn’t, How Marijuana Fared in the Midterms, Why Moving in Together Is Not Financially the Same as Being Married Nov 12, 2022

Show notes

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CPI Report Shows Easing of Inflation in October Nov 11, 2022

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Positive sign as inflation cooled slightly to 7.7% in October. Experts warn not to get too excited as they would like to see more of trend but hope this could be the peak. Used car prices have dropped, along with airfare and apparel, but rents continue to stay elevated. The Fed has signaled it will continue to raise rates until inflation drops more, but in smaller increments. Rachel Siegel, economics reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the signs that inflation may be easing.

Next, New York City recently became the biggest job market in the country to require employers to list pay ranges in their job ads. The hope is that it would give job seekers an edge in pay negotiations, but the rollout has had mixed results as companies are posting salary ranges with differences of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Theo Francis, business reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know about New York City’s pay transparency law.

Finally, the National Park Service put out an advisory asking people to please stop licking the psychedelic toads. There has not been any indication that people are licking toads to trip out but wanted to send out the warning that it’s potentially dangerous and can cause poisonings. The toads in question are the Sonoran Desert toads also known as the Colorado River toad. Adela Suliman, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for what to know.

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Midterm Takeaways: The Red Wave That Never Came and a Georgia Senate Runoff Nov 10, 2022

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Control of Congress still hangs in the balance as Republicans are poised to take over the House, but we will have to wait until December for a runoff election to see who will take Georgia’s Senate seat. In the meantime, the red wave never really happened, and Democrats fared far better than most thought. Former President Trump is in a weaker position coming into his big announcement and President Biden is taking any good news he can get. David Siders, national political correspondent at Politico, joins us for midterm takeaways.

Next, marijuana was also on the ballot in 5 states. Just ten years ago Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize marijuana. Now, Maryland and Missouri have been added to the list for a total of 21 states plus D.C. As the stigma of cannabis use has worn off in many cases, it has also become big business projected to produce sales of $100 billion by 2030. Mary Jane Gibson, contributor to Vox, joins us for the mixed night of results for marijuana on the ballot.

Finally, Meta has become the latest in a string of big tech companies to announce layoffs and hiring freezes. The parent company of Facebook said they will be cutting 13% of its workforce, about 11,000 employees. Revenue has been down for Meta as they face increased pressure from competitors like TikTok. Meta will also start prioritizing content from viral creators over posts from friends and family. Naomi Nix, tech reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

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Economy Is the Top Issue for the Midterms to Republicans’ Benefit Nov 09, 2022

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The top issue for this election season has been the economy and it has put Democrats in a bad position as Republicans have seized on the issue. Despite high inflation and fears of a recession, there are still other positive economic markers such as low unemployment. Still, the uncertainty of what’s to come has voters concerned for their futures and polls show they are backing Republicans. Howard Schneider, economics correspondent at Reuters, joins us for what to know.

Next, despite Covid infections being down and pandemic restrictions mostly all lifted, the virus has proved to be a persistent drag on the workforce. It’s keeping millions out of work when they get infected and disrupting businesses operations, raising their costs and killing productivity. Workers themselves are also losing out due to unpaid absences. Gwynn Guilford, economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how Covid is still setting us back.

Finally, marriage can have a lot of benefits to the pocketbooks of couples. Married couples are four times as wealthy as unmarried couples who live together. They tend to have a higher net worth and more likely to be homeowners. Experts think that a big part of it is that married couples pool their financial resources in way that cohabitating couples don’t. Julia Carpenter, personal finance reporter at the WSJ, joins us why moving in together doesn’t match the benefits of marriage.

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Battered by Inflation, More Workers Are Getting Second Jobs Nov 08, 2022

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Election Day is here, and the economy and inflation continue to be the top issues for voters. To that end, according to recent surveys, more full-time workers are feeling the pain and having to get second jobs to supplement their income. Nearly three-quarters of workers said they need more work to keep up with inflation and it’s not just blue-collar workers, even people in professional jobs are looking for more. Ray Smith, careers reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how more workers are looking for side hustles.

Next, how much are you paying for water? Corporate America has convinced more people to buy water, whether it’s bottled, boxed, or in a can. For most of America, the water coming from the tap is perfectly fine, except for notable exceptions like Flint, Michigan. What’s happened is that as people have lost more confidence in public infrastructure and clever advertising by packaged water companies is making us buy something that is mostly free. Emily Stewart, senior correspondent at Vox, joins us for more.

Finally, museums have seen a recent spat of climate-change activists throwing food such as tomato soup and mashed potatoes at famous paintings in order to draw more attention to their causes. It has prompted museums to issue “zero bag” policies and even hire security consultants to teach their staff new surveillance tactics on how to spot would-be vandals. Yael Kohen, deputy editor for style news at the WSJ, joins us for how museums are fighting back.

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Introducing: Some of My Best Friends Are Nov 07, 2022

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Title: Navigating Interracial Friendships with Some Of My Best Friends Are

Description: Here's a preview of another podcast we're enjoying, Some of My Best Friends Are, from Pushkin Industries. Harvard professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad and journalist Ben Austen are friends, one Black and one white, who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago. On Some of My Best Friends Are, Khalil and Ben, along with their guests, have critical conversations that are at once personal, political, and playful, about the absurdities and intricacies of race in America.In this preview, Khalil and Ben talk with author Saladin Ambar about his new book, Stars and Shadows: The Politics of Interracial Friendship from Jefferson to Obama. Through famous bonds ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, they explore the dynamics, benefits, and difficulties of cultivating interracial friendships. Hear the full episode, and more from Some of My Best Friends Are, at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/sbfs2?sid=dive.

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Midterm Preview: Republicans Poised to Take the House and the Senate Is Still a Tossup Nov 07, 2022

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The midterms are finally here, and which party will take control of Congress hangs in the balance. Republicans, poised to take over the House, have the lead on the economy, crime, and inflation. Democrats, lead on the issues of climate change and abortion. Control of the Senate will be up to a few key races including Pennsylvania and Georgia. President Biden and former President Obama are making the case that democracy is at stake in this election and former President Trump, painting Democrats as the radical left, could be announcing his reelection bid very soon. Julia Manchester, national political reporter at The Hill, joins us for a midterm preview.

Next, Americans went on a fast furniture buying spree during the pandemic and very soon it could all be going in the trash. Fast furniture is mass-produced and relatively inexpensive, think of something you might find at Ikea or Wayfair. Each year we throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture and some of the materials in fast furniture don’t break down or biodegrade. Some of these items are only meant to last about five years, so the next spot for them is the landfill. Debra Kamin, contributor to the NY Times, joins us for what to know.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Ballot Tracking, Difficulty Returning Clothes and Electronics, Commercial Satellites Is Next Front for Space War Nov 06, 2022

Show notes

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the Federal Reserve Interest Rates Affect You Nov 05, 2022

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The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by another 0.75 percentage point to continue fighting inflation. They have signaled that they may keep raising them, but in smaller increments. In the meantime, experts say it is time to reassess your financial plans and pay down any high-interest debt immediately, maybe delay you house or car hunt, and put more money into saving accounts. Julia Carpenter, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how the latest rate hike impacts you.
Next, this week Netflix launched their ad-based tier in the hopes of attracting more subscribers. The new tier is called “Basic With Ads” and goes for $6.99 a month. It will be a big test for a company that resisted placing ads with their content for a long time, but also comes at a time when many other streaming services are doing the same. Joe Flint, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know and the fight over advertisers and licensing agreements.

Finally, with the rise of quiet quitting and more people returning to work, workers have gotten less productive. Productivity has had the sharpest drop since 1947 and its hard to pin down exactly why, but experts think one reason is that employees are leveraging the power they gained in the tight labor market. It’s harder for employers to fire and hire new workers. Burnout could also be a factor. Taylor Telford, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how productivity is down.

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