There’s been a lot of talk lately about free speech and the First Amendment. What is—and what isn’t—protected free speech? Today on the show, legal expert Howard Schweber breaks it down for us and answers our questions. Howard Schweber is a professor of political science and legal studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is […]
Coerced Labor in America Today
The pandemic and attendant economic crisis have laid bare the enormous power imbalances in contemporary American work life. Today, we speak with sociologist Erin Hatton about her new book Coerced, in which she looks at four distinct groups of workers—from prisoners and welfare workers to graduate students and college athletes—who are not often recognized as […]
The intellectual dark web
What makes an idea dangerous? In tonight’s episode, Kevin Lauterjung and Kelly Schwartz discuss the intellectual dark web (IDW), from subversive origins to Youtube mainstay. How did the IDW become associated with the political right? Where should we draw the line in discussing identity? Is there a free speech issue on US campuses? Join us […]
UW Hospital Nurses Move to Unionize
Nurses at UW Hospital announced their intent to unionize today. They say they’re too understaffed to properly care for patients and don’t feel supported by hospital administration. This afternoon, nurses marched into this month’s meeting of the UW Hospital and Clinics Authority Board of Directors, and informed board members of their intent to unionize. Then, […]
The Real Cost of College
As we recently discussed on the show, student loan debt in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade, jumping from $600 billion in 2008 to over $1.5 trillion USD today. Several Democratic presidential candidates, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have proposed student loan debt cancellation or free college as a major […]
White Supremacy from Ancient Greece to the Vikings to Charlottesville
At the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. in August 2017, neo-Nazi demonstrators marched with symbols from the Middle Ages. Earlier this year, the Christchurch terrorist, who killed fifty-one people at a mosque in New Zealand, included Odin’s cross in his manifesto and made reference to Valhalla in his final social media post. Scholars […]
