Populism, American Suspicion of Russia, Unidentified Burials

What is Populism, Really? Guest: Benjamin Moffit, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden; author of “The Global Rise of Populism: Performance, Political Style and Representation” Populist. It’s a label that’s been given to Donald Trump and European politicians such as Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders. Since the passage of Brexit in the UK and the election of Trump in the US, many a pundit has gone on TV to decry a wave of populism sweeping the world.  The word itself – populist - connotes something that is “of the people.” But in a political context, populism is a disparaging label to describe someone who is xenophobic, nationalist or downright undemocratic.  American Suspicion of Russia Guest: Nina Tumarkin, Professor of Slavic studies and History, Wellesley College President Trump has nominated former Utah Governor and former US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, Jr. as America’s new ambassador to Russia. If confirmed, Huntsman is in for a tough time, given pending Congressional investigations into Russia’s meddling in the US election and alleged ties to the Trump Administration. By some accounts, the relationship is heading back to Cold War territory.  Hostility between the US and Russia goes back much further, though. To America’s founding, in fact.  Being Rude to Doctors Could Hurt You, Literally Guest: Peter Bamberger, PhD, Professor of Organizational Behavior, Associate Dean for Research, Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University In a moment of frustration or fear, we all know what it’s like to say something we regret. If that moment happens to come in a medical setting and it’s a doctor you’re snapping at, you just might pay a little more dearly for it.  A study published recently in the journal Pediatrics found rude comments, even mild ones, affected a doctor’s ability on the job. Unidentified Burials of Mentally Ill Guest: Janina Chilton, Historian for the Utah State Hospital There’s a cemetery just down the road from our studio here in Provo, Utah where 474 unmarked graves contain the remains of patients who died while housed at the Utah Territorial Insane Asylum. They died paupers, and when no families came to claim the bodies, they were buried in graves that have been long since forgotten.  This scenario played out in cemeteries near mental hospitals across the country during the 1800s and early 1900s. Today communities from Minnesota to Mississippi to right here in Provo, Utah, are working to restore some dignity to these forgotten graves. For more information on the Forgotten Patient's Cemetery Project click here. Kong and The Shack Guest: Rod Gustafson, ParentPreviews.com Since King Kong first lumbered and roared onto the silver screen in 1933, there have been a total of eight different films about the giant ape. So, either filmmakers believe viewers can’t get enough of this particular monster, or they’ve got a sort of “I can do it better” mentality. Both are probably true, given the way Kong: Skull Island crushed the competition at the box office over the weekend. Therapy Card Game for Kids Guest: Jon Cox, PhD, Clinical Professor, Counseling and Psychological Services, BYU; Dave Brown, Technology Transfer Office, BYU; Hundreds of thousands of kids in the US get therapy for emotional or behavioral difficulties.   What works for adults in that setting isn’t always ideal for kids – you know, the sitting on a couch for an hour talking to a therapist.  What if therapy were a game, instead?