The Daily Dive

Beware of higher prices for everyday items. You’ll be paying more for everything from coffee to toilet paper… and big companies are betting that you’ll keep paying those prices. Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Verizon and others all plan to continue raising prices and push customers to more expensive products well into 2022 to help offset the growing costs of the supply chain crisis. Sharon Terlep, consumer products reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why companies think you’ll stick with them as things get more expensive.

Next, Halloween means it’s time for spooky movies and horror movies in general have had quite the evolution. Some of the best horror movies have acted as a mirror reflecting our own fears of the time back at us and built upon each other to get us where we are today. From the early days with the classic movie monsters, to the slashers and serial killer flicks, all the way to modern horror movies, they have all been commentaries of what is going on in the world at the time. Next step will be to see how the pandemic impacts the horror genre. Aja Romano, culture writer at Vox, joins us for the horror century of movies.

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The Facebook Papers are out and it is shedding more light on how executives there weighed various tradeoffs between their bottom line and impacts on public safety. In one instance, it took them years to implement a fix for the algorithm that was feeding people angry, emotional content filled with misinformation. If you used the angry emoji on a post instead of the like button, it carried more weight and then feed you more of the same, despite the signal that you did not like it. Jeremy Merrill, data reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, despite all the rain that dropped in West recently, it wasn’t enough to pull it out of a drought. Water continues to be scare, getting more expensive and it is leading places like California to invest in more water treatment facilities. Recycled wastewater get a bad rap because of where it’s coming from, but the filtration technology being used now is producing water so clean, it would actually harm you if minerals weren’t put back into it. Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired, joins us for why people should drink more recycled wastewater.

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A clearer picture is starting to develop of the situation that unfolded on the set of “Rust” where Alec Baldwin handled a firearm that discharged and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. We are learning that the assistant director who handed Baldwin the hot gun was also fired from another movie where a gun discharged too. Sonia Rao, pop culture reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how some basic safety protocols were not followed.

Next, there is a new effort to eliminate gender bias in new toys on the market and also the marketing associated with them. In California, a bill was signed requiring retailers to have gender-neutral sections for children items and toys. This is a move that many toy makers have been moving toward, but this law is bringing more attention to the issue. Allison Prang, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the fight over gender-neutral toys.

Finally, this coming election day, police are on the ballot in Minneapolis. If passed, the ballot initiative called “Question Two” would replace the police department with a department of public safety that would include officers, but also mental health and substance abuse experts. The new department would be overseen by the mayor and city council, but residents and public officials are split on the subject. Janelle Griffith, national reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

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Falling in line with what we heard from Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, Moderna has released interim data showing that their vaccine is also safe and produced the desired immune response in children ages 6-11. The dosage would be half of what it is for adults, but still come in a 2-shot protocol. Peter Loftus, pharmaceutical reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to expect as the vaccines get closer to being approved for children.

Next, remember all those vaccine lotteries? It went something like this… get you vaccine and you’re automatically entered to win a million bucks. 19 states in total ran some type of lottery and spent at least $89 million, unfortunately, they didn’t work too well. Research says that the increases were “very small in magnitude and statistically indistinguishable from zero.” Erin Schumaker, science editor at Business Insider, joins us for more.

Finally, for those that enjoy a good night out dancing with friends or having a drink, you may be asking when you can enjoy nightlife again. The pandemic changed a lot, but as things open up more, it is all about accessing your personal risk. Clubs and bars are after all perfect places to spread Covid with crowds of people and poor ventilation. Alex Abad-Santos, senior correspondent at Vox, joins us for what to know.

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Progress has been slow, but it seems that Biden's Build Back Better plan is back on track with a vote expected this week. The spending plan has been pared down to about $2 trillion from the initial $3.5 trillion. In order to get there, paid leave for new parents has been reduced, expanded Medicare that would include dental and vision will now be a voucher, and tuition free community college has been scrapped. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this, the Supreme Court taking on the Texas abortion law, and Dr. Fauci is in the GOP crosshairs again.

Next, we could very soon see mass firings across the country as deadlines for vaccine mandates approach. The federal government, certain states, and private companies have faced opposition from employees as some are still resisting their shots for a variety of reasons, but what happens after that? Disruptions to some essential services could occur as rehiring and training may lag. Firefighters, police, and nursing staff are not so easily replaced. Pedro Gonzalez, associate editor at Chronicles Magazine, joins us for more.

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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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A recent phenomena has been turning up in doctors’ offices where teen girls are exhibiting sudden and severe physical tics. After digging into it, many of the girls had one thing in common, they are were watching Tourette syndrome TikTok videos. Most of these teens had also previously been diagnosed with anxiety or depression, but girls with tics are rare and these teens had a high number of them and in some cases the same tic, such as saying the word ‘beans.’ Julie Jargon, family and tech columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how these tics were developing because of social media.

Next, former President Trump has announced that he will be launching a digital media network complete with a social media platform called “Truth Social.” With this venture he seems to be taking aim at everyone in three distinct divisions: social media, subscription based content and news, and even alternatives to internet services like AWS. Truth Social could be launching in early 2022, but there seems to be a lot of work yet to be done as some reports said the site was already hacked. Kia Kokalitcheva, tech and business reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

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In a first of its kind procedure, surgeons transplanted a pig kidney into a human and it immediately began to work. The kidney was grown in a genetically altered pig modified so the human body wouldn't reject the organ. While the procedure was a success, it was only monitored for 54 hours. So the big question is what would be the long-term viability of the organ. Roni Rabin, health writer at the NY Times, joins us for this success that could one day be a new source for transplant organs.

Next, the White House has unveiled its plan for getting kids aged 5-11 vaccinated once the Pfizer vaccine is approved for that age range. The vaccines would be distributed at pediatric offices, pharmacies, and schools. The vaccine would be two shots at a lower dosage given three weeks apart. Kids are largely spared the worst effects of the virus so the big hurdle will be getting parents to vaccinate their kids while there is already so much pushback. Sabrina Siddiqui, White House reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, a story of a multimillion-dollar shoplifting scheme run by a father-daughter duo. Robert and Noni Whitely have been sentenced to five years in prison after orchestrating a scheme that got them $6.1 million dollars over a decade. They would give shoplifters a list of items like razor blades, toothpaste, shampoo and over the counter drugs then turn around and sell them on online marketplaces at a discount. Lukas Alpert, financial crime reporter at MarketWatch, joins us for how it all happened

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Mix-n-match Covid booster shots could be on their way soon. The FDA may be allowing Americans to switch to another shot when choosing a booster. Preliminary data shows that it is still safe and gives a huge boost to your protection particularly if you had the J&J shot. The Pfizer vaccine boosted antibody levels by a factor of 35 and Moderna raised it 76-fold. Carl Zimmer, columnist at the NY Times, joins us for more on mix-match boosters.

Next, the Haitian gang accused of kidnapping American missionaries goes by the name of 400 Mawozo, and they have reportedly asked for $17 million, a ransom of $1 million per hostage. Kidnappings have increased as the president there was recently assassinated and poverty persists throughout the country. This group has been responsible for 80% of the kidnappings in the last few months. Miriam Berger, international news reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for what to know.

Finally, nearly 40% of state workers in California remain unvaccinated despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders. The orders are to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing and state workers are lagging compared to the general public. The big hurdle comes soon as state offices begin to reopen and the testing infrastructure still needs to be completed. Wes Venteicher, state worker reporter at the Sacramento Bee, joins us for more.

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