Jacqui Fulton

The electoral college has been called “complicated and confusing.” But our Civics 101 Shorts series eat “complicated and confusing” for breakfast! This episode explores what the electoral college is, why we have it, and how it works.

The United States government spreads power across three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Why three branches? What does each branch do that the others cannot? And how do they work together? 

Today’s Civics Short, designed for middle schoolers but fun for all, takes a closer look at the who, what, where, and whys of the Census.

Every ten years the United States government tries to count every person in the country with a census. What is the census? Why does the government need to count people? Who is it doing the counting? Today’s Civics Short, designed for middle schoolers but fun for all, takes a closer look at the who, what, where, and whys of the Census.

The CDC, or the Centers for Disease Control, have been in the news a lot lately. But what is the CDC? And what does it do? Today’s Civics Short, designed for middle schoolers but fun for all, takes a closer look at the who, what, where, and whys of the CDC.

A presidential election occurs every four years in this country. But how do you actually run for president? Who gets to do it? How do you launch a campaign? NHPR’s own Civics 101 has the answer with a new series of “civics shorts,” quick lessons and stories aimed at middle schoolers…but a good refresher for us all. Find more Civics 101 episodes.

Today, we're looking skyward to explore the life of geologist Ursula Marvin, who used her exceptional ability to identify minerals to study asteroids. Planetary geology wasn't a field that welcomed women but Marvin never let that stop her. In the 1970s, she became the first woman to travel to Antarctica to hunt for meteorites. 

Also, another story from our continuing series on vanity plates.

As far back as ancient Egypt, it was possible to rent a professional mourner to cry and moan at your funeral. They put on a dramatic show so people know you'll be missed. Even now, in parts of the world, if you fork over a little extra cash, a hired mourner will even hurl themselves into your grave. Newer fads also include renting an extra family member, professional cuddlers-for-hire, or even an entourage, complete with paparazzi and an adoring crowd of cheering fans.

But in New Hampshire, rental options lean towards the bucolic: instead of a team of human landscapers, you can hire yourself a herd of goats to clear brush.

At the Department of Motor Vehicles, Don Kreis took a number and waited to be called up to the desk. When he filled out a form requesting a custom license plate, the woman who reviewed the form paused.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” she said, “why did you ask for this particular vanity plate?” Don had requested what appeared to be a jumble of letters and numbers on his license plate: N1303K.

“When I explained it to her,” he says, “she actually started to cry.”