Abortion Laws, Stereotypes, Entrepreneurs

Abortion Laws and Reproductive Rights Under Trump Guest: Leslie Francis, JD, PhD, Professor of Philosophy and Law, Director of the Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences, Professor of Bioethics, University of Utah At the annual March for Life in Washington over the weekend, opponents of abortion expressed hope that President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress will make strides in limiting access to and federal funding for abortion. Overturning the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion 44 years ago is the ultimate hope of many in the “pro-life” movement. President Trump plans to nominate a new Supreme Court justice this week who will likely be a staunch opponent of abortion. Just what could Trump and Congressional Republicans accomplish on the subject? Stick Bugs Back from Extinction Guest: Nicholas Carlile, Researcher and Senior Scientists at the Office of Environment and Heritage, Ecosystem Management Science, Sydney, Australia A huge, strange-looking insect that was once believed extinct is now hatching in this country for the first time. Scientists call the wingless creature a “phasmid.” Its nickname is “the tree lobster,” so that should give you a mental image. It’s also known as the “The Lord Howe Island stick insect.” Lord Howe is a small island near Australia, and it was once the only known home of these giant bugs, which can grow as long as an adult human hand, and as thick as a thumb. Scientists at the San Diego Zoo acquired some of the insect eggs from keepers in Australia a year ago and the hardy species is now doing well at the zoo. Key Traits for Winning at Evolution Guest: John Wiens, Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona If you picture the entire animal kingdom laid out in a sort of family tree, the arthropod branch has more than a million species coming off it, including the tree lobster and all other insects, crustaceans and spiders. By contrast, the branch for the Xenoturbellida phylum is tiny, with just a cou