The Daily Dive

The federal prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Bill Barr to review unmasking requests by Obama Administration officials has completed his work and found no substantive wrongdoing. U.S. Attorney John Bash provided no criminal charges, no public report, and also left the department just last week. Matt Zapotosky, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for what we know about the unmasking probe.

Next, the gig economy is on the ballot this year, at least in California, and it is shaping up to be the most expensive ballot proposition ever. Prop 22 will decide whether gig economy companies can classify workers as employees or independent contractors. The spending on this is huge with gig economy companies shelling out $184 million to help pass it and just $10 million for the opposition. Kia Kokalitcheva, tech and business reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

Finally, there was a time early in the pandemic where employers thought they would be relying on rapid response tests to get employees back to work safely. But as we have seen with recent events, testing alone won’t stop the spread of COVID-19. These tests were not designed to be used this way and is only one part of a full response plan. Aarian Marshall, staff writer at Wired, joins us for how and when tests should be used for returning to work.

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Calling into question how long people are immune after being infected with COVID-19, we have a 25-year-old man that is the first American confirmed to have been infected twice with coronavirus. We know this is a reinfection because the virus was genetically different the second time around and his symptoms were also worse. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for what we know about this reinfection.

Next, some more information on the men accused of trying to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. They were also planning on “taking out” another political leader, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. The organizers of these plans wanted to make them big, saying they needed 200 men to storm capitol buildings. The FBI has said that neither governor was ever at risk. Pilar Melendez, reporter at the Daily Beast, joins for these foiled plots.

Finally, as we move through the pandemic and everything has become more politicized, we are seeing trust in government science erode. President Trump has hailed some therapeutic treatments as cures, which they are not, and some government agencies like the FDA have stumbled too. But trust in the science needs to be maintained especially when it comes to taking a vaccine once it is approved. Joel Achenbach, science reporter at the Washington Post, joins us more.

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When will theme parks come back to California? Disney and the city of Anaheim is in a battle with the state to reopen Disneyland and get back to normal. Full guidelines on reopening have not been released, but we do know some of the requirements. The park would be limited to 25% capacity and restricted to visitors that live within 120 miles. The park is a huge economic driver for local businesses, but a balance must be struck in protecting the health of the public and employees. Tarpley Hitt, reporter at the Daily Beast, joins us for the fight to reopen Disneyland.

Next, while president Trump campaigned on getting rid of the swamp and Washington’s insider culture of lobbying, he actually built a swamp of his own where his properties and businesses reaped the benefits of public and private businesses and special interest groups spending money at his properties. According to the NY Times, 60 customers brought in nearly $12 million dollars to his family business during the first two years of his presidency. And people knew where to find him, Trump has visited his resorts and hotels nearly 400 days since his inauguration. Kenneth Vogel, reporter at the NYT, joins us for how Trump’s properties made money from those wanting to get close to the president.

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The next presidential debate has been thrown into turmoil. After the Commission on Presidential Debates decided it will hold a virtual debate, President Trump said he would not be participating. Instead his campaign said he will hold a rally and Biden’s camp will hold a town hall. While the president continues to recover from COVID-19, he says he is ready to get back out there. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and new polls and stimulus talk.

Next, to survive the pandemic, the restaurant industry has had to adjust and reinvent itself. While many can’t wait to get back into a buzzing restaurant, the reality is that it might still be far off. So restaurants are focusing on outdoor patio dining, takeout options, keeping menus smaller, and being creative in how to retain their customer base. At least 100,000 restaurants have closed in the past six months and the industry is on track to lose $240 billion. Tom Sietsema, food critic at the Washington Post, joins us for how restaurants are changing with the pandemic.

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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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Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris had their first and only debate on Wednesday and while not as chaotic as the Trump/Biden debate, there were a few moments that stood out. That smile from Sen. Harris when Pence was trying to talk over her and the star of the show, the fly that stood on Pence’s head for two minutes. There was lots of coronavirus talk and plenty of dodged questions. Sabrina Siddiqui, national political reporter at the WSJ, joins us for a breakdown of the vice presidential debate.

Next, the NFL is still dealing with a coronavirus outbreak mostly centered on one team, the Tennessee Titans. Since last week, 21 members of the organization have tested positive for COVID-19. But as the cases mount, the scheduling of games is starting to become an issue. The NFL is even considering possibly adding an additional week to make up the games missed. The NFL Players Association is investigating the cause of the outbreak. Mark Maske, NFL reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more.

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More good news on treatments for COVID-19. Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, has requested the emergency use authorization of its antibody- based treatment for people with mild to moderate symptoms of coronavirus. This treatment is similar to the one that President Trump received and they could have 100,000 doses ready this month and one million by the end of the year. Peter Loftus, health care reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, the CDC has updated its guidelines once again and finally acknowledged that COVID-19 can spread to aerosolized particles in the air. These particles can linger in a room and spread beyond 6 feet. While the CDC has said it can spread this way, they say it isn’t the main way the virus spreads. This all means that it is important to have proper ventilation inside and also wear a mask. Caitlin McCabe, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how these tiny air particles can spread the virus.

Finally, as kids across the country are taking classes remotely, it’s clear that the internet infrastructure in the country is not adequate enough to meet everyone’s needs. This is especially clear in some rural areas where high speed internet is just not an option and where the connection can lag when everyone is logged on. School districts say they need help to improve access. Monica Chin, writer at The Verge, joins us for how the internet wasn’t prepared for online school.

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How did the coronavirus infiltrate the White House? Many experts say that the reliance on coronavirus rapid response tests without other mitigation strategies like wearing masks and social distancing might have been the problem. The White House was using Abbott Laboratories’ ID Now tests like metal detectors, despite them delivering false negatives 9% of the time. Sarah Toy, health and science reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, the FDA has put out guidelines on the protocols to follow before a vaccine can get emergency use authorization. They want an expert panel to review any vaccine and also want two months of safety data. This will definitely put any vaccine out of reach before the election. The White House has also agreed to these guidelines. Angelica LaVito, health reporter at Bloomberg News joins us for how a vaccine will be properly vetted.

Finally, the spooky season is here and Halloween is on a Saturday, meaning that in a normal year we would see parties and a lot of trick-or-treaters. But this is not a normal year and many parents are wondering whether they want to risk sending their kids out at all. Rudri Patel, contributor to The Washington Post, spoke to the experts and shares their advice on how to assess the risk of trick-or-treating.

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President Trump has been released from Walter Reed Military Medical Center. His doctors say that he is improving, but also say he is not out of the woods just yet. As Trump heads home, Republicans are also battling other issues as well. The confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett has come into question since some GOP senators have also tested positive. Daniel Lippman, WH reporter at Politico, joins us for more.

Next, the economic recovery of the U.S. has been uneven as some workers and companies are showing signs of coming out fine, while others face an uncertain path. The pandemic has been kind to those that can work from home and the businesses that cater to them, but lower wage workers and those tied to tourism and public gatherings have suffered. Theo Francis, business reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the K-shaped recovery.

Finally, as some college campuses have been exploding with COVID-19 cases, Colby College in Maine has been keeping the numbers down with mandatory mask wearing, students willing to follow the rules, and one of the nation’s most rigorous testing programs. The college has poured $10 million into its response plan and tests students twice a week. Chris Quintana, national education reporter for USA Today, joins us for how they are keeping the numbers low.

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