Russian Bounties, Wooden Money, Copaganda

Guest: Ryan Vogel, Director of the Center for National Security Studies, Utah Valley University The C.I.A. and top US counterterrorism officials have concluded that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants who kill American and coalition troops in Afghanistan. President Trump says he was not briefed on the matter and has even called it a hoax. The Trump Administration says there’s some disagreement among intelligence officials over whether the bounty program exists, or if any US service members died as a result of it.

Guest: Wayne Fournier, Mayor of Tenino The small town of Tenino, Washington has found a creative way to help its citizens financially during the pandemic. It’s printing its own currency on thin pieces of wood. Tenino has a long history of this kind of thing, in fact.

Guest: Bruce Bekkar, Gynecologist, Board Member of the Climate Action Campaign.  An unusually large swath of the United States is in the grips of a sweltering heat wave this week. Most of the lower 48 will see temperatures topping 90 degrees with 40 million people living in areas that will see temperatures over 100, according to the National Weather Service. Phew! As things get hotter around the globe, pregnant women and their babies are at greater risk.

Guest: Brian Kalt, Professor of Law & The Harold Norris Faculty Scholar, Michigan State University, Author of “Constitutional Cliffhangers: A Legal Guide for Presidents and Their Enemies” There’s a 50-square mile section of Yellowstone National Park that’s in a legal no-man’s land. It could actually be the perfect place to commit a crime and get away with it. Michigan State University law professor Brian Kalt realized the existence of this “Zone of Death” as it’s been called and wrote about it more than 15 years ago. He’s been trying to get Congress or the courts to close the loophole since, but to no avail.

Guest: Erica Palmer, Co-Founder of NeoNatal Rescue Ventilators that breathe for a seriously ill patient typically cost as much as a car – and they’re in high demand right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  A ventilator that costs a fraction of that – and is portable, because it’s battery-powered - has just received emergency approval from the FDA. It’s an update of a design initially built by students at BYU to help premature infants.

Guest: Carol Stabile, Professor of Media Studies, University of Oregon Americans have become increasingly critical of what is often referred to as “copaganda”--shows that portray cops as the infallible good guys. In fact, last month Paramount announced it would be canceling the famous reality show “Cops,” which was originally slated to run it’s 33rd season this summer. But “copaganda”isn’t anything new; throughout history the FBI in particular has used TV and movies to influence their public image.