China, Alliances, Marijuana Debunked, Work-Family Balance

Guest: Frederick Crook, Director of Research at The China Group  China’s President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the US at the end of this month. In addition to being guest of honor at a state dinner at the White House, President Xi will speak to the United Nations General Assembly and participate in a technology forum China is organizing in Seattle.  In one of those appearances, he just might utter the term “China Dream.” In 2013, it emerged as the catchphrase of his regime, emblazoned on enormous posters and billboards that popped up overnight in public places all over China.

Guest: Brett Ashley Leeds, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at Rice University  Countries make military and political alliances to protect themselves in case of attacks by enemies. For example, Tony Blair famously defended the invasion of Iraq by referring to the obligations of Britain’s alliance with the United States. Political scientists at Rice University recently set out to measure the qualities of strong alliances and how, ultimately, strong alliances can promote international peace.

Guests: Jamie Leite, Utah Portuguese Dual Language Immersion Director; Jill Landes-Lee, Secondary Dual Language Immersion Bridge Director at the University of Utah  In the fall of 2014, there were 25,000 students in the state of Utah enrolled in foreign-language immersion programs in the public schools. At Wasatch Elementary, just down the road from our studios, first-graders learn to say, and sing, directions in Chinese. Utah was the first state to legislate funding for dual language immersion, but this reflects a larger national trend. As of 2014, there were 1,000 language immersion schools across the United States.

Guest: Ed Gogek, M.D., Addiction Psychiatrist and Medical Director at the Bridges Network and Viewpoint Dual Recovery Center  In Colorado Springs, a new business model called “Gas and Grass” will appear next month. People will be able purchase medical marijuana and fill up their cars in one stop. Recreational marijuana use today is legal in four states – Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington – and many other states are now considering if they should legalize marijuana. Some worry that we’re sending the wrong message to teens by legalizing marijuana for adult use, even if it is intended to be only for medicinal purposes.  Psychiatrist Ed Gogek has seen marijuana use increase among teens over the past several years, and says that their marijuana use can have long-term negative consequences in a variety of aspects of their adult lives.

Guest: Jeffrey Hill, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Family Life at BYU  Last year the Census Bureau reported that telecommuters make up 2.6 percent of the American workforce, and thanks to technology like Skype of Google Hangout, many employers are able to offer various forms of flexible work options. What impact do these options have on a worker’s family life? Do they minimize conflict between life and work, or do they simply lead to workers putting in more hours at home after work?