Folk Tales/Generic Drugs
In an eclectic program, Ralph talks first with Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis, creators of the podcast “Circle Round,” which adapts and updates folk-tales for children. Then, investigative reporter Katherine Eban joins us to talk about her exposé: “Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom.”
Hemp Victory!
Director of Vote Hemp, Eric Steenstra, recounts how the finally won the battle to legalize industrial hemp farming. And former NRC commissioner, Peter Bradford, rebuts recent op-eds that promote nuclear power.
Trumpcare Fiasco/Logic For The Left
Medicare For All advocate, Dr. John Geyman, rejoins us to discuss his latest book “Struggling and Dying Under Trumpcare: How We Fix This Fiasco.” And philosophy professor Ben Burgis explains how to “Give Them an Argument: Logic For The Left.” Plus, David Helvarg comes on in the Wrap Up to explain how he’s “Putting The Blue in the Green New Deal.”
The Military Industrial Virus
Ralph welcomes acclaimed journalist, Andrew Cockburn, who argues that the more we spend on the armed forces the weaker we actually get. And energy security expert Joel N. Gordes explains how best we can safeguard our vulnerable power grid from a cyber attack.
Abolishing Prisons?/Chernobyl
Ralph talks to professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore about abolishing prisons and journalist Adam Higginbotham about his book, “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster.”
Can We Limit Greed?
Greed is the common theme discussed with our two guests. First, Ralph talks to Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin about CEO pay, progress on the minimum wage, and the possibility of impeaching Donald Trump. Then, advocate Jamie Love explains how greedy drug companies get away with gouging patients who need life-saving drugs.
September 10, 2016
We check in with George Farah, who reveals the “Secrets of the Tomb,” otherwise known as the Commission on Presidential Debates. And the Mathbabe, Cathy O’Neil, drops in to discuss how numbers can crunch us with her book Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy.
September 3, 2016
Filmmaker Ivy Meeropol tells us what it’s like inside a nuclear power plant with her documentary “Indian Point.” And S. David Freeman tells us about how activists convinced the power company PG&E to shut down the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in central California.
August 29, 2016
Ralph talks to Representative David Jolly (R: FL) about The Stop Act, which would prohibit members of Congress from personally soliciting campaign donations. And Professor William Black tells us that the best way to rob a bank is from the inside.
August 20, 2016
Ralph talks about the importance of human touch in our industrial and virtual society with entrepreneur, Adam Lippin, CEO of the cuddling service Cuddlist.com. Plus, David comes back to report on his foray into both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
August 13, 2016
Ralph talks to activist Charles Keil about his work trying to encourage a Department of Peace and economist and journalist James S. Henry tells us how the wealthy hide trillions of dollars in offshore tax havens.
August 6, 2016
Ralph talks to professor Jonathan Martin about the role of third parties in America and how they can be empowered. Then Pulitzer Prize winner, David Cay Johnston, tells us what we are likely to see in Donald Trump’s tax returns.
July 30, 2016
Ralph talks to the President of Public Citizen, Robert Weissman, about that organization’s storied history fighting and winning against the perfidies of corporate power. And in our listener question segment, Ralph defends his position on autonomous cars and talks about what he might do differently if he had it to do all over again.
July 23, 2016
Ralph talks to renowned investigative journalist Charles Lewis about his book 935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity and former police chief Norm Stamper tells us what needs to be done to repair the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve with his book To Protect & Serve: How to Fix America’s Police.