Voter Fraud Commission, Statistics in Court, Star Wars at School

Understanding Trump’s Voter Fraud Commission Guest: Douglas Spencer, JD, PhD, Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Connecticut  Voter fraud is one of President Donald Trump’s key concerns. He claims that millions of people voted illegally in the election and robbed him of winning the popular vote. To root out those claims, Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which met in Washington for the first time today. But Trump’s Commission on Election Integrity has already been hamstrung by half a dozen lawsuits. Also, dozens of states have refused to provide all of the voter information the commission has requested. How big of a problem is voter fraud in America? Why Courts Should Use Statistics Guest: Daniel J. Denis, PhD, Associate Professor of Quantitative Psychology, University of Montana A number of years ago, Julie Rose had a very frustrating experience as a jury member on a federal criminal case. After they’d heard all the evidence, jurors were told that deciding the defendant was guilty meant we needed to be confident – “beyond a reasonable doubt” – that he’d committed the crime. The frustrating part was that none of the jury members seemed to agree on just what “beyond a reasonable doubt” meant. Some of them felt the evidence was so strong there was maybe an 85 to 90 percent chance of guilt. But a few jurors insisted that even one inkling of doubt, one weak spot in the prosecutor’s case meant “reasonable doubt.” In the end, those few jurors prevented the jury from getting the unanimous vote they needed for a guilty verdict and the guy got off.  Here’s the core problem: we’re asking jurors to make a decision based on statistical probabilities without giving them even a basic understanding of how statistics work. Job Stress, Junk Food, and Sleep Guest: Chu-Hsiang “Daisy” Chang, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University Has a stressful day at work ever lead you to eat one extra donut or opt for that bag of potato chips over veggies when it came to dinner time? Research indicates that stress during the work day can lead to unhealthy food choices and overeating in the evening hours. So how do we combat that tendency? Sleep. New research studies reveal that a good night’s sleep can serve as a protection against job stress and overeating. Apple Seed Stories Guest: Sam Payne, Host of BYUradio’s “The Apple Seed” "The Spellin' Bee" by Mitch Capel Star Wars: A New Generation of Fans Guest: Brandon Bishop, Social Studies Teacher, Blue Valley Southwest High School, Overland Park, Kansas A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away summer school was a terrible punishment for kids. But then, Mr. B. taught a class on the history and importance of Star Wars and summer school history was made. Young boys and girls dressed like Jedi and wielded light sabers. Mr. B – known in civilian life as Brandon Bishop – wasn’t yet born when the original Star Wars film came out 40 years ago. The younglings in his summer school class wouldn’t arrive on the planet for many decades. In this day of advanced movie making and special effects, why do films that debuted in the 1970s still excite young fans?  Parenting as Partners Guest: Vicki Hoefle, Parenting Coach, Author of “Parenting as Partners: How to Launch Your Kids Without Ejecting Your Spouse” Bedtime is a source of conflict in many homes – and not just the tug of war between parents and children over when to turn in. In many, many cases, the root of the conflict lies between parents – should bedtimes be flexible or set-in-stone? Should a child get the drawn-out bedtime routine she demands or just a kiss goodnight and lights out?  Parenting educator Vicki Hoefle devised a way to help parents get on the same page about raising their kids.