The Daily Dive

Putin and Russia continue their attacks on Ukraine with civilians increasingly getting targeted in the fighting. A short-lived ceasefire was supposed to let people flee safely, but the shelling continued again. In Russia, anti-war protesters are being detained and a new law was just passed giving someone 15 years in prison for spreading what they call fake news about the invasion. Ukraine's President Zelensky in the meantime made pleas to NATO for a no-fly zone and to the U.S. to provide more support including an embargo on Russian oil. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and the latest on Trump and the Jan. 6 committee.

Next, for months many parents have been waiting for Covid vaccines for their children under 5. Instead there has been growing confusion and frustration at shifting timelines, delays, and poor communication from the FDA. Also in question is whether the vaccine for very young children will be a two or three dose protocol. Pfizer and Moderna say more data for this age group will be coming very soon and that authorization could hopefully come by April or May. Caroline Chen, healthcare reporter at ProPublica, joins for what's holding up the vaccine for kids under 5.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Educators have been experimenting with new grading systems since before the pandemic, but when everything switched to remote learning and students were having a tough time keeping up, many teachers did away with the traditional A-F grades. Some experiments include relaxing penalties for late or incomplete work and retaking exams once an understanding of the material had been established. Valerie Strauss, education reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for the hunt for a fairer grading system.

Next, New York City is about to let non-citizens vote in elections for mayor, City Council and other local elections. This will not include undocumented immigrants, but is open to about 800,000 green card holders and others authorized to work in the country. Lawsuits have already been filed and opponents say it could dilute the power of Black voters. Erin Durkin, reporter at Politico New York, joins us for more.

Finally, the office romance might have made a comeback, and it happened all over Zoom. Two years of isolation led to many making more connections over video chats and Slack with co-workers. Even for front-line workers, smaller social circles meant spending more time with and falling for your fellow employee. Callum Borchers, On the Clock columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how workplace loved bloomed despite being at home.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Biden tried to strike a tone of unity during his State of the Union speech and at key points it seems he succeeded. Speaking about the country’s support for the Ukrainian people and opposition to Putin’s invasion Biden received applause from both sides of the aisle. He later highlighted issues that do garner bipartisan support like fixing the opioid epidemic, funding the police, mental health and fighting cancer. The Republican response focused on what we might be seeing during the midterm elections… a focus on parents and education and hammering Biden on inflation. Julia Manchester, national political reporter at The Hill, joins us for all the fallout.

Next, in another preview of what we could be seeing in the midterm elections, Texas had its primary and the establishment seems to have maintained the momentum for now. No incumbent Republican was ousted especially Gov. Greg Abbott who won easily despite some early pushback from the right. President Trump was also a player in the primary as he supported some 16 House incumbents and 2 candidates in open seats. David Siders, national political reporter at Politico, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We could be in store for a more brutal phase of fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We have seen some civilian targets be hit and deaths as a result, but all eyes are on this Russian convoy headed toward Kyiv. In the meantime, the isolation of Putin and his country continue as financial and social sanctions hamper the economy and keeps Russians from participating in world events. Dave Lawler, world editor at Axios, joins us for more.

Next, the refugee crisis as a result of the Ukrainian invasion is shaping up to be a huge concern. Over 600,000 people have fled to nearby countries and the numbers are rising. The good news is that Europe is opening its doors when they had been more reluctant in situations past. Lara Jakes, diplomatic correspondent at the NY Times, joins us for how the U.S. and others are handling the influx of Ukrainians.

Finally, with cases of Covid dropping and mask mandates going away, it does seem that we are moving to the next phase of the pandemic, but how many people have actually been infected with coronavirus? A new analysis of blood tests that reveal antibodies from infection estimates that 140 million people have come down with it, that’s 43% of the country that has had a natural infection. Dan Keating, health reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for this and how a majority of children have also been infected.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The West has pressed on with more sanctions and economic punishment for Putin and Russia causing the ruble to crash and closing down their stock market. The big question still remains, how long can Putin let his country feel the economic effects of a prolonged attack. For now, U.S. officials have ruled out imposing a no-fly zone, for fear of a larger conflict. The invasion is even affecting other countries such as Germany which has pledged to dramatically increase its defense spending. Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for how a harsher strategy is being taken with Putin.

Next, we are seeing doctors around the world reporting that patients are coming in with the sudden onset of Tourette’s-like tics. Particularly they are seeing more teenage girls which do not fit the typical profile of someone with Tourette’s and more interesting, many of them seem to share the same outbursts, leading some to believe that social media could be behind it. Theories have gone around suggesting it could be mass psychogenic illness or another condition called functional neurological disorder. Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for what could be behind these new-style tics.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukraine has agreed to talk with Russia hoping to end the invasion, but say they want peace talks and are not ready to surrender. There is little hope for a resolution as Putin has ratcheted up the tensions by ordering his nuclear deterrent forces to be on high alert and with Ukrainians banding together, Russian forces are having a more difficult time taking over the country. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for more.

Next, as Covid infections are dropping, Americans are going back to bars, movies and sporting events but one place they aren't going back to is the office. Employers are doing everything they can to get their workers back, but many have found a work-life balance that they don't want to let go of. It's not even about Covid as 61% of remote workers are doing so by choice. Callum Borchers, On The Clock columnist at the WSJ, joins us for why workers just don't want to go back.

Finally, the days of the International Space Station are numbered as NASA plans to retire it by 2031. It will be quite a spectacle as the plans are to gradually lower it closer to earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. With this massive hole in low Earth orbit, it will also set off the race for private companies to be the next big space research hub. Amanda Schupak, contributor at The Daily Beast, tells us what's next for the ISS.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.