Downstairs at the White House

Guest: Charles Rossotti, Former Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (1997-2002), Senior Advisor, The Carlyle Group, Author, "Many Unhappy Returns: One Man's Quest To Turn Around The Most Unpopular Organization In America" The individual filing deadline is upon us. While you may be stressing to get your return in on time, consider this: the IRS deals with 150 million individual income tax returns a year and another 100 million federal tax returns for businesses and nonprofits. How does the famously unpopular and under-funded agency manage it all?  Charles Rossotti was the commissioner of the IRS from 1997 to 2002. He led a major reorganization of the agency during that time and has since written a book about it called, “Many Unhappy Returns.”

Guest: Samuel Bazzi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics, Boston University The days of Manifest Destiny, when settlers spread out across the western United States to conquer the land and prove up their claims are long over. But the legacy remains ingrained in the psyche of those still living in what used to be the American frontier, to the extent that it influences their political beliefs today.

Guest: Rod Gustafson, Host, Parent Previews In "Rampage," primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) has become deeply attached to George, an extremely intelligent gorilla he has been tending for years. So when a genetic experiment goes wrong, turning the once gentle George into a rampaging animal, Davis sets out to find a way to stop his friend from going ape and destroying the world. Based on a true story, "Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero" tells the story of a canine that served with the human troops during World War I. This animation tells the tale of his brave acts that led to him becoming the most decorated dog in American military history.

Guest: Kent Gee, PhD, Professor of Physics, Brigham Young University; Dave Brown, BYU Technology Transfer Office