Panama Papers, Original Filmmaking, Payday Loans

Panama Papers (15:24) Dr. Daniel Nielson is a Professor and Associate Chair of the Political Science at Brigham Young University. Several weeks ago news outlets all around the world were buzzing with the most recent high profile leak, the panama papers. This 11.5 million-file leak from the database by the world’s fourth largest offshore law firm, Mossack Fonseca, contained the secrets of offshore finances of many heads of state and political figures from around the world. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), shared this leak with a large network of international partners, including the Guardian and the BBC. The documents which show the ease at which these leaders and other influential individuals can exploit offshore tax regimens, has catapulted an intense investigation into the shady world of shell companies and the dangers it presents to global security. Dr. Nielson explains how shell companies work and role offshore law firms play in international business, crime and possibly terrorism. Original Filmmaking (49:14) Amanda Klein is an Associate Professor in film history, theory and aesthetics at East Carolina University. She co-authored Cycles, Sequels, Spin-offs, Remakes, and Reboots: Multiplicities in Film and Television. Disney recently announced a line-up of live-action films that include: The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, and the Sword in the Stone. Many of these will be re-makes of the originals, much like Cinderella in 2015. A number of sequels are also coming up this year. The number of sequels and remakes begs the question, “Where has originality gone?” Dr. Klein explains why sequels are good and bad. Payday Loans (1:47:22) Dr. Richard Evans is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. He earned his PHD from the University of Texas at Austin. Any drive through town is guaranteed to cross paths when at least one of the hundreds of payday and title loan establishments that dot city maps across the country. These companies advertise Paycheck advancements that are convenient, quick, without any sort of credit assessment. These advancements are typically loans in the $150-$400 range with a repayment agreement due when the borrower has a scheduled payment, such as a paycheck. But what are the risks associated with these loans and what are the financial dangers the nearly 12 million users face? Dr. Evans shares what he has learned studying the payday loan industry.