Apple Seed

Guest:  Elizabeth Clark, J.D., Associate Director of the International Center for Law and Religious Studies  County clerk Kim Davis of Kentucky was jailed today after she was found in contempt of court for failing to issue any marriage licenses since the Supreme Court handed down its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in late June. Davis has argued that issuing licenses to same-sex couples is a violation of her religious beliefs.

Guest: Duane Shell, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln  Sixteen year-olds look forward to time behind the wheel but often the classroom portion of the drivers’ ed course elicits much less enthusiasm. However, a new study shows that the classroom portion of Driver’s ed is actually time well spent. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln “followed more than 15,000 teen drivers over eight years” and found that taking the classroom portion of the drivers’ ed course significantly reduces crashes and traffic violations among new drivers.

Guest: Ann Schlosser, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing at the University of Washington  When fall arrives, the holiday season is not far behind. Halloween then Thanksgiving.  There may be a scientific reason holiday feasting tradition persists.  Research shows that feelings of gratitude and connectivity with friends and family can actually cause people to eat more sweets.

Guest:  Jennifer Laird, Sociologist and Doctoral Student at the University of Washington  Government jobs have long been a sort of haven for employment diversity in America. For example, nearly one in five black adults works for the government in jobs ranging from teaching to delivering mail or investigating crimes. But the public sector took a big hit from budget cuts during the recession in 2008 and those layoffs appear to have disproportionately hurt black workers.

Guest: Laurie Reeve, CEO of Simply in Order  Parents may wish they had a fairy godmother to help them with the endless tasks of keeping the house clean and organized.  The next best thing is turning to a professional organizer.