The Daily Dive

The coronavirus is mutating, and while we should be cautious, there is no cause for alarm yet. A new variant of the virus has appeared in the U.K. that officials said could spread up to 70% faster, but luckily, the variant doesn’t seem to be any more severe. Some have expressed concern that it might become resistant to the current vaccines rolling out. The worries are focused on whether the new strain is less vulnerable to certain antibodies. Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for what we know about this new Covid variant.

Next, why are Americans so distrustful of each other? Social trust in the U.S. is dropping and it’s one of those things that once it’s lost, it is very difficult to regain. Research has found that a country’s level of social trust is related to three main factors: corruption, ethnic segregation, and economic inequality. But trust is not limited to those factors alone and can’t be explained away by them as well. Political polarization can also be a key factor. Kevin Vallier, author of “Trust in a Polarized Age,” joins us for why it’s so hard to trust our fellow citizens.

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A CDC panel over the weekend has made its recommendations on who is next in line to receive the two vaccines we have available so far. What is called Phase 1b, will see first responders such as police and firefighters, other frontline workers like teachers and grocery workers and also people over 75 get the vaccine. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for who’s next in getting the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Next, the airline industry is looking to more testing as a way to make people feel safer while flying. What will that look like? Think testing sites at airports, adding results to passenger records, and offering flights only for tested passengers. While it may help, some caution that tests aren’t always reliable and fake negative-tests certificates already making the rounds. Scott McCartney, Middle Seat columnist at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, when kids were forced into remote learning because of the pandemic, many parents turned to learning pods to help their children retain some semblance of traditional learning. Some parents however, quickly found out that these pods and these new forced social circles came with their own problems. Anna Sillman, writer at The Cut and NY Magazine, joins us for some learning pod problems.

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Democrats and Republicans have reached a compromise deal on a new coronavirus stimulus package that will give Americans a direct payment of $600 and enhanced unemployment benefits of $300 per week. In other news, President Trump has been downplaying the seriousness of the hack of several government agencies saying it could have been China despite experts and even Mike Pompeo saying it was clearly Russia, and the effort to recall the governor of California is gaining steam. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for a full breakdown.

Next, the disruption that the pandemic has caused to the education system has ranged from kids having to transition to remote learning, parents experiencing burnout trying to help their kids learn and balance work life, but it has also caused a teacher shortage. Early retirements and quarantines are forcing some school administrators to recruit parents as substitute teachers, increase class sizes, and even use bus drivers to babysit classrooms. Arizona in particular has been hit hard by a shortage of teachers and many say that educational achievement has suffered because of it. Valerie Bauerlein, national reporter at the WSJ, 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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The pandemic has accelerated the exit of many Americans from big cities and tax heavy states to cheaper ones that can provide lower costs, bigger living spaces, and a better quality of life. New York and California have seen a big exodus and people are moving to places like Texas and Florida. Austin, gained the most people between April and October this year. Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how the pandemic is speeding up relocations.

Next, as coronavirus vaccines are rolling out, the big question is… Who is next in line? A CDC panel is meeting this weekend to discuss recommendations for who will get the vaccine after healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes. Groups such as teachers, firefighters, and even camp counselors are lobbying to be next. Rachel Roubein, health care reporter at Politico, joins us for who are the next most essential group.

Finally, getting into the end of the year, everyone is experiencing Covid fatigue and parental burnout has reached a tipping point. Parents have had an especially jarring year having to balance everything from staying healthy, juggling remote learning for the kids, and also trying to balance work life. It is especially tough for moms out there that are trying to do it all or even dropping out of the workforce to take care of their kids. Anna North, senior reporter at Vox, joins us for more.

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The U.S. has been hacked again. Russian government hackers are believed to be responsible for infiltrating the computer systems of multiple agencies including the Pentagon, Homeland Security, Treasury Department, and even the National Institutes of Health. The hacking group, Cozy Bear are said to be the perpetrators and exploited a vulnerability in computer monitoring software from a company called SolarWinds. Ellen Nakashima, national security reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how despite the U.S. spending billions on cybersecurity, the Russians we still able to get in.

Next, the novel coronavirus has been with us for about a year now, we have vaccines rolling out and know a lot about the virus that has wreaked havoc on the world, but we also still have many questions. It is a virus of contrasts… it’s dangerous enough to send some to the hospital and kill over 1.6 million people worldwide, but mild enough for many to recover quickly or be asymptomatic. Andrew Joseph, reporter at STAT News, joins us for what we know about coronavirus one year in.

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We are on track to get the second coronavirus vaccine approved by the end of the week. On Tuesday, the FDA confirmed that Moderna’s two-dose vaccine is safe and effective. In the first week of its rollout about 6 million doses will be shipped out. The government also bought another 100 million doses from Moderna for a total of 200 million at a cost of $3.2 billion. Sarah Owermohle, health care reporter at Politico joins us for more good vaccine news.

Next, Bill Barr has called it quits on being the Attorney General. He put in his resignation and will leave shortly before Christmas, about a month before the Biden administration will take over. The relationship between Barr and President Trump has soured in the last few months, especially after Barr said there was no widespread election fraud. Devlin Barrett, national security reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Finally, many are still experiencing COVID fatigue and its happening at the worst time. Despite vaccines starting to rollout, cases are rising and ICU bed availability is low, and people are letting their guard down. People are also experiencing news overload and are tired of hearing about coronavirus. Zlati Meyer, staff writer at Fast Company, joins us for what the latest polls say about how over the pandemic everyone is.

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The worst fears of public health experts came true after Thanksgiving travel… rising Covid cases, reduced ICU bed capacity, and more lockdowns. Even though vaccines are currently rolling out, health officials are worried about Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. They are already urging caution about traveling, but as we saw already, many people will probably not follow that advice. There were some lessons learned from the last time… officials need better messaging and provide better testing as they will definitely see a rush. Brittany Shammas, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, in-person early voting has begun Monday in Georgia for the Senate runoff election. This is an important election in that it will determine control of the Senate. It will be tough for Democrats, but it is achievable. Also in Georgia, President Trump is continuing a very public fight with Republican Governor Brian Kemp. The bad blood between these two goes back some time, but the attacks have increased after Kemp refused to back the president’s assertion that the election was stolen. Amy Garner, national political reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for the feud between Trump and Georgia’s governor.

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The Pfizer vaccine is being shipped out now to all the states and will start being administered immediately as we mark another turn in the pandemic. Despite President Trump's record on handling the coronavirus, Operation Warp Speed has been a success in getting a vaccine approved in less than a year. In other news, after suffering another loss in court, it seems that the president is all out of options to overturn the election. The Electoral College is meeting today to formally cast votes for Joe Biden, sealing his victory over Trump. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for all this... plus, how the Hunter Biden investigation could influence the president-elect's decision on an Attorney General.

Next, according to a new report Havana Syndrome was most likely caused by a pulsed microwave energy attack. Havana Syndrome dates back to 2016 when American and Canadian diplomats in Cuba started suffering from mysterious neurological symptoms such as pressure in the head, dizziness, and visual distortions after hearing loud sounds. Some people had what was similar to traumatic brain injury. Back in 2018, some reports said that Russia could have been a suspect in this, but the recent report does not name who is responsible or if the energy waves were intentionally directed at diplomats. Josh Lederman, national political reporter at NBC News, joins us for what caused Havana Syndrome.

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