A recently released poll of Utah voters threw another wildcard into the already abnormal presidential election. The polls show that late-running independent candidate Evan McMullin has garnered a surprising amount of support here, putting him in the running for Utah’s electoral votes. Pundits say his surge is due in part to the decline of Republican candidate Donald Trump, whose appeal here has never been up to par. A panel of guests joins us Monday to talk about McMullin’s rise and how the 2016

Friday, we're talking about a thrilling exploration of the power of protest and the efforts to contain it. Filmmaker Nanfu Wang will join us to talk about her documentary film Hooligan Sparrow, which follows the efforts of activist Ye Haiyan as she and fellow protestors work to shed light on sexual exploitation in China. They’re marked as enemies of the state and routinely harassed by thugs, and the web of trouble also threatens Wang’s film, not to mention her personal safety. (Rebroadcast)

There was a time when adoptions were a source of shame for a birth mother, and weren’t discussed in the adoptive family. But that slowly changed with birth control, a demographic shift in babies available for adoption, and the “adoption rights movement.” Today, 95% of infants in the U.S. are placed in “open adoptions” where the birth mother and the family have some sort of contact. Thursday, we’re talking about how adoption has changed over time, and what it means for children and families.

David Brower is widely regarded as the father of the modern environmentalism movement. He served two decades as executive director of the Sierra Club and fought fiercely to defend wilderness and rivers in the American West. Supporters admired his passion, vision, and unyielding efforts, while his opponents found him polarizing and reckless. In a new book, the journalist Robert Wyss explores Brower’s complicated personal life and his fearless stewardship of the environmental movement.

Tuesday, we’re talking about Utah playwright Julie Jensen’s Winter, premiering this week at Salt Lake Acting Company. It’s the story of a woman sinking into dementia and determined to end her life before she loses her dignity. Her husband isn’t ready to carry out their pact though, and her sons argue over what they think is best for their parents. Jensen and others join us to talk about the difficult choices facing each character, and why Jensen says this subject is “hideously important.”

In his book Three Cups of Tea, mountaineer Greg Mortenson details his humanitarian efforts to build schools in Pakistan. His story brought him worldwide acclaim and sold lots of books. There’s just one problem, says the writer Jon Krakauer: Mortenson’s story is a lie. Krakauer has written at length about holes he’s found in Mortenson’s tale, allegations the journalist Jennifer Jordan pushes back against in a new documentary film. Jordan and Krakauer join us Monday to discuss the controversy

Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt is on a mission. Some say it’s a brave exploration, others shake their heads in disbelief. His goal: to catalogue the painful effects of stinging insects on humans, mainly using himself as the gauge. Most people regard stinging insects as horrible pests, but by investigating their lifestyles and adaptations, Schmidt hopes to spread his passion for the inherently interesting story every animal on earth has to tell. Schmidt joins us to explore the world of stinging

A few years ago, as the debate raged over the so-called Ground Zero Mosque, religion scholar Stephen Prothero watched and wondered what all the fuss was about. Hoping to better understand our current culture wars, he began researching similar clashes in America’s past, and he arrived at a provocative conclusion. Conservatives, Prothero says, almost always start the culture wars, and, equally often, liberals end up winning. Thursday, we’ll talk to Prothero about America’s long history of moral

Wednesday, we’re telling the story of what author Richard Zacks calls Mark Twain’s “raucous and redemptive round-the-world comedy tour.” Twain was once America’s highest paid writer, but he was also a remarkably bad businessman. In 1895, with his career on the rocks and with what today would be millions in debt, Twain embarked on a 5-continent speaking tour he hoped would save him. Zacks joins Doug to talk about Twain’s wildly popular humor, his missteps, and what drove his quest for redemption.

Of the major U.S. religions, the LDS Church is the only one whose top leader serves until he dies. That wasn’t an issue in the 19th century when medicine rarely prolonged life after a serious illness. But today, researcher Gregory Prince says that as Church presidents live longer, they’re more likely to experience age-related conditions like dementia. It’s something he explores in a forthcoming article, and Tuesday, he joins us to explain what this “gerontocracy” means for the future of