California Wildfires, Man Therapy, The People's Piano

Guest: Christ Karpowitz, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University; Grant Madsen, PhD, Professor of History, Brigham Young University In the span of two months, President Trump has faced massive, fatal wildfires in California’s wine country, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history and a series of hurricanes that have dealt significant damage to US states and territories. How well is President Trump handling these crises?

Guest: Gary Ferguson, Author, “Land on Fire: The New Reality of Wildfire in the West” The latest emergency to test President Trump’s leadership is raging in Northern California. The pictures coming out of the area since wildfires began Sunday are apocalyptic: entire neighborhoods destroyed, lines of burnt out cars with wheels melted into the ground, the air thick with ash. More than 23 people have perished in the fires. More than 3,500 homes and business destroyed. And though 8,000 firefighters are battling the blazes, there is no prediction of when the fires will be contained.

(Originally aired June 15, 2017) Guest: Greg Garrett, PhD, Pop Culture Critic, Professor of English at Baylor University, Author of “Living with the Living Dead: The Wisdom of the Zombie Apocalypse” The undead are having a moment in Western culture. Zombies are everywhere – in the biggest shows on TV, most popular video games, and even lumbering their way into rewrites of classic literature, such as Pride and Prejudice. What’s behind this zombie renaissance?

(Originally aired June 15, 2017) Guest: Joe Conrad, Founder and CEO of Cactus advertising agency In the US, men commit suicide three times more often than women. One contributing factor is the stigma still associated with men seeking help for their emotional wellbeing. The fictional Dr. Rich Mahogany offers “Man Therapy,” with a message for tough guys who think men shouldn’t talk about their feelings. It is a public service campaign developed with public health officials in Colorado with the mission to tackle mental illness in men.

Guest: Sally Reay, International Project Manager, “Play Me, I’m Yours” Project When a refurbished piano with a wacky paint job shows up on a street corner somewhere in the world and the words, “Play Me, I’m Yours” are written on it, anything can happen. Visit their website here.