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.

You may have seen headlines about a now-dominant strain of the coronavirus spreading that is more contagious than the original. According to researchers, a mutation occurred in the virus as it began spreading in Europe in early February and it rapidly became the dominant form. This news comes from a research paper from scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and has not been peer reviewed. There is some skepticism that any mutations have changed the general contagiousness or lethality of COVID-19. Sarah Kaplan, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for what to know.

Next, a crazy story about how an ex-Green Beret led a failed attempt to oust Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. The original plan was to have some 300 armed volunteers sneak into Venezuela, raid military bases, and capture Maduro. That plan never happened and it seemed like everything went wrong. Jordan Goudreau, owner of Silvercorp USA, reportedly hatched the plan with Venezuelan opposition officials. There is still much to be known, but there is no indication that any U.S. officials sponsored Goudreau’s actions. Karen DeYoung, senior national security correspondent at the Washington Post, joins us for how this whole plot fell apart.

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At least 43 states are beginning to reopen their economies and new modeling is projecting that there could be 134,000 coronavirus related deaths by August. The models coming from the University of Washington took into account rising testing, contact tracing, and rising temperatures, but said that the premature relaxation of social distancing would likely cause more cases of COVID-19 and more deaths. Alice Miranda Ollstein, healthcare reporter at Politico, joins us for more.

Next, researchers at 3 universities have received a federal research grant to create a contact tracing mobile app for students that could track a person’s real-time location and symptoms and would calculate a type of social credit score that determines your COVID-19 risk and also a risk score for locations. Tami Abdollah, senior reporter at Dot LA, joins us for how some universities hope to keep students safe.

Finally, since coronavirus has shut everything down and no playbook for running a completely digital political campaign, candidates have had to operate a little more like influencers and hope to go viral. Zoom and Instagram Live streams are now for policy discussions. Twitter and Facebook are the new rally stages to build a following. Makena Kelly, policy reporter at the Verge, joins us for how campaigns have had to adapt.

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States around the country are beginning to get their army of coronavirus detectives ready to work. In California specifically, the state has teamed up with two universities to train more than 3,000 employees per week to become contact tracers. A robust system of contact tracing will be crucial for states to manage the spread of the virus as they reopen and one estimate says that the country needs 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 people. Rachel Becker, reporter at CAL Matters, joins us for more.

Next, the current lockdown has turned the nation’s highways into speedways. With less cars on the road, people are driving faster than ever, leading to increases of tickets issued for people driving over 100 mph. In some areas, officials are even closing some streets to allow for residents to move more freely. Jim Carlton, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the open roads.

Finally, murder hornets are a thing, but they’re most likely not coming for you. The Asian giant hornet looks fearsome and can grow to nearly two inches with a stinger a quarter of an inch long. But while these hornets can pack a venomous punch, they mostly target honeybees and have only been spotted in Washington State last December. Sara Kiley Watson, editorial assistant at Popular Science, joins us for what to know about murder hornets.

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As several companies are in the race to create antibody tests to get people back to work and end lockdowns, there is a greater need for the blood of those who have recovered from COVID-19. Other companies are stepping in to solicit blood donations from patients and then selling the blood to labs and test manufacturers at a premium. The more antibodies in the blood, the higher the price... some samples are selling anywhere from $350 to $40,000. Some of the companies involved said they are not profiteering and the steps in obtaining the blood is very complex. Jane Bradley, investigative reporter for the NY Times, joins us for the lucrative trade in human blood samples.

Next, Florida has begun to reopen the state for business as they were able to dodge some of the worst of the coronavirus. Despite not issuing early statewide stay-at-home orders, many of the decisions were left to local authorities to shut down. A lesser population density and warmer climate could also have played a role in fewer infections, but one other factor, there was an attitude change in Florida residents themselves. Smartphone data shows that by mid-March, before stay-at-home orders were put in place, residents had already begun to hunker down and limit movements. Still with a larger population of people over 65, fears of a second wave of infections persist. Arian Campo- Flores, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how Florida made it this far.

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The coronavirus pandemic had disrupted the food supply chain in a way that has forced both farmers and some food processors to get creative in salvaging some food and still make some sales. As restaurants shut down, farmers and suppliers were left with an oversupply of food specifically grown for diners and not for grocery stores. Some processors were selling chicken and cheese in parking lots and some suppliers were hiring laid off restaurant workers to divide large batches of food into smaller portions made for one shopper. Julie Wernau, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for more.

Next, the nursing home industry is pushing for immunity from lawsuits during the COIVD-19 outbreak. Nursing homes care for some of the most vulnerable and at-risk people during the outbreak and we have also seen nearly 12,000 deaths at these long term care facilities. So far at least six states have granted immunity from coronavirus lawsuits and six others have given immunity to health care providers which could include nursing homes. The fear is that immunity will increase neglect and abuse in some of these facilities because now they are not liable. Laura Strickler, investigative reporter at NBC News, joins us for nursing home immunity during coronavirus.

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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.

As we learn more about COVID-19 and the way it affects people, doctors are seeing a “second-week crash” in patients who suffer the most severe reactions to the coronavirus. Doctors still don’t know why the fifth through 10th days seem to be so dangerous for some, but they suspect overactive immune responses, blood clotting, or even the impact of ventilators. Lenny Bernstein, health and medicine reporter for the Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, stress and fear over the pandemic has been taking a toll on intimacy. Some are having less sex, others more, and some have been trying new things with their partners. There might not be a quarantine baby boom like some expected, but experts say you can better connect with your partner by practicing ‘mindful sex.’ Elizabeth Bernstein, columnist for the WSJ, joins us for sex in the time of coronavirus.

Finally, the entertainment industry has had to go through many adjustments during this shutdown. As movie theaters across the country closed, Universal Pictures decided to release one of its newest titles, “Trolls World Tour,” for digital rental and it has paid off. In three weeks of digital release, the movies has made more money that the original did in five months in theaters. Erich Schartzel, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how this might be the new path for Hollywood.

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