Status of Trump Campaign Lawsuits Challenging Election Outcome (0:31)

Guest: Douglas Spencer, Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Connecticut

President Trump has not conceded the election to Joe Biden and his campaign continues to allege problems in how ballots were counted in several states. The Trump Campaign and Republican allies have filed a number of lawsuits to that effect.

 

How Deaths are Investigated in the US (18:20)

Guest: Gregory Davis, Forensic Pathologist, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Chief Medical Examiner, Jefferson County, Alabama

Autopsies are a critical tool for public health officials tracking the COVID-19 pandemic–how far it’s spread, how deadly it is, how it harms the body. But the system of doing death investigations differs from state to state. In fact, in some places, the coroner responsible for declaring a patient’s cause of death isn’t required to have any medical training at all. In some places, coroners are elected, so politics and public opinion can influence their decisions–say if there’s pressure to downplay the deadliness of the virus.

 

Rapping for STEM Representation (33:24)

Guest: Raven Baxter, Founder, STEMbassy, PhD Student, Science Education, University of Buffalo, Fortune Magazine’s 2020 40 Under 40 List

Microbiologist Raven Baxter–AKA Raven the Science Maven–has had quite the year. Fortune Magazine named her one of their 40 under 40. A video she made of a COVID-19 rap went viral. So did a post about her experience as a Black woman in science and academia under the hashtag #BlackintheIvory. Baxter’s got deals for a children’s book and a TV show in the works, now, too. Her whole mission is changing the culture of science so that it’s more inclusive and real.

 

Tombstone and the Frontier’s Last Gasp of Lawlessness (51:01)

Guest: Tom Clavin, Author of “Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday and the Vendetta Ride from Hell”

Even if you don’t know the details, you’ve heard of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. It happened in Tombstone, Arizona–a morbidly perfect name for the site of the legendary shootout. October 1881. It made Wyatt Earp famous. Beyond that, does it matter? Or was it just another example of violence in a violent frontier town? (Originally aired June 11, 2020).

 

Taking Risks, Facing Anxiety (1:28:18)

Guest: Anne Marie Albano, Professor of Medical Psychology, Columbia University Medical Center, Director, Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disordrs, Columbia University

American children are very anxious. Pandemics, natural disasters and political upheaval are stacked atop already stressful scenarios like making friends, achieving in school and being on social media. If you have one of these anxious kids, you might actually be making the problem worse. (Originally aired June 11, 2020).