The Daily Dive

Last week President Biden announced an expedited review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law and that he would pardon individuals charged with simple marijuana possession on a federal level.  This action will clear thousands of people but will not clear state convictions or decriminalize the drug.  Julia Manchester, national political reporter at the Hill, joins us for the politics of t...

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.

Parents, students, and educators have been alarmed recently with the increase of gun confiscations and shootings at school campuses, but also with an increase of swatting events, hoax 911 calls about active shooters.  In response, school districts are beefing up security with new metal detectors, random searches, and anonymous tip lines.  Scott Calvert, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how gun an...

Elon Musk has done an about-face and offered to close his deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion.  If both parties agree, they can avert a trial set for later in the month.  Should the deal go through, many expect a lot of changes in the company such as layoffs, lighter content moderation, and adding more functionality.  Musk has said he wants to build a “super app” with offerings similar to WeChat. ...

As we deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, meteorologists, emergency managers, and others are asking what they could have done better to effectively communicate with the public.  This time computer models were at odds with each other until about 36 hours before the storm hit, and graphics used such as the “cone of uncertainty” are often misunderstood.  Andrew Freedman, climate and energy repo...

Residents in Florida and other areas affected by Hurricane Ian are now in rescue, recovery, and damage assessment mode.  As of Monday, the death toll was over 100 and many still needed their power restored.  For some, a sense of panic has set in for fears that there might not be enough food, water, and gas to go around.  Michelle Kaufman, reporter at the Miami Herald, joins us for what’s next as p...

Police departments across the country are struggling with recruiting new officers and retaining their current force as we are seeing a rise in violent crime and a line of work that has lost its popularity.  To attract more recruits, departments are adjusting standards to fill vacancies which has already led to some problems and boosting up signing bonuses.  In Redding, California, the signing bonu...

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.

Hurricane Ian tore through the Southwest Florida coast and caused catastrophic flooding, destroyed infrastructure, and left millions without power.  In all of this, one of the biggest curiosities are those that decide to hunker down and weather the storm despite evacuation orders.  Some stay because they are defiant, others for fear of returning to nothing, and some just don’t have the money to le...

We got some very good news from a late-stage clinical trial for a drug that slowed down the progression of Alzheimer’s.  Biogen and Eisai’s drug slowed down the cognitive decline in participants by 27% compared to those that received placebos.  The drug does not restore mental capacity or totally stop it, but works by clearing out the buildup of amyloid, a toxic protein that affects the brain.  Ro...

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced that it has taken down the first targeted campaign by the Chinese to interfere with U.S. elections.  The campaign was limited and not very sophisticated, but it does signal a change from more broadly criticizing American foreign policy to getting involved in domestic politics.  Steven Lee Myers, correspondent at the NY Times, joins us f...

In an effort to fight current labor shortages and as robotic technology gets better, you’ll soon start seeing robots manning the fry station at some fast food restaurants.  Miso Robotics has been developing Flippy the robot, initially to flip hamburgers, but the greatest need for restaurants is working the fryer where most backups and accidents happen.  Laura Reiley, business of food reporter at T...

The midterm elections are six weeks away and new polls show that voters are divided over who should control Congress.  For now, Republicans hold a firm lead on the economy, crime, and inflation.  Democrats hold leads on the issues of abortion and climate change.  Julia Manchester, national political reporter at The Hill, joins us for how voters are feeling and the Republican governor that everyone...

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 world is running out of old whiskey and renewed interest in rare bottles of bourbon has fueled a black market where people sell and trade for their favorite brands.  One case in Virginia highlights how far some will go to get these sought-after bottles, it was an inside job from the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority selling delivery secrets.  Justin Jouvenal, reporter at The Washing...

Immigration politics have taken center stage after migrants were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last week.  Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has waded into the story after his administration chartered a plane to fly 48 immigrants there at a cost of $615,000.  What’s happened now is that some of the migrants have filed a lawsuit saying they were “lured” to take the flights through fraud and misr...

In a surprise to many, a judge vacated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed who had been serving a life sentence for the murder of his former high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.  Syed was the subject of the hit podcast “Serial.” An investigation found that prosecutors failed to turn over evidence that could have helped him and pointed to two possible “alternative suspects.”  Michael Levenson, repo...

Intensive parenting, or also commonly known as helicopter parenting, is the dominant model of raising children right now. But does that mean it’s a good model to follow? It turns out that research shows this style, one in which parents overextend themselves to ensure their child’s success, may lead to parental burnout and even harm a child’s competency and mental health. Elliot Haspel, early-child...

As our attitudes toward certain drugs begin to relax, many are redefining what it means to be sober. Some drugs, such as magic mushrooms and MDMA are being taken in smaller doses and this action is being claimed by wellness culture. Although we only have limited research, many report beneficial effects on this microdosing.  Luke Winkie, contributor to Vox, joins Oscar Ramirez for the new sober-ish...

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.

With so much of our information online and at risk from getting hacked, you may be wondering if it’s possible to scrub yourself from the internet.  Unfortunately, you’ll probably never delete everything about you online, but you can minimize how much information is out there. However, it’s going to take a lot of time, patience, and money.  Heather Kelly, tech reporter at The Washington Post, joins...