The Daily Dive

Some good news on the coronavirus front as we might be closer herd immunity than you think. More than 64% of adults have had at least one vaccine dose, and for those who haven’t had the vaccine, about half of them have natural immunity from prior infection. When you factor in natural immunity, the number of individuals protected is more than we think. Dr. Marty Makary, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author of “The Price We Pay: What Broke American Healthcare and How to Fix It,” joins us for why herd immunity is not so far off.

Next, tech companies are looking at ways of getting you over your Zoom fatigue and bringing holograms to the office for your next meeting. Projects at WeWork and Google are working on a new style of communication with holograms and avatars to make things feel more personal and allow you to read body language better. Ann-Marie Alcántara, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how this tech is closer to becoming an everyday reality.

Finally, as we see the demand for Covid-19 vaccines drop, Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses are being left unused and they could be expiring as soon as the end of this month. The doses only last about 3 months in the refrigerator and hundreds of thousands or more could go to waste. States want to redistribute or send these doses abroad, but there are very strict rules on how the vaccines can be reallocated. Laura Strickler, investigative reporter at NBC News, joins us for these expiring vaccines.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s something we always knew was happening, ultra-rich Americans paying little to no taxes even as their wealth increases. ProPublica has obtained IRS data on the top 25 richest Americans and how they maneuver the tax system by claiming very little taxable income, borrowing money, or reporting investment losses all to offset paying taxes. Between 2014 and 2018, these top 25 saw their worth rise a collective $401 billion, but paid a true tax rate of just 3.4%. Jeff Ernsthausen, senior data reporter at ProPublica, joins us for how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet and others sometimes get away with paying nothing in taxes.

Next, plant-based meats were already having a moment before the pandemic showing up in your grocery stores, fast food chains, and restaurants, but as meat and pork prices were going up do to the pandemic, these alternative meats were surging in options and dropping in price.  In 2020, we saw 112 new plant-based meat, egg, and dairy brands hit the shelves and people aren’t just trying them once, we are seeing repeat customers. Laura Riley, business of food reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how plant-based proteins are taking a bite out of Big Meat.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. was able to recover a portion of the money paid out in the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline. The FBI was able to seize $2.3 million of the $4.4 million that was paid to the Russian hacker group DarkSide. While some details are being kept secret by the Feds, they were able to access the private key to DarkSide’s digital bitcoin wallet. Kevin Collier, reporter at NBC News, joins us for the latest twist in this ransomware attack.

Next, the FDA has approved a new drug that could help all those that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first new Alzheimer’s drug approved in almost 20 years and targets proteins called amyloids that are thought to play a part in cognitive decline. More studies on its effectiveness will continue to be done and the treatment is very expensive, coming in at over $50,000 a year. Robert Langreth, science and health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

Finally, Amazon is currently sharing your internet connection with your neighbors and they didn’t even give you a chance to opt out. Using Amazon connected devices such as Echo smart speakers and Ring cameras, they launched a new kind of wireless network called Sidewalk. Amazon says it will improve the effectiveness of its devices, but you also have no control over the information shared on this network. Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at The Washington Post, joins us for how to turn off the Sidewalk network on your devices.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, there has been a growing community of sedition hunters who comb over hours of video and thousands of photos in the hopes of identifying those that stormed the Capitol building. These internet sleuths have even set up their own infrastructure to help with the effort with facial recognition databases and websites to help track suspects. The FBI appreciates the help and said that some of these tips have been helpful in dozens of cases. David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for the sedition hunters looking for insurrectionists.

Next, virtual brands are taking over your favorite food delivery apps. The pandemic has transformed the food industry and in a time when many restaurants were closing, food brands have proliferated. Big chains and even mom and pop restaurants are expanding the brands housed in their kitchens and offering burgers, pizza, and especially chicken wings all coming from the same kitchen, just under different names. Uber Eats estimates that there are over 10,000 virtual brands on its platform alone. Josh, Dzieza, investigations editor at the Verge, joins us for the rise of virtual brands and how to spot them… keep an eye out for those chicken wing spots.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is division in the Democratic party as Sen. Joe Manchin has said that he will not vote for the Democrats' voting rights bill or vote to change the filibuster rule. He said that doing this in a partisan manner will only continue to divide Congress. President Trump also made a return in a speech to North Carolina Republicans and threw out many familiar lines about the election being stolen. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and the broad strokes of what to expect in the upcoming UFO report...sorry, no aliens.

Next, a look into the public safety app that is pushing boundaries and unfortunately making some mistakes along the way. The Citizen app recently put out a reward for the capture of a man who they believed started a brush fire in Los Angeles. The man that was singled out, didn't actually have anything to do with the fire. The app was also considering branching out into somewhat of a private security force for a monthly fee. Former employees and some experts say that this new aggressive direction could do more harm than good. Cyrus Farivar, investigative tech reporter at NBC News, joins us for a look into the Citizen app.

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.

JBS, the second largest producer of beef, pork, and chicken is now fully operational after being the victim of a ransomware attack by a Russian group named REvil. Luckily the disruption to the food supply will be minimal, but workers going back had to put in some good old fashioned manual labor as many of the operations at these plants are automated. Elizabeth Elkin, agriculture reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for the latest ransomware attack on critical sectors of the U.S. economy.

Next, as many companies are debating what the road back to the office will look like, they better be prepared to make remote work a part of the equation. A recent survey showed that almost 40% of workers would quit a job if their employers were not flexible about working remotely. Top reasons for wanted to keep that set up is the lack of commute and cost savings associated with that. Anders Melin, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how important remote work has become over the course of the pandemic.

Finally, a lot of people have been lucky enough to hit it big in the markets and come out with extra money. Whether it was company shares, retail or crypto investing some are stressed with what to do with all that sudden money. A couple of things to do immediately would be let your feelings calm down from all that cash and set money aside for taxes. Julia Carpenter, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for tips on how to manage that stress.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some concerning news for those with immunocompromised systems has emerged. A recent study found that the vaccines are proving less effective than for people with normal immune systems. 46% of transplant patients had no antibodies after two vaccine shots and the other 54% who did develop antibodies, were at lower levels. Joe Barrett, senior Midwest correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for why immunocompromised people might be looking at booster shots to help.

Next, the summer travel season is here and it is all about the beach destinations. In previous years, the top leisure vacations we all big international cities, and now everyone is looking toward places like Miami, Cancun, Honolulu, and anywhere they can go all-inclusive. The travel industry still has a long way to go before it recovers, but planning ahead right now is more important than ever. Rani Molla, senior data reporter at Vox’s ReCode, joins us for how 2021 is the summer of resorts.

Finally, retro gaming is having a moment right now and the must have item to make it all complete is an old tube TV. Enthusiasts are looking at online marketplaces and even yard sales for CRT TVs that will match up perfectly with old pixelated game displays. It provides that nostalgia feel, hides flaws, and smooths out the experience. Aiden Moher, contributor to Wired, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CA Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to face a recall vote, but the early momentum in getting the recall on the ballot has faded and Republicans are having difficulties making some of the attacks stick. The state is scheduled to reopen June 15, there is a budget surplus, and even the polls look good for Newsom right now with 57% opposing the recall. Carla Marinucci, senior writer for Politico’s CA Playbook, joins us for an update on the fight over Newsom’s political future.

Next, the housing market continues to be as crazy as ever with low inventory and sky high prices. But thousands of homes known as “whisper listings” or “pocket listings” are being reserved for certain buyers and it’s squeezing the supply even tighter. In some cases brokers may show an unlisted home to a small circle of buyers before publicly advertising that listing. Nicole Friedman, housing reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the dwindling options for home buyers.

Finally, the conversation about Covid-19 variants is changing in the hopes of avoiding confusion and stigma. The WHO has announced a new naming scheme that uses the letters of the Greek alphabet instead of numbers or a county’s name. The UK variant known as B.1.1.7 will now be Alpha and the South African variant will be Beta. Out of 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, 10 have already been assigned. Elizabeth Weise, national correspondent at USA Today, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.