Russian Spies, Miss America Makeover, Asteroids on Collision Course

Guest: Ryan Vogel, JD, Director, Center for National Security Studies, Utah Valley University It’s been a whirlwind of Russia-related news in the last week: The same day President Trump met one-on-one with President Putin, the Department of Justice arrested a Russian woman in the US on charges of spying. A few days earlier, the FBI indicted twelve Russian intelligence officers for hacking the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign during the 2016 election. Then during the summit, President Putin offered to let the FBI come to Russia and question the indicted intelligence officers – but only if Russians could come to the US and question a couple of Americans, including a former US ambassador to Russia. President Trump was considering the offer, but then rejected it at the same time the US Senate passed a resolution condemning it as a terrible idea. What's going on?

Guest: Howard Eisenberg, MD, Professor, Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Neurosurgeon, University of Maryland Medical Center   Millions of Americans suffer from a condition called “essential tremors” – which is benign, but really disruptive. The involuntary shaking can make it hard to drink from a glass, write or hold objects. The latest treatment approved by the FDA for essential tremors involves zapping part of the patient’s brain with concentrated sound waves.

Guest: Jane Peebles, JD, International Charitable Giving Expert, Contributing Author, “Cross-Border Giving: A Legal and Practical Guide” When a disaster happens somewhere in the world – whether it’s a hurricane, earthquake or humanitarian crisis brought on by war – generous Americans are eager to share their resources. But did you know that donating to charitable projects abroad can be a minefield? If any of your donation ends up in the hands of someone even loosely affiliated with a terrorist group, you could be in hot water with the US government.

Guest: Blain Roberts, PhD, Professor of History, California State University, Fresno, Author, “Pageants, Parlors, and Pretty Women: Race and Beauty in the Twentieth-Century South”  The most famous beauty pageant in America is getting a makeover. No more swimsuits and evening gowns will be optional. The Miss America Pageant isn’t even a pageant anymore, according to the organization’s new chairperson Gretchen Carlson.  “We believe that physical appearance and beauty and being fit – that is empowering. We’re just not going to judge women on that anymore,” said Carlson on ABC’s Good Morning America in early July. Empowering women of all shapes and sizes seems like a great move, but what exactly is Miss America if it’s no longer a beauty pageant?

Guest: Rod Gustafson, ParentPreviews.com In the awaited sequel to the musical "Mamma Mia!," "Here We Go Again" flashes back to exactly how all the first movie's characters met. The must-see mom-movie of the month!

Guest: Michael B. Lund, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Vanderbilt University Try not to lose any sleep over this, but there are more than 1,600 asteroids on orbit patterns that could someday collide with Earth and cause major damage. To keep a closer eye on them, scientists are building a special telescope in Chile.