Gerrymandering Back at the US Supreme Court

Guest: Michael Bitzer, Professor of Political Science, Catawba College

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a couple of cases where state lawmakers in Maryland and North Carolina have admitted they drew congressional district boundaries to favor their own political parties. In Maryland it was the Democrats. In North Carolina, the Republicans. This is common in most states –whichever party controls the legislature when the next Census happens gets to draw the boundaries to their liking. Should that continue?

 

Capturing the Courtroom Drama on Paper, in a Hurry

Guest: Jane Rosenberg, Courtroom Sketch Artist

The internet–and late-night comedians –just love a courtroom sketch of a celebrity. “Hey, that doesn’t look like Taylor Swift or Bill Cosby,” people will complain. A few years ago, quarterback Tom Brady was in court over the deflated football scandal, and Patriots fans went berserk over how unattractive Brady looked in the courtroom sketch. It’s still a running joke on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert

 

BYU Grad is First Female Sky Soldier to Complete Ranger School

Guest: 1st Lt. Anna Hodge, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sky Soldiers), First Female Sky Soldier to Graduate from Ranger School

Our guest is a Sky Soldier –and no it’s not Captain Marvel, though it does sound like something out of a superhero movie. “Sky Soldiers” is what members of the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade call themselves. They jump from planes and provide support for military operations from the air. But apparently that wasn’t enough of a challenge for, 1st Lieutenant Anna Hodge because she recently became the first female Sky Soldier to complete the Army’s famously-difficult Ranger School. Hodge is also an alum of BYU and she’s on the line from Italy where she’s based.

 

Apple Seed

Guest: Sam Payne

Sam Payne shares a story

 

ADA: The Robot that Can Help Feed the Disabled

Guest: Tapomayukh Bhattacharjee, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington 

Millions of Americans need help to do basic daily living activities. For some, holding a fork or a spoon is extremely difficult or even impossible. Those people depend on others to feed them, but maybe not for long. The University of Washington’s Personal Robotics Lab recently created a robot that can help disabled people eat a meal without human assistance.

 

The History of Island Alcatraz

Guest: John Martini, Historical Consultant, Author, “Fortress Alcatraz: Guardian of the Golden Gate”

Last month, letters from infamous mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger were sold at auction. In one, Bulger writes fondly about the time he spent locked up at Alcatraz, where the rules were “plain and simple.” That’s strange when you consider Alcatraz was where all the worst federal prisoners were sent because it was so foreboding and secure. Then again, Bulger was a pretty bad dude, so maybe Alcatraz was a nice break from other places he’d done time? Well, there is so much more to Alcatraz than what you may know from movies or that time you visited San Francisco.