The Daily Dive

This is a compilation of the best stories of the week.

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The victory lap was classic Trump. After being acquitted in the Senate on two impeachment charges, the president gave a wide ranging speech where he knocked his foes like Mitt Romney and Nancy Pelosi, praised his allies and called the investigations into him BS. The big question that remains is how the country moves forward after so much division. Meredith McGraw, White House reporter at Politico joins us for Trump’s celebration speech.

Next, most popular restaurant chains are going all in on breakfast spending millions and hiring thousands to expand their offerings and win the battle for the growing breakfast market. With the rise of food delivery apps, we are seeing foot traffic diminish for lunch and dinner at many places and companies see huge growth potential with breakfast. Erica Pandey, reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

Finally, the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, is having one of the strongest starts for a new daytime talk show in seven years averaging about 1.9 million daily viewers. While she doesn’t have the usual training of a talk host, her authenticity and covers of popular music on the show are proving to be a hit with the audience. Kevin Fallon, senior entertainment reporter at the Daily Beast, joins us for why the Kelly Clarkson Show is killing it in daytime.

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The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is now over. The Senate has voted to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment. The votes were along party lines with only Sen. Mitt Romney voting guilty on abuse of power charges. After many senators voiced concern and made clear that they did not condone the actions of the president, they ultimately decided that Trump did nothing wrong and that voters should decide if they want to vote him out of office. Daniel Lippman, White House reporter at Politico, joins us for how it all played out.

Next, the district attorney in Orange County, CA has decided to drop charges against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend who were accused of drugging and sexually assaulting several women. It was a case that gained international attention for all the salacious details… A well-off, good looking couple who liked to party, who were in the swinging scene, were drugging and assaulting women and recording it on video. At the time the allegations came out, authorities said there could have been 1,000 victims. Corbin Carson, reporter for KFI News in Orange County, joins us for how the case fell apart and why charges are being dropped.

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President Trump has delivered his third State of the Union address in a busy political week that will see him acquitted in the impeachment trial in the Senate. With the theme of “The great American comeback” President Trump touted his accomplishments and also had a few made for TV moments when he awarded a young girl a scholarship and reunited a soldier with his family. Judy Kurtz, In the Know Columnist at The Hill, joins us for the top takeaways from the State of the Union.

Next, the Iowa caucus has turned into a huge mess for the Democratic Party. A new app meant to speed up the reporting of caucus results failed spectacularly and the Iowa Democratic Party said it was due to a “coding error.” It wasn’t until the following day that results from 62% of the precincts were reported and it showed former Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the lead followed by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Amy Klobuchar. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, was on the ground in Iowa while all this played out and joins us for how it all went down.

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The news surrounding the coronavirus outbreak continues to change rapidly. There are now 11 confirmed cases in the U.S. as well as the second person-to-person transmission. While officials in many countries try to get a handle on the spread of the virus, it could have the potential to be a pandemic. Marissa Fernandez, reporter at Axios, joins us for the latest developments.

Next, congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for winning their first Super Bowl in 50 years. Leading the team to a comeback victory, Patrick Mahomes is also leading a new generation of quarterbacks and a new age of offenses where the new norm is scoring a lot… and fast. Andrew Beaton, sports reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how Mahomes is changing the NFL.

Finally, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has announced that he has advanced lung cancer. He will be taking some time off for more medical tests and treatment, but hopes to return to the airwaves soon. One of the most influential voices among conservatives, Limbaugh reaches millions of people with his show weekly. My producer Victor Wright, joins us for more on Limbaugh’s announcement.

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We have a huge week for politics as the Democratic nominating process begins Monday with the Iowa caucus. Tuesday, President Trump will deliver his third Sate of the Union address with the theme of the ‘great American comeback.’ Wednesday, the Senate will vote on impeachment with an expected acquittal of the president, and Friday will bring us to another Democratic debate. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us to lay it all out.

Next, the drug Kratom is gaining in popularity across the country and some say that there could be between 10 and 15 million users in the U.S. alone, with a thriving culture of Kratom users online. People are taking Kratom for everything from chronic pain relief to replacement of their morning coffee and even to get high. Available in head shops and some gas stations, the federal government has been considering a total ban after finding it in the system of some who have died of drug overdoses. Emma Grey Ellis, writer at Wired, joins us for what Kratom is all about.

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This is a compilation of the best stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a compilation of the best stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Border authorities have just announced that they discovered the longest-ever smuggling tunnel at the US-Mexico border. It runs 4,309 feet, between Tijuana and San Diego. Authorities said that it was a sophisticated tunnel 70 feet below the surface, 2 feet across, and about 5.5 feet high, complete with electrical lighting, forced air, and a rail system. Steve Gregory, reporter for KFI News in Los Angeles, joins us for more.

Next, a dog owner is airing a Super Bowl ad to thank the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Veterinary Medicine for saving his best friend from a dire cancer prognosis. David MacNeil, owner of WeatherTech, is airing a 30-second spot as a thank you and a call for people to donate to the school. Kim Bellware, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for a story about a very lucky dog.

Finally, a story about Randy Constant, a Missouri farmer who led a double life and masterminded one of the biggest frauds in the history of organic farming. Constant sold organic feed grain that wasn’t really organic. And once it got into the supply chain, it meant that all the poultry and cattle that ate the feed also were not organic, despite being labeled so. Mike Hendricks, investigative reporter at the Kansas City Star, joins us for how Constant cheated the system.

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201 U.S. citizens have been evacuated from the coronavirus zone in Wuhan, China. A plane left China, stopped in Alaska, and then made its way to March Air Reserve Base in California. Passengers were screened multiple times on the way and will be quarantined for 72 hours and then monitored for about 14 days. Corbin Carson, reporter for KFI News in Los Angeles, joins us for what we know about these evacuations.

Next, it could all be over this Friday. The impeachment trial in the Senate continues and one of the biggest unknowns may have finally been settled. The big question was whether witnesses such as John Bolton could be called to testify, but after a Senate GOP lunch meeting, it seemed that senators had the votes to block witnesses and vote to wrap up the trial this week. Alexander Bolton, senior staff writer at The Hill, joins us for more.

Finally, we now know why stress turns your hair white. After experimenting with rats, scientists found that within the hair follicle, there is a reservoir of pigment regenerating stem cells that get depleted when you are stressed out and when that dries out, your hair turns gray. Eleanor Cummins, contributor to Popular Science joins us for the science behind stress and gray hairs.

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