The Daily Dive

Once again, more good news on the vaccine front. AstraZeneca and Oxford University has released some early data saying their vaccine candidate on average is 70% effective against coronavirus. In some cases depending on the dosing, it can be up to 90% effective. This vaccine candidate is also cheaper to make and can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures. Adam Feuerstein, reporter at STAT News, joins us for the latest vaccine results.

Next, some doctors and nurses are calling it quits over the pandemic. Medical professionals are closing their practices or retiring early because of financial stress and also the mental exhaustion of trying to stay safe while coronavirus continues to spread unchecked in the country.  This trend could have an adverse effect for patients who could see a reduction in patients’ access to medical care. Reed Abelson, health reporter at the NY Times, joins us for why some doctors are closing shop.

Finally, President Trump’s legal team has been a mess in fighting the outcome of the election with no real evidence of widespread fraud. The legal team even took to the steps to oust Sidney Powell, one of the lawyers who had appeared with Rudy Giuliani and pushed some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories about the elections including that some Republican governors were part of the plot. Philip Bump, national correspondent at the Washington Post, joins us for why they gave Powell the boot.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another week has gone by and President Trump continues to fight the outcome of the election despite loss after loss in court. Even though his campaign doesn't have any solid evidence of fraud, he's continuing to claim the election was stolen, he's fighting with Republican governors, and he's thinking of what he is going to do post-presidency. Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden will be making some cabinet picks this week. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for more.

Next, it looks like people are rushing the toilet paper aisle again. We are seeing cases of coronavirus rise and with it, new lockdowns in certain states. The next logical thing to do is stock up on toilet paper obviously, and while we are seeing some empty shelves already, supply chain experts say that it won't be the same this time. Mark Hay, contributor to the Daily Beast, joins us for how stores are better prepared for toilet paper panic buying.

Finally, for all those parents with kids doing remote learning this year, pay attention to your children's grades. In some cases, the auto-grading software used to grade quizzes and schoolwork are getting it wrong. If a student's answers don't match exactly what's in the teacher's answer guide, it can be marked wrong, even if it's just a capitalization discrepancy. Julie Jargon, family and tech columnist at the WSJ, joins us for how these auto-grading systems are causing some headaches.

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.

An unfortunate update on many of the small businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans… about 300 of them have had to file for bankruptcy. The stimulus funds were not enough to keep these businesses open as the pandemic continues to hamper economic activity and a lack of additional help from Congress. In filings, the pandemic was the primary reason for declaring bankruptcy. Shane Shifflet, data reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how tough it is for these businesses and why the number of failed companies who received PPP loans is likely higher.

Next, we’ll tell you about Parler. It has been billed as the “Free Speech Social Network.” It has been the top app on both Google and Apple’s app store offering mostly conservatives a safe space without fear of being deplatformed for your views. In many cases, when posts or profiles get flagged on Twitter or Facebook, they often end up on Parler with new life. It is small operation for now, but more people are joining including high profile conservative voices. Arielle Pardes, senior writer at Wired, joined the social network and tells us what her free speech experience was like.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thinking of getting tested before Thanksgiving? Be careful if you’re planning the… everyone-has-gotten-tested approach to getting together with family at Thanksgiving. Getting a negative test doesn’t clear you from continuing to wear masks or social distance. While this approach can be used as a form of risk reduction, it is not a guarantee of safety from the virus. Quarantining can also help, but they day is quickly approaching. Christie Aschwanden, reporter at Wired, joins us for more.

Next, Boeing’s 737 Max has been given approval by the FAA to fly passengers again. The plane had been grounded for 20 months after two crashes killed 346 people.   There was an issue with an automated flight control system which would point the plane down despite pilots trying to override it. All the issues have been resolved, but because of the pandemic customer orders for the planes have been cancelled or deferred. Leslie Josephs, aviation reporter at CNBC, joins us for the return of the 737 Max.

Finally, coronavirus is still running rampant across the country as the death count in the U.S. is now over 250,000. Thanksgiving is approaching and public health experts have urged caution over large gatherings. One more point of caution, more than 3 million people are estimated to be contagious with the coronavirus according to new models by epidemiologists at Columbia University. Joel Achenbach, science reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for why this estimate is so much higher than the official case count.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a lot of talk about a new round of lockdowns as the country sees increased cases of coronavirus. Some states have already imposed more restrictions on businesses as we wade into all too familiar territory, and the focus again turns to what Congress can do to help individuals and businesses with more stimulus to get through more closures. Courtenay Brown, markets reporter at Axios, joins us for what could be the economic fallout of lockdown 2.0.

Next, Vice President Mike Pence faces an uncertain future as the Trump administration will soon have to make its way out. Pence does have presidential ambitions of running in 2024, but if President Trump wants to run again, he will have to take a backseat. Pence has been relatively quiet since the election, but will emerge soon to boost Republican senators in Georgia headed to a runoff. Gabby Orr, White House reporter at Politico, joins us for what Mike Pence’s next moves could be.

Finally, it’s not only economic effects to worry about if more lockdowns are imposed, the emotional burden is also an important factor in people’s lives. A recent study out of New Zealand, which had a severe lockdown, shows that the emotional cost was far greater for those with previous mental health problems and also younger people. John Timmer, senior science editor at Ars Technica, joins us for why it’s important to keep the emotional toll of lockdowns in mind. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More great vaccine news this week as Moderna has said that their vaccine candidate appears to be 94.5% effective against COVID-19. Similar to the Pfizer candidate, Moderna’s vaccine also uses mRNA to target the spike protein of the virus. The other good news is that this one can be stored at standard refrigerator temperature for a month before being used, which will make it easier to ship and store. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for more.

Next, Covid cases are surging in the U.S. and Europe and as a result we are seeing a new wave of lockdowns, but officials are struggling to identify where people are getting infected. Most people are being infected at home, but because contact tracing efforts are pretty much a failure right now, it is hard to trace where the infections are originating. Matthew Dalton, Paris correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for how it’s still difficult to pinpoint how everyone keeps getting sick.

Finally, winter is coming and it’s time to start thinking about stocking your pantry to avoid any panic buying later on. And because of the uncertainty, you should think like a survivalist when it comes to shopping. Take inventory of what you need, plan how you will store your supplies, and think of shelf stable food and canned goods. Tim MacWelch, survival expert and contributor to Outdoor Life, joins us with tips on building a pantry that will last.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump continues to refuse to concede and maintains that the election was stolen from him. Despite any real evidence, the new line of attack is over voting machines that they say were switching votes to Joe Biden. Rudy Giuliani has now been put in charge of challenging the outcome of the election. Meanwhile, coronavirus is at the top of President-elect Joe Biden's to-do list. He is facing questions about whether he would support a national lockdown after a member of his covid advisory board had suggested one. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washibngton digital editor at NBC News, joins us to break it all down.

Next, after some good news last week about Pfizer's vaccine candidate, everyone is looking toward the next steps, how to distribute it to the country. There's still plenty of time to work out the kinks, but many states are not ready to get it out, especially in rural areas. The Pfizer vaccine is unusually difficult to ship and store, it must be kept in super cold temperatures and has a short shelf life after being opened. The military will help ship the vaccine to states, but once they get delivered, it is up to the states to distribute. Issac Arnsdorf, reporter at ProPublica, joins us for the challenges states are facing in distributing the leading vaccine candidate.

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.