The Daily Dive

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.

We have been hearing a lot about voter and election fraud recently, specifically with regards to mail- in voting. While officials maintain that voting by mail is secure and there is no widespread fraud, many voters are still concerned that there are problems. Corbin Carson, reporter for KFI News in Los Angeles, joins to talk about his seven-part series examining the various types of voter fraud concerns, the data behind how often it happens, and what protections are in place to keep elections safe. To hear Corbin’s full series on voter fraud you can find it at kfiam640.com Keyword: Fraud.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Next, movie theaters across the country are struggling to survive as the pandemic has slowed down the entertainment industry. Many cinemas have been allowed to reopen, but they must operate at limited capacity and many people are choosing not to go in part because Hollywood is postponing big movie releases. But for small family-owned theaters, the problems are worse. They are playing classic movies and even renting out the entire theater for showings. Alexander Gladstone, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how small movie theaters are trying to stay alive.

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We are in the final stretch of the 2020 election and the Joe Biden campaign is outraising and outspending the Trump camp. Joe Biden is airing ads in battleground states while President Trump is cancelling orders and opting for live rallies. Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter at Politico, joins us for how the campaigns are spending cash leading up to Election Day.

Next, we are getting some mixed results on a rheumatoid arthritis drug that was showing some promise in treating patients with COVID-19. In a large study, the drug showed promise in reducing deaths of people who were admitted to the ICU. In some smaller studies, the drug showed no benefit. Still the drug has been added to a growing list of possible therapeutics. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for more.

Finally, we take a look into the future of office work. Things are changing because of the pandemic and it’s not just more working from home. There are considerations going into long awaited innovations in office design, how to restructure the work week and hours in the day, and even company perks could be changing. Eleanor Cummins, contributor to Popular Science, joins us for how the office will never be the same.

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The Justice Department on Tuesday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing them of monopolizing the online search and search advertising markets. It is no secret that Google is a major player in these areas, but this is just a first step in what could be a lengthy court battle. Kyle Daly, technology editor at Axios, joins us for what the DOJ is alleging and what it could mean for consumers.

Next, some initial results from coronavirus testing in New York City schools is showing a surprisingly small number of positive cases. About half of the city’s students have opted for hybrid learning, which is helping them keep class sizes small and allow for more social distancing between desks. David Goodman, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for the testing plan aiming to test 10-20% of the school population at least once a month.

Finally, many are worried about what some call the “twindemic,” continuing to fight the coronavirus pandemic, while also trying to get though the flu season. The flu and COVID-19 share several common symptoms, and it is important to know how to differentiate the two viruses. Karina Zaiets, reporter at USA Today, joins us for how to tell the difference. 

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Coronavirus case counts continue to rise in many places as the country fights to contain the spread, but throughout the pandemic, there have been some bright spots in states’ responses. President Trump gave states the opportunity to call their own shots and some have been more successful than others. Speaking to public health experts and officials, Politico has a list of which states had the best pandemic response whether it is fighting the virus, managing the economic fallout, or getting kids back to school. Tucker Doherty, healthcare reporter at Politico, joins us for who did it best.

Next, some more bad news on the vaccine front. The share of Americans who say they are likely to get a Covid vaccine as soon as it’s available is dropping. Only 58% of the public say they would be vaccinated when it becomes available. The number is even less when it comes to communities of color. There is a high level of distrust in vaccines as everything about them has been politicized. Ed Silverman, senior writer at STAT News, joins us for what the latest numbers say.

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Stimulus talks continue between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin with a deadline set for Tuesday on whether anything will be able to get done by election day. It seems there have been some agreements on more stimulus checks for Americans and aid for airlines, but disagreements on other issues such as a national testing strategy. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this, millions of Americans who have already voted early, and what to expect from the final debate between President Trump and Joe Biden.

Next, the coronavirus pandemic has sparked a need for more plastic. Demand for everything from face shields, gloves, takeaway food containers, and even bubble wrap for online shopping has gone up, and with that demand it has severely set back the effort to recycle. This is happening as big oil companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars to create new plastic. Companies that have made pledges to use more recyclable materials are even in a tough spot as new plastics are far cheaper than using recycled plastic. Joe Brock, special correspondent at Reuters, joins us for how the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the trend of creating more and not less plastic trash.

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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.

The NY Post this week published what it called “smoking gun” emails revealing how Hunter Biden introduced a Ukrainian businessman tied to Burisma, to his father Joe Biden. The emails were obtained from a laptop left at a computer repair shop whose contents were later shared with Rudy Giuliani and then the NY Post. Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer of Washington Post’s Fact Checker, joins us for what to know.

Next, there’s a lot to look out for on election night. One of the biggest concerns is that there could be chaos at the polls and we won’t know who wins on election night. Some other things to look out for will be poll watchers for fear of voter intimidation, how long it will take for mail-in ballots to be counted, and litigation that could follow. Mark Niquette, national government reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for everything that could go right or wrong on election night.

Finally, scientists are looking into what is becoming known as Covid brain fog. These are lingering symptoms of memory loss, difficulty focusing, dizziness and even grasping for everyday words. Some Covid survivors say that it’s impacting their ability to work and function normally. Pam Belluck, health and science writer at the NY Times, joins us for what to know about Covid brain fog.

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