The Daily Dive

Another round of primaries across the country teases more of what to expect once we get to the midterms.  In California, we saw a turnout problem for Democrats and a blow to progressive district attorneys with a successful recall of the San Francisco DA.  Crime and homelessness figures to be a top issue in the LA mayor’s race and we’ll tell you how Trump’s picks fared.  David Siders, national political correspondent at Politico, joins us for top takeaways.

Next, more than 90 women and girls have filed $1 billion in claims against the FBI for the mishandling of the Larry Nassar investigation. Nassar was the doctor to the national woman’s gymnastics team when concerns were reported to the FBI and they didn’t take the claims seriously, didn’t document evidence received and made false statements to cover their mistakes in the investigation.  Louise Radnofsky, sports reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, a new study is showing that a drug approved to treat Type 2 diabetes is also extremely effective at reducing obesity.  The drug called tirzepatide works on hormones that help control blood sugar and sends signals to the brain that the stomach is full.  People in the study lost as much at 21% of their body weight, 50-60 pounds in some cases.  Karen Weintraub, health and medicine reporter at USA Today, joins us for how this drug has the potential to change the way doctors treat weight related issues.

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A recent trial for a cancer drug yielded some amazing results for those that participated.  Complete remission for every patient.  It was a very small trial with only 18 patients with rectal cancer, so caution is encouraged as much work needs to be done to replicate the results, but there has been no other study in which a treatment completely removed cancer in every patient.  Gina Kolata, medical reporter at the NY Times, joins us for what we know about the latest study.

Next, we have seen what has been going on in the housing market and with sky high rents, but all these increases are also hitting one of the country’s most affordable housing options… mobile homes.  Costs of manufactured homes are on the rise, but so is the rent for the land that they sit on.  In some cases, those costs are doubling or tripling.  Abha Bhattarai, economics correspondent at the Washington Post, joins us for how high demand, low inventory and corporate owners are impacting it all.

Finally, vaccine experts advising the FDA have endorsed a new Covid vaccine made by Novavax saying that the shot’s benefits outweigh any risks associated with it.  The vaccine will still need full approval before coming on the market, but it will be the first one available using a more traditional, protein-based technology.  Liz Essley Whyte, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know about its effectiveness and concerns.

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Schools have been struggling to meet the mental health needs of students and new data is showing just how much the pandemic has impacted them.  7 in 10 public schools are seeing a rise in children seeking services and 76% of faculty and staff have expressed concerns about depression and anxiety in students since the start of the pandemic.  Laura Meckler, national education reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how only about half of schools surveyed say they can effectively provide needed services.

Next, at the beginning of the year there was a lot of talk in California about vaccine mandates and requirements for employees and students.  Now, as politics and Covid fatigue have set in, those plans are all doomed.  Low vaccination rates in children and pushback from unions representing police and firefighters have also played big role in doing away with the plans.  Rachel Bluth, correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins us for how the most popular vaccine legislation has been those to ban them.

Finally, after two years of the pandemic, many are reviving their efforts to connect with more people in their networks and it could be overwhelming.  But how many friends do you actually need?  Research says that the magic number of close friends is about 3-5.  Fostering these relationships take time and energy with research saying it takes 200 hours to become close with someone.  Allie Volpe, senior reporter at Vox, joins us for more.

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More gun violence over the weekend is still putting pressure on a bipartisan group of senators to come to a consensus on new gun laws.  This group of 9 say they have a framework for legislation that could deal with mental health services and school security, expanded background checks, and red flag laws.  Some feel that there could be momentum as polls signal that majorities of people support new laws after tragedies in Uvalde, Buffalo, and Tulsa.  Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this, President Biden struggling with multiple crises, and former President Trump could be on the brink of another run.

Next, for the past eight months we have seen hundreds of mysterious hepatitis cases in children around the world.  At least 38 children have required liver transplants and nine have died.  While these numbers remain low, it has changed the lives of those affected.  One such case happened in Ohio, were 4-year-old Liviah came down with hepatitis for still unknown reasons and deteriorated so quickly that she needed a transplant.  She survived and now her parents are now on a mission to inform others  about warning signs and encourage people to be donors.  Emily Anthes, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for the story of Liviah’s new liver.

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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we continue to ride another Covid wave some people are testing positive for the coronavirus for 10 days or longer, leading them to ask questions about how long they might be infectious to others and if they need to continue isolating.  The answers are unclear because antigen tests could be picking up leftover viral debris but you can otherwise be free of symptoms.  Emily Anthes, science reporter at the NY Times, joins us for what to know.

Next, Gen z is shifting their attitudes when it comes to work.  For a long time they were looking for work that could make a difference and that would align with their values, but as inflation and student loan debt continue to rise, they are willing to ditch some of those values for a better paycheck.  Callum Borchers, On the Clock columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how entering the workforce during the pandemic is changing some minds.

Finally, a productivity tool used by some with ADHD is gaining ground in online circles.  People looking for a way to stay motivated are turning to a virtual co-working model called “body doubling” on places like TikTok.  People needing help with work or even just doing chores like laundry are finding that this process helps keep them accountable and stay productive.  Kelsey Ables, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for why body doubling is catching on.

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Are you finally ready for things to be back to normal this summer?  Think again.  A worker shortage means that some businesses will work on limited hours or be closed altogether.  No one is applying for some of these summer job and that is leading to higher labor costs and higher prices.  Sarah Chaney Cambon, labor economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how many places are cutting back operations despite high demand.

Next, President Biden is expressing frustration over continued low approval ratings and not being able to catch a break as multiple crises have piled up.  Inflation, high gas prices, a baby formula shortage, and what to do about gun violence have all hit at the same time.  The focus now turns to how to fix the issues, but also what would be a winning message as we head into the midterms.  Peter Nicholas, senior national political reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

Finally, as we get through the current wave of Covid infections, it seems that the effort to update vaccines can’t keep up with the changes in the virus itself.  While still dealing with the Omicron variant, we are seeing subvariants that appear to be more resistant to antibodies and evade protection from previous infection.  Clinical trials are under way for updated vaccines, but the FDA will decide this summer if we will move forward with them.  Caitlin Owens, healthcare reporter at Axios, joins us for what to know.

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Have you ever tried to read the different privacy policies of all the apps on your phone?  No one has!  Our next guest tried to see how much reading he would have to do to get through all of it and it came out to 1 million words.  It’s one of the ongoing discussions around what data is collected and how it is shared, but rarely does anyone get through it, much less understand it all.  To that end, tech companies are trying to simplify the language of these policies and make it more digestible.  Lawmakers are even working on legislation that could make the policies clearer.  Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at the Washington Post, joins us for how we could use technology to protect our privacy, not just invade it.

Next, plant-based food has come a long way in the last decade and has much more to go, but it hasn’t always tasted the best and it’s a hurdle that companies will have to overcome as we look to the future.  Many companies are still banking on a plant-based future as they continue to pour billions of dollars into the industry, but to capture the stomachs of more customers they will have to battle rising meat consumption and continue to improve flavors.  Kenny Torrella, reporter at Vox, tells us what he’s learned from months of eating vegan food samples.

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