ACA, Deer Menace, Synesthesia, Open Hiring

Guest: Sara Rosenbaum, Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy, George Washington University For those hoping to get coverage through the Affordable Care Act this year, enrollment has closed –or will soon if you live in a state that runs its own insurance marketplace. About a month ago, a federal judge in Texas nearly yanked the rug out from under the entire system when he declared the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. But that ruling is on hold pending appeals. You may remember that the US Supreme Court has twice upheld the Affordable Care Act. So what’s the status here? Republicans in Congress have failed to repeal Obamacare, but might they ultimately get their way in court?

Guest: Don Waller, Professor of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison The amount of hunting being done in the US is at its lowest level in 25 years, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Which is great for Bambi, but bad for ecosystems increasingly overrun with deer. Botanist Don Waller has been documenting the effect of deer on declining plant and bird diversity in Wisconsin’s forests for years.

Guest: Richard E. Cytowic, MD, Clinical Professor of Neurology, George Washington University What does the sound of my voice smell like to you? Are Monday and Tuesday different colors? Does chocolate taste like a circle or a square? If those questions do not sound too strange, you might have synesthesia – or at least you’ve heard of it. Synesthesia is a mixing of two or more senses – and about four percent of people have it.

Guest: Robert Griffiths, former U.S. Consul General in Shanghai, Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University  Top Huawei executive was arrested last month in Canada at the request of the United States, which believes Huawei may have committed fraud and violated international sanctions on doing business in Iran. China subsequently arrested several Canadians, but denies it was retaliating. The US State Department last week warned Americans traveling in China to “exercise increased caution” due to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”

Guest: Mike Brady, President and CEO, Greyston Bakery At any given time, about six million people are part of the US correctional system – they’re either behind bars or out on parole or probation. Having served time makes getting a job on the “outside” very difficult. There’s a commercial bakery in New York that opts simply not to ask any questions about the background of people who apply. They call it “open hiring.”