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Biden and Putin Hold Summit, Both Say Talks Were Positive and Constructive Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

President Biden and Vladimir Putin had their much anticipated summit on Wednesday and both walked away saying the meeting was positive and constructive. Biden said he pressed Putin on recent cyberattacks and human rights issues, but Putin didn’t seem to cede much ground. They did agree to allow their ambassadors to return to their posts, begin strategic stability talks on nuclear arms, and consultations on cybersecurity issues. Nahal Toosi, foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for key takeaways.

Next, the housing market continues to have a much lower supply of homes needed to meet demand and now we have a better idea of how many are needed. A new report by the National Association of Realtors says we need 5.5 million more housing units, everything from single family homes to multi-family units. The report does call for policy responses, some of which are in President Biden’s infrastructure proposal. Nicole Friedman, housing reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, the Federal Reserve expects inflation to rise about 3.4% this year and conversations started swirling about what it means for the markets and the economy, but what does it mean for normal people? The short answer… expect higher prices for everything from used cars and airline fares to groceries and gas. Alicia Adamczyk, money reporter at CNBC, joins us for what a rise in inflation means for you.

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Study Shows COVID Virus Was in U.S. as Early as December 2019 Jun 16, 2021

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A new study done by the National Institutes of Health is showing that in five states, some people were infected with Covid-19 before those states recorded their first cases. Blood samples collected between January and March of 2020 were tested for antibodies… out of 24,000 samples, nine came back positive. While these cases were earlier than previously recorded it does show that there wasn’t much community spread at the time. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, we have been seeing a lot of bad behavior on airplanes recently. Disruptions by passengers due to alcohol and especially their refusal to wear masks has been on the rise. The FAA has not been shy about publicizing the fines associated with unruly passengers and proposed a $15,000 fine for one man who wasn’t wearing his mask and drinking alcohol on the plane when it was prohibited. Hannah Sampson, travel reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the rise of conflicts in the air.

Finally, be warned when making plans this summer… everyone has the same idea as you. Right now, national and state parks are being overwhelmed with people trying to enjoy outdoors activities. At Arches National Park in Utah, they reach capacity and close gates to visitors most days before 9am. You have to also be ready for long lines just to get in anywhere. Allison Pohle, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how it’s packed everywhere, even outdoors.

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Israel Swears in Naftali Bennett as New Prime Minister After 12 Years of Netanyahu Jun 15, 2021

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Israel has a new prime minister for the first time since 2009. Benjamin Netanyahu is out and Naftali Bennett is in. With this change in leadership, the Biden administration sees an opportunity to defuse tensions over Iran and other policy disagreements, but the new government in Israel is fragile and consists of eight parties with varying interests. Vivian Salama, national security reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, a new coronavirus vaccine may soon be available from Novavax as they say their two-dose shot is 90% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19. While it may not make much of an impact in the U.S., it is expected to be a welcome addition to global vaccination efforts. Approval may still take a few months as they ramp up their manufacturing processes, but it is still a big win for Novavax who has never won an approval for a vaccine. Peter Loftus, pharmaceutical reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

Finally, the latest Gallup survey shows that those reluctant to take the Covid-19 vaccine are likely to stay that way. Over 64% have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and another 12% say they plan to. But of those that are left, over half of them say that they won’t be vaccinated and won’t change their minds. The biggest worry people have now is not getting sick, but those that don’t want their shots. Jeffrey Jones, senior editor at Gallup, joins us for what the latest numbers say.

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Judge Throws Out Employee Lawsuit Over Hospital Group That Mandated Vaccines Jun 14, 2021

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Over the weekend a judge threw out a lawsuit by employees of Houston Methodist Hospital after the hospital mandated that they get Covid vaccines. 117 employees joined the failed lawsuit alleging they did not want to be part of the vaccine experiment. Many legal experts agree that employers can mandate vaccinations as conditions of employment. The G-7 summit also agreed this past weekend to give one billion vaccine doses to poorer countries, half of which will be supplied by the U.S. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and a preview of President Biden's meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Next, it's becoming a lot more common in the lives of high-profile people and celebrity circles... non-disclosure agreements. Want to party with a celeb or get romantically involved? You might have to sign an NDA, but there are questions of legality and enforcement. Even some of the lawyers that draft up NDA's inform their clients that while they might feel more comfortable having people sign them, not all parts could be enforceable. Many people are confused or regret signing them and it's important to know that these protect the celebrity, not the person signing them. Hallie Lieberman, sex historian and contributor to Buzzfeed News, joins us for more.

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WEEKEND EDITION- ProPublica Reports Wealthy Americans Pay Little in Taxes, Virtual Brands Taking Over in the Food Industry Jun 13, 2021

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Natural Immunity Helps Us Reach Herd Immunity Quicker, Amazon's Sidewalk Network and How to Turn It off, FBI Gets Money Back From Ransomware Attack Jun 12, 2021

Show notes

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

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With Natural Immunity, Herd Immunity May Be Here Quicker Than We Think Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

Some good news on the coronavirus front as we might be closer herd immunity than you think. More than 64% of adults have had at least one vaccine dose, and for those who haven’t had the vaccine, about half of them have natural immunity from prior infection. When you factor in natural immunity, the number of individuals protected is more than we think. Dr. Marty Makary, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author of “The Price We Pay: What Broke American Healthcare and How to Fix It,” joins us for why herd immunity is not so far off.

Next, tech companies are looking at ways of getting you over your Zoom fatigue and bringing holograms to the office for your next meeting. Projects at WeWork and Google are working on a new style of communication with holograms and avatars to make things feel more personal and allow you to read body language better. Ann-Marie Alcántara, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how this tech is closer to becoming an everyday reality.

Finally, as we see the demand for Covid-19 vaccines drop, Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses are being left unused and they could be expiring as soon as the end of this month. The doses only last about 3 months in the refrigerator and hundreds of thousands or more could go to waste. States want to redistribute or send these doses abroad, but there are very strict rules on how the vaccines can be reallocated. Laura Strickler, investigative reporter at NBC News, joins us for these expiring vaccines.

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ProPublica Report: IRS Tax Data Shows the Ultra-Rich Pay Little to No Taxes Despite Growing Their Wealth Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

It’s something we always knew was happening, ultra-rich Americans paying little to no taxes even as their wealth increases. ProPublica has obtained IRS data on the top 25 richest Americans and how they maneuver the tax system by claiming very little taxable income, borrowing money, or reporting investment losses all to offset paying taxes. Between 2014 and 2018, these top 25 saw their worth rise a collective $401 billion, but paid a true tax rate of just 3.4%. Jeff Ernsthausen, senior data reporter at ProPublica, joins us for how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet and others sometimes get away with paying nothing in taxes.

Next, plant-based meats were already having a moment before the pandemic showing up in your grocery stores, fast food chains, and restaurants, but as meat and pork prices were going up do to the pandemic, these alternative meats were surging in options and dropping in price. In 2020, we saw 112 new plant-based meat, egg, and dairy brands hit the shelves and people aren’t just trying them once, we are seeing repeat customers. Laura Riley, business of food reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how plant-based proteins are taking a bite out of Big Meat.

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Millions Recovered by the Feds in Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

The U.S. was able to recover a portion of the money paid out in the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline. The FBI was able to seize $2.3 million of the $4.4 million that was paid to the Russian hacker group DarkSide. While some details are being kept secret by the Feds, they were able to access the private key to DarkSide’s digital bitcoin wallet. Kevin Collier, reporter at NBC News, joins us for the latest twist in this ransomware attack.

Next, the FDA has approved a new drug that could help all those that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first new Alzheimer’s drug approved in almost 20 years and targets proteins called amyloids that are thought to play a part in cognitive decline. More studies on its effectiveness will continue to be done and the treatment is very expensive, coming in at over $50,000 a year. Robert Langreth, science and health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

Finally, Amazon is currently sharing your internet connection with your neighbors and they didn’t even give you a chance to opt out. Using Amazon connected devices such as Echo smart speakers and Ring cameras, they launched a new kind of wireless network called Sidewalk. Amazon says it will improve the effectiveness of its devices, but you also have no control over the information shared on this network. Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at The Washington Post, joins us for how to turn off the Sidewalk network on your devices.

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Sedition Hunters Look For Capitol Rioters and Virtual Brands Invade Food Delivery Apps Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, there has been a growing community of sedition hunters who comb over hours of video and thousands of photos in the hopes of identifying those that stormed the Capitol building. These internet sleuths have even set up their own infrastructure to help with the effort with facial recognition databases and websites to help track suspects. The FBI appreciates the help and said that some of these tips have been helpful in dozens of cases. David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for the sedition hunters looking for insurrectionists.

Next, virtual brands are taking over your favorite food delivery apps. The pandemic has transformed the food industry and in a time when many restaurants were closing, food brands have proliferated. Big chains and even mom and pop restaurants are expanding the brands housed in their kitchens and offering burgers, pizza, and especially chicken wings all coming from the same kitchen, just under different names. Uber Eats estimates that there are over 10,000 virtual brands on its platform alone. Josh, Dzieza, investigations editor at the Verge, joins us for the rise of virtual brands and how to spot them… keep an eye out for those chicken wing spots.

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