Yes, the Government Can Shut Businesses Down and Force You to Stay Inside (0:29)

Guest: Nicholas Duston, Partner, Norris McLaughlin

The last few weeks of government orders to stay at home have been bewildering for Americans used to personal freedoms. Just how far can the government go in a situation like this? Could it get to a point where people are fined for violating a shelter-in-place order? Could the government mandate that everyone be vaccinated – when a vaccine for COVID-19 is finally available? And what about private businesses? Apparently, the government can decide which shut down and which stay open in a crisis – and the businesses just have to do as ordered?

 

Gender Imbalance in Animal Testing (13:40)

Guest: Rebecca Shansky, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience Researcher, Northeastern University

Until the 1990s, it was really common for new drugs to be tested only on men in clinical trials. And then we were all just supposed to assume that however the drug worked on men, it’ll work that way on women, too. Which seems crazy in retrospect, so it’s lucky that today women account for roughly half of all participants in clinical research supported by the National Institutes of Health. But it’s still really common for scientists to use only male rats and mice in the earlier stages of their research.

 

How Abusers Use Spyware to Stalk and Harass (33:03)

Guest: Eva Galperin, Director of Cybersecurity, Electronic Frontier Foundation

During economic downturns and natural disasters, domestic violence spikes. The extreme stress of the current pandemic and shelter-in-place rules could make things even more dangerous for abuse victims. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and shelters around the country remain open. That number is 1-800-799-SAFE. But there’s an insidious tool abusers have begun using to secretly keep tabs on their victims’ calls, texts and movements.

 

So You’re a Homeschool Parent Now. Here Are Some Tips From an Expert (50:07)

Guest: Jayme Metzgar, Homeschool Parent and Senior Contributor, The Federalist

Before we get to the history of homeschooling in America – and it is a really fascinating history - let’s get some practical tips for all the parents out there who suddenly find themselves homeschooling kids. Jayme Metzgar’s been at this for 13 years.

 

From Normal to Weird to No Big Deal. A Look at the History of Homeschool in America. (1:05:33)

Guest: Milton Gaither, PhD, Professor of Education, Messiah College, Author of “Homeschool: An American History”

With parents all over the country lamenting how they’re suddenly forced to homeschool their kids, we started wondering about the history of homeschooling itself. Those of us who were school-age in the 70s and 80s might remember just controversial homeschooling was – how weird people thought it was that parents would presume to educate their kids at home. But today it’s a lot more mainstream. Lots of elite athletes and famous musicians have been homeschooled. School districts practically bend over backward to accommodate homeschoolers. How did that happen?