After SCOTUS Decision, The Future Of Abortion Rights; Mask Mandates

On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a major decision on access to abortion. The court struck down a Louisiana law that required doctors who perform abortions at clinics to also have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. NPR’s Sarah McCammon reported from the clinic at the center of the case last year.

With coronavirus cases surging in North Carolina, officials issued a statewide mandate for face coverings, and are hiring bilingual contact tracers to work with the state’s Latinx community.

Warehouses are a big source of temporary jobs in New Jersey, especially for undocumented immigrants. Workers often have to travel in crowded vans, despite guidelines to social distance. Now, WNYC’s Karen Yi reports, some of them are getting sick.

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Does child custody change when one child goes to college?

Divorce can be devastating. Once you establish child custody, you and your family find a way to reach a new sense of normalcy.

Having a child starting college can be an exciting time. Now that one of your children is getting ready for college, it will be time to consider how things will change as you and your other children adjust to a member of your family being away at college.

Here’s what the court will consider when reconsidering child custody.

Age of the remaining children

In addition to one child starting college, your other children are now older and may have more of a say in which parent they live with. In Texas, once children reach age 12, the court gives more weight to their preferences.

While other children may not be old enough for the court to consider their opinion, the court’s decision could impact them as well. It is essential to represent the interest of both you and your children when it is time to reconsider child custody.

Best interests

Just like when the court considered child custody at the beginning of your divorce, the court will ultimately look to the children’s best interest, including:

  • Stability of the custodial parent’s living situation
  • Other members of the household
  • Physical and emotional needs of the child
  • The current condition of the parent-child relationship

The court wants children to be in stable environments and to be able to spend time with both parents as much as possible.

While it may be challenging to change your parenting time, it may be beneficial to your children to take another look at child custody now that one of your children will be away at college.


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Author: On behalf of Katie L. Lewis, P.C. Family Law

Stay Tuned For ‘Consider This’

On Monday, June 29th, the name of this show will change to ‘Consider This from NPR.’

You don’t need to re-subscribe. All our existing episodes will still be right here.

Even though our name is changing, we will still be a place where you can get the latest news about this pandemic. And we’ll bring you some other news, too.

Thanks for listening!

Questions? Email us: considerthis@npr.org

White House Task Force Briefing Is Back; Texas Emergency Rooms Are Filling Up

COVID-19 cases are at an all-time high in the U.S. And for the first time in almost two months, The White House Coronavirus Task Force had a televised briefing.

In Texas on Thursday, 6,000 new cases of the coronavirus were reported. An ER doctor in Houston says beds are filling up and they are running out of places to send patients.

Some states are closing down bars and restaurants, again, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. But NPR’s Scott Horsley explains that customer traffic has already been dropping for days.

Even now, it can still be tough to get a coronavirus test especially, as NPR’s Kirk Siegler reports, in tribal communities.

Plus, with many movie theatres closed, the films topping the box office are a bit … retro.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

Mask Debate Heats Up; Creating A Vaccine For A Mutating Virus

Just two months ago, the Northeast was the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. On Wednesday, there were just 581 new reported cases of the coronavirus in New York and now visitors from other states are expected to quarantine after they arrive.

More Governors across the country are touting the benefits of masks but not all are willing to make wearing them a state policy.

NPR’s Jon Hamilton reports that scientists are closely tracking mutations in the coronavirus to ensure the changes don’t complicate a future vaccine.

Plus, COVID-19 has presented particular challenges for women and reproductive health. Many say that the pandemic is causing them to rethink their plans to have children.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

Is it smart to stay together for the kids?

Parents sometimes file for divorce the summer that the last child moves out and goes to college, gets married or just gets their own place. This can lead to an assumption by the children that the parents only stayed together for their sake.

Many parents do engage in this practice. They are done with the relationship. It’s no longer romantic. But they agree to essentially be roommates until the children grow up so as to avoid harming their development by getting divorced. Is this smart?

The answer is complex. Divorce is often difficult for kids in the short-term. They may not have understood that their parents are unhappy, they’re confused by the loss of structure and consistency in their lives and they don’t know exactly what it all means. This can feel like doing “harm” to the children, which is what parents want to avoid.

If you look at the long-term outcome, though, an unhappy home is often more damaging to children than a divorce. Parents who fight and argue can stress the children out. Even when it’s just clear that the parents are not happy together, it can make children uneasy and concerned. In these cases, it is often better for the children when the parents get divorced because those single parents are now happier and able to focus more fully on their children’s happiness. This can reduce the children’s stress, and they will adjust to the routine and lifestyle changes over time.

At the end of the day, if you do decide to get divorced, just make sure you know what rights you have and how to put the children first.


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Author: On behalf of Katie L. Lewis of Katie L. Lewis, P.C. Family Law

The Pandemic Isn’t Over: Nearly 10 Million Coronavirus Cases Worldwide

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, started Wednesday’s coronavirus briefing on a somber note: By next week there will be a total of 10 million cases globally. A reminder, says Ghebreyesus, that the pandemic isn’t over, despite places around the world reopening.

There’s been a lot of news about coronavirus spikes in states like Texas and Florida. But not in Georgia. Why? Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Grant Blankenship has more.

And we talk to a public health official in Washington State scrambling to identify hotspots in her community.

America can’t fully get back to work without childcare, and many children are suffering without social opportunities. But how to reopen schools, camps and daycares safely? NPR’s Anya Kamenetz talks to childcare centers that have stayed open on how they’ve been trying to keep kids and staff safe.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

Fauci Fact-Checks Trump On Testing

Wearing a face mask, with hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes close at hand, Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the House Tuesday, to explain why the U.S. still struggles to get a handle on the coronavirus.

On Saturday, the U.S. reported 32,411 new cases in just that one day.

Fauci also countered President Trump’s claim that more testing is “a double-edged sword” to blame for the rise in coronavirus cases across the country. Instead, Fauci says testing is essential if we want to get control of the virus.

And NPR’s Lauren Frayer takes us to India, where the health care system is collapsing under the heavy demand caused by COVID-19.

Plus — for the past three months, just about everyone who can work from home has. And for the most part, things seem to be working. So, as NPR’s Uri Berliner reports, more and more employers are looking to make the move permanent.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

Florida Passes 100,000 Cases; More Young People Are Testing Positive

Florida passed a grim milestone: 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The latest numbers include a lot of people in their 20s and 30s. Some officials are putting a pause on reopening.

The Trump administration has started shipping out supplies needed to ensure sufficient testing. But those supplies haven’t always been very helpful and in some cases they’ve been hazardous. NPR’s Rob Stein has the details.

Iowa is home to some 10,000 refugees from Myanmar. The coronavirus has been especially hard on them, with estimates saying as many as 70% have contracted the virus. As Iowa Public Radio’s Kate Payne reports, many in the Burmese community work at local meatpacking plants, where social distancing is a constant challenge.

Preparing to visit family in long-term care facilities? NPR’s Allison Aubrey has some tips to keep everyone safe.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

The challenge of proper business valuation in divorce

Couples who have focused on building a financial future while married might have amassed stocks, investments, retirement accounts and income properties. Additionally, it is not uncommon for a married couple to either create a business together or cooperate to ensure a business’s growth and prosperity. When divorce becomes a reality, unfortunately, the family business must be accurately valued before it can be divided between the divorcing couple.

How is the business valued?

There are numerous methods for calculating the value of a business. Two of the most common methods include:

  • Book value method: This is largely a calculation based on the business’s books. In broader strokes, the book value method examines the original cost of the asset minus the depreciation of the asset plus any increase due to market fluctuations.
  • Market approach of valuation: Essentially, the market approach is just that. The valuation is based on what an outside buyer would pay for the business.

Other methods can include liquidation value method, earnings multiplier and the times revenue method.

The date of the valuation is critical

While it might not seem at first that the date of the business valuation is that crucial, it is a quite significant point in the overall calculation. Depending on numerous complex factors, it is not uncommon for a divorce to take months or years to reach a conclusion. If the business valuation is completed at the beginning of the process, the business might hold a different value years later.

It is important to work with an experienced family law attorney who can answer your questions and provide the legal guidance you need.


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Author: On behalf of Katie L. Lewis, P.C. Family Law