America Trends Podcast

Latest Episodes
EP 906 West Point Law Professor Who Won Whistleblower Case Against the U.S. Military Files New Free Speech Lawsuit
Tim Bakken, a civilian professor, and the longest-serving law professor in West Points history, filed a lawsuit recently in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenging
EP 905 Can the Euro Survive More Crises?
The euro survived crises unimagined at its founding in 1992, giving European countries a common currency. First there was the financial meltdown of 2007-2009, the sovereign debt crisis of 2010-2012,
EP 904 Black Capitalists Amassing Wealth for the Common Good
To many, the term Black Capitalists tips an equation upside down. Black people were the labor force that built the infrastructure of American capitalism through the violent dictates of legalized sl
EP 903 Is Anyone Paying Attention to Children in Middle Childhood? We Should
Oh, the times they are a changing. While the focus in a slew of parenting books has been on infancy, adolescence and the teenage years, little has been focused on as it relates to ages 6-12, which i
EP 902 The Long Tail Effects of Being a Foster Child
There are over 400,000 children in foster care in America, costing the state and federal government over $30 billion a year. So, is the system working? Its hard to say the system is failing, but p
EP 901 The Current State of Higher Education
Most of what we hear lately about higher education relates to the legal battles between the Trump Administration and Harvard, the nations oldest university. And while prior to this the leading issu
EP 900 The Flames of California Will One Day Affect Most Americans Wherever You Live
We like to imagine that we are safe and immune from much of what we see on the news. In the case of wildfires, people on the east coast might see it as a west coast phenomenon. Yet, there have bee
EP 899 Animal Festivals and Other Human Behaviors: When Do the Animals Have Their Say?
As a dog parent, I bristle at doggie dress-ups at the local pet supply store, yet I still eat meat. Call me a hypocrite. I accept the critique. And yet when it comes to animals, there is a stratifi
EP 898 Are Forever Chemicals a Forever Problem?
Lets start with the basics. What are forever chemicals? And so this podcast begins with Professor Matt Simcik, an environmental chemist from the University of Minnesota, trying to explain to me,
EP 897 Why Noise Pollution Isn’t Just Annoying but Bad for Our Health
Pneumatic drilling from building sites. The dull roar of planes overhead. Your fellow workers phone conversations in an otherwise silent office. The suburban drone of lawn mowers and blowers. No