The Daily Dive

In a surprise ruling for many, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction, paving the way for him to be immediately released from prison. He is already home. The justices ruled that since the previous prosecutor said he would not charge Cosby in exchange for testimony in a deposition, any further prosecution would be barred. Lou Shapiro, criminal defense attorney and legal analyst, joins us for what to know about the ruling.

Next, we are seeing record temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and an early start to wildfire season causing concern for local officials and the Biden administration. In response officials are planning to roll out measures designed to lower the risk of these fires and also raise the pay for federal wildland firefighters in the hopes of retaining them at the end of the season. Andrew Freedman, climate and energy reporter at Axios, joins us for how we are preparing for wildfire season.

Finally, the champ has been dethroned. No longer can Los Angeles claim it has the worst traffic, a title it has held since 1982. Now, the New York-Newark region has the worst traffic distinction with people spending over 494,000 hours stuck in traffic. Los Angeles dropped off the top spot all because of the pandemic and stay-at-home orders. Jordan Mendoza, reporter at USA Today, joins us for more.

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The search continues for unaccounted people at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Florida as we hear of more red flags that were raised about the building going back to 2018 and even just two days before it collapsed. An engineering consultant indicated in a 2018 report that concrete damage would multiply exponentially over the years, despite residents being told the building was in good shape. Elisha Fieldstadt, reporter at NBC News, joins us for some of the building warning signs.

Next, car dealers are selling more vehicles above the sticker price as demand continues to remain high while supply is low. Dealers are loading cars with extra additions and in some cases charging 10,000 over MSRP. Nora Naughton, auto industry reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why dealers are selling cars for so much, the short answer… is because they can.

Finally, the Arizona ballot audit could be backfiring on Republicans as polls continue to show that half of voters oppose it, with independent voters opposing it by 18 points. The counting is done for now, but next comes the report which is expected to be partisan. The polls however do show that voters in AZ might not want Biden to run for a second term. Marc Caputo, national political reporter at Politico, joins us for why there is opposition to the audit.  

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A new study has some good news for the lingering question about how long immunity lasts after being vaccinated. The mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna set off a persistent immune reaction in the body that could protect against the virus for years. The study suggests the most people immunized with mRNA vaccines might not need booster shots, unless the virus and variants evolve too much. Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for more.

Next, U.S. forces in Syria came under rocket fire a day after the U.S. launched airstrikes against militias backed by Iran in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. airstrike was described as a defensive attack after seeing an uptick in drone strikes from the militias. These new Iranian-made drones can be capable of evading U.S. surveillance and defenses. Courtney Kube, national security correspondent at NBC News, joins us for the latest military actions in the area.

Finally, we are seeing people leave unemployment rolls faster in states that have cancelled enhanced unemployment benefits than in those keeping them in place. Businesses are still having a tough time attracting workers and keeping them from quitting, and many suspected that workers were still reluctant to go back into the workforce because of these extra benefits. Eric Morath, labor and economics reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how people are looking for jobs now that unemployment benefits are ending.

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Vice President Harris went to the U.S./Mexico border last week, former President Trump and a group of House Republicans are also making a trip. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this, a bipartisan framework agreed upon for infrastructure, and how election attacks continue to persist in Michigan and Arizona.

Next, some hopeful news on the treatment of cancer. The same mRNA technology that is used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be used to help treat cancer. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for how mRNA tech is being used for more than Covid.

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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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Speaking out publicly for the first time about the conservatorship that has controlled her life for 13 years, Britney Spears pleaded with a judge to end it and detailed how over the years she has been forced to work against her will, be drugged, and prevented from removing a birth control device so she could have more kids. Spears mentioned that she just wanted to be heard and the conservatorship to be ended without another psychological evaluation. Lisa Richwine, entertainment reporter at Reuters, was on the scene in the courtroom and details what she heard and why it may still be a long road to #FreeBritney.

Next, federal regulators are warning firefighters about the risks of putting out electric vehicle fires. One of the big issues is the lithium-ion batteries that power the cars. When the cars catch fire, the stored energy in those batteries often heat up and continue to reignite. In one case it took seven hours and 28,000 gallons of water to put the electric car fire out completely. Regulators are calling for more firefighter training on how to put them out. Cyrus Farivar, investigative tech reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday handed down a student free speech ruling siding with Brandi Levy, the cheerleader who in 2017 posted a profane Snapchat post while off-campus after she didn’t make the varsity cheer squad. Levy was then suspended from the cheer program for one year. The Justices ruled 8-1 that the punishment did violate her First Amendment rights. Bianca Quilantan, education reporter at Politico, joins us for the Court’s first major student free speech case since 2007.

Next, we have been hearing a lot about unruly passengers on flights recently and the thousands of dollars in penalties they face, but now Airline industry groups, flight attendants and lawmakers want more done to help out. Airline reps want the Attorney General to prosecute unruly passengers and there are even call for mandatory self- defense training for flight attendants who have to deal with angry flyers. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for more.

Finally, the idea of that one big TV hit that brings everyone together may be already dead.  Shows definitely still have their fans, and passionate ones too, but gone are the universal hits and common entertainment culture. Steven Zeitchik, entertainment business writer at the Washington Post, joins us for why big TV hits may be no more. 

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The Delta variant of Covid-19 is getting a lot of attention lately as it is likely to become the dominant strain in the U.S. in the near future. This variant is more transmissible, can infect a large portion of those who have only had one dose of the vaccine, and can also cause more severe disease. Sarah Zhang, staff writer at the Atlantic, joins us for why health officials are using this variant of concern to push more people to be vaccinated.

Next, younger millennials and Gen Z are ditching traditional investments and pouring money into cryptocurrency and the technology that surrounds it. Part of the big shift is because many don’t trust traditional investment institutions, wanting to have fun with meme stocks, and also feeling like part of a community as they share research and tips. Taylor Locke, money reporter at CNBC, joins us for why younger investors are banking on crypto despite the volatility.

Finally, some find it creepy and others find it comforting, but people keep finding loved ones who have passed on Google Maps. Using a time travel feature on the site that allows people to look at street view going back to 2007, some are finding relatives forever memorialized on Google. There are questions however over how data associated with deceased people should be handled. Rebecca Heilweil, reporter at Recode by Vox, joins us for more.

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The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday against the NCAA and limits on academic-related benefits for student athletes. This ruling was narrow in that it has nothing to do with college athletes making money off of their image, name, and likeness or payments for on-field achievements. With this ruling, colleges may offer greater benefits such as graduate student scholarships, internships, computer equipment and more. Ben Strauss, sports and media reporter at the Washington Post, joins just for what this means for the movement to increase compensation for student athletes.

Next, more companies are pushing for employees to prove they are vaccinated for Covid-19. Most employers have not mandated that workers get vaccinated, but are implementing policies for those who choose not to get the shots like continued mask wearing. Employers are bolstered by new guidance that says they can require all workers entering a workplace to be vaccinated. Orla McCaffrey, consumer finance reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

Finally, the first new Alzheimer’s drug approved in almost 20 years is providing a lot of hope for those afflicted with the disease, but it is causing headaches for lawmakers in Washington. The high cost of the treatment, if approved by Medicare, could cost the government almost $57 billion a year. Benjy Sarlin, policy editor at NBC News, joins us for how taxpayers and patients could be squeezed by a costly drug whose benefits are questionable.

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