Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Toxoplasmosis, Beef Imports

Saudi Arabia and Yemen (1:10) Guest: Fred Axelgard, senior fellow in international relations for BYU’s Wheatley Institution and former US State Department official The US and five world powers announced the framework of a deal today with Iran over that country’s nuclear capabilities. Iran has agreed to reduced its capacity to build a nuclear bomb in exchange for relief from harsh trade sanctions imposed by the US and European Union. While the US has been focused on striking a deal with Iran, Iran’s opponents in the Middle East are stepping up their aggression in battles where Iran is involved. Most notably, Saudi Arabia has entered the battlefield in Yemen, leading airstrikes against Houthi rebels who have taken over Yemen’s government, with support from Iran. Saudi Arabia has also announced plans to join with other Arab League Nations – including Egypt, Iraq and Jordan – in creating a regional military force to fight insurgencies that are inflaming the region. Gentle Caesarean (22:26) Guest: William Camann, director of obstetric anesthesia at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-author of "Easy Labor: Every Woman's Guide to Choosing Less Pain and More Joy During Childbirth" Hazard a guess at what you think might be the most common surgery in America? Tonsil removal? Appendectomy? It’s actually the caesarean section – about 1 in 3 babies in America is delivered by C-Section. Public health officials are working to bring that rate down because of the risks associated with caesarean section. But there’s also a trend – in cases where a C-Section is unavoidable – toward making it a better experience for the mother and child. They're called "family centered C-Sections" by some. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, they call the procedure a "gentle C-Section." Toxoplasmosis (39:43) Guest: Kirk Jensen, assistant professor in Biology at the University of California Merced If you happen to be eating right now, you may want to put your fork down. Apparently, a third of the world’s population is infected with a microscopic parasite called, toxoplasmosis. That includes 60 million Americans, according to the CDC. Now, it's possible you carry the toxoplasma parasite and don't know it because many people are carriers, but don’t get ill. On the other hand, it can be fatal to people with compromised immune systems, like pregnant women or those with HIV/AIDS. And even if it doesn’t make you sick, research suggests that Toxoplasmosis correlates with mental disorders such as, Schizophrenia. Ghandi and South Africa (52:26) Guest: Gaurav Desai, professor of English and African Studies at Tulane University A 9-foot statute of Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi was recently unveiled in London’s Parliament Square "not far from a statue of Winston Churchill – who famously said that Gandhi” ought to be lain bound hand and foot at the gates of Delhi and then trampled on by an enormous elephant." Needless to say, the relationship between India and the U.K. has improved quite a bit in the 70 years since Gandhi fought for India’s independence from British rule. The statute was erected to mark the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa to begin the movement toward Indian independence. But that South African period in Gandhi’s life is not to be glossed-over, says Gaurav Desai, a professor of English and African Studies at Tulane University. He's done extensive research on the ties between South Asia and Africa and spoke recently on BYU's campus about Gandhi's time on the African continent. Beef Imports (1:15:32) Guests: Justin Kastner, associate professor of food safety and security at Kansas State University and co-director of the Frontier program Danny Unruh, research assistant at Kansas State University The embargo has lifted and the first European country to get approval for beef import into the United States is Ireland. They’re calling it green beef. Taxes and the ACA (1:31:30) Guest: Aaron Martinez, master tax advisor with H-and-R Block Are you taking a hit on your taxes because of the Affordable Care Act? Learn how "Obamacare" might affect your filing this year. Smart, informative conversations and interviews that go beyond mere headlines and sound bites.