The Daily Dive

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Reddit Investors Drive up GameStop Stock Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

GameStop has been killing it on Wall Street this week as thousands of small investors are buying stock and driving up the market value of the company. These investors are gathering in places like the r/Wallstreetbets subreddit and targeting short sellers by buying up what are called “meme stocks.” While GameStop is the current beneficiary of this plan, other companies like BlackBerry and AMC have also been bought up, sending shares soaring. The big question becomes… what happens when people stop buying or try to offload their shares to cash in? James Surowiecki, columnist for online business magazine Marker, joins us for how it all works.

Next, California and other states have begun rolling back some of their strict coronavirus restrictions as new Covid strains are beginning to circulate. New cases and hospitalizations are declining causing governors like Gavin Newsom to let some businesses open at limited capacity again. Some say politics may be at play since he is facing a recall effort, but Newsom says that has no merit. Businesses and restaurants are happy at the chance to reopen, but some urge caution that it could be too soon. Emma Court, health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

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What Did People Do With Their Stimulus Checks? Many Saved Them and Economists Hope That Will Drive Spending Soon Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

How have people finances held up during the pandemic? In many cases, not well, but many households have been saving and economists hope that these savings and pent-up demand will push economic growth this year when businesses open back up. 36% of people have saved their stimulus checks, 35% paid down debt, and 29% spent it right away. Harriet Torry, economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, on his first day in office, President Joe Biden submitted an immigration bill signaling it was a top priority to him. Hoping to avoid missteps from the Obama administration, he put his full wish list in the bill and is willing to break it down piece by piece if necessary to get things passed. Anita Kumar, WH correspondent and associate editor at Politico, joins us for Biden’s immigration plan.

Finally, Houston-based company, Axiom Space, is planning to send private citizens to the International Space Station next year and on Tuesday, revealed who will be making the historic trip. A former astronaut will serve as commander of the mission and three wealthy men who each paid $55 million for their ticket. They will fly on the SpaceX Dragon and have an 8-day stay at the space station. Christian Davenport, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for these citizen astronauts are in for.

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How Many Vaccine Doses Are Being Discarded? It's Hard to Tell... Some States Don't Keep Track Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

With an uneven vaccine rollout, high demand, and stories of vials being thrown away, how many vaccines doses are going to waste? It is hard to tell. The CDC requires that states report how many shots are discarded, but many states are not even counting the number. It is important to know so we can fix issues in the supply chain or in storage deficiencies, but data collection and enforcement varies by state. Caroline Chen, healthcare reporter at ProPublica, joins us for more.

Next, the new strains of coronavirus have been very concerning when it comes to vaccine efficacy, but Moderna, maker of one of the approved vaccines in the U.S. has said that their shots are effective against South African and U.K. variants. Still, they are exploring making a booster shot and a new version of the vaccine to combat the South African strain, in which scientists see sharp declines of antibody levels in people. Peter Loftus, healthcare reporter at the WSJ, joins us for Moderna's vaccine plans.

Finally, the troubling pattern emerging among the new coronavirus variants is that they are all more transmissible and they are becoming the dominant strains in their respective areas. Mutations in the virus are making the spike protein stickier, allowing people to become infected more easily. This leads many scientists to believe that the changing virus will require updated annual vaccines similar to the flu shot. Sarah Zhang, staff writer at the Atlantic, joins us for more on these new covid variants.

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With a Narrow Majority, President Biden Faces Uphill Battle to Pass Legislation Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

First week in office and Joe Biden has signed a number of executive orders and also given his support to two major bills, a $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill and an immigration bill with a pathway to citizenship for many immigrants. In a sign of what to expect for the next few years, we are already seeing opposition from Senate Republicans. Despite controlling the House, Senate, and the White House, the narrow margins will make it tough to pass anything. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and what to expect from Trump's second impeachment trial.

Next, we unfortunately have very little control over what we see in our social media feeds. It is mostly left to the algorithms that dictate how and what is featured first. Gone are the days of posts in chronological order, now we see mostly content that the system thinks we want to see...and that can push us further into our own bubbles which can lead to voices of misinformation being amplified. Joanna Stern. senior personal tech columnist at the WSJ, joins us for some ideas on how we can take charge of our own social media again.

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WEEKEND EDITION- President Biden's COVID Plan, Luxury Mystery Boxes Jan 24, 2021

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- President Joe Biden, Trump Pardons, First 100 Days Jan 23, 2021

Show notes

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

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President Biden Signs Ten Executive Orders With the Aim of Getting the Coronavirus Pandemic Under Control Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

President Joe Biden has a singular focus in his first few days in office to get the coronavirus pandemic under control. He has signed ten executive orders aimed at accelerating the rollout of vaccines by using the Defense Production Act, supporting state and local governments to help them in their responses, mandating mask wearing, and restoring faith in the government. Will Feuer, health and science reporter at CNBC, joins us for the Biden Covid plan.

Next, a study of nursing home residents found that a monoclonal antibody treatment made by Eli Lilly can cut the risk of Covid-19 by up to 80%. It is important to catch people at the early stages of infection and is meant for those that are high-risk patients. One of the difficulties in administering these drugs however is that it’s delivered via an hour-long infusion. Karen Weintruab, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for more.

Finally, now that Joe Biden is president, what’s left for QAnon conspiracy theorists and the extreme faction of President Trump’s base? As it became clear that there was no “storm” coming and that Trump would not remain in power, conspiracy minded online chat groups turned to anger, denial, disappointment, and even turned on each other. Tina Nguyen, political reporter at Politico, joins us how these groups reacted to the storm that never came.

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Joe Biden Inaugurated 46th President of the Unites States, Calls for Unity in His First Address Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

Joe Biden has now been inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. In his inaugural address he stressed the message of unity, calling for an end to the “uncivil war” pitting the left against the right. As president of the Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris swore in new Democratic senators, and former President Trump left town early saying he would be back again in some form. Julia Manchester, political reporter at The Hill, joins us for how the day played out.

Next, before leaving office, President Trump granted clemency to 143 people…73 pardons and 70 commutations. Most notably, people that did not make the list were President Trump himself, family members, Rudy Giuliani, or Tiger King Joe Exotic. Names that did stand out included Steve Bannon and rapper Lil Wayne. Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for who got the last Trump pardons.

Finally, a check in on what kind of country Joe Biden is inheriting as he takes office. The U.S. is older with less people giving birth, it is financially insecure as the pandemic has devastated the economy, and people politically polarized more than ever after such a contentious election. Paul Overberg, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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Inauguration Day: What Will Joe Biden's First 100 Days Look Like? Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

It’s inauguration day for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and there is a ton on their legislative agenda. The first days of the Biden administration will be packed with dealing with the pandemic and trying to administer 100 million vaccine doses in 100 days, they’ll try passing another Covid relief package, issue executive orders such as getting back into the Paris Agreement on climate change and ending the emergency declaration at the southern border. Biden will also present an immigration bill with an 8-year pathway to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants. Lauren Egan, digital White House reporter at NBC News, joins us for what to expect in Biden’s first 100 days.

Next, could “luxury mystery boxes” be the future of high-end discount shopping? A new solution for selling off overstock and off-season clothing has emerged in these mystery boxes which can sell anywhere from $700 to $2000. The only catch is that you don’t know what is in the box until you open it. The high-end merch in these boxes is said to be 2-3 times the retail value of the box, but there’s a chance it could always be a bust. This has even spilled over into the online arena with unboxing videos. Jacob Gallagher, fashion reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what these mystery boxes mean for the fashion economy.

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FBI Moving in on Members of Extremist Groups Who Participated in Capitol Siege Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

It is all hands on deck at the FBI as they try to track down those who stormed the Capitol on January 6th. The Justice Department has charged about 100 people so far, with more to come, but the focus is also on extremist groups, such as the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys who they believe moved in organized and practiced fashion to force their way in. Devlin Barrett, national security reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, companies are still in a rush working on drugs that can help treat COVID-19 and stay ahead of new, more transmissible variants that are popping up all over. Monoclonal antibody drugs are administered intravenously making them a little cumbersome, and some are working on new ones that are more accessible and maybe given as a shot. Joseph Walker, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the race to stay ahead of coronavirus mutations.

Finally, procrastination can be difficult to avoid as working from home amid the pandemic is sapping the motivation for many. When your boss or coworkers are not around, it can be tough to hold yourself accountable, and experts say it can be important to start small, establish your routine, and don’t beat yourself up about it. Rachel Feintzeig, work and life columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how to avoid procrastinating at home.

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