The Daily Dive

This year many iconic toy brands are hitting milestone anniversaries. Barbie is 60, Sesame Street is 40, Little Mermaid is 30, and SpongeBob is 20. And while no kid wants an old toy, toymakers are repackaging these classics into special-edition versions. Updated toys for the kids, but capitalizing on the nostalgia factor for the parents. Ellen Byron, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how toy companies are navigating these age milestones.

Next, be careful of what you buy from third party sellers on Amazon. You could be buying trash… literally. Some sellers are buying liquidation items or even dumpster diving and then turning around and selling them on Amazon. As an experiment, some WSJ reporters went trash picking, set up a store on Amazon and sold their dumpster products. Khadeeja Safdar, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how some third party sellers are using a program called Fulfillment by Amazon to get away with this.

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Historic moment for the United States as President Donald Trump becomes the third president in American history to be impeached. Both articles- Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress, passed along party lines. The next step is to move to a trial in the Senate in the new year where Republicans have said they will not remove him from office, Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters joins us to talk about the impeachment vote, and the legacy of President Trump and Nancy Pelosi.

Next, some new findings from the Monitoring the Future survey. Teenagers are drinking less alcohol, smoking fewer cigarettes, and trying fewer hard drugs. But while these trends are good news, there has been a sharp increase in the vaping of nicotine and marijuana. The survey looks at eighth, 10th and 12th graders and says that young people have gotten the wrong message on vaping, thinking that it is not harmful. Matt Richtel, reporter for the NY Times, joins us for what the survey shows, youth drug use and experimentation continues to go through an evolution.

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Ugly Christmas sweaters have started to take cues from their autumn cousin, the sexy Halloween costume, in their absurdity. Santa Claus is no longer the jolly old fat man, rather he is getting naughtier…pooping down chimneys and telling you about that big package he has for you. There are now hundreds of retailers stocking up on ugly sweaters with varying degrees of raunchiness. Maura Judkis, reporter at the Washington Post joins us for the evolution of the ugly Christmas sweater.

Next, the largest private security company in the world, G4S, has a problem with guns. It can’t seem to keep track of all the guns they supply to their security guards. An investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shows that more than 600 guns have been reported lost or stolen and they sometimes end up being used in violent crimes and even murders. Gina Barton, investigative reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, joins us to talk about the hundreds of guns lost by G4S and where they were found.

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After filing for bankruptcy and closing more than 800 stores, Toys “R” us is back with a new format and more surveillance. With 2 new stores in Texas and New Jersey, the new format lets kids play with toys before they buy, but what really caught people’s attention were the new cameras embedded in the ceiling. Louise Matsakis, staff writer at Wired, joins us for how physical retailers are monitoring your every move in new ways.

Next, The Supreme Court refused to hear a major case on homelessness and let stand a ruling that protects the rights of homeless people to sleep on sidewalks or public spaces if no shelter is available. Critics say that this will cripple the ability of local governments to maintain the health and safety of their communities. David Savage, reporter for the LA Times, joins us for more.

Finally, with the impeachment vote in the House coming this week, the tribalization of politics will be almost complete. We’ve seen is play out in the process so far as Republicans and Democrats continue to support or oppose the president along party lines. Gerald Seib, executive Washington editor at the WSJ, joins us to talk about how divided the parties are.

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The House will be holding a historic vote this week and is expected to impeach President Trump. After that it all goes to the Senate trial in the new year. Sen. Mitch McConnell is getting a lot of heat for already saying that he will be working with the White House and the president will not be removed from office. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us for more impeachment news and also some questionable pardons coming from Kentucky’s outgoing governor, Matt Bevin. 

Next, we speak with Charlie Harding, one of the hosts of the Switched on Pop Podcast and author of the new book Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why It Matters. On the podcast Charlie and his co-host Nate Sloan dissect pop on a musical level and the book offers a blueprint for how to learn more about what makes music great so you can understand and appreciate popular music and other genres. Charlie also fills us in on what we should be listening for besides just the rhythm and lyrics so you can expand your palette of hearing.

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

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

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The House Judiciary Committee was debating the articles of impeachment before it is sent over to the full House for a vote next week where President Trump is expected to become the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. Democrats are bracing for some defections from moderates, but still expect to pass it. Juliegrace Brufke, House reporter at The Hill, joins us for more.

Next, GEDmatch, the genealogy website that helped crack the Golden State Killer case has been sold to a forensic genetics firm that wants to make tools for DNA analysis and allow access to their database. The deal shows how this still developing field is drawing interest from those looking to profit. Peter Aldhous, science reporter at BuzzFeed News, joins us for more on Verogen, the new owner of GEDmatch.

Finally, property owners once saw short-term rental sites like Airbnb as threats, but now they are embracing the business model. Startups are leasing blocks of furnished apartments under long-term rentals and then renting those out to travelers for stays of a few weeks to as short as one night. Konrad Putzier, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how apartment landlords are becoming the new hoteliers.

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16-year-old Greta Thunberg who rose to prominence this year for her passionate pleas for governments to take action on climate change has been named the 2019 Time Person of the Year. The teen has become the leading face of a movement that has inspired millions of young people, speaking before the United Nations, and meetings with numerous heads of state including the pope. Charlotte Alter, national correspondent for Time, joins us for why Greta Thunberg is the person of the year.

Next, as we approach the end of the decade, let’s take a look at the gadgets that made an impact. The story of tech in the 2010s is the story of gadgets being present in all parts of our lives all the time. The Verge has compiled a list of the top 100 gadgets of the decade that range from small mundane gadgets that we used to pass the time to smartphones that set precedent for all other phones for years to come. Jake Kastrenakes, editor at The Verge, joins us for more.

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House Democrats have announced two articles of impeachment against President Trump focusing only on his dealings with Ukraine. He is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. And now the timetable moves fast, the committee votes this week, then the entire House next week. Alex Gangitano, reporter at The Hill joins us for how President Trump is on his way to be impeached in the House.

Next, the Merriam-Webster word of the year… is They. Lookups for they increased 313% in 2019 over the previous year. While it is a very common word, more recently they has been used to refer to one person whose gender identity is nonbinary. Other words that made the list for the top of 2019 include quid pro quo, crawdad, and tergiversation. Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, joins us for more on the words of the year.

Finally, at the same time that House Democrats are trying to impeach the president, they are also delivering him a political victory. Nancy Pelosi announced that there is an agreement on the USMCA, the trade pact to replace NAFTA. After winning the endorsement of the president of the AFL-CIO labor union, it is on track to be passed before the Christmas break. Ian Kullgren, reporter at Politico, joins us for more.

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