Interactions between Earth and the sun's magnetic fields cause "space weather," which can cause problems with our electrical infrastructure. The University of Iowa is leading the NASA mission studying this occurrence, TRACERS, and on this River to River, host Ben Kieffer speaks with the lead investigator on the project and astrophysicist David Miles. The TRACERS mission launched on July 23, 2025.
Then, legal historian and award-winning author Samantha Barbas shares how an overruling of the 1964 landmark decision in New York Times v. Sullivan case could set a dangerous precedent for the First Amendment's freedom of the press. She also discusses other threats to the First Amendment and perceptions of what's protected by the law.
Portions of this episode were originally produced on Nov. 18, 2024 and Nov. 21, 2024.
Guests:
- David Miles, F Wendell Miller associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa
- Samantha Barbas, professor and Aliber Family Chair in Law, UI College of Law
