The Daily Dive

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Sweeping Changes at the U.S. Postal Service Is Causing Mail Delays Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

The United States Postal Service is dealing with a backlog of letters and packages and are facing a crisis that could delay the results of the election in November. A number of cost cutting policies have been put in place by the new postmaster general, there are fewer mail trucks on the road, and postal workers are not able to work overtime. The Postal Service is seeking billions in aid from Congress to help stay afloat, but with mail-in voting expected to increase this year, the Postal Service says they will be able to handle the influx of ballots. Adam Clarke Estes, deputy editor with Recode at Vox, joins us for more.

Next, the problem with making decisions about kids going back to school is that the research takes time to conduct and when it comes to children and the virus, there is still so much that remains unknown. A recent report found that more than 97,000 children tested positive in the last two weeks of July. And while they can contract and spread the virus, the questions is… to what extent? In the few schools that have re-opened, we are seeing pictures of students not wearing masks and hearing about outbreaks as well. Chelsea Janes, national reporter at The Washington post, joins us for the limited research on children and coronavirus.

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Trump Signs Executive Orders to Aid Economic Relief Aug 10, 2020

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The United States now has over 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and President Trump continues to field criticism for his response to the pandemic. In an effort to further the conversation on economic relief for unemployed Americans, the president has signed 4 executive orders that would delay payroll tax deductions, extend unemployment benefits at $400, have officials consider a halt to evictions, and defer student loan payments until the end of the year. Ginger Gibson, Deputy Washington Digital Editor at NBC News, joins us to break down how the executive orders will work and how Congress is reacting.

Next, contact tracing was supposed to be one of the biggest tools in the fight to contain the spread of coronavirus, but many health departments across the country are losing the race to warn the contacts of COVID victims. City and county health departments say they don't have enough money or staff to keep up with the surge of cases. On Alabama's Gulf Coast, the contact tracers are stretched so thin that they are telling people who get the virus to notify any contacts themselves. The country only has about a quarter of the contact tracers that is recommended to be able to do the job effectively, not to mention the difficulty in getting some people to comply. Jaimi Dowdell, investigative reporter at Reuters, joins us for more.

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WEEKEND EDITION- How Coronavirus Affects the Housing Market, Vaccine Distribution May Be as Difficult as Making a Vaccine, Americans Are Having Fewer Babies During the Pandemic Aug 09, 2020

Show notes

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

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WEEKEND EDITION- Explosion in Beirut, Microsoft Is Attempting to Buy Tiktok, Trump Attacks Voting by Mail Aug 08, 2020

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.

How Economic Status Affects Social Distancing Aug 07, 2020

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A new study looking at the movements of Americans during the pandemic shutdown orders shows that rich Americans stayed put while poor Americans increased their movements, presumably because they were essential workers and could not work from home. Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired, joins us for how your income could be a predictor of how well you can social distance.

Next, Major League Baseball is getting serious with new protocols to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks among players and staff. Anyone found in violation of these new rules could be suspended for the remainder of the season. Face coverings are required at all times and are even discouraged from talking to or facing each other when eating or drinking together. Bob Nightengale, MLB columnist at USA Today Sports, joins us for more.

Finally, as a result of the pandemic, Halloween could be cancelled, or at least look very different than in the past. Many major theme parks have already cancelled their Halloween events and now, big questions remain about trick-or-treating and also how it could impact the costume and candy industries. Hugo Martin, business writer at the LA Times, joins us for how Halloween could be different this year.

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Anger in Beirut Grows as Negligence That Led to Explosion Is Probed Aug 06, 2020

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There is a rush to look for more survivors in Beirut as anger continues rise over a massive explosion that looks to be a result of negligence. The huge amounts of ammonium nitrate that exploded were improperly stored in a warehouse for over six years. Half of the city is destroyed and thousands have been left homeless. Missy Ryan, national security reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for what we know.

Next, businesses are adjusting pricing, store designs, and product production as the ‘new normal’ for companies is emerging during the pandemic. Businesses are responding to the changing needs of their customers after learning how consumers behaved during the shutdowns. Micah Maidenberg, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how businesses are looking to make their comebacks.

Finally, when there was a critical shortage of N95 facemasks, the FDA relaxed the rules to allow the importation of Chinese-made KN95 masks to help supply hospitals with the proper protection. What happened after that however, was it flooded the market with masks that did not meet basic U.S. quality tests. Austen Hufford, manufacturing reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the problems with KN95 masks.

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Americans' Satisfaction With the Ways Things Are Going in the Country at 13% Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Americans are not happy with the way things are going in the country. According to Gallup, U.S. satisfaction is at 13%, the lowest it has been in nine years. The national mood has soured greatly because of the effect of the pandemic on the country and the mood drop mostly occurred among Republicans. Jeff Jones, senior editor at Gallup joins us for how Americans are currently feeling.

Next, states continue to largely go it alone with how they respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Without a set of national guidelines they are relying on their local public health officials when deciding whether to re-close portions of their economies. Many are taking a county by county approach as cases and deaths rise and fall. Ted Mann, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, President Trump is continuing his assault on mail-in voting, and it could hurt his reelection bid. There could be a delay in results because of how long it takes to count them, but voting by mail is expected to increase because of health concerns from coronavirus. And the president may need those mail-in votes in key battleground states. Christopher Cadelago, national political reporter at Politico, joins us for Trump’s fight against mail-in voting.

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Microsoft Is Looking to Buy TikTok, Trump Wants a Cut of the Deal Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

Microsoft has said that it will move forward with plans to buy the U.S. operations of TikTok after a wild weekend in which President Trump said he might want to ban the social media app in the U.S. No price has been decided yet, but this would be a big move for Microsoft into the social media world and also help with some data and privacy issues that TikTok has had. Georgia Wells, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, we are moving at record speed to develop and approve a vaccine for the coronavirus, but after that comes the hard part: distributing the vaccine. The coordination, planning, and communication needed to pull this off will be so complex and it has many worried, considering the poor response to the pandemic by the administration so far. Lena Sun, health reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for what could be the largest vaccination campaign ever undertaken.

Finally, while diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are more widely available now, you have to be careful when paying with insurance and where you are getting them. One woman in Houston paid for her son’s rapid-response drive-thru test with insurance and it should have cost $175, but the freestanding emergency room tried to bill $2,479. Marshall Allen, healthcare reporter at ProPublica, joins us for how out-of-network covid tests could cost you more than you think.

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Joe Biden Will Soon Announce His Running Mate Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

Lots of political news this month as the modified conventions will take place and Joe Biden will announce who his pick will be for his running mate. Biden has already committed to picking a woman as his vice president, but there has been increased pressure to pick a woman of color. Ginger Gibson, Deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for who is on the shortlist.

Next, the summer of 2020 will be full of booming home sales and unfortunately, evictions. The lowest mortgage rates in history are allowing people to take advantage and buy bigger homes, but on the flipside, renters are facing job losses and evictions. Heather Long, economics correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for what else is driving home sales during the pandemic.

Finally, there is no COVID baby boom that some suspected there might be. In fact, Americans aren’t making babies, and that could be bad for the long term economy. Some estimates say there could be 300-500,000 fewer babies born next year which leads to fewer consumers, workers, and taxpayers. Peter Coy, economics editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, joins us for the American baby bust.

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WEEKEND EDITION- Researchers Now Know Why Coronavirus Patients Lose Their Sense of Smell, Scientists Create a New Kind of Fish, The 'Citizen' App Aug 02, 2020

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.

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