UTS: Faith to Fight Gang Violence (0:36)

Guest: Rev. Eugene F. Rivers, III, Activist, Co-Founder of the Boston TenPoint Coalition. 

Boston has experienced an increase in shootings during the coronavirus pandemic. A week ago, a coalition of ministers joined Boston’s police commissioner in an urgent call to double down on the city’s long-running anti-violence programs that target young people at risk of gang activity. The pandemic is exacerbating chronic economic and social issues linked to historic racial inequities.  Reverend Eugene Rivers was at that press conference and was one of the original architects of the “TenPoint Plan to Combat Black-on-Black Violence” in Boston, which was implemented by religious leaders in the 1990s and led to such a big drop in murders that it’s been called “The Boston Miracle.” The plan is still in effect today. (Originally aired 7/9/2018)

Diss on Millennial Coworkers All You Want, but Don’t “Okay Boomer” to a Boomer (18:38)

Guest: Elizabeth Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Oregon

If you’ve been tempted, during yet another Zoom conference call, to wisecrack about that one older colleague who just can’t figure out how to mute him or herself at the right time, well it’s a good thing you held your tongue. A strange quirk of the law that means a younger employee who teases an older coworker with something like “OK Boomer” could face an age discrimination charge, but an older worker is free to diss on younger workers without legal consequences. (Originally aired 12/4/19)

After 16 Years in Prison, Sean Pica Reformed His Life and Now Helps Others Do the Same (30:38)

Guest: Sean Pica, Executive Director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison

When Sean Pica was 16, he murdered a man and went to prison. He spent the next 16 years behind bars – including New York’s notorious Sing Sing Prison. Along the way, he earned a college degree. And he says that is the reason he’s free today, when the majority of people in prison end up back behind bars after their release. (Originally aired 10/1/2019)

How the Fight Against ISIS Changed Warfare (51:34)

Guest: Dana Pittard, Retired U.S. Army Major General; Wes Bryant, Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, Co-Authors of “Hunting the Caliphate: America’s War on ISIS and the Dawn of the Strike Cell”

Military and intelligence officials in the US and Europe have expressed concern that the COVID-19 pandemic will give ISIS an opportunity for resurgence in the Middle East. While the terror group no longer controls any physical territory, it continues to actively recruit followers and endorse violent attacks. Today the Islamic State – or ISIS – is a violent band of extremists plotting terror attacks and stoking fears in Iraq and Syria. But five years ago, it was a surprisingly powerful army that seemed to come out of nowhere to capture huge swaths of territory, including major Iraqi cities. US Army Major General Dana Pittard and US Air Force Master Sergeant Wes Bryant were key figures in the US-led effort to recapture that territory. But success required rethinking how America fights. (Originally aired 8/15/19)

When Play Is Serious Business (1:29:02)

Guest: Rachel Wadham, Host, Worlds Awaiting on BYUradio, Education and Juvenile Collections Librarian, BYU

For all the parents out there who’ve been feeling guilty – or maybe just concerned – about their kids’ play-to-work ratio during these forced months of homeschool, this conversation is for you. Children’s librarian and development expert Rachel Wadham says play the best kind of learning. (Originally aired 11/13/19)