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.

All signs seem to point to the fact that President Trump will be able nominate and get confirmed by the Senate, his third Supreme Court justice all in his first term. This would push the Court to be the most conservative it has been since 1950. And depending on the outcome of the election, could set up future fights between the branches of government. Michael Bailey, professor at Georgetown University, joins us for the Court’s ideological shift.

Next, essential workers in the U.S. are reporting high levels of burnout. Because of the pandemic, essential workers are having to deal with increased workloads, understaffing, and stress from fear of getting sick and enforcing safety protocols. Michael Sainato, reporter at The Guardian, joins us for how 58% of U.S. workers are burned out.

Finally, music festivals and the live events industry are trying to create their own ‘bubbles’ to get people out again. One strategy that is being explored is two-stage Covid testing. Get a test a few days before the event, and then another quick test before you can get in. While there are some limitations, this could be a model to get live events going again. Michelle Lhooq, independent counter culture journalist at Bloomberg News, joins us for more. You can also catch more of Michelle’s counter culture reporting at RaveNewWorld.Substack.com.

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A grand jury in Kentucky has charged former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison with three counts of wanton endangerment in the case of Breonna Taylor who was killed by police fire in March. The charges were related to other circumstances and not directly to the death of Breonna herself. Other officers involved in the incident were also not charged. Marisa Iati, national reporter for the Washington post, joins us for the latest developments in Breonna Taylor’s case.

Next, a look back at the early days of the pandemic and the first nursing home outbreak at the Life Care Center of Kirkland in Washington. Forty-six people died there, but did those deaths have to happen? The way that COVID-19 tore through the facility is a cautionary tale for the way we operate nursing homes in the U.S. There were failures at many steps during the way, all while residents and workers saw some of their friends get sick and die. Katie Engelhart, contributor to California Sunday Magazine, spent months investigating what happened and joins us for how it all played out.

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A coronavirus vaccine may be on its way soon, but that doesn’t mean that people are ready to take it. According to an Axios-Ipsos poll, 60% of people say they don’t want to take a first-generation vaccine, in part because of how it has been politicized. Margaret Talev, politics and White House editor at Axios, joins us for how resistance to taking a Covid vaccine is growing.

Next, thousands of U.S. troops will be taking part in a COVID-19 early detection study with the aim of understanding what it means to be asymptomatic and also catching illnesses before they get worse. Soldiers will wear bio-measuring devices that monitor small changes in blood oxygen levels, heartbeat, or respiratory patterns. Nancy Youssef, national security correspondent at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, K-12 enrollment has been decreasing in recent years, but during the pandemic, kindergarten numbers are really low. Parents are frustrated by putting their young children in front of screens for their first year of school and instead are opting for extended pre-school, learning pods, or skipping it all together. Mackenzie Mays, reporter at Politico, joins us for how the pandemic is creating a rare gap year for some.

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President Trump’s next move in the Supreme Court fight will come at the end of the week as he seeks to nominate someone to take over for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Republicans have said that they will take up the nomination even though the actual vote may take place in the lame duck session after the election. Fadel Allassan, reporter at Axios, joins us for the political fight to replace the Notorious RBG.

Next, the Justice Department has released a list of cities deemed “anarchist jurisdictions” that are marked for review and threatened with withholding federal grant money. New York City, Portland, and Seattle are all on the list for voting to cut police funding, not prosecuting protesters, and rejection of federal intervention. Allan Smith, political reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

Finally, a big thank you to my colleague Mo’Kelly for filling in for me while on vacation. He did a wonderful job and we have one more story from him. Have you noticed that your trash has expanded along with your waistline with all that ordering in you have been doing during the pandemic? Tom Sietsema, food critic at The Washington Post, joins us with tips on minimizing your trash pileup from takeout containers.

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One team from Massachusetts General Hospital considered whether Google searches for GI issues might be a way to spot COVID-19 hotspots early. Claire Maldarelli, Associate Editor for Popular Science lays out how your computer key strokes may serve as a stroke of genius in weathering the pandemic in future months. 

Then, nobody would doubt whether cyclists competing in the Tour De France are exceptional athletes. But did you know they often have trouble walking average distances? Joshua Robinson European Sports Reporter for The Wall Street Journal will join us from the French Alps with his insight.

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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 military has confirmed it sought information on using a ‘heat ray' against D.C. protesters. If that weren’t enough, there were other military grade weapons being considered through startling investigative reporting by Dina Temple-Raston, Investigations correspondent for NPR who will walk us through the inquiries and the subsequent implications.

Then, if you want to get away, Hawaii may be the place to do it.  Hawaii is to begin allowing travelers who test negative for COVID to bypass quarantine starting Oct. 15. David Oliver, social media editor for the Travel section at USAToday will tell us how we’ll need to pack.

And finally, if you’re in California or Oregon you might have noticed the orange to almost red hue of the sky. The phenomenon is connected to the ongoing brush fires, but not necessarily in the way you may think. Sara Kiley Watson, editorial assistant for Popular Science will paint a clearer picture for us.

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