Supreme Court, Forgiveness, Western Europe, Eritrea

Guest: RonNell Anderson Jones, J.D., Constitutional Law Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research at BYU  The last Supreme Court session featured a couple of high profile cases – including one legalizing same-sex marriage that’s been hailed as a landmark ruling. This term, the justices will hear controversial cases on affirmative action, voting laws and unions, among others.

Guest: Christine Proulx, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Missouri  Forgiveness is more than just being nice. Whether it’s forgiving others, forgiving oneself, or being forgiven, it can have a profound impact on mental health. Are you a healthier person if you can forgive yourself, or if you’re the person doing the forgiving?

Guest: Phillip Hoffman, Ph.D., Professor of Business Economics and History at Cal Tech  As countries in the European Union deal with a surge of migrants from war-torn countries and the escalation of conflicts on their own borders, there’s renewed talk about the need to work together on national defense. Earlier this year, the European Commission president event called for a common EU army. That’s a fascinating prospect when you consider that several hundred years ago, Western European nations were in a state of constant war against each other. Those centuries of battle forged the skill and technology Europeans needed to succeed in taking over much of the world by the early 1900s.

Guest: Julia Washburn, Education Lead for the Every Kid in a Park Team  The average kid in America spends 8 to 10 hours a week looking at a screen. The White House has a new program hoping to get some kids to put down the tablet or phone and focus on the world around them. It’s called the Every Kid in a Park Initiative. Families with fourth graders are able to receive a free pass allowing them access to federal lands and waters for a full year.

Guest: Steve McDonald, Former Director of the Africa Program at the Wilson Center  Syrians comprise the largest number of refugees making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean in rickety boats to get to Europe. But the second largest group is Eritreans. While their plight is generally less-well-known than that of Syria’s displaced citizens, a recent UN report says the human rights violations happening in Eritrea are on “on a scope and scale seldom witnessed elsewhere.”

Guest: Rob Lieber, Author of “The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money”  Does talking about money make you uncomfortable? Children often ask their parents quite frank questions about money, and answering those questions honestly and in detail can have a big impact on the way children mature.