Guns at Walmart, Pumice Island, Da Vinci

Stores Like Wal-Mart Are Entering the Gun Control Debate (0:38) Guest: Adam Winkler, J.D., Professor of Law, UCLA. Author of Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America As the coronavirus began to spread widely in the US last month, sales of guns and ammunition made a big jump. People appeared to be stocking up for fear the pandemic would lead to civil unrest. Typically, we see sales skyrocket like this when gun owners are worried about new laws being passed. There was a similar bump after President Obama got elected and another after the Sandy Hook shooting.  But the reality is that it’s been 25 years since Congress passed laws that limit the spread and use of guns. In the meantime, we’ve seen private companies taking up the cause - Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Chipotle, and Costco have all discouraged customers from openly carrying guns in their stores. (Originally aired 9/24/2019) Pumice Rafts Allow Corals and Other Marine Life to Hitch a Ride (17:55) Guest: Scott Bryan, Associate Professor of Geology and Geochemistry at Queensland University of Technology You know pumice – that rock with the little holes in it? People use it to smooth off callouses on feet. Well last fall, a giant clump of it was discovered floating in the Pacific Ocean. It was bigger than the island of Manhattan, made up of pumice stones ranging from marble to basketball size. Really bad news for boats that came upon it, but great news for marine life, apparently. (Originally aired 9/18/2019) Better Representing Seniors in Media (34:51) Guest: Martha Boudreau, Executive Vice President & Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at AARP Think of the last time you saw a person older than 50 in an advertisement. Most likely it was for some sort of medication or they were sitting on a park bench alone. Research from the AARP shows that older people are usually depicted in the media as dependent and disconnected. And that just doesn’t line up with the facts. (Originally aired 10/29/19) What You Need to Know About the WHO