The Daily Dive

30,000 active-duty service members still have yet to be vaccinated despite mandates and some deadlines already passing. To be clear, the vaccination rate stands at more than 97%, but some are instead resigning or facing honorable discharges. Lawsuits are pending and thousands have requested religious exemptions, although none have been granted. Melissa Hernandez, reporter at the LA Times, joins us for more.

Next, CES 2022 is here and it’s time to take a look at the tech we could be using very soon or prototypes of things to come. The Metaverse featured well at CES with products like the Pebble Feel, which is a hot and cold simulator that can replicate shifting weather. We also saw a fully autonomous tractor from John Deere that could revolutionize farming and a stuffed animal robot that nibbles your finger. Dalvin Brown, personal tech reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what’s at CES.

Finally, plant-based fried chicken is coming to KFC. Beyond meat has partnered with them and are debuting faux chicken nuggets that are made using “whole muscle” technology that imitate cuts of meat like chicken breasts. Amelia Lucas, restaurant reporter at CNBC.com joins us for KFC’s new Beyond Fried Chicken.

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The anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots is upon us and members of Congress are still investigating all that went down on that day, but how has some of the extremism that took place that day shifted a year later? Much of it has moved to the local level. The shift has gone to local politics, school boards, and county health boards. Ben Collins, senior reporter at NBC News, joins us for how this shift to a local level has a purpose.

Next, looking back at 2021, we saw a big drop in engagement with news content. 2020 was a huge year with Trump still in office and the onset of the pandemic and people were tuned in all the time. But a year later as Covid fatigue set in, people diverted their attention elsewhere like streaming content and sports. Neal Rothschild, Director of Audience and Growth at Axios, joins us for how many tuned out in 2021.

Finally, Omicron has definitely thrown a wrench into back-to-school plans for students as many districts shifted last minute to remote learning after the holiday break. For parents, the constant changes have left them frustrated trying to adjust to evolving plans and confused on what to do. The students aren’t faring better either. Maggie Astor, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for more.

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Covid cases continue to rise in the U.S. as the Omicron variant proves to be highly transmissible. The rise in infections has reignited the conversation over masks which now has some doctors and healthcare systems saying cloth masks may not be enough, recommending that you pair them with surgical masks or upgrade to other options like KN95 masks. Nidhi Subbaraman, science reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

Next, we have seen a rise in violent incidents at schools both minor and major, everything from fights to gun possession and drug use. On top of other difficulties facing schools, administrators are dealing with tough questions on how best to respond to disciplinary issues and advocates fear that suspensions and expulsions could add to problems for vulnerable students. Erin Einhorn, national reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

Finally, a lot has been made of the Metaverse and the blurring of lines between our real world lives and our digital lives. One of the latest things we have seen in this realm is getting married and there could be a lot of perks to having a digital marriage such as unlimited guests or even out of this world destinations. Steven Kurutz, features reporter at the NY Times, joins us for one couples’ wedding in the Metaverse.

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Checking in on our furry friends and the people who help keep them healthy… the pandemic has caused all sorts of backlogs at veterinary offices. Vet staff has been increasingly stressed out as there have been spikes in demand for services, slowed-down curbside protocols, labor shortages, and pets having to be turned away in some cases. HG Watson, contributor to the Guardian, joins for what to know.

Next, every wonder why you feel like you might not fit into a particular political party? Americans are divided for sure, but it goes beyond a left or right thing. Even within each party there are deep divides. Pew Research sorted American ideologies into nine distinct categories, four that lean left, four that lean right, and stressed sideliners in the middle. And for those that do fit into the center, they often hold little common ground. Baxter Oliphant, senior researcher at the Pew Research Center, joins us for the wide spectrum of political beliefs.

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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.

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Work burnout has been an issue for some time, but the pandemic has shown many people just how much their work has taken over their lives. With constant meetings and new pressures people are struggling to take control. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a life-changing event to realize it. Rachel Feintzeig, work and life columnist at the WSJ, joins us for why maybe you should care a little less to get your life back.

Next, what happens when you order things online and send them back? You may think it makes its way back to the shelf and on its way to another person, but that is rarely true. Oftentimes items make their way to bulk resellers overseas, stripped for parts, or just thrown away. Returns are a big problem for companies that are expected to have generous return policies as a default. These reverse logistics are many times cost prohibitive to deal with. Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for the nasty logistics of returning your online items.

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A recent top-secret cable was sent to C.I.A. stations across the world saying that dozens of informants used as spies for the U.S. have been captured, killed, or compromised. According to one expert, because of technology, the old way of spying has become obsolete. Biometric scans, facial recognition and even cell phones are revealing key facts about movements, patterns, and life associations. Ken Dilanian, national security correspondent at NBC News, joins us for more.

Next, famed TV artist Bob Ross is one of history's most prolific painters racking up almost 30 thousand paintings in his lifetime, but you'd be hard pressed to find one of his original works in the open market. There are a few reasons why you might not find these paintings being sold. First off, Bob Ross Inc. which owns the majority of his work, has them locked away in a warehouse, but they make more money selling paints and painting supplies using his name. Secondly, many of his paintings are already sitting in homes across the country. His paintings can sell for over $10 thousand. Zach Crockett, senior writer at The Hustle, joins us for why it's so hard to find an original Bob Ross painting.

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Where have all the restaurant and retail workers impacted by the pandemic gone? Many of them went to work in the marijuana industry. There is now an estimated 321,000 workers in the legal cannabis industry. Workers in this industry say they are finding better hours, benefits, and more opportunities to advance. Abha Bhattarai, national retail reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for marijuana jobs have been a refuge for retail and restaurant workers.

Next, could “luxury mystery boxes” be the future of high-end discount shopping? A new solution for selling off overstock and off-season clothing has emerged in these mystery boxes which can sell anywhere from $700 to $2000. The only catch is that you don’t know what is in the box until you open it. The high-end merch in these boxes is said to be 2-3 times the retail value of the box, but there’s a chance it could always be a bust. This has even spilled over into the online arena with unboxing videos. Jacob Gallagher, fashion reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what these mystery boxes mean for the fashion economy.

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You’re not crazy… you are spending more time in that fast food drive-thru and they are also a little less accurate. A new study done with mystery shoppers found we are spending about a minute more in these lines than we were last year. When it comes to accuracy, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell top the list. Amelia Lucas, restaurant reporter at CNBC.com, joins us for what to know.

Next, when things go wrong at an Airbnb, a specialized safety team mobilizes to help the problems go away. In some cases violent crimes or even severe property damage is taken care of by this secretive PR who is armed with NDAs and millions of dollars in settlement money. Team members have said that the job is nerve-wracking trying to balance the interests of the guests, hosts, and especially the company. Olivia Carville, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how Airbnb is spending millions to make bad news go away.

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