Americans are having fewer babies than ever before. The fertility rate in the United States has dropped to an all-time low of 1.6 births per woman. In response, the Trump Administration has urged Americans to have more children and proposed a range of pronatalist policies including baby bonuses, an expanded Child Tax Credit and making IVF treatment more affordable. Critics of the Trump Administration worry the underlying intent is to restrict access to contraception and return women to primarily domestic roles.
In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie Rose explores the complex choices American women face when deciding how many children to have. We’ll dive into the history of fertility trends in the U.S. and take a look at how France managed to sustain a higher fertility rate than most European countries. We’ll also unpack the cultural and political tensions driving the pronatalism debate to discover a bit of common ground in the concept of “reproductive justice.”
GUESTS
Mother and daughter Melody (12 kids), Jaynee (3 kids)
Karen Benjamin Guzzo, professor of sociology, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill(https://www.cpc.unc.edu/)
Laurent Toulemon, population researcher at the French Institute for Demographic Studies in Paris (https://www.ined.fr/en/)
Mara Gordon, mother of 1, family physician in Camden, NJ, author of “Your Doctor Friend” on Substack (https://maragordonmd.substack.com/)
Lyman Stone, director of The Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies (https://ifstudies.org/pronatalism-initiative)
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53:49
Too Hot to Handle? America’s Deadly Heat Problem
Extreme heat kills more Americans most years than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined, but we don’t give it the same emergency treatment. The government doesn’t name heatwaves like it does storms. And extreme heat doesn’t qualify for federal disaster funding. But record-breaking temperatures are now a yearly reality across the U.S. Cities are scrambling for solutions—from planting trees to setting up cooling centers—but experts say quick fixes aren’t enough.
In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie Rose speaks with heat researchers about how policy, planning, and public awareness must evolve to confront rising temperatures. From deadly heatwaves to heightened risks for vulnerable communities, the danger isn’t just about how hot it gets—it’s about how prepared we are to respond.
GUESTS
Larissa Larsen, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan (https://taubmancollege.umich.edu/faculty/directory/larissa-larsen/)
Rob Meade, Research Fellow for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/robert-meade/)
Michelle Litwin, Heat Response Program Manager for the Phoenix Office of Heat Response and Mitigation (https://www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/heat.html)
TIKTOK ACCOUNTS HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS EPISODE:
@Junifrec, @Ascocool, @Mitchellfranxman, @Jenwhite, @Ashley_simone1108, @Hardline_daily, @Jordanjchart, @Stefanies.lifestyle, @Damarypaz, @abbymcduck
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:43 The Growing Threat of Heat Waves
02:27 Heat as an Emergency
04:43 Historical Heatwave Impact
06:07 Urban Planning and Heat Resilience
17:42 The Human Body's Response to Extreme Heat
23:55 Behavioral & Physiological Responses to Heat
26:11 Cooling Strategies
28:25 Phoenix's Heat Response Initiatives
31:02 Challenges & Solutions in Phoenix
39:08 Data-Driven Heat Mitigation
40:25 Conclusion
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41:28
Does America Have a Balance of Power Problem?
How is the balance of power supposed to work when a U.S. President aggressively pushes for more? In his first 100 days of his second term, President Donald Trump issued more executive orders than any president in history, and the Supreme Court has largely let them stand while legal challenges play out. Whether that troubles you depends largely on how you feel about the President and his policies. But within four years, someone else will hold that office and may wield the same power toward different priorities.
In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie Rose explores the origins of “checks and balances” in American government, including the surprising history of how the Supreme Court became “supreme.” We hear from a conservative legal scholar who worked for the George W. Bush Administration and thinks America benefits when Presidents push the limits of their power and Congress pushes back. Then we’ll explore why some Americans believe their local “Constitutional Sheriff”—not federal officials—is the ultimate authority in their community.
GUESTS
Timothy Johnson, Professor of Political Science and Law, University of Minnesota (https://www.trjumn.com/)
John Yoo, Professor of Law, UC Berkeley; Distinguished Fellow, Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin (https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-profiles/john-yoo/)
Richard Mack, Former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona; Founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (https://cspoa.org/)
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
3:00 Chapter 1 — Who Made the Supreme Court Supreme? (Timothy Johnson)
18:00 Chapter 2 — How Strong is Too Strong? (John Yoo)
36:00 Chapter 3 — "The Constitution is King" (Richard Mack)
53:00 Conclusion
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53:58
Can Free Housing Solve Homelessness? The Housing First Experiment
Is Housing First a viable solution or just repeating the past? What actually works to end homelessness? Communities across the U.S. have debated and tested solutions, from housing first to human first, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and emergency shelters. But Housing First has gained national traction, a strategy that prioritizes permanent housing without conditions, followed up by supportive services.
In this episode of Top of Mind, Julie Rose dives deep into Salt Lake City’s commitment to the Housing First approach, which launched two decades ago, making it one of the first cities in the country to fully embrace this model. Nearly two decades later, Salt Lake City serves as a revealing case study for the successes, challenges, and evolving nature of efforts to solve homelessness in America.
GUESTS
Tyler Clancy, Utah State Representative
Michelle Flynn, Executive Director of The Road Home since 2020 (https://theroadhome.org/).
Dave Durocher, Executive Director of The Other Side Academy (https://www.theothersideacademy.com/).
Amy Daeschel, Director of Outreach, Clinical Intake & SSP at the Odyssey House of Utah (https://www.odysseyhouse.org/).
Robbie Myrick, Director of Human First Culture at The Other Side Village (https://theothersidevillage.com/about-the-village/)
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Utah's Housing First Success Story
01:37 Challenges and Criticisms of Housing First
02:14 Permanent Supportive Housing
07:21 The Magnolia Apartments: A New Approach
19:21 Policy Shifts and Legislative Actions
28:19 Personal Stories and Impact
30:52 A Turning Point: Accepting Treatment
31:18 The Journey to Recovery
32:15 The Other Side Academy: A Unique Approach
33:36 Jared Campbell's Story
34:50 Life at The Other Side Academy
42:22 The Other Side Village: A New Beginning
50:36 Reflections and Conclusion
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52:04
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52:04
Feeling Unheard by Congress? Here's What You Need to Know.
It’s easier than ever to connect with our representatives in Congress, so why doesn’t it feel like they’re listening?
The 1st Amendment guarantees the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Given how frustrated Americans are with the job Congress is doing, how secure is that right in 2025?
In this episode, we talk with two members of Congress (a Republican and a Democrat) about how they are handling angry town hall meetings and increasing volume of calls and emails from constituents. What’s the best way to influence their positions on issues? We also unpack the history of our right to petition the government and why members of Congress added constituent services to their duties in the 1970s. A former Congressional staffer offers advice on how to influence elected officials, and an Iowa mom explains how she’s become an effective advocate for issues she cares about.
Guests:
John Curtis, US Senate (R-Utah)
Chrissy Houlahan, US House (D-Pennsylvania 6th District)
Ben Schneer, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School
Bradford Fitch, former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation (https://www.congressfoundation.org/), author of “Citizens Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials”
Tiffany Welch, volunteer advocate with Save the Children Action Network in Iowa (https://savethechildrenactionnetwork.org/)
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Challenges of Town Hall Meetings
03:21 Senator Curtis's New Approach to Town Halls
06:50 Balancing Diverse Constituencies
08:23 Impact of Constituent Feedback on Policy
11:56 Representative Chrissy Houlahan's Approach
16:26 Petitioning the Government
20:06 The Role of Petitions in History
22:52 The Decline of Traditional Petitioning
23:40 Modern Ways to Air Grievances
25:40 Constituent Services: A New Avenue
27:24 The Evolution of Congressional Staff
28:33 Influencing Congress
31:13 A Personal Journey in Advocacy
Tackling tough topics in a way that will help you feel more empathy and empower you to become a better citizen, kinder neighbor, and more effective advocate. For people who are turned off by the divisive nature of the news, but still want to engage with important issues. Hosted by journalist Julie Rose, Top of Mind is a production of BYUradio.
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