Who Comes in an Emergency if a City Defunds Its Police (0:30)

Guest: Alex S. Vitale, PhD, Professor of Sociology, Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project, Brooklyn College, Author of “The End of Policing”

Protesters these last two weeks have, at times, chanted “Abolish the Police” or “Defund the Police.” The Minneapolis City Council has committed to dismantling the city’s police force. Politicians in other cities are now taking note of what’s long been considered a radical, unrealistic idea. Without police, who will respond in an emergency? You can’t just have no police and be safe, can you?

How Racism Contributes to a Shorter Life Expectancy (21:06)

Guest: Shervin Assari, MD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

Lots of different health conditions can contribute to a shorter life expectancy. But what about racism? Black men and women don’t live as long as white people, and Dr. Shervin Assari’s research shows that is has a lot to do with skin color.

More Remote Work Could Mean More Pay Adjusted for Where You Live, Not What You Do (35;48)

Guest: Raffi Garcia, Professor of Financing and Accounting, Lally School of Management, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Some tech companies – notably Facebook – have decided to let their employees keep working from home into the new year, to slow the spread of COVID-19. Remote work has turned out to be just fine for lots of people. But the catch with Facebook workers is that if they move out of Silicon Valley, their pay will be adjusted to reflect the cost of living in their new city. And since the Bay Area is among the priciest in the country, any move is like to result in lower pay. If this becomes a standard practice for companies with remote workers, what consequences might it have?

Tombstone and the Frontier’s Last Gasp of Lawlessness (52:50)

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? Tom Clavin investigates in his new book, “Tombstone” – which is the third in a trilogy of best-sellers about famous frontier lawmen that also includes Wild Bill and Dodge City.

Taking Risks, Facing Anxiety (1:30:05)

Guest: Anne Marie Albano, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Medical Psychology, Director, Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders

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.