The Jack Rice Show

[Podcast] Jack Rice Show, Friday, May 7, 2010.

[Podcast] Jack Rice Show, May 5, 2010.

[Podcast] Oil and an Exploding Platform vs....

Brad Johnson is a Climate Researcher/Blogger at American Progress. Brad holds a bachelor's degree in math and physics from Amherst College and a master's degree in geosciences from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. He is the co-author of Technomanifestos and the founder of HillHeat.com. Prior to joining the Center, he worked as a developer for Saatchi & Saatchi, Lextranet, and the Democratic National Committee. Brad grew up in Boston, Massachusetts.

[Podcast] Lisa Ling Talks About Good Journalism.

National Geographic's Explorer, the longest-running documentary series in the history of cable TV, celebrates a quarter-century on the air. One of my favorite Nat Geo journalists is correspondent Lisa Ling. She has done a whole series of great documentaries including on on MS-13, another on women suicide bombers and another on the drug wars in Columbia. However, this were examples of a whole series of things done by National Geographic. As many media outlets continue to cutback, National...

[Podcast] On Why I Love Archaeology. A Conversation in...

Buried for centuries in a field in central England, this finely worked, 1,300-year-old fragment of gold plate was revealed today as part of the largest Anglo-Saxon hoard ever found.Showing two eagles flanking afish, the Dark Ages treasure was one of more than 1,500 scattered gold and silver artifacts unearthed in July by metal detector enthusiast Terry Herbert on his friend's farm near the town of Burntwood."The quantity of gold is amazing but, more importantly, the craftsmanship is...

[Podcast] Rep. Frank Pallone on the Ugliness in Politics.

[Podcast] Former Greenpeace Head Talks on Earth Day.

[Podcast] The Moroccan Ambassador Talks about Morocco...

As I prepare to travel to Morocco to cover Morocco's sponsorship of Earth Day 2010, I had an opportunity to go to the Moroccan Embassy in Washington DC to sit down with the Moroccan Ambassador to the United States, Aziz Mekouar. Aziz Mekouar became Ambassador of Morocco to the United States on June 19, 2002. Before his current assignment, Ambassador Mekouar served as ambassador to Italy (1999-2002). He was elected Independent Chairman of the Council of the United Nations Food and Agriculture...

[Podcast] The Obama/Medvedev Agreement is Signed. Will...

President Obama and Russian President Medvedev signed an historic agreement today to shrink our nuclear stockpiles as well as delivery systems. This does appear to make us safer. However, tensions continue between the two powers and both seem to be driven by different things. Because of this ongoing confusion, I want to turn to a true expert on the topic, Dr. Samuel Charap on the Center for American Progress. Dr. Charap holds a doctorate in political science from Oxford, was a Marshall...

[Podcast] History Professor Ellen Amster Talks The Role...

Frequently, when people talk about history or culture or religion, they talk about men in history, culture and religion. However, women frequently play a far more significant role than most realize. That is the reason I wanted to talk to Moroccan History Professor Ellen Amster about the role of women in Morocco. Specifically, it is interesting how Islamic culture as a certain influence while the role of France shifted that influence in a unique way. She also talks about how things have...

[Podcast] Can Environmentalists Convince GOP to...

Earth Day is 40 years old this year. And while environmentalists all get the need to focus on the issue, it seems that the GOP sees this as some sort of joke. So, how do you reach out to convince the opposition to understand and support Earth Day? In addition, Morocco is attempting to transform the country. Because they are sponsoring Earth Day 2010, they intend to make big changes. In fact, I will be in Rabat, Morocco to cover the transformation. Earth Day Campaign Director, Nate Byer,...

[Podcast] After Healthcare Reform, is Pro-Choice...

The Democrats and President Obama negotiating away the pro-choice movement during the healthcare debate. Congressman Bart Stupak seemed to drive stake through its heart and dance on its grave. So where do they go now? Do they have any power left? What comes next? Sharon Lerner wrote an article entitledNowhere to Hydein this week's The Nation. In it she looks at the history of the movement and exactly what happened during the healthcare debate.

[MSNBC Appearance] Ed Schultz - Friday, April 2nd: Talk...

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[Podcast] History Professor Ellen Amster Talks Morocco.

The first country in the world to recognize the United States! The first country where the U.S. purchased land! One of the closest ongoing relationship! England? No. France? No. Believe it or not, the answer is Morocco. As part of our ongoing effort to understand more about Morocco, we turn to University of Wisoconsin, Milwaukee Professor Ellen Amster, Professor Amster's is a history professor who specializes in Morocco.

[Podcast] Venezuelan Journalist talks on being Hugo...

Caracas, Venezuela -Venezuela's last remaining television channel critical of President Hugo Chavez has become the most recent target the the Venezuelan government in what its some fear is a broader crackdown to silence dissent. Guillermo Zuloaga, owner of Globovision, was arrested last week on a warrant charging him with making remarks "offensive" to President Chavez. After he was released from a Venezuelan jail, Zuloaga agreed to have a conversation with me from Venezuelan. He has been...

[Podcost] Journalist Michael Kirtley Talks Earth Day...

Earth Day 2010 is coming upon us very soon. While everyday should be a day to focus on the environment, Earth Day has become a day where many slow down to consider exactly what is happening to the planet. Morocco is hosting Earth Day 2010 for Africa. Journalist Michael Kirtley joins me to talk about Morocco's long history and relationship with the U.S., the role that Morocco is playing in this year's events, and what Morocco is trying to do to protect the environment. By the way, Michael is...

[Podcast] Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro Talks Healthcare &...

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CN-D) joins the program to talk about the historic healthcare bill and how the specifics of the new law will change the conversation about what it truly means for Americans. However, Congresswoman DeLauro is also the Chairperson of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. In that capacity, we talk about safe food and about oversight, regulation, the need for sufficient resources and more. A really interesting conversation.

[Podcast] Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Talks Healthcare

Congressman Frank Pallone Jr (D-NJ) from New Jersey's 6th Congressional district joins the program. Congressman Pallone joins the program to talk about healthcare, the new law, what it was like to be on the floor of the House of Representatives for history. It is interesting to take a look at a story like this from the inside out. This is true regardless of political affiliates.

[Podcast] Air America: New Jack Rice Poll: Americans are...

Americans are finally beginning tounderstandthat most of us will never be rich. We'refaultingObama for not improving the several hundred year old problem of race relations in a year, and for not fixing health care and the economy in the same span of time. Perhaps worst of all, we're going to startpaying morefor complex drinks at Starbucks, after Starbucks suckered us into an understanding of these complex drinks in the first place. Jack Rice is frustrated, but he does see a silver lining.

[Podcast] Air America: Jobs Where it is Okay to Screw Up

Chaos erupted at Newark Liberty International Airport after a man got through security unchecked because he walked through the exit line. Jack Rice knows that there are certain jobs where it is okay to slack off (e.g. McDonald's burger jockey) but the guy who watches the exit line does not have one of those jobs! Certain positions require a bit more concentration and responsibility.

[Podcast] Air America: Guns in NBA Locker Room a Bad...

Fellow Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are in not water over a recent spat they had in the locker room where they both brandished weapons. Gilbert Arenas has since come out and said that it was a bad idea to bring a gun to the locker room. Really, Gilbert Arenas? It takes you getting in trouble to realize that taking a gun to the work place is a bad idea? I think Arenas needs to redefine what he considers a "bad idea".

Musician/Actor Hugh Dillon Joins the Program.

Combining acting with a distinguished career as a singer songwriter, Hugh Dillon is a dark horse that has been galvanized as one of North America's most respected performers. Dillon first earned notoriety in Canada and abroad as the lead singer in the multi-platinum rock and roll band, The Headstones. Signed to Universal Music in the early nineties, the band released six albums. It was early on in The Headstones' success when Hugh caught the attention of legendary filmmaker Bruce McDonald....

Actress Rose Byrne Speaks

Australian Actress Rose Byrne joins me to promote her new movie Adam but then talks a lot about almost everything else. Very interesting look from an up and coming actress that a lot of people in the U.S. recognize but can't place. She is in Damages, 28 Weeks Later, Knowing, Troy, Sunshine, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, among other things. Hope you enjoy it.

Russian Subs Off U.S. Coast! Bob Amsterdam is Concerned!

A recent report has described Russian submarines off the east coast of the United States. This is very reminiscent of the cold war. We usually don't think of the Russians as international players anymore. However, according the Bob Amsterdam, that would be a mistake. Bob has had to fight against the Russians in courtrooms around the world and has dealt with the likes of the Venezuelens and others who are finding support from the same Russians.

Birthers Insane? Well . . . Listen.

August 4this President Obama's birthday, which means it's basically the Super Bowl for birthers, the people who believe Obama can't be president because he was actually born in Kenya. Well the birthers have finally done it. They've found a birth certificate that proves all the naysayers wrong. It's definitive evidence that Obama really is a fraud! And the mainstream media wants to bury it! Can you believe the injustice?! Problem is, as Jack Rice explains, there's just one thing wrong with...

Gosh, I Love Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Listen!

Shark Week! I don't even know what it is. It hardly makes sense but I love watching this stuff. I will watch it by myself or with my kids if they will watch with me. The eleven year old loves it too. Makes me want to do it. It also makes me realize that I truly am an adrenaline junkie. Fine. I know who I am. Love it . . . So, you can imagine when I had a chance to interview a Discovery Channel scientist and shark expert Andy Dehart, I was all over it. I told you, I love this stuff.

Actress Sharon Lawrence Joins the Program.

While I generally cover politics, current events and the world, every so often I come into contact with people I don't expect. And usually, I'm glad I did. After all, it is important to stretch one's self! This was certainly true with actress Sharon Lawrence. She received an Emmy nomination this year but seems to have done one thing incredibly consistently - and that is work. Without question, you have seen her work. A list of her credits include Grey's Anatomy, Drop Dead Diva, Curb Your...

Is That C Street Condo More Animal House Than...

Jack Rice talks with journalist Jeff Sharlet, contributing editor to Harper's Magazine and author of the book "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power." They discussed the "church" on C Street that has housed Mark Sanford, Chip Pickering and John Ensign, among other philanderers. Jeff has covered this group extensively, and actually spent a month inside the church. He tells us what it's really like inside those walls.

Are We Looking at the End of the American Blue Collar...

With manufacturing collapsing across the country and with unions under continuing assault, it seems like the average American worker is being driver into a lower and lower standard of living. Is the American blue collar dream over? Ben Austen, a contributing editor of Harper's Magazine joins the program to discuss his article, End of the Road. It is an interesting look at hyper efficiency, the auto industry and where the country may be headed. And, to tell you the truth, it doesn't seem...

A Surprising and Personal Interview with Leeza Gibbons.

I have to admit that I was very surprised with this interview. Of course, we all know who Leeza Gibbons is. Entertainment Tonight started off an entire genre that has bled into mainstream news, for good and bad. And so I was not sure what to expect with an interview with Leeza. In fact, it is atypical for the kinds of things that I normally do. But I figured, "what the heck!" Leeza had written a book, Take Your Oxygen First. It is about Alzheimer's and her mother's struggles. I found it to...

Did Vanity Fair Article Drive Palin From Office? Jack...

Did Vanity Fair article that savaged Sarah Palin, the McCain camp and the GOP leadership play a role in driving Sarah Palin from office and potentially out of politics? Since it broke last week, it has rippled throughoutRepublican circles. Todd Purdum, the author of "It Came from Wasilla", joins me today on The Jack Rice Show on Air America Radio.You can alsolisten online on airamerica.com

How Did the Wall Street Meltdown Actually Happen?

Gillian Tett, one of the most respected financial journalists in the world, joins me to talk about how the financial meltdown on Wall Street actually started with a small group of JP Morgan bankers and then simply spun out of control. What is as amazing is these same bankers are the very ones fighting to stop oversight which could allow it to happen again. Gillian documents this in her book, Fool's Gold. Gillian appeared on The Jack Rice Show on Air America Radio on June 28, 2009.

Rumsfeld's Mistakes Still Haunt America - Part 2.

In 2001, Donald Rumsfeld came in as the most experienced man to ever take control of the Pentagon. After all, he had already been Secretary of Defense once during the Ford administration. And the way he describes his intentions could be encapsulated in one work, transition. After 9/11, everything changed. What he did, and failed to, still haunts America. And we are still digging ourselves out of the hole that he helped to dig. Bradley Graham, who spent more than 30 years with the Washington...

One Third of Those Born After 2000 Will Develop...

According to filmmaker Robert Kenner, the creator of Food, Inc., more than 1/3 of people born after 2000 will develop diabetes. And obesity is running rampant throughout the country. And there is a reason. The government subsidizes both corn and soybean production. As a result, it is cheap and plentiful. It is now found in around 90% of the foods found in this country. And the number calories we consume is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Hence, obesity and diabetes. So let me get...

We Still Torture - Part 1.

We desperately want to believe that after the election of President Obama, we no longer abuse people, we no longer torture. We want to believe that there is a bright line between this President and President Bush. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. The reasons are momentum and marketing. Luke Mitchell, the senior editor of Harper's Magazine, joins me to talk about what is going on in Guantanamo right now and how by every measure, except that of the American government, these people are...

The Environment and Unforeseen Consequences in Harper's...

Sherally Munshi writes an interesting story about the clash of two cultures, her American one and her Parsi one. And she also writes about unforeseen consequences, for herself, her family and the environment. Her article, The Ghosts of Doongarwadi, can be found in the July, 2009 edition of Harper's Magazine. Read the article for yourself at http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/07/0082567

Should Obama Push Harder on Iran? Part 2

Should the President push harder on Iran? And if he does, and people stream into the streets in Iran, then what? Will the Iranian government hesitate to cut them down by the thousands? I think not! Patrick Disney, the Legislative Director of the National Iranian American Institute weighs in and the complications, the history in Iran, and the next steps for President Obama.

Are We Really Taking the Environment Seriously? - Part 2.

Merchant Wentworth of the Union of Concerned Scientists joins the program to talk about green jobs and whether or not the U.S. Senate is doing what is necessary. There are some who are questioning whether the Obama administration is doing enough.

Corporations Really are at War with Labor - Part 2.

Ken Silverstein of Harpers Magazine joins me today on Air America Washington's Live in Washington with Jack Rice to talk about the corporate on on labor and unions. He recently wrote an article entitled Labor's Last Stand in this month's Harper's Magazine.

Is Education Becoming Out of Reach? - Part 2.

The Return of Hoovervilles? Ben Ehrenreich Explains -...

It is estimated that another 1.5 million people may become homeless in the next 18 months because of home foreclosures. While this is a scary number, it doesn't come close to addressing what drives homelessness. For that, you would have to go back to the Clinton and Reagan administrations. Ben Ehrenreich joins me on Air America Radio to talk about homelessness and tent cities in places like Seattle, Portland and Fresno. The problem is real and it is growing. Ben writes about this in Tales of...

Should the U.S. Take Control of the Banking Industry? -...

The U.S. government has spent an incredible amount of money bailing out Wall Street and the banking industry. The debate now is about how much sway and control they should assert. After all, the government owns the majority of some of the organizations themselves. Further, it is not as if the banks have done such a great job previously. Frontline's latest documentary, Breaking the Bank, looks at this problem. Frontline producer Michael Kirk joins the program to talk about the problems, the...

Is the U.S. Creating Death Squads in Iraq - Part 2.

Shane Bauer joins me from Damascus, Syria to talk about his recent investigations inside Iraq about American efforts to create an elite group of Iraqis known throughout the country as "The Dirty Brigade." What these 4000 men have been doing has not gone unnoticed by Iraqi people and politicians alike. Shane documents this in his article Iraq's New Death Squad in the June 22 edition of The Nation.

Eric Bolling of Fox Business Network Talks Economics -...

Eric Bolling of Fox Business Network joins the program to talk economics, bailouts and possibilities of success. He strikes me as a very pragmatic guy who is willing to stray from the party line and say what he thinks. I like that.

Are the Americans Funding Drug Cartels in Colombia?

Teo Ballve looks at the drug wars in Colombia and their aftermath. One very disturbing aspect involves how USAID has tried to drive cultivators into alternative forms of agriculture instead of creating cocaine. But the result has been frightening. And who is benefiting is even worse. Teo writes about this in this month's The Nation Magazinein an article entitled The Dark Side of Plan Colombia.

For Healthcare, Obama says Now or Never. Ron Pollack of...

President Obama said that if we are going to reform healthcare, it is now or never. If we don't do it this year, it is never going to happen. There are 50 million Americans who are uninsured. There are millions more that don't have enough insurance. What is America to do? Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA joins the program to talk about the challenges.

Is War with North Korea Inevitable? - Part 2.

Is war with North Korea inevitable? The Americans have been trying to work with other nations to try to find some sort of compromise. They are currently debating additional sanctions with the United Nations. Will this be enough? With they have sufficient teeth to motivate the North Koreans? The South Koreans themselves have tried the so-called "sunshine policy." What will they do? Richard Bush of the Brookings Institute joins the program.

U.S. Senator Dorgan Takes No Prisoners - Part 2.

He stood up against the dismantling of Glass-Steagall. He stood up against TARP because of its many failures. And he has been proven right again and again. U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan joins the program to talk about the economy, TARP, deregulation and where it is taking the country. He also joins me to talk about his latest book, Reckless.

Bill Glynn Talks About the Impending GM Bankruptcy -...

After the relative ease of Chrysler's bankruptcy process, is GM going down the same path? Or are GM bondholders driving this train? It appears that all of the efforts of the government to keep GM viable have failed and a GM bankruptcy seems almost inevitable. Venture capitalist and author of Left on Red, Bill Glynn, joins the program to talk baout what this means for GM and the average American.

Jackie Gingrich Cushman Talks About Success and Her...

Newt Gingrich and Jackie Gingrich Cushman sat down together for the first time to write a book together. And the book, 5 Principles for a Successful Life, is the result. In addition, they were able to convince a lot of people to also submit their own ideas including people like Bill Clinton and Rush Limbaugh. Jackie joins me to talk about the book, her father, and the media. Hope you like the interview.