How Will Biden’s Approach to Foreign Policy Differ From Trump’s? (0:30)

Guest: Eric Jensen, Professor of International Law, Brigham Young University

President-elect Joe Biden has already signaled a very different approach to America’s international presence when he takes office in January. The Biden transition team is preparing a host of executive orders to reverse President Trump’s positions on climate change, immigration, refugee resettlement and the World Health Organization.

 

France’s Struggle with Extremism (19:32)

Guest: Greg Jackson, Professor of Integrated Studies, Assistant Director of the Center for National Security Studies, Utah Valley University, Host of Podcast “History That Doesn’t Suck”

Muslim men have carried out three stabbing attacks in France in the last month and government officials say they're confronting a “new generation” of Islamist extremists. To understand the cultural and political divide over Islam in France, you need to understand the colonial history of France in Algeria.

 

FDA Warns, Pregnancy and Some Over-the-Counter Meds Shouldn’t Mix (38:28)

Guest: C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

Most drugs seem to be off-the-table for pregnant women because they’re potentially harmful to the baby. Add the most common pain relievers to that list, now. The FDA has just warned that taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen or aspirin after 20 weeks of pregnancy can be dangerous to both mother and fetus.

 

When Food Banks Fill Stomachs, but Harm Health (52:48)

Guest: Kristen Cooksey Stowers, Assistant Professor of Health Disparities, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut

Food banks rely on the extra giving spirit people have this time of year stock their shelves. Food insecurity has doubled in America during the pandemic and food pantries play a crucial role in filling gaps for families in need. But while food banks may fill stomachs, they also seem to contribute to poorer health among food bank recipients.

 

There’s A Lot We Still Don’t Know About Bats (1:07:33)

Guest: Amy T. Gilbert, Disease Ecologist, National Wildlife Research Center

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 came from a bat. So did the viruses that have caused Ebola, SARS, MERS and rabies outbreaks. There must be something about bats that makes them such good carriers of viruses that jump to humans. But the truth is, scientists don’t really know.

 

Tunnel Vision on Recycling is Actually Harming the Environment (1:20:32)

Guest: David Allaway, Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon State

Recycling is not working very well. Not only is the system super confusing, but a lot of plastic ends up in landfill anyway. Part of the blame lies with major plastic companies. A recent NPR and PBS Frontline investigation found that these businesses spent millions pushing the idea of recycling onto consumers—even though they knew that recycling would be extremely difficult to get right and probably wouldn’t work. So now what? David Allaway says first, we need to get over our recycling obsession.