NJ Governor’s race; what teeth tell us about our evolution

Guests: Matt Friedman, Brent Johnson, Peter Ungar

The primary election for New Jersey governor is less than a month away.  But, close to 60 percent of voters say they don’t know enough about the candidates to make a decision according to a Quinnipiac survey.  Two Republicans and four Democrats are running and so far the frontrunners are Democrat Philip Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. ambassador, and the current Republican Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno.  We start the hour off talking about the candidates, their positions, and what effect President Trump and Governor Chris Christie are having on the election.  Mary Cummings-Jordan is joined by MATT FRIEDMAN, who writes the New Jersey’s Playbook blog for Politico and BRENT JOHNSON, who covers politics for NJ Advance Media.  Then, open wide! – our teeth tell the story of how we became human.  University of Arkansas paleoanthropologist PETER UNGAR discusses his new book, Evolution’s Bite: A Story of Teeth, Diet, and Human Origins.