Presidential Pardons, Tech Myths Debunked, Dream Teams

President's Pardon Power Has No Limits Guest: Wayne McCormack, JD, Professor of Law, SJ Quinney College of Law, University of Utah At the urging of reality star Kim Kardashian, President Trump today commuted the life sentence of a 63-year-old woman convicted of drug charges. White House aides tell CNN and the Washington Post that other pardons or acts of clemency could soon be on the way. Last week, Trump pardoned conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza for a conviction of making illegal campaign contributions. Others he’s pardoned include former Vice President Dick Cheney’s adviser Scooter Libby and former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio who had been convicted of disobeying a judge’s order to stop racially profiling people suspected of being in the US illegally. Trump has also hinted he may pardon Martha Stewart for her insider trading conviction and Rob Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor who is serving a 14-year sentence for convictions related to trying to sell President Barack Obama’s Senate seat. Trump also tweeted this week that he believes he has the “absolute power” to pardon himself, but said he wouldn’t do so because he’s done nothing wrong. Just how far does the President’s pardon power go? Fiction Review: "Varina" Guest: Jennifer Adams, Author, "Baby Lit: Peter Pan" and Staff, The King's English Bookshop Charles Frazier’s hugely successful historical novel “Cold Mountain” is about a Confederate soldier who walks away from the war because he no longer believes in it.  Frazier’s latest historical novel, “Varina,” is also set in the Civil War, and in this story we get inside the head of Varina Davis, the wife of the president of the southern Confederate States, Jefferson Davis. Despite being First Lady of the Confederacy, she doesn’t believe in the cause of the South either.  Tech Addiction Myths Debunked Guest: Christopher Ferguson, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University If you feel the urge to check your phone, you may be familiar with the twinge of guilt, the thought that you may be addicted to your device. Well, you can relax, says psychologist Christopher Ferguson. Most of the fear about technology addiction is hype at this point. And no, your cell phone is not as addictive as cocaine. Apps for Kids Are Not All Bad Guest: Alexis Hiniker, PhD, Assistant Professor of Human Computer Interaction in the Information School, and Director, User Empowerment Lab, University of Washington Phones, tablets, computers and game consoles are so ubiquitous that it’s impossible to shield kids from their allure. Parents feel like they’re losing the war over screen time – they’re certainly losing many daily battles with their kids over when to put the device down. And the people who design the apps and games on those devices are tipping the scales against parents. Alexis Hiniker’s research in Human Computer Interaction at the University of Washington shows how much difference some simple design changes could make for families.  The Apple Seed Guest: Sam Payne, Host of The Apple Seed, BYUradio Sam Payne shares "State Fair" by Keven Kling. Kevin Kling is an author, playwright, and storyteller. Dream Teams Guest: Shane Snow, Tech Journalist, Entrepreneur, and Author of “Dream Teams: Working Together Without Falling Apart” As dream teams go, this one’s legendary: the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team. The Miracle on Ice, it was called. A bunch of American college players somehow defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet Team by one goal in the final seconds of the game. But, what if the Americans weren’t the dream team in this scenario? What if the Russians are the team we should be taking our cues from? That’s Shane Snow’s argument in his new book, “Dream Teams: Working Together Without Falling Apart.”