Ralph Nader Radio Hour - podcast cover

Ralph Nader Radio Hour

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

www.ralphnaderradiohour.com

Episodes

What M4A Saves You!

It is well documented how much more cost effective a Medicare for All system would be in the aggregate. But do you want to know how much money per year a Medicare for All system would personally save you? Listen to Dr. James Kahn, explain the calculator he developed to help you figure that out. Plus, we invite Dr. Fred Hyde and healthcare consultant, Kip Sullivan, back to answer the feedback you sent us on the topic of Medicare (dis)Advantage. Dr. James Kahn is an expert in policy modeling in he...

Dec 31, 20221 hr 19 min

Fighting Online Marketing to Children

In a live Zoom event in conjunction with the American Museum of Tort Law, we welcome back Claire Nader, author of “You Are Your Own Best Teacher” and Susan Linn, author of “Who’s Raising the Kids?” for a lively panel discussion moderated by child advocacy legal expert, Robert Fellmeth, on the ongoing corporatization of childhood. We also hear from audience members but not just old people talking about “kids today.” A thoughtful seventh grader gives us a young person’s perspective. Robert Fellmet...

Dec 24, 20221 hr 20 min

Big Tech Spying

Ralph welcomes the Washington Post’s technology columnist, Geoffrey Fowler, to explain all the ways your smart devices are gathering information about you, your garage door, your soap dispenser, your vacuum cleaner and even your toilet. Geoffrey Fowler is The Washington Post ’s technology columnist . Before joining the Post he spent sixteen years with the Wall Street Journal writing about consumer technology, Silicon Valley, national affairs and China. I’m actually really excited by technology. ...

Dec 17, 20221 hr 6 min

Sports Betting/Trouble in Toyland

Ralph welcomes Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times investigative reporter, Eric Lipton, to give us the over/under on how professional sports in the U.S. is now part of a multibillion-dollar corporate gambling enterprise that can now even reach children. And before you buy toys for your loved ones this holiday season you need to hear our interview with Teresa Murray, director of U.S. PIRG’s Consumer Watchdog office, discussing their latest report on dangerous toys, entitled “Trouble in Toyland....

Dec 10, 20221 hr 21 min

Mike Pertschuk Tribute/Inspiring Tweens

Ralph invites longtime colleague, Joan Claybrook, to the program to help him pay tribute to the work of the legendary, Michael Pertschuk, an individual responsible for an enormous amount of landmark, lifesaving consumer legislation. Then Steve and David interview Claire Nader about her book “You Are Your Own Best Teacher! Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination and Intellect of Tweens.” Plus, Ralph once again warns against falling for Medicare (Dis)Advantage. Joan Claybrook is one of the public inte...

Dec 03, 20221 hr 24 min

Ukraine: Senseless Conflict

On this week of Thanksgiving, Ralph welcomes two distinguished anti-war activists and Nobel Peace Prize nominees, Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE Pink to discuss her book “War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict” and David Swanson of World Beyond War to not only put the conflict in Ukraine in context but also to reveal the financial incentives that drive endless war. Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK and the co-founder of the human rights grou...

Nov 27, 20222 hr 36 min

Populism! The Good Kind.

Ralph welcomes back old friend and America’s Number One Populist, Jim Hightower to hash out a whole range of topics including what happened with Beto O’Rourke in the recent governor’s race in Texas, the battle between corporate Dems vs. progressive Dems and much, much more. Plus, Ralph warns again about falling for the relentless corporate pitch for Medicare (Dis)Advantage and gives us an update on the ongoing Boeing Max 8 litigation. Jim Hightower is a syndicated columnist, national radio comme...

Nov 19, 20221 hr 3 min

Midterm Postmortem

Ralph invites political psychologist Dr. Drew Westen back to the program to give his analysis of what happened in the midterm elections. What the Dems did right and what they still do wrong. And we also welcome back labor journalist, Steve Early, co-author of “Our Veterans: Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs.” Dr. Drew Westen is a clinical, personality, and political psychologist and neuroscientist, and Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psyc...

Nov 12, 20221 hr 20 min

The Most Toxic Place in America

Counterpunch’s Joshua Frank joins Ralph to discuss his new book, “Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America” about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State— the Cold War plutonium manufacturing facility that even after a $677 billion taxpayer clean-up bill still leaks radioactivity. And immigration lawyer extraordinaire, Susan Cohen, regales us about her experience representing asylum seekers and refugees as chronicled in her book “Journey From There to Here: St...

Nov 05, 20222 hr 39 min

Chris Hedges/Mark Green

Ralph invites back award-winning war correspondent and author, Chris Hedges, to discuss his new book “The Greatest Evil is War” in which he points out that war is not only a racket but - no matter what its causes - a moral obscenity. And Mark Green joins us to elaborate on “Winning America” a compendium of rhetorical strategies and concrete policies Democrats should be running on to win the midterm elections. Plus, we plug Tort Law Education Day! Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journali...

Oct 29, 20221 hr 8 min

How the Right Wing Captured the Supreme Court

Ralph and Rhode Island Senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, dive into his new book “The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court.” And Ralph takes the opportunity with the Senator to pitch his "Winning America" strategy for the Democrats to use in the midterms. In addition, our resident constitutional expert, Bruce Fein, stops by to argue that so many of the books about Trump and other American presidents emphasize personality and ignore the constitutional implications of ...

Oct 22, 20221 hr 1 min

Consumer Rights Are Civil Rights

Ralph welcomes Marta Tellado, president and CEO of Consumer Reports and author of “Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace.” She and Ralph tackle many consumer related issues including how consumer rights are also civil rights. And previous guest Professor Michael Hudson rejoins us to forcefully rebut a listener comment about his view of the Federal Reserve, quantitative easing, and who runs the US Treasury. Plus, Ralph has some choice words about...

Oct 15, 20221 hr 9 min

Who’s Raising The Kids?

Ralph does a deep dive into the commercialization of childhood with Dr. Susan Linn, psychologist, and author of “Who’s Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children.” Plus, Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, fills us in on their campaign to end the tenure of Louis DeJoy, the Trump-appointed Post Master, who is trying to dismantle the US Postal Service. Dr. Susan Linn is an author, psychologist, and award-winning ventriloquist. She was the Founding Director of Cam...

Oct 08, 20221 hr 6 min

Medicare Advantage is a Scam!

Do not sign-up for Medicare Advantage! We don’t care what Joe Namath tells you. That’s the message of healthcare expert, Kip Sullivan, who returns to remind us why Medicare Advantage is simply a further for-profit corporate takeover of Medicare. Plus, we rifle through the mailbag where Ralph answers your questions and comments on your feedback about past programs. Kip Sullivan is a Health Care Advisor with Health Care for All Minnesota , and has written several hundred articles on health policy....

Oct 03, 20221 hr 2 min

Servants of the Damned

“Everyone is entitled to a defense” contend large law firms when they represent notorious corporate clients, but many of these firms push the ethical envelope. That’s the crux of the discussion Ralph has with David Enrich as outlined in his book, “Servants of the Damned: Giant Law Firms, Donald Trump, and the Corruption of Justice.” Plus, we welcome Dr. Michael Jacobson, founder, and former director of Science in the Public Interest to tell us how we need to raise taxes on Science in the Public ...

Oct 03, 20221 hr 19 min

The Federal Reserve and Debt

Ralph does a deep dive into the real purpose of the Federal Reserve and other aspects of the American economy with progressive economist, Michael Hudson. Plus, our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, joins us to talk about the elected official from New Mexico, who got removed from office because of his role in the Jan. 6th insurrection and what that possibly could mean for Donald’s Trump eligibility for office. And he also discusses a letter from retired Secretaries of Defense and Joint...

Oct 03, 20221 hr 2 min

The Crack Up of the Republican Party

Ralph welcomes Washington Post columnist, Dana Milbank, who draws a direct line from Newt Gingrich’s ascendency to Speaker of the House in 1994 to the January 6 th insurrection in his book “The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party.” Plus, a new Capitol Hill Citizen is out! Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Sep 10, 20221 hr 5 min

Slaughtering Corporate Hogs

Ralph interviews North Carolina attorney, Mona Lisa Wallace, whose litigation team won more than $500 million in damages for the facility’s North Carolina neighbors against the hog production component of Smithfield Foods along with author Corban Addison who chronicled the gripping John Grisham-like tale in his book: “Wastelands: The True Story Of Farm Country On Trial.” Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Sep 03, 20221 hr 15 min

Some Justice for Sandy Hook

In a live Zoom recording, Ralph welcomes attorney Josh Koskoff, who tells us how he won a groundbreaking 73 million dollars from Remington and other gun manufacturers on behalf of the families of the Sandy Hook mass school shooting. Ralph and Josh lay out the story then Josh takes questions from our virtual audience. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Aug 27, 20221 hr 3 min

Recession or Recovery?

In a packed program, Ralph first speaks to our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, about the latest Trump-anigans from Mar a Lago, then Washington Post business reporter, Allan Sloan, joins to talk about the Federal Reserve and answers the question of whether we are headed for an economic recession or a recovery. And finally, Steve Silberstein of National Popular Vote comes by to update us on their latest efforts to ensure that the candidate for president who wins the popular vote actua...

Aug 20, 20221 hr 14 min

Self-Driving Tesla: “It Will Try To Kill You”

Software hacking expert, Dan O’Dowd, founder of “The Dawn Project” joins us to critique Tesla’s Fully Self-Driving cars where they found they made a critical error every eight minutes. Then Ralph welcomes Steve Hutkins, the founder and editor of “Save the Post Office,” to ask why Trump’s Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, still has a job. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Aug 13, 20221 hr 11 min

Drug Lords of America

Ralph welcomes Washington Post investigative reporters, Sari Horowitz and Scott Higham, authors of “American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry,” that tells the thrilling David versus Goliath story that goes beyond the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma to expose the many other corporate criminals who aided and abetted the crisis and chronicles the heroes who fought to bring them to justice. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Aug 06, 202258 min

Investigating Trump

We welcome back our resident Constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, who gives us his take on the January 6 th hearings, how they compare to the Watergate, and Iran Contra, why the Democrats seem to be holding back, and what the Department of Justice needs to do to live up to its name with regard to the crimes of Donald Trump. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Jul 30, 20221 hr 2 min

The Man Who Broke Capitalism

That man is the late and lionized CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, whose relentless pursuit of quarterly earnings and shareholder value at the exclusion of everything else influenced generations of CEOs and his approach could be the single biggest reason the U.S. finds itself in the precarious economic and political state it is. Ralph speaks with New York Times columnist, David Gelles, who wrote the book on Welch, “The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed...

Jul 23, 20221 hr 12 min

What If The Fed Bought Out The Oil Industry?

Progressive economist, Robert Pollin, gives us his take on the causes and remedies of the current inflationary spiral, and what both the Fed and the Biden Administration can do about it. Then, Ralph welcomes back, Greg LeRoy, from Good Jobs First, the organization that tracks corporate handouts, to update us on taxpayer giveaways to the EV industry, billionaire sports franchise owners, and how the recent abortion bans may hurt those state’s economies. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at...

Jul 16, 20221 hr 16 min

Trump Still Dangerous

We welcome back Dr. Bandy X. Lee, editor of “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President,” to update us on her latest thinking about Trump’s hold on his followers and the conflicts within her own profession over their duty to warn. Plus, Ralph and Steve discuss the January 6 th hearings. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Jul 09, 202258 min

Vaccine Apartheid/The Voice of Corporate Crime

Ralph welcomes Peter Maybarduk director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program to explain how taxpayer supported research on Covid vaccines has been given over to Big Pharma, who are creating worldwide vaccine apartheid, and Rick Claypool, also of Public Citizen, on the US Chamber of Commerce’s tantrum over government agency efforts to crack down on their members’ criminal activity. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Jul 02, 20221 hr 19 min

Trump’s Inside Job

In the midst of finding out how Donald Trump tried to dismantle democracy with the Big Lie, Ralph welcomes Professor Thomas McGarity, who has chronicled how Trump, as president, tried to demolish government from the inside in his book “Demolition Agenda: How Trump Tried to Dismantle American Government, and What Biden Needs to Do to Save It.” Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Jun 25, 20221 hr 3 min

The News That Didn’t Make The News

Ralph welcomes back Project Censored’s Micky Huff, to give us the rundown on the latest under-reported news stories of the year and gives us his advice on how to consume a more nutritious diet of news. Plus, Ralph expounds upon a unique idea to promote more civic engagement: The Birth Year Legacy. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Jun 18, 20221 hr 12 min

Jesus Was A Progressive

Ralph welcomes Reverend Jim Wallis, the Leader of the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University, who calls out Republicans on gun safety and identifies white churches as a threat to democracy. Plus, our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, speculates on why Trump and Pence have not been subpoenaed to appear before the January 6 th committee. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe...

Jun 11, 20221 hr 13 min