North Korea, Yemen, Hurricanes, Saving India's Animals

Guest: Eric Jensen, Professor, Associate Professor of Law, Brigham Young University President Trump has added North Korea to the list of “state sponsors of terrorism,” which clears the way for additional sanctions against the regime’s nuclear program. And the United Nation’s humanitarian envoy to Yemen this week said Saudi Arabia is violating international law there.

Guest: Jeff Donnelly, PhD, Senior Scientist of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The 2017 hurricane season is winding down - November 30 is the typical end. But this season has not been typical by any measure. It’s one of the most active on record, with 16 named storms, including 10 hurricanes and six major hurricanes. Two months since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and half the island is still without power.  Was 2017 just a bad year, or is something changing?

Guest: Mark Engler, National Parks Superintendent, Homestead National Monument The westward expansion of the United States was fueled by the Homestead Act, which gave free land to intrepid settlers willing to claim and tame a plot. The act was passed in 1862. But guess when the last file was claimed under the Homestead Act? 1974—hardly ancient history, right? The Park Service’s Homestead National Monument in Nebraska has a new artifact on display in its lobby to commemorate the lesser-known modern history of homesteading in America—an old tractor that brings the history of homesteading full circle.

Guest: Katrick Satyanarayn, Co-Founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS  For centuries, dancing bears were a fixture in the streets of India. A V-shaped stripe of white fur stood out from the shaggy black fur on their chests and made it look like they’d dressed up for the occasion. They danced on their hind legs to entertain passersby and raise money for their owners. That’s written in the past tense, because there are no more dancing bears on the streets of India today, thanks to the efforts of a nonprofit called Wildlife SOS.

Guest: Meredith Lam, Native American specialist and Title VI Coordinator, Provo School District The traditional Thanksgiving story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians feasting together in peace and friendship is mostly myth, and glosses over the history of America’s first residents being killed and displaced by the colonists. To help set the record straight, US presidents dating back to George H.W. Bush have declared November Native American Heritage Month. It’s a chance to consider the culture and contribution Native Americans have made to this country.

Guest: Robert Christensen, Associate Professor in the Masters of Public Administration program, Brigham Young University This time of year many companies do their annual charitable giving campaigns, encouraging employees have a regular donation taken out of their paycheck. Often a company will match the employee’s donations as an incentive. Companies will also often assign certain employees to ask their coworkers to make a gift. If you have mixed feelings about these campaigns, you are not alone, because workplace giving donations have been declining in recent years.