Taking out Assad, From Ex-Convict to Entrepreneur

Guest: Quinn Mecham, PhD, Political Science, BYU The big election outcome in France is Top of Mind today as we welcome regular contributor Quinn Mecham back into the studio. He’s a professor of political science here at BYU and joins us monthly with a look at three international events worth closer consideration. Today we'll also explore the upcoming Iranian elections and freedom of the press.

Guest: Elizabeth Drame, PhD, Professor & Department Chair of Exceptional Education, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Unlike some other diseases, autism appears to affect children of all races at the same rate. But when that diagnosis is made can differ pretty dramatically. It often comes several years later in African American children than in White children. As a result, African American children may require longer and more intensive intervention. Across the world in Africa, there are cultural barriers to treating autism.

Guest: Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, Professor in the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Director of Research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center It's estimated that between a third and a half of Americans have a genetic predisposition for celiac disease, which causes severe reaction to gluten. But only about one percent of the total US population actually has celiac disease. So why do some people with the gene get it, but most don’t?  Researchers at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center have found a clue in the form of a virus that is typically harmless to humans, but manages to reprogram some people's immune systems so they treat gluten like an enemy. The study appeared recently in the journal "Science."

Guest: David Alpher, PhD, Adjunct Professor, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University The latest effort to bring relief to the humanitarian crisis in Syria entails a series of “safe zones” hashed out by Russia, Turkey and Iran. But it’s unclear how those safe zones will be enforced and whether Syria President Bashar Al Assad’s regime will fully cooperate with the cease fire. Assad’s presence in Syria remains a major sticking in negotiations toward lasting peace for the embattled country. The US and other members of the UN have called Assad a barbarian, a butcher and a war criminal for his attacks on Syrian civilians, including the use of chemical weapons. But ousting him by force would not solve Syria’s problems.

Guest: Rod Gustafson, Parent Previews Does Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 deliver like its predecessor did?

Guest: Megan Goddard, Program Manager, Defy Ventures In Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables,” ex-convict Jean Valjean could not escape his past and make a living as an honest man until he changed his name and denied his criminal history. Then, he prospered, eventually becoming a mayor and business owner, helping many people around him to prosper as well. Today, ex-convicts in the US can feel like they’re facing the same dilemma: employers balk at hiring a former criminal, particularly one with a felony conviction.  One job-skills training organization has set out to change that. They recruit felons, particularly leaders of gangs or drug rings, because they see in them ambition and marketing skills. Find out how Defy Ventures turns ex-cons into entrepreneurs and how you can help. Defy Ventures