The Daily Dive

Welcome to the Daily Dive: WEEKEND EDITION. This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week

More movement in the ongoing probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This time, President Trump’s former attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen came forward and plead guilty to lying to the Senate Intelligence Committee about building a Trump Tower in Moscow. Previously Cohen said that any possible deal ended in January 2016, but that was a lie and things continued into the presidential campaign. Kyle Cheney, Congressional reporter for Politico, joins us for more on this and why Cohen said he lied… loyalty to the President. Next, a new government climate report that came out on Black Friday has some bad news for the country, there could be thousands killed and hundreds of billions of dollars in annual losses to some economic sectors if things don’t change. President Trump said that he doesn’t believe the report. Andrew Freedman, Science editor at Axios, joins us for what is in the new report. Finally, who are the highest paid TV hosts for 2018? Some of the names on the list might not surprise you, but the top earner this year is the first time this person has topped this list and it is all thanks to a very savvy business move. Judge Judy Sheindlin raked in $147 Million dollars last year. My producer Miranda joins us for how Judge Judy is making all her money.

We are learning more about a man named Sam Little who could be one of the deadliest serial killers ever. Currently in prison for three murders, he is now claiming that he has killed at least 90 across the US. Authorities have already corroborated his involvement in 36 of those cases and expect more to be confirmed. Little was constantly on the move and targeted women who were prostitutes and drug addicts and usually strangled his victims. These factors helped contribute to why he evaded capture for so long. James Queally, reporter for the LA Times joins us for more on this serial killer and how police are trying to connect all the dots. Next, as conditions worsen in Tijuana and at the border, some caravan migrants are giving up on seeking asylum in the US. Some have decided to stay in Mexico and find work there, others are heading back home. The backlog is so severe, that it could take months before migrants are called on to submit their petitions for asylum. Alicia Caldwell, immigration reporter for the WSJ, joins us to talk about how some migrant turning back and how much longer we can expect this all to last.

The plot thickens in the ongoing Russia probe by special counsel Robert Mueller. First, Mueller accused Paul Manafort of lying to the FBI after he made a plea deal. Then a report out of the Guardian newspaper said that Manafort held secret talks with Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy before WikiLeaks published a stash of Democratic emails stolen by Russian intelligence officers. Shannon Vavra, reporter for Axios, joins us for that latest bad news for Paul Manafort. Next, The CDC says it is ok to start eating romaine lettuce again, as long as it is not from the central and northern coastal growing regions of California. So far, 43 people in 12 states have gotten sick from E.coli contaminated romaine lettuce. Theresa Tamkins, health editor for Buzzfeed News, joins us for the latest from the CDC and why contaminated water is often the source of all the problems. Finally, after things have settled down with the California wildfires, a light is shining on the little known business of private firefighters. Some have hired private crews to protect their houses, but the majority of private fire crews work on behalf of insurance companies. Hannah Fry, reporter for the LA Times, joins us to talk about the business of private firefighters and how getting a new homeowner’s insurance policy could get you their services.

Big science news surfaced on Monday when a Chinese researcher claimed that he helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies. Twins girls, born this month, named Lulu and Nana, had their DNA altered to have the ability to resist possible future infection with HIV. Brianna Sacks, Buzzfeed News reporter, joins us for these claims and also the backlash, many say that this is human experimentation and not ethically or morally defensible. Next, big space news also made headlines as NASA’s Mars InSight lander successfully touched down on the red planet. The first robot to successfully land on Mars since NASA’s curiosity rover touched down in 2012, InSight is on a mission to investigate the planet’s interior for clues on how rocky planets, including Earth formed 4 billion years ago. Andrew Freedman, Science editor at Axios, joins us for the big news and why it matters. Finally, big economic news as General Motors will cut up to 14,000 workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it will abandon many of its car models and restructure the company to focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles. Daniel Lippman, co-author of the Politico Playbook, joins us to discuss the impact of these cutback and how President Trump has responded.

The migrant caravan continues to be a thorn in the president’s side who is doing everything he can to deter migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. Over the weekend there were reports that an agreement with Mexico’s incoming government had been reached to keep migrants in Mexico while their claims were processed, but a deal has not been finalized. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters joins us for more on this, cutting the deficit, and what the Mueller report will hold for the president. Next, there is a pricey war going on to influence your social media feed. We all know about social media influencers hawking products to their followers on Instagram and Youtube, but this has grown into a huge business where brands shell out $60,000 in exchange for one video review or upwards of $85,000 for an influencer to publicly disparage a competitors product. Paris Martineau, reporter for Wired, joins us to from more on how influencers can make or break a brand and all the money and shady practices behind it.

Welcome to the Daily Dive: WEEKEND EDITION. This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week

Welcome to the Daily Dive: WEEKEND EDITION. This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week

Parents be on alert! This is the first holiday shopping season without Toy R Us and you need to start shopping earlier or risk losing out on the hottest toys of the season. Other stores like Target and Walmart are trying to pick up the slack with expanded toy sections for the holidays, but it might not be enough. My producer Miranda joins for how retailers are trying to pick up business from their dying rivals. Next, with the announcement of Amazon’s new HQ2 and HQ3 locations, an increasing practice that tech giants employ when making land grabs is coming to light… local government officials often sign non-disclosure agreements while negotiating terms, and it could be hurting the cities they settle on. Caroline O’Donovan, Buzzfeed News Reporter, joins us for how NDA’s keep the public in the dark. Finally, immediately after the midterms passed, many started turning their attention to 2020. But before donors start bundling their money and backing candidates… everyone wants to know if Beto O’Rourke will be running for president. David Siders, National political correspondent for Politico, joins us to discuss if the progressive star will throw his hat in the ring.

Thanksgiving is here and it’s time for family and food!  My producer Miranda joins us to talk about the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner in America costing $150,000. We will also talk about all the meal essentials, canned cranberry sauce or not? Dressing or stuffing? We will also tell you the perfect time to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Next, after the meal it’s time to start thinking about shopping. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all this weekend. Shop the smart way… do your research and let your phone do all the work. Did you know that there are some apps that help you get cash back for doing the shopping you are already going to do anyway? Marc Saltzman, Tech columnist for USA Today, joins us for a list of apps that can sniff out great deals. Finally, some more shopping tips. Jenifer Jolly, consumer tech journalist and founder of techish.com, joins us with a list of some of the top gadgets available this year. The big thing… video calling screens that follow you while you talk. This is what landlines will be in the very near future. There’s also a new smart mirror that tracks your skincare goals.

President Trump issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the US will stand by Saudi Arabia regardless of whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of journalist Jamaal Khashoggi. The Saudi’s are central to Trump’s Middle East strategy and does not want to lose a huge weapons deal that amounts to billions of dollars. Dave Lawler, Axios World Editor, joins us for more on why Trump is sticking with MBS. Next, it’s a high stakes game for the control of sports betting dollars. Back in May, the Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting and now legislatures all over the country are starting to work out the specifics. The next fight is whether college and professional leagues will get a piece of the action. Dan Primack, Business Editor at Axios, joins us with a view from three different sources… NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Las Vegas, and Draftkings. Finally, the president pardoned two turkeys named Peas and Carrots, although Peas was declared the overall winner. The contest starts out with 50 top tier turkeys and gets whittled down to the top two. But what happens after the contest? The other 48 get turned into deli meat, Peas and Carrots get to go to Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest.” My producer Miranda joins more for a little history and the process behind the Presidential Turkey Pardon.

Thanksgiving and the Holidays are upon us and that means that some of the best and worst things for people are also here… seeing all your family. It can be difficult getting together with a lot of people and managing all the conversations and expectations. My producer Miranda joins us for a few tips on how to avoid or at least minimize family drama. Sometimes it’s fun to enjoy the drama, but sometimes you also have to just hug it out. Next, hundreds of residents in Tijuana, Mexico turned out to protest the arrival of the migrant caravan of Central Americans making their way through to the US to seek asylum. The message is similar to what President Trump is saying, we do not have enough resources to support you while you wait for months to be processed. Alicia Caldwell, immigration reporter for the WSJ, joins us to discuss the icy reception in Tijuana and what’s next. Finally, we are still going through the tightest job market in decades and as companies are on a hiring spree for the holidays, many people are getting hired sight unseen, just after a simple phone interview. Companies are providing candidates with a fast and easy process trying to get them before someone else snatches them up. Chip Cutter, reporter for the WSJ, joins us to talk about the easy way to get a job, just pick up the phone.

The President weighed in on some of the biggest stories driving the news over the weekend in an interview with Fox News. Trump addressed whether he thought the Saudi Crown Prince played a role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, saying “will anybody really know?” He also was hesitant to confirm there were any more staff shakeups coming soon. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us to discuss that and the some of the last House and Senate races that were decided over the weekend. Next, if you drive in Los Angeles, just be aware that the LAPD and Palantir are watching you. Being used by stations across the country, police have increasingly turned to using Automatic License Plate Reader systems as a tool to help track down bad guys. Privacy groups warn that officers could be using it as a “surveillance tool” possibly targeting people who aren’t involved in criminal activity. Mark Harris, writer at Wired, joins us for more on how police are using this tool. Finally, a case that started off as a feel good story has now turned into a fraud case, we find out that a New Jersey couple who started a GoFundMe page for a homeless veteran and raised over $400,000 was all a scam. They were all in on it, and if they hadn’t let greed overtake them and fought about the money, they might have gotten away with it. My producer Miranda joins us for the GoFundMe Paying it Forward scam.

Welcome to the Daily Dive: WEEKEND EDITION. This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week

Welcome to the Daily Dive: WEEKEND EDITION. This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week