The Daily Dive

Last week the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit trying to challenge Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act has now withstood three different challenges and the Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that Texas and other Republican led states had no standing to bring this lawsuit forward. Sen. Joe Manchin also outlined demands on voting legislation in hopes for a potential compromise. A vote on this should be coming this week. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and also how emails showed how much pressure Trump put on his Justice Department to help overturn the election.

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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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.

Even as more parts of the country continue to fully reopen from the pandemic, you’re going to keep seeing what many are calling “Hygiene Theater.” Think plexiglass dividers, scanning QR codes for menus, and the constant cleaning of surfaces, despite surface contact not being a significant transmitter of the virus. These actions have much more to do with making customers feel better than it does with science. Marc Fisher, senior editor at The Washington Post, joins us for how long this “hygiene theater” may last.

Next, we have a new tech alert. Over the next few weeks, a company named Kernel will be shipping out a high tech helmet that can read your mind. It can analyze electrical impulses and blood flow and researchers hope it can help gain insight into brain aging, mental disorders, strokes, and even what happens to the brain during meditation and even psychedelic trips. Kernel’s CEO, Bryan Johnson is an interesting character himself and hopes that these helmets can further our understanding of the brain. Ashlee Vance, writer at Bloomberg Businessweek, joins us for more.

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President Biden and Vladimir Putin had their much anticipated summit on Wednesday and both walked away saying the meeting was positive and constructive. Biden said he pressed Putin on recent cyberattacks and human rights issues, but Putin didn’t seem to cede much ground. They did agree to allow their ambassadors to return to their posts, begin strategic stability talks on nuclear arms, and consultations on cybersecurity issues. Nahal Toosi, foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, joins us for key takeaways.

Next, the housing market continues to have a much lower supply of homes needed to meet demand and now we have a better idea of how many are needed. A new report by the National Association of Realtors says we need 5.5 million more housing units, everything from single family homes to multi-family units. The report does call for policy responses, some of which are in President Biden’s infrastructure proposal. Nicole Friedman, housing reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, the Federal Reserve expects inflation to rise about 3.4% this year and conversations started swirling about what it means for the markets and the economy, but what does it mean for normal people? The short answer… expect higher prices for everything from used cars and airline fares to groceries and gas. Alicia Adamczyk, money reporter at CNBC, joins us for what a rise in inflation means for you.

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A new study done by the National Institutes of Health is showing that in five states, some people were infected with Covid-19 before those states recorded their first cases. Blood samples collected between January and March of 2020 were tested for antibodies… out of 24,000 samples, nine came back positive. While these cases were earlier than previously recorded it does show that there wasn’t much community spread at the time. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, we have been seeing a lot of bad behavior on airplanes recently. Disruptions by passengers due to alcohol and especially their refusal to wear masks has been on the rise. The FAA has not been shy about publicizing the fines associated with unruly passengers and proposed a $15,000 fine for one man who wasn’t wearing his mask and drinking alcohol on the plane when it was prohibited. Hannah Sampson, travel reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the rise of conflicts in the air.

Finally, be warned when making plans this summer… everyone has the same idea as you. Right now, national and state parks are being overwhelmed with people trying to enjoy outdoors activities. At Arches National Park in Utah, they reach capacity and close gates to visitors most days before 9am. You have to also be ready for long lines just to get in anywhere. Allison Pohle, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how it’s packed everywhere, even outdoors.

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Israel has a new prime minister for the first time since 2009. Benjamin Netanyahu is out and Naftali Bennett is in. With this change in leadership, the Biden administration sees an opportunity to defuse tensions over Iran and other policy disagreements, but the new government in Israel is fragile and consists of eight parties with varying interests. Vivian Salama, national security reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, a new coronavirus vaccine may soon be available from Novavax as they say their two-dose shot is 90% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19. While it may not make much of an impact in the U.S., it is expected to be a welcome addition to global vaccination efforts. Approval may still take a few months as they ramp up their manufacturing processes, but it is still a big win for Novavax who has never won an approval for a vaccine. Peter Loftus, pharmaceutical reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know.

Finally, the latest Gallup survey shows that those reluctant to take the Covid-19 vaccine are likely to stay that way. Over 64% have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and another 12% say they plan to. But of those that are left, over half of them say that they won’t be vaccinated and won’t change their minds.  The biggest worry people have now is not getting sick, but those that don’t want their shots. Jeffrey Jones, senior editor at Gallup, joins us for what the latest numbers say.

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Over the weekend a judge threw out a lawsuit by employees of Houston Methodist Hospital after the hospital mandated that they get Covid vaccines. 117 employees joined the failed lawsuit alleging they did not want to be part of the vaccine experiment. Many legal experts agree that employers can mandate vaccinations as conditions of employment. The G-7 summit also agreed this past weekend to give one billion vaccine doses to poorer countries, half of which will be supplied by the U.S. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and a preview of President Biden's meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Next, it's becoming a lot more common in the lives of high-profile people and celebrity circles... non-disclosure agreements. Want to party with a celeb or get romantically involved? You might have to sign an NDA, but there are questions of legality and enforcement. Even some of the lawyers that draft up NDA's inform their clients that while they might feel more comfortable having people sign them, not all parts could be enforceable. Many people are confused or regret signing them and it's important to know that these protect the celebrity, not the person signing them. Hallie Lieberman, sex historian and contributor to Buzzfeed News, joins us for more.

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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.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.