Megxit, 20 Years of Putin, Pet Detective

What America’s Energy Security Means for Gas Prices and Global Stability (0:31) Guest: David Blackmon, Energy Industry Analyst, Editor of Shale Magazine, Contributor to Forbes.com Not that long ago, a big flare-up of tension in the Middle East like we’ve seen in the last two weeks would have caused a spike in gas prices here in the US. But America’s targeted killing of a top Iranian general and Iran’s retaliatory strikes had little effect on pump prices. President Trump says that’s because America is now “energy independent.”  Harry and Meghan Step Back from the Royal Life (17:29) Guest: Kristen Meinzer, Royals Expert, Co-host of the Podcast “When Meghan Met Harry” The British press and public have, for the last week, been obsessing about something other than Brexit, though it’s still an “exit” of sorts. “Megxit” is what some have dubbed it. Prince Charles’ youngest son Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle are stepping back from duties as “senior royals” and plan to split their time between Britain and Canada.  The Unexpected History of Presidential Debates (36:47) Guest: Michael Socolow, Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine The Washington Post and other outlets reported that Democratic candidates “clashed” in their Tuesday night debate – the last before the Iowa caucuses. Politico, though, says the candidates did not clash, so it seems the drama of the debate was in the eye of the beholder. Which is how debates usually go, isn’t it? Some find them gripping, others find them dull. Rarely are they very enlightening for voters. So why do we keep using the same debate format again and again? The answer will probably surprise you. The Apple Seed (50:38) Guest: Sam Payne, Host, The Apple Seed, BYUradio Why all stories – even tall tales – are good for us. What Happened in 20 years of Putin? (59:29) Guest: Paul Kolbe, Director of the Intelligence Project, Belfer Center, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Russian President Vladimir Putin just hit 20 years in powe