On today's show, a Norwegian racing competition that includes reindeer-pulled skiers has gained new traction in the US. Then, new headcounts suggest chinstrap penguin populations aren't doing as well as scientists thought. Also, a marketing phenomenon called Harbingers of Failures–where a consumer picks largely unpopular products. Plus: how musicians are playing together virtually, underwater national parks, and the gender gap in art.

What do the last chaotic 24 hours in US politics tell us about the state of things in Congress? And, a doctor explains how the pandemic is making medical myths more rampant. Then, a look at whether alcohol-based sanitizers are really the only ones that work against the COVID virus. Also, on the show today: how mud is helping scientists refine their predictions for climate change, and an effort to restore sand dunes on US beaches using dead Christmas trees. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Companies may want to require their employees get the COVID vaccine–but can they do that? Then, how the pandemic is affecting friendships between men and women differently. Also, exploring how countries deals with past sins–like apartheid in South Africa or slavery in the US. Also today, prisoners now able to apply for the federal PELL grant for college, a kind of proxy wedding that is making a comeback thanks to the pandemic, and the Apple Seed.

Can Employers Require Workers to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine? (0:31)

When the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available, will employers be able to demand their workers get one? Let’s ask employment law expert Jonathan Segal, a partner at the law firm Duane Morris.

 

How the Pandemic is Affecting Relationships—Especially Male Friendships (17:23)

The pandemic has strained friendships, but men, in particular, report finding their friendships adrift, more so even than women. Why would that be? Geoffrey Greif wrote a book on male friendships called, “Buddy System.” Greif is a professor of social work at the University of Maryland.

 

Behind Bars But No Longer Behind in School (35:16)

For the first time in 25 years, prison inmates can receive a government Pell Grant to cover the cost of taking college courses behind bars. Is that a good use of taxpayer dollars? Andrea Cantora is a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Baltimore, and she directs the university’s college program at a maximum-security prison in Maryland.

 

How Will You Remember 2020? (52:21)

A conversation with Sam Payne, the host of BYUradio's the Apple Seed.

 

Why More People Are Opting to Get Married by Proxy (1:03:13)

Double proxy weddings–where the couples are not in the same place–are only legal in Montana.  But the pandemic has made these kinds of marriages vital for some couples. April and Chris Coen are stand-ins for these proxy marriages through a company they co-own called A Big Sky Event.

 

Slavery, Apartheid, Nazism: A Look at How Nations Deal with Past Sins (1:17:12)

How does a nation deal with evil in its past - an evil that the country endorsed at its highest levels? Legal scholar Justin Collings says that the post-slavery United States could learn from the examples of post-Nazi Germany and post-apartheid South Africa. Collings is a professor at Brigham Young University’s law school and author of the new book, “Scales of Memory: Constitutional Justice and Historical Evil.”

Brexit is finally final—now what? And why it's so rare these days for Americans to have one family doctor they see regularly and trust enough to take their guidance on things like vaccines. Then, a drone that uses an antenna from a real moth to smell. Also, why you should be writing down your experiences with the pandemic, why scientists are rushing to find new species of ghost sharks, and ParentPreview.com's best and worst family movies this year.

The Brexit Divorce is Finally Final (0:31)

The Brexit negotiations between Britain and the European Union didn’t seem to go anywhere until the last minute, but a deal was struck and the UK is finally on its own. Simon Usherwood felt the process could have gone better. Usherwood is a professor of politics at the University of Surrey.

 

Few Americans Have a Regular Doctor They Can Trust. That’s Bad News for the Pandemic. (17:34)

A trusted family doctor might help convince the nearly quarter of reluctant Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. But fewer Americans have that kind of family doctor these days. Healthcare systems expert Timothy Hoff has written about the decline in trust between patients and primary care doctors, and he’s a professor of management and health policy at Northeastern University.

 

Preserving All Perspectives Through the Pandemic Journaling Project (35:41)

To try to preserve what it's like living through a pandemic, some of us have turned to journaling. University of Connecticut anthropology professor Sarah Willen started The Pandemic Journaling Project to help people do just that: record their experiences and make sure all perspectives get preserved.

 

Mysterious Ghost Sharks May Disappear Before We Can Study Them (52:20)

Scientists think some species of the mysterious "ghost shark" may be at risk of extinction, but they don’t know for sure because they don’t know much about ghost sharks in general. We find out more about this mysterious shark from David Ebert who is one of the world’s leading experts on these fish. He’s the Director of the Pacific Shark Research Center in Monterey, California.

 

Smellicopter: A Drone that Uses a Real Moth Antenna to Smell (1:04:56)

Researchers at the University of Washington are developing a drone that will harness real moth antennas to sniff out chemicals. Melanie Anderson is one of the doctoral students currently working on the device they call the “Smellicopter.” 

 

Best and Worst Family Movies of 2020 (1:21:44)

The pandemic pressed pause on many of the big movies that would have come out in 2020. But Kirsten Hawkes of ParentPreviews.com thinks a few that were released were real gems for family viewing–and there were also duds.

Who can the president pardon–anyone? Also, a look at the criticism for President-elect Biden’s plan to expand drug courts and send offenders to mandatory treatment. Then, if you like movies and you also need therapy, maybe try the new YouTube channel “Cinema Therapy.” Also today, the Indiana lab that breed fruit flies for scientists across the world, TIME Magazine's first-ever "Kid of the Year," and the results from a study that taught low-income pre-schoolers basic lessons in social skills and coping with emotions.

In the first hour, we revisit topics around racial justice. We hear from participants of the 2020 March on Washington, why Black women face such high rates of police violence, and what white people need to know for this moment in history. In the second hour, we revisit stories regarding American politics, like RBG's legacy, a group that encouraged voting on Native American reservations, and swing states.

In the first hour, we revisit some international events we covered this year, like the Hong Kong protests, the killing of one of Iran's top military leaders, and the Hagia Sophia Controversy. In the second hour, we revisit topics relating to our health. For instance, why deaths of despair are so high among uneducated white Americans, a new suicide prevention nasal spray, and how breathing is connected to good health.

In the first hour, we revisit conversations we have had about how COVID-19 changed our lives. We hear from people who were locked down near the start of the pandemic, the manufactured fan noises for the NBA Playoffs, and the cancellation of the long-standing tradition of Oberammergau. In the second hour, we revisit conversations that make us feel hopeful, like Mr. Roger responding to fan letters, a solution to help a community survive melting glaciers, and how a group of prisoners turned to magic.