The Daily Dive

A government run study of Gilead Science’s ant-viral drug, remdesivir has shown that the medicine is an effective treatment for COVID-19. The study achieved its primary goal which was to improve time to recovery, which was reduced by four days for those on the drug. Adam Feuerstein, reporter at STAT News, joins us for more on remdesivir which is expected to get emergency approval by the FDA.

Next, restaurants in Georgia, Tennessee, and Anchorage, Alaska have begun to reopen and all eyes will be on them to see how the rollout goes. In Georgia, the state government has issued 39 guidelines that restaurants must follow including wearing facemasks, screening employees and patrons for signs of illness, and even sign in sheets if the info is needed later for contact tracing. Chloe Sorvino, writer at Forbes, joins us for how some restaurants are beginning to open their doors.

Finally, the US Department of Defense officially released three videos depicting encounters that Navy pilots had with UFOs. These videos had already previously been released by the NY Times, but now the Pentagon is officially recognizing that the unclassified videos are real, though they do not comment on what is seen. Daniel Oberhaus, writer at Wired, joins us for more.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. has already pledged almost $3 trillion to save Americans and the economy from the coronavirus pandemic. About 60% of the money for businesses large and small and direct payments to people are in the form of grants, which are funds that will not be recovered by taxpayers. Scott Newsome, PhD candidate at the University of California Santa Cruz, joins us for how the coronavirus bailout will cost us hundreds of billions of dollars.

Next, we are making our way to getting back to work, but one big hurdle is the commute. For many that rely on public transportation, this still poses a big problem for companies and employees wary of being in close contact with many people. Some companies are considering alternatives to mass transit like, private bus shuttles or smaller office space closer to where many workers live. Chip Cutter, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for the commute back.

Finally, one in three death certificates were wrong before coronavirus hit, and it could get worse. Part of the problem is the paperwork and the patchwork system of medical examiners, coroners, and doctors who fill out the death certificates. It can all vary from state to state and also the circumstances, where the death occurred. Jessica Priest, investigative reporter at the USA Today Network, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The quarantine fatigue is real! Researchers analyzing smartphone data are finding that more Americans are venturing out despite stay-at-home orders. Work trips have remained about the same, but personal trips are starting to increase and so are trips between counties and state lines. There is also some confusion as states announce plans to open back up, some think that they can start easing up on staying at home. The U.S. has never ordered so many to stay at home all at once, and we might be seeing the limits that citizens are willing to handle. Katherine Shaver, reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for how people are over quarantine.

Next, some things might never be the same after going through this pandemic. One such thing that could change is grocery shopping. The current crisis has accelerated the use of personal shoppers on services like Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart Grocery. Supermarkets also operate on the psychology of shopping and spending as much time as possible in store and with social distancing, that could also change the way things are done. Stores could expand warehouse space to allow personal shoppers to quickly pick up product for delivery and we could also see smaller stores with more attentive personnel. Ian Bogost, professor at Georgia Tech and contributor to The Atlantic, joins us for what supermarkets could look like after the pandemic.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown American universities for a loop in trying to figure out how to open effectively and provide students with a learning experience on par with what they will be paying for. On one had you have students unsure if they want to incur massive debt just to attend online classes. On the other had colleges are in danger due to lost revenue from athletics, room and board, and tuition. Erica Pandey, reporter at Axios, joins us for the tough decisions for both students and universities.

Next, the economy continues to stall while business remains closed. 4.4 million Americans applied for jobless benefits according to the latest numbers which brings us to 26 million unemployment insurance claims in the past five weeks. The wave of layoffs the country is experiencing makes it very important to have a financial plan even if you are still working. Survey your spending, negotiate with lenders, pause college savings, and consolidate debt. Chris Kornelis, contributor to the WSJ, joins us with tips if you have lost your job or fear you will.

Finally, as states begin to reopen for business, many experts agree that a robust system of contact tracing must be implemented to keep the spread of the virus in check. To accomplish this, some estimates say that we could need up to 300,000 workers and we are nowhere near that. These workers would need to interview those that have tested positive, identify those they have come in contact with, and then try convince those people to self-quarantine. Alice Miranda Ollstein, healthcare reporter at Politico. joins us for more on contact tracing.

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.

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While we still need more research on which drugs are the most effective in treating COVID-19, a recent study looking at records from the VA shows that there is no overall benefit from using hydroxychloroquine. It was actually linked to more deaths in patients that were treated with it alone than in combination with azithromycin. Chris Rowland, business of healthcare reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for why hydroxychloroquine might not be the most effective treatment.

Next, after a few days of confusion, President Trump signed a proclamation suspending immigration over the next 60 days. While the president made it seem like it would block many from coming in, the order includes broad exemptions for several categories of foreign workers and employers. Molly O’Toole, immigration and security reporter at the LA Times, joins us for what’s in the proclamation.

Finally, something non-coronavirus related. Post Malone could be the world’s most relatable pop star. A look back a Bloomberg’s Pop Star Power Rankings which grades artists earnings ability across criteria like touring, album sales, social media and more, shows that he was number one for all of last year as well as being listened to more times than any artist in the U.S. Lucas Shaw, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how Post Malone got here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another major meat processing plant has closed due to coronavirus. Tyson Foods has had to close down its Waterloo, Iowa pork processing plant, just as it is re-opening another facility in Columbus Junction that closed on April 6. The plant will be closed indefinitely as they clean, install infrared body temperature scanners, and plexiglass barriers to protect workers. As more plants close around the country, there are increased worries about the supply chain of meat. Tyler Jett, jobs and economy reporter for the Des Moines Register, joins us for more.

Next, one of the key marks that states must achieve to be able to safely re-open their economies is ramped up testing. Being able to test and trace workers is essential to containing the spread of the virus. But expanding the capacity to test has been difficult because of supply shortages and backlogs. One main shortage important to being able to administer the tests is a lack of swabs. Another highly touted test kit by Abbot Labs, has faced shortages of its own single use cartridges. Chris Weaver- Reporter for the WSJ, joins us for why it has been so difficult to get testing right.

Finally, the Air Force’s flying hospital pods has had its first mission, pulling COVID-19 patients out of Afghanistan and into Germany for treatment. These bio-containment modules date to the 2014 Ebola crisis and are officially called a "Transportation Isolation System." They allow for moving people who are infected with a contagious infection without giving it to anyone else on the plane, or contaminating the aircraft itself. Rob Verger, associate editor at Popular Science, joins us for what we know about this "TIS" system.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes will be on Georgia as Gov. Brian Kemp intends to start re-opening his state to business as soon as Friday, April 24. Gyms, barber shops, bowling alleys can re-open although they will still have to practice social distancing and screen people for fever and respiratory issues. Dine-in restaurants and theaters can open Monday and state-wide stay-at-home orders expire at the end of the month. Public health officials have questioned if it is too early, but it is a difficult balance between health and business. James Hohmann- national political correspondent at The Washington Post, joins us for how Georgia will re-open.

Next, for the first time ever in trading, U.S. oil prices dipped into negative territory on Monday. Companies had to pay to get rid of the over supply of oil, but this doesn't mean that you'll get paid to take gasoline off someones hands. We might see some modest savings in the next few days and weeks, but the big questions remains, what to do with all the extra oil. The administration is planning to add millions of barrels to the nations reserve. Amy Harder, energy reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

Finally, President Trump is suspending U.S. immigration for 60 days, citing the coronavirus crisis and jobs shortage. The thought process behind this is that it will limit the number of people coming from global hotspots and relieve pressure on the healthcare system, but it will also limit job competition from immigrants. While there has already been a lot going on with travel restrictions, slowed visas processing, and barring asylum seekers, this new action will most likely face some type of legal challenge. Gabby Orr, White House Reporter at Politico, joins us for new immigration orders.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The road to re-opening the economy will be a messy fight that the governors of each state will have to handle. We are already seeing protests and lawsuits over stay-at-home orders and people wanting to get back to work. And while the administration has issued guidelines for states to open back up, all the details and final say is left up to the governors. Another source of conflict could be states moving faster than the willingness of cities in re-opening. Brett Samuels, White House reporter at The Hill, joins us for the fight over coronavirus restrictions.

Next, to get back to work, companies are trying to secure tests for their workers. Amazon, for example, is looking for ways to test employees regular including building its own testing lab. But there is a big discussion of the best way to proceed. Will employers need more diagnostic tests or would it be better for antibody tests? Then there are also questions about costs, supply, and concerns about employee privacy. Sarah Krouse, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for how employers want to ramp up their own testing capabilities.

Finally, a look at the initial stumbles by the CDC in making testing kits. The roll out of testing kits was initially delayed because of faulty CDC test kits with contaminated components. The worse part of it is, that the component that was contaminated was not critical to detecting the virus. It took more than a month for the CDC to get back on track and prevented the U.S. from ramping up at the beginning of the outbreak here. David Willman, investigative reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.