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KPFA - The Ralph Nader Radio Hour

Politics

Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all.

Location:

United States

Genres:

Politics

Description:

Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all.

Language:

English


Episodes
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The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – November 4, 2024

11/4/2024
Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – November 4, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.
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Medicare (Dis)Advantage, Medical Blind Spots, and Supreme Court Stench

10/28/2024
As the Medicare enrollment period gets underway again, we welcome Dr. Adam Gaffney to remind us the ways all those heavily advertised Medicare Advantage programs are ripping you off. Then we receive another house call from Dr. Marty Makary, author of Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health about the effect of medical groupthink on all kinds of accepted treatments, from peanut allergies to opioid addiction. Finally, founder of Media Matters, David Brock stops by to discuss his latest book, Stench: The Making of the Thomas Court and the Unmaking of America. GUESTS: Dr. Adam Gaffney is a physician, writer, public health researcher, and advocate. Dr. Gaffney practices at the Cambridge Health Alliance and is an Assistant Professor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. A member of the Cambridge Health Justice Lab, his research focuses on healthcare financing, reform, and equity, and disparities in lung health. He writes about the policy, politics, and history of health care, and is the author of To Heal Humankind: The Right to Health in History. Dr. Marty Makary is a Johns Hopkins professor and member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books, Unaccountable and The Price We Pay. Dr. Makary has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, and he has published more than 250 scientific research articles. He served in leadership at the W.H.O. and has been a visiting professor at 25 medical schools. David Brock is a Democratic activist and founder of Media Matters for America, a progressive media watchdog group. Following the 2010 elections, Mr. Brock founded the Super PAC American Bridge, which works to elect Democrats. He is a New York Times best-selling author, and his books include the memoir Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative and Killing the Messenger: The Right Wing Plot to Hijack Your Government. The post Medicare (Dis)Advantage, Medical Blind Spots, and Supreme Court Stench appeared first on KPFA.
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The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – October 21, 2024

10/21/2024
Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – October 21, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.
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Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza / U.S. Support of Attacks on Lebanon

10/14/2024
Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson (retired) joins us once again to give his unvarnished view of the now yearlong ethnic cleansing of Gaza, an assault that has now extended into Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. Plus, our resident constitutional expert, Bruce Fein stops by to give us a quick take on how U.S. material support of the Israeli aggression in Lebanon, an ally of ours, is a clear violation of The Neutrality Act. The post Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza / U.S. Support of Attacks on Lebanon appeared first on KPFA.
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The Question of Fit Leadership / Weapons of War

10/7/2024
Ralph welcomes back Dr. Bandy Lee to discuss her recent conference: The More Dangerous State of the World and the Need for Fit Leadership. Then, Ralph is joined by Professor Ted Postol to talk about the missiles and rockets (and other weapons) being used in the expanding war(s) in the Middle East. GUESTS & HOSTS: Ralph Nader, Steve Skrovan, David Feldman, Dr. Bandy Lee, Ted Postal The post The Question of Fit Leadership / Weapons of War appeared first on KPFA.
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The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 30, 2024

9/30/2024
Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 30, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.
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The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 23, 2024

9/23/2024
Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 23, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.
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The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 16, 2024

9/16/2024
Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 16, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.
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Jason Berlin on Voter Registration with Field Team 6

9/9/2024
Ralph welcomes former TV writer turned grass roots organizer Jason Berlin, who explains how his group, Field Team 6, uses the latest data and analytics to identify and reach out to potential Democratic voters in order to register them to vote and how that could turn the tide in purple, flippable states. Jason Berlin is a former TV writer and co-founder of Field Team 6, a national voter-registration project that organizes voter drives to register Democrats in the most flippable states across the country. The post Jason Berlin on Voter Registration with Field Team 6 appeared first on KPFA.
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The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 2, 2024

9/2/2024
Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – September 2, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.
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Tribute to Phil Donahue

8/26/2024
Phil Donahue never shied away from questioning those in power, be they government officials or corporate CEOs. And no guest on his program was more frequent than Ralph Nader. Along with guests Joan Claybrook, Michael Jacobson, and Jeff Cohen, we pay tribute to a man Ralph calls “the greatest enabler and defender of the First Amendment right of free speech in American history.” GUESTS: Joan Claybrook is a public interest champion of the modern consumer movement and president emeritus of Public Citizen. Previously, Ms. Claybrook was head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the Carter administration, from 1977 to 1981. Before serving with NHTSA, she founded and ran Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division and worked for the Public Interest Research Group, the National Traffic Safety Bureau, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Michael Jacobson holds a PhD in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He co-founded and then led the Center for Science in the Public Interest for four decades and is the founder of the National Food Museum. Dr. Jacobson is the author of Salt Wars: The Battle Over the Biggest Killer in the American Diet. Jeff Cohen is Co-Founder and Policy Director at RootsAction. He is a media critic, columnist, documentary filmmaker, and retired journalism professor who, in 1986, founded the media watch group FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting). For years, he was a regular pundit on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing issues of media and politics. He is the author of Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media. He was senior producer of MSNBC’s Phil Donahue Show until it was terminated on the eve of the Iraq war. The post Tribute to Phil Donahue appeared first on KPFA.
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Special Programming: Your Thoughts on Gaza and the Election

8/19/2024
Today’s episode of The Ralph Nader Radio Hour is preempted by a special, live call-in show discussing the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the presidential election, and Gaza. Mitch Jeserich of Letters & Politics hosts. The post Special Programming: Your Thoughts on Gaza and the Election appeared first on KPFA.
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Homicide: Success on the Street / National Food Museum

8/12/2024
So far this year, the city of Boston has recorded a grand total of 8 homicides, while the similarly populated city of Washington, D.C. has had 110. Professor Thomas Abt, founding director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction (VRC) explains what Boston is doing right. Plus, noted nutrition expert, Michael Jacobson reveals his latest project, The National Food Museum, to promote critical thinking about food’s impact on health, the environment, farm animal welfare, social equity, global and domestic hunger, and how the food industry and politics affect what we eat. Thomas Abt is an associate research professor in criminology and criminal justice and the author of Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence — and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets. His work is cited in academic journals and featured in major media outlets, both print and video. His TED talk on community violence has been viewed more than 200,000 times. Michael Jacobson holds a PhD in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He co-founded and then led the Center for Science in the Public Interest for four decades. Dr. Jacobson is the author of Salt Wars: The Battle Over the Biggest Killer in the American Diet. The post Homicide: Success on the Street / National Food Museum appeared first on KPFA.

Duration:00:59:58

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Trauma in Gaza

8/5/2024
Ralph welcomes Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, an American trauma surgeon who worked at the European Hospital in Khan Younis. He discusses his experience on the ground in Gaza, as well as his letter (co-signed by 45 other American medical practitioners) to President Biden, Vice President Harris, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Then, Ralph is joined by University of Chicago Booth School of Business Professor Luigi Zingales to look at why business schools are setting up capitalism to fail. GUESTS: Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a trauma and critical care surgeon as well as a Northern California Veterans Affairs general surgeon, and he is Associate Professor of Surgery at the California Northstate University College of Medicine. Dr. Sidhwa served at the European Hospital in Khan Younis in March and April of this year, and he has done prior humanitarian work in Haiti, the West Bank, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. Luigi Zingales is the Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He co-developed the Financial Trust Index, which is designed to monitor the level of trust that Americans have toward their financial system. He is currently a faculty research fellow for the National Bureau of Economic Research, a research fellow for the Center for Economic Policy Research, a fellow of the European Governance Institute, and the director of Chicago Booth’s Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State. Professor Zingales is the co-host (with Bethany McLean) of the podcast Capitalisn’t, and co-author (with Raghuram G. Rajan) of the book Saving Capitalism from Capitalists. The post Trauma in Gaza appeared first on KPFA.
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Joe Steps Aside / Insurance Shenanigans

7/29/2024
Ralph welcomes Jeff Cohen from the activist group “Roots Action,” whose “Step Aside Joe” campaign was years ahead of the curve urging Joe Biden — for many reasons — to keep his promise to be a one-term president. Plus, Harvey Rosenfield, founder of Consumer Watchdog, updates us on how the insurance industry, in cahoots with governor Gavin Newsom, wants to roll back the immensely successful Prop 103 that over the years has saved Californians billions of dollars in insurance premiums and why this struggle has implications for auto and homeowner insurance premiums across the country. GUESTS: Jeff Cohen is Co-Founder and Policy Director at RootsAction. He is a media critic, columnist, documentary filmmaker, and retired journalism professor who founded the media watch group FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) in 1986. For years, he was a regular pundit on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, discussing issues of media and politics. He is the author of Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media. Harvey Rosenfield is one of the nation’s foremost consumer advocates and founder of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. Among many other accomplishments, Mr. Rosenfield authored Proposition 103, which has saved consumers hundreds of millions of dollars in auto insurance premiums. He has also co-authored groundbreaking initiatives on HMO reform and utility-rate deregulation and is the author of the book Silent Violence, Silent Death: The Hidden Epidemic of Medical Malpractice. The post Joe Steps Aside / Insurance Shenanigans appeared first on KPFA.
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Judge Cannon’s Fumble / Fairplay’s Victory / Israel’s War on Journalism

7/22/2024
On today’s show: Ralph welcomes back Constitutional Law Expert Bruce Fein to dissect Judge Aileen Cannon’s dismissal of Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida. Then, Ralph is joined by Haley Hinkle, Policy Counsel at Fairplay, to discuss their FTC complaint against the messaging app “NGL” and what their victory means for children’s safety online. Finally, Ralph speaks with journalist John Nichols about the state of journalism in Gaza, as well as the state of the Democratic Party. GUESTS: Bruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan. He is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall. Haley Hinkle is policy counsel at Fairplay, where she advocates for laws and regulations that protect the autonomy and online safety of children and teens. Ms. Hinkle has also worked on issues at the intersection of government surveillance technology and civil liberties. John Nichols is a national affairs correspondent for the Nation, and associate editor of the Capital Times. He has written, co-written, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of U.S. and global media systems. His latest, co-written with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism. The post Judge Cannon’s Fumble / Fairplay’s Victory / Israel’s War on Journalism appeared first on KPFA.
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A Doctor in Gaza / Trump Immunity

7/15/2024
We hear from Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian-American doctor who spent time in Gaza trying to administer to a civilian population under relentless siege. Plus, Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein takes apart the Supreme Court’s decision to grant the president of the United States the powers of a king. GUESTS: Dr. Thaer Ahmad is a Palestinian-American emergency physician who has made numerous relief trips to Gaza. Dr. Ahmad is Assistant Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Chicago’s Advocate Christ Medical Center. He also serves as the Global Health Director and Medical Ethics Director for the Emergency Department at Advocate Christ. Dr. Ahmad is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a board member for MedGlobal, a medical humanitarian NGO that works at building healthcare capacity and reducing health inequities globally. Bruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan. He is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy and American Empire: Before the Fall. The post A Doctor in Gaza / Trump Immunity appeared first on KPFA.
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The Plastics We Breathe / Industrial Hemp

7/8/2024
Ralph welcomes Washington Post reporter Shannon Osaka to discuss her new article “The Plastics We Breathe” and the shocking truth that the plastics we’re using aren’t just polluting the environment — they’re polluting our bodies as well. Then, Ralph checks in on the state of the industrial hemp movement with “Hempster” filmmaker and activist Michael Henning. GUESTS: Shannon Osaka is a climate reporter covering policy, culture, and science for the Washington Post. Before joining the Post, she was a climate reporter at the nonprofit environmental outlet Grist. Michael Henning is a filmmaker, public speaker, and longtime proponent of the Industrial Hemp Movement. He is the director of “Hempsters: Plant the Seeds,” a documentary about the struggle to legalize industrial hemp. The post The Plastics We Breathe / Industrial Hemp appeared first on KPFA.

Duration:00:59:58

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An Undertaker in Gaza

7/1/2024
We focus once again on the ongoing genocide in Gaza with Delinda Hanley, executive editor of the “Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.” She tells the heartrending story of an undertaker in Gaza who, since October 8th, has had to bury over 17,000 people. Then, Ralph welcomes back retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He widens out the discussion to include the war in Ukraine and contends that “the Pentagon runs America.” GUESTS: Delinda Hanley is news editor and executive director of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. She writes extensively for the magazine on an array of topics and her stories have also been published in the Arab News, Saudi ARAMCO World, The Minaret, Islamic Horizons, and other U.S. magazines, including The Jewish Spectator. She has written extensively on Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, the emergence of the Muslim voice in Arab politics, and fairness in the mainstream American media. Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired U.S. Army colonel. Over his 31 years of service, Colonel Wilkerson served as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2005 and Special Assistant to General Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993. Colonel Wilkerson also served as Deputy Director and Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia; for fifteen years he was the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William and Mary. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network, senior advisor to the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and co-founder of the All-Volunteer Force Forum. The post An Undertaker in Gaza appeared first on KPFA.
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Veterans for Peace / Freedom of Speech

6/24/2024
Ralph welcomes Mike Ferner from Veterans for Peace to discuss their work pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and mobilizing their members to obstruct the gears of our military-industrial complex. Then, Ralph speaks with criminal defense attorney Leonard Goodman about a major First Amendment case that he’s fighting in Florida and the Justice Department’s tradition of targeting political dissenters. GUESTS: Mike Ferner served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and is a former National Director and current Special Projects Coordinator for Veterans for Peace. He is the author of Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran for Peace Reports from Iraq. Leonard Goodman is a Chicago criminal defense lawyer, an adjunct professor of law at DePaul University College of Law, where he teaches Federal Criminal Law, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University College of Law. He also founded the Leonard C. Goodman Institute for Investigative Reporting, which provides editorial and financial support to independent journalists pursuing in-depth investigative projects. The post Veterans for Peace / Freedom of Speech appeared first on KPFA.

Duration:00:59:58