Native American Pipeline Protest, Calling Sports, Brain Addiction

Why the Dakota Pipeline Has United American Indians into a National Movement Guest: Michalyn Steele, JD, Professor of Law at BYU, Member of the Seneca Nation of Indians of New York Back in April, a few members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe set up camp to protest the construction of a pipeline to carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Tribe members say the pipeline endangers sacred burial grounds and could threaten the tribe’s water supply. Late last week, a judge denied the tribe’s request for a temporary injunction to halt construction. But almost immediately, the US Justice Department stepped in and ordered construction near the tribe’s reservation to stop so government officials can review the permits and ensure the tribe was properly consulted. Even with that temporary victory, the protest movement encamped near the pipeline route in North Dakota is growing. Thousands of people from many different American Indian tribes have set up tents and trailers. The camp is now larger than most small towns in North Dakota. It’s clear this is about more than just the Dakota Access pipeline. Secrets of Live Sports Play-By-Play Guest: Greg Wrubell, Voice of the Cougars and Director of Broadcast Media for BYU Sports Here Greg Wrubell was Saturday night when BYU played Utah. Then Monday, he was in Columbus, Ohio narrating BYU women’s soccer action. If it’s on the radio and the BYU Cougars are involved, Greg Wrubell can’t be far away. He’s the Voice of the Cougars giving the play-by-play radio commentary for BYU football, basketball and women’s soccer. And in this very hectic season he’s carved out a few minutes to join us for some behind-the-scenes insight. All Brains Are Wired to Become Addicted Guest: Brian Anderson, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at Texas A&M Drug addiction is often considered a deviance from the normal human experience: Someone chooses to consume a substance that changes the state of their mind and body, leading to a cycle of addiction that is tough to break because addiction has rewired the brain somehow. But what if the brain function that make it hard for addicts to get clean is actually a very normal, basic way for a healthy brain to operate? That, in a sense, we’re all wired to become addicted? Crackdown on Payday Lenders Leaves Few Options for Poor Guest: Mehrsa Baradaran, JD, Associate Professor of Contracts and Banking Law at The University of Georgia Law and Author of “How the Other Half Banks” Over the summer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed the first nationwide regulations on payday lenders with the goal of preventing people from getting caught in “debt traps” caused by taking out one high-interest short-term loan after another. The bureau is accepting public comment on the rules until October 7 and the payday lending industry has mobilized opposition, urging people to “Tell policymakers in Washington, D.C.: Don’t Take My Credit Away.” Pokemon GO Paves Way for Useful Applications Guest: Derek Hansen, PhD, Professor of Information Technology at BYU Back at the peak of the Pokemon GO craze in July, we spoke with BYU information technology professor Derek Hansen about the game’s appeal and what it might signal for future mobile technology development. We’re not seeing the hordes of Pokemon GO-ers wandering around town as much as we used to, but it’s still the most successful mobile game of all time and it’s still going to shape future mobile technology. Grouping Students by Age Wastes Education Funds Guest: Jonathan Plucker, PhD, Education Policy Scholar and Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University More than a decade of education policies in the US have been focused at making sure kids perform at their grade level. There’s been little or no focus on what’s happening at the other end of the spectrum – how many kids are performing beyond their own grade level? The Institute for Education Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Education estimates it’s as many as a third of elementary and middle school students. So, how well we’re meeting their needs.