The State of Us

At a time when our nation's leadership is being critically tested, the very notion of how the United States came to be is as important as ever. To frame our understanding of the news media, women's rights, and words like "unconstitutional," we have to look at the years leading up to the American Revolution. Justin and Lance are joined by Mary Beth Norton, a professor of American history at Cornell University, to discuss what we can learn from the revolutionists today. tags: revolutionary war, 1774, american history, britian, colonies, journalism, declaration of independence, tsou, mary beth norton, news, media, womens rights, politics, power, justin weller, lance jackson

The Education Department is set to cut off federal funding for some rural schools. Also, schools across the country have made a huge push to ensure that all students have devices, but now parents are pushing back. Justin and Lance discuss the current state of education and how schools should implement technology in the classroom. tags: education, tsou, technology, chromebook, school, high school, middle school, fed, government, macbook, microsoft, apple, parents, children, justin weller, lance jackson

The book of books or how many of us have come to know it, the Bible. Religious, not religious, or somewhere in-between, we all have preconceptions about the Bible. Justin and Lance are joined by Timothy Beal, a professor of religion, to discuss how the Bible came to be and its place in the modern world. tags: bible, tsou, christian, Christianity, god, Jesus, book of books, evangelicalism, capitalism, church, jewish, religion, atheism, history, rise and fall of the bible, timothy beal, justin weller, lance jackson

Recent data shows that there may be strong biological reasons that girls spend more time on social media and boys spend more time playing video games. Also, half of Millennials believe gender is a spectrum, and that some fall outside of conventional categories. Justin and Lance discuss gender identity and how different generations perceive this topic. tags: gender, tsou, identity, sex, spectrum, data, research, science, biology, diversity, acceptance, lgbtq, video games, social media, boy, girl, man, woman, millennial, gen z, boomer, gender fluid, justin weller, lance jackson

Is the success of The New York Times bad for news journalism? The company now has more digital subscribers than The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and 250 local Gannett papers combined. Justin and Lance give their perspective on the rise of The Times, as well as news diversification. tags: tsou, news, new york times, journalism, wall street journal, media, politics, trump, president, cable news, newspaper, print, monopoly, washington post, lance jackson, justin weller, bradley butsch

Large and small hospitals are rushing to move doctor visits to virtual settings as quick as possible. Moreover, one-third of large employers were planning to offer on-site behavioral counseling this year before the pandemic struck. Justin and Lance discuss how how COVID-19 is changing these industries and how workplaces are adapting. tags: COVID-19, corona virus, workplace, economy, mental health, virtual, healthcare, doctor, therapist, office, digital, tsou, insurance, justin weller, lance jackson

In the age of mass information and social media, the truth can be difficult to find. For example, a study in 1977 found test subjects were more likely to believe false information the more it was presented to them. Justin and Lance layout how all of us can avoid misinformation and question our own beliefs. tags: misinformation, covid-19, corona virus, politics, government, information, social media, tsou, media, pandemic, believe, beliefs, credibility, hear, true, false, remembering, communication, justin weller, lance jackson, truth, news

As states across the country move to keep more than 100 million Americans in their homes, a divide has burst into public view with the White House raising concerns over the impact of the economy from COVID-19. Justin and Lance discuss some of the moves that are being considered to stabilize the economy amidst this global pandemic. tags: corona virus, covid-19, tsou, pandemic, social distancing, mortgage, rent, universal basic income, outbreak, healthcare, economy, politics, democrat, republican, public health, global health, justin weller, lance jackson

John Adams and John Quincy Adams played a crucial role in the development of our nation. How did the first American political dynasty lose its prominence? Doug Egerton, author of Heirs of an Honored Name, joins Justin and Lance to discuss the significance of the Adams family in early America, and how a few fatal flaws of the family eventually lead to their downfall. tags: john adams, john quincy adams, charles francis, tsou, america, politics, economy, revolutionary war, independence, dynasty, founding father, minister, president, government, douglas egerton, lance jackson, justin weller, history

American entrepreneurship has been declining since the early 1970's. Also, in the late 1980's, more than half of American businesses were less than five years old. Justin and Lance question why our nation is stagnating and what it means for our future. tags: tsou, politics, economy, america, dream, innovation, stagnation, decadence, entrepreneurship, risk, change, business, travel, communicate, convince, phone, apple, microsoft, justin weller, lance jackson.