NEPA, Cashless Society, Qualified Immunity

Rollback or Update? A Look at Changes to a Key Environmental Law (0:32) Guests: Brigham Daniels, Professor of Environmental Law, J. Reuben Clark Law School, BYU; Matt Letourneau, Managing Director of Communications, Global Energy Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Trump, in the last two weeks,a ccomplished something he says he’s wanted to do from day one. It’s the biggest move yet in his ongoing overhaul of environmental regulations. In this case, it’s a 50-year-old law called the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. The changes President Trump is making are controversial, in part because everything he does is controversial, but also because environmentalists consider NEPA to be one of the nation’s bedrock conservation laws. Is it Time to Ditch Cash? (23:34) Guest: Bill Maurer, Professor of Anthropology and Law, University of California, Irvine Could you manage without using cash? With many businesses across the country temporarily going cashless to help slow the spread of COVID-19, some wonder, why not just make this the moment we transition to a cashless society? No more bills and coins. Just debit cards and payment apps. How Women are Unintentionally Silenced at Work (34:58) Guest: Jessica Preece, Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University There are significantly less women than men in leadership positions at companies and institutions. Despite the efforts of many different organizations to get more women in power, getting them a seat at the table might not be enough. New research out of Brigham Young University shows that her voice still might not be heard. Being outnumbered by men in the group can also be silencing. Musicians Miss Playing Together... Can They Make Music Virtually? (52:48) Guest: Dan Tepfer, Pianist and Composer Jazz pianist and composer Dan Tepfer has not been able to improvise in the same room with other musicians for months because of the pandemic. He’s posted some solo performances on Twitter like many other musical artists. As many of us have learned, trying to sing or play music together over Facetime or Zoom just doesn’t work. There’s too much lag. You can’t stay on the same beat. But some musicians make it work. So how do they play in sync with few problems? Is Qualified Immunity Qualified? (1:14:35) Guest: Lumen Mulligan, Professor of Civil Litigation and Jurisdiction, University of Kansas A look now at an aspect of policing in the United States that’s come under increased scrutiny since the killing of George Floyd. It’s called qualified immunity and critics say it too often allows police to avoid accountability when they mistreat someone. But law enforcement agencies say qualified immunity gives officers critical protection to make split-second decisions in a tense situation. Companies Changing Racist Advertisements (1:29:38) Guest: Jason Chambers, Professor of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Aunt Jemima. Uncle Ben. Cream of Wheat. Mrs. Butterworth’s. All of those brands are getting a re-do right now in response to long-running criticism that they promote racist stereotypes.