SCOTUS: First Amendment and LGBTQ Rights--Again; Potential Walkout At The New York Times; Cosmic Perspectives on Humanity; NJ Bears

On today's show:

• The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a First Amendment case with echoes of the Masterpiece Cakeshop case from 2018. Katherine Franke, professor of law at Columbia Law School and the director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, explains the details of the case, where a website designer did not want to create a site for a gay wedding, and what's at stake for religious liberty, LGBTQ rights and speech.
• Last week, over one thousand members of The New York Times union pledged to walk out on December 8th unless the media company's management agrees to a fair contract. The walkout comes during a difficult time for the media industry and a wave of unionization efforts across multiple industries. Shawn McCreesh, features writer for New York Magazine, discusses the walkout, why it's happening, and what it will mean for readers.
• Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, a host of the StarTalk Radio podcasts and author, discusses his new book, Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization (Henry Holt, 2022), a meditation on political and cultural polarization informed by a view "from above."
• The New Jersey bear hunting season, originally set to begin on December 5th, is on pause due to an emergency stay by an appellate judge. Governor Phil Murphy reinstated the bear hunt last month after a 237% increase in bear-related incidents this year. Tennyson Donyéa, New Jersey Statehouse reporter at WHYY, discusses the controversial bear hunt as NJ callers discuss encounters with their big, furry neighbors.

Transcripts are posted to each segment as soon as they are available.