The Daily Dive

The FDA has approved a new and inexpensive saliva test for COVID-19 that was developed by Yale University and funded in part by the NBA and the NBA Players Association. So far, the test has yielded similar results to other diagnostic tests and also avoids a key step that has caused shortages in chemical reagents in other tests. Ed Silverman, @Pharmalot columnist and senior writer at STAT News, joins us for more.

Next, the first Bluetooth “exposure-notification” app has launched in Virginia and it’s called Covidwise. The app uses Bluetooth chirps to detect if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. While it is very easy to use, for it to really be effective, it needs widespread adoption. Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at the Washington Post, joins us this useful app with little privacy risk.

Finally, as the Democratic National Convention takes place this week and the Republican convention taking place next week, we are firmly into general election mode. But what do the polls show about the state of the presidential race? Joe Biden continues to maintain a lead, but that is narrowing and while Biden has his supporters, voters are really more united in opposition against Trump. Steven Shepard, politics editor at Politico, joins us for what the polls are saying right now.

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The Democratic National Convention gets started today in a way that we have not seen yet... completely virtual. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, various speeches will be given throughout the four day event, but none will be in front of an audience. Democrats hope that the virtual convention will still be able to energize voters to turn out in the fall. Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for the Dem convention, a new doctor on the coronavirus task force, and the ongoing postal service crisis.

Next, coronavirus fatigue has hit the country. The pandemic has upended society on a scale and duration that has not been seen before, and the worst part about it is that there is no end in sight. Waiting for a vaccine to get approved is just the beginning, then comes the hard part, distributing it to millions of Americans. In the meantime, parents are worried about how to balance work and school for their kids, healthcare workers continue to work long hours, and unemployed workers struggle to keep up. Brady Dennis, national reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more on COVID fatigue.

Finally, the agricultural economy has not been doing well and more U.S. farmers are declaring bankruptcy. The pandemic has compounded a series of problems for farmers such as a drop in prices, trade disputes and tariffs from China and Mexico. This year, the administration is expected to pay out $33 billion, which is about 36% of farm income. Jesse Newman, agricultural reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how farmers are still going bankrupt despite record levels of federal aid.

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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.

President Trump on Thursday announced a major foreign policy achievement, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to establish a “full normalization of relations” and Israel will also suspend its annexation plans in the West Bank. This makes the UAE the third Arab country that has active diplomatic ties with Israel. Dave Lawler, world editor at Axios, joins us for what this big announcement means.

Next, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, and federal officials are in a scramble to obtain point-of-care COVID-19 tests from the only two companies that have emergency approval to produce them. There has been some concern about accuracy with these tests but they are useful for quicker results and don’t need to be sent away to a lab. Sarah Krouse, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, as dentists have started to open up, they are seeing patients come in with a new set of symptoms and they are dubbing it “mask mouth.” Dentists are seeing inflammation in gums, decaying teeth, and really bad breath. Wearing a mask can lead to dry mouth and a host of other problems unless proper precautions are taken. Melkorka Licea, features writer at the NY Post, joins us for what to do about mask mouth.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has announced that they have approved the first vaccine for COVID-19. He said that the vaccine, dubbed Sputnik-V, “works quite effectively” and it has even been given to his daughter. However, many health experts are skeptical because it has not gone through late stage clinical trials, Tina Hesman Saey, senior writer at Science News, joins us for what we know about Russia’s vaccine.

Next, Joe Biden has picked Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, and even though she was seen as a front runner from the beginning, the process to get there was unusual and laborious. 11 finalists were involved, a panel of lawyers, and tough questions for all. Michael Sherer, national political reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how the Biden Harris ticket came to be.

Finally, we all remember the panic buying at the start of the pandemic and how tough it was to find toilet paper and cleaning supplies. While some of those products are back in stores in steady supply, other groceries are still hard to find. Baking ingredients, coffee and tea, barbeque and other items are hard to come by. Annie Gasparro, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why it’s still so hard to find things.

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Joe Biden has picked Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate. She is the first Black woman to be named to a major-party U.S. presidential ticket and potentially the first woman vice president if they win in November. Harris was seen as a safe choice as she has a national profile and experience with elected office, but it will remain to be seen if her experience as a prosecutor would be a benefit or a liability with some voters. Daniel Lippman, White House reporter at Politico, joins us for more on the announcement.

Next, as companies begin to resume operations while the pandemic continues to endure, many are hiring new executives as Chief Medical Officers in industries where they normally would not be. Tyson Foods and Royal Caribbean Cruises recently made the appointments because they need expert medical advice on how to keep employees and consumers safe. Patrick Thomas, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

Finally, as the pandemic stretches on, many people are looking for places to go on vacation, and some are still risking going to traditional summer getaways despite them being coronavirus hotspots. Places like Florida, Nevada, and California are still the most searched travel destinations. Dian Zhang, data reporter at USA Today, joins us for how some Americans are visiting these virus hotspots anyway.

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The United States Postal Service is dealing with a backlog of letters and packages and are facing a crisis that could delay the results of the election in November. A number of cost cutting policies have been put in place by the new postmaster general, there are fewer mail trucks on the road, and postal workers are not able to work overtime. The Postal Service is seeking billions in aid from Congress to help stay afloat, but with mail-in voting expected to increase this year, the Postal Service says they will be able to handle the influx of ballots. Adam Clarke Estes, deputy editor with Recode at Vox, joins us for more.

Next, the problem with making decisions about kids going back to school is that the research takes time to conduct and when it comes to children and the virus, there is still so much that remains unknown. A recent report found that more than 97,000 children tested positive in the last two weeks of July. And while they can contract and spread the virus, the questions is… to what extent? In the few schools that have re-opened, we are seeing pictures of students not wearing masks and hearing about outbreaks as well. Chelsea Janes, national reporter at The Washington post, joins us for the limited research on children and coronavirus.

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The United States now has over 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and President Trump continues to field criticism for his response to the pandemic. In an effort to further the conversation on economic relief for unemployed Americans, the president has signed 4 executive orders that would delay payroll tax deductions, extend unemployment benefits at $400, have officials consider a halt to evictions, and defer student loan payments until the end of the year. Ginger Gibson, Deputy Washington Digital Editor at NBC News, joins us to break down how the executive orders will work and how Congress is reacting.

Next, contact tracing was supposed to be one of the biggest tools in the fight to contain the spread of coronavirus, but many health departments across the country are losing the race to warn the contacts of COVID victims. City and county health departments say they don't have enough money or staff to keep up with the surge of cases. On Alabama's Gulf Coast, the contact tracers are stretched so thin that they are telling people who get the virus to notify any contacts themselves. The country only has about a quarter of the contact tracers that is recommended to be able to do the job effectively, not to mention the difficulty in getting some people to comply. Jaimi Dowdell, investigative reporter at Reuters, joins us for more.

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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.