Podcasts about consumers union

Send us a textIn this episode, Linda Zebian joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the challenges journalists face in maintaining work-life balance and how PR professionals can better support them. She shares industry insights from Muck Rack, explores newsroom pressures, and offers strategies for improving media relations.Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:Linda Zebian is the senior director of communications at Muck Rack. She leads internal and external communications strategies across the enterprise. Her work spans across messaging, issues management, media relations, social media, and employee communications. As Muck Rack's first-ever communications hire, Linda brought extensive experience from The New York Times, where she spent 10 years in various communications roles. She was named a “Woman to Watch” by PRWeek in 2024 and recognized for her leadership in Ragan Communications' 2023 Top Women in PR list.Five things you'll learn from this episode:1. The current state of work-life balance in journalism2. Key stressors impacting media professionals today3. How PR professionals can improve relationships with journalists4. The evolving landscape of newsroom workflows5. Strategies to support journalists' well-being and efficiencyQuotables"The media industry has changed dramatically, and work-life balance is a bigger challenge than ever." — @LindaZebian"Journalists are under immense pressure. PR pros can help by being mindful of their time and needs." — @LindaZebian"The relationship between PR and journalists should be built on trust, efficiency, and respect." — @JasonMudd9"Empathy in media relations goes a long way. Understanding journalists' workload can improve PR success." — @LindaZebian"Being strategic and concise in your pitches will make journalists more receptive to your stories." — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend, buy us a coffee, or leave us a quick podcast review.About Linda ZebianLinda Zebian is the senior director of communications at Muck Rack, where she leads internal and external communications strategy, including messaging, issues management, media relations, social media, and employee communications. She joined Muck Rack in January 2022 as its first-ever director of communications, bringing a wealth of experience in media and corporate communications.Before working at Muck Rack, Linda spent a decade at The New York Times, where she held various communications roles supporting growth, product, and technology teams. She played a key role in reinforcing the company's innovation and financial success, driving subscription growth, and strengthening brand affinity. Prior to that, she worked at Consumers Union, managing media relations for Consumer Reports. She began her career as a reporter at Folio before transitioning into conference programming for Red 7 Media.Linda was named a “Woman to Watch” by PRWeek in 2024 and a “Top Woman in PR for Leadership” by Ragan Communications in 2023. She frequently givSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America's Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

In today's workplace, writing is an essential skill. Whether drafting a policy memo, an email, or even a tweet, succinct writing is the key to effective communication.Best practices for clear writing are explored in a new book by Martha Coven: "Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age,” published by Princeton University Press. In the book, Coven draws upon decades of experience in the public and private sectors — as well as in the classroom at Princeton University — to provide a helpful guide for anyone looking to improve their writing.Coven, lecturer and John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs & Co. Visiting Professor at SPIA, has spent her career inside and outside of government working on domestic policy, with a focus on poverty reduction and the federal budget. Before coming to Princeton, she served for six years in the Obama Administration. She's also served in nonprofit roles at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Consumers Union. Along with her teaching, she currently provides consulting services to foundations and nonprofits.Endnotes, a SPIA podcast, takes listeners behind the cover and through the pages of books on politics, policy, and more — all written by faculty at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The show is hosted by B. Rose Huber.

The Xapiens Podcast (XPC) Episode 5: Join Xapiens Co-Director Bobby Johnston in a discussion with Alex (Sandy) Pentland. Sandy is a professor at the MIT Media lab, is on the advisory board for the UN Secretary General, UN Foundation, Consumers Union, and OECD, co-led the World Economic Forum leading to GDPR, and has delivered keynote addresses for OECD, G20, World Bank, and JP Morgan. He has co-founded a long list of companies (for example https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2pBQ1Y1RnU4eTVjUzlTc2JPX1JjQ01nbWYtd3xBQ3Jtc0trY1Y3WGxzQ2NMUW50bDJoem5kalN2eTh0b0FIeFQ2OHQwLW1aQUlGSm1yV3ZfRU9mbUV2YTBianE4bUhvdFlFb1ZRSjNOVWdVQkM0THVpM1RhMG0yRjJpRGwySnJ4TTREOHZyZ1p6TUkwNWlRZXZmRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcogitocorp.com%2F (https://cogitocorp.com/), https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXgxYWlZd2gxOFkxaS1LQU9UYldVOHBRX1lfd3xBQ3Jtc0ttMUZ5YXlseElVNkl6ZFBKTGhkUjRGY2JMVlJyeG0yVlFYUDlEeFN1M1hZR1ItZUNUUXRKbjBQY0ZNMkZJbEdEZURaa1JXZlhqYUpla2JOemVZZWxCVE5CS2doeEhIM3pLYWxzSmJJUGhhd2RxM193VQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ginger.com%2F (https://www.ginger.com/), and https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazlPMzE5OVRBRmR0bG5qUllzT3dFNm1nVlhaQXxBQ3Jtc0tsdERQWWh2Tm1fZ2VUUW01dTEyREhoeTAxSUl1QlFUTVBGMG4xd0dLbjVRNVdFVEhnMjFCZ2VXNUt6clNhVERHV2tPY2l0MWdFVmtRM05EUWlFaWxCSU4xYkpRTjhZVjlFZ25WSGxUTktyWGVVSzM2VQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.endor.com%2F (https://www.endor.com/)). He is the author of several books, the two discussed in this podcast are Social Physics (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWZTWlFVcW9TU25fZXlvVGdfV2FlY1hrLXluZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttQi1TLUZqX2RIRFRJTVo3Qlk2TUY3OXZkdWg2MlJBMVh3enZpTFBtdUtTb2RBMnlfRFpOODdHTjkyVDZDZFNsR2hjQS1BUXBheG1qdFlmdkZvWFFFUGxBUXhPSmJqaVlCSWFHV0o0OHhET1pOdVBUcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSocial-Physics-Spread-Lessons-Science-dp-1594205655%2Fdp%2F1594205655%2Fref%3Dmt_other%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26me%3D%26qid%3D (https://www.amazon.com/Social-Physics...)) and Building the New Economy (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDVfZF9LYVFTbGxHS3RPajVVaHQyWnBlYU1qd3xBQ3Jtc0ttRGdBUV9SNTBlTTRId3hhREhvWjFiQWMyTW9zUGpHeFRTaHJfclVDSC1oSmdZbnZCT0p6Y0hHaTF6RkdQOUR1dEp4V2ZmTk9VOEZlcFNmcGxvM2V2X1lXX01LLWFOb1ZoS3cwQnNHaHNkNkVibHZRZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBuilding-New-Economy-Data-Capital%2Fdp%2F026254315X (https://www.amazon.com/Building-New-E...)) which was published in October 2021. We did not have enough time to cover in the breadth nor depth necessary to really understand all of his ideas, so I highly encourage you to read his books (social physics is also available as an audiobook), or watch some of his great video content available online, for example: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm9kbjhwd2N1ZmNQek5CU0I1MG12SXA2RzF2Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuY3JVUGFGUUJ2ZDF4R21oWFVpZzd1dlJhZkUtVHFqdG1NTFI4Q0FCc2ZuaE5HY2NzMDE4aU5DclZNWV9wdTZ0LVJ3RXRENGw3S3h0UlE5UjBOVjhlX194SGZJZkVHVjByZjFOOVAyX3ZaSEQxMlZDUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.media.mit.edu%2Farticles%2Fre-building-the-economy-alex-sandy-pentland-tedxmit%2F (https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/re...) REFERENCE LINKS: Paper discussing social physics as spin glass: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnVibXZKeGVRODBxUFVGWFhNWWVtVWV3UGc1Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuSTlzaUY0RUY1Z3FwOW5wRDgtb3FFa096WmU0RXRuWmxXLUxldFJNZm9kT0djWGFCZFNiNUR1NEk1NXNkd0lua2xzcUFidVBaZVZvclBqN2lzSk9EbVpXd053VVdEYVZSay0tY3drdFlxZXFDUlhMNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Farxiv.org%2Fabs%2F1008.1357 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.1357) Crowd sourced rare disease website:...

With Federal privacy regulation leaving much to be desired, it has fallen to individual states to make up the gap and establish their own privacy rules. This approach is problematic for many reasons, which is why Justin Brookman is on the show today. Correction: The name of the individual Joe referenced in the intro is Alex Stamos, from the Stanford Internet Observatory, not John Stamos as was stated in the episode Consumer Privacy Has a Home a Consumer Reports Justin Brookman is with Consumer Reports where he's the head of tech policy. He wrote an excellent paper several months ago on state privacy regulation (you can read it here). Justin is the Director, Consumer Privacy and Technology Policy, for Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. In this new privacy role at CR, he will help the organization continue its groundbreaking work to shape the digital marketplace in a way that empowers consumers and puts their data privacy and security needs first. This work includes using CR research to identify critical gaps in consumer privacy, data security, and technology law and policy, as well as building strategies to expand the use and influence of the new Digital Standard  being developed by CR and partner organizations to evaluate the privacy and security of products and services. The Politics of Privacy If you keep up with the news of the day, you know that right now, everybody has had it with big tech companies, like Facebook. Consumers, politicians, the media and other businesses have been sounding off about the pitfalls of having big tech intrude into our lives. It's brought about a lot of policy proposals, but no comprehensive legislation that is likely to pass at the Federal level. This gaping hole has been filled in by the privacy legislation that is popping up at the state level. Legislation State By State As is often the case, California is one of the first states to come forward with privacy legislation of its own. The California Consumer Privacy Act has already been amended to make the legislation stronger than the original bill. Virginia also came forward with a bill, and Colorado quickly followed suit. We're also currently seeing legislative battles in New York and Washington State over privacy, and the proposals are really all over the place. The Federal Role of Privacy The Federal government has basically taken a hands off approach to the privacy legislation popping up around the country. Because all of the privacy laws ultimately center around the first amendment, the Federal government is reluctant to play a heavy handed role in the laws that are cropping up throughout the country. There have been some challenges to legislation around the first amendment and some have been rejected, as the judiciary is reluctant to regulate companies. Consumers vs. Businesses vs. Government Consumers don't want Facebook or their ISPs to track their every move and collect data on them. At the same time, the government doesn't want private data collected to be in the hands of these companies and outside of the reach of government agencies.  Many states are willing to take a more aggressive approach to privacy in light of the massive data breaches that consumers have experienced in recent years. Where are we now While it's clear that aggressive action needs to be taken to prevent data breaches, it's going to take regulatory agencies some time to catch up because Federal legislation moves so slowly.  Much of the existing legislation is unwieldy for the consumer. Whether it relies on a physical opt out by consumers or it goes state by state, it's just not that easy for consumers to actually protect themselves with the current regulations. State legislatures do not have the staff or the expertise to create the kind of legislation that is needed for consumers to truly be protected. We need to find a balance between what can effectively protect consumers, but also allow businesses to function in a way that doesn't put consumers at risk. Resources: Connect with Justin on Twitter @justinbrookman

There are many things that influence our decisions as beer drinkers, branding, advertisements, flavor, etc. Most of us take for granted the wealth of beers available to us everywhere we go. But, what about those things that influence our decisions that are completely outside our control? What about the nefarious business practices such as price undercutting or tied houses that are meant to gain control over the drinkers and monopolize the system for the sake of profits? As some of the guests on the Good Beer Matters Podcast have shared, there are places around the world where these practices still exist. But, if you’re like me, you love your beer and you’re willing to stand up for something better. My next guest has been leading consumer rights groups for decades and wants to give both good beer and power back to the people. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jeremy-storton/message

Why can’t members of the military sue the government for their injuries?   Aaron Freiwald, Managing Partner of Freiwald Law and host of the weekly podcast, Good Law | Bad Law, is joined by Professor Andrew Popper, of American University, Washington College of Law, to discuss democracy, the notion of “sovereign immunity,” and the way in which basic civil liberties are being denied to our country’s military service members.   In today’s episode, Aaron and Andy are talking about what is known as the Feres Doctrine. Stemming from a 1950 Supreme Court decision, the Feres Doctrine significantly limits the civil rights of U.S. military members and their abilities to pursue justice as average citizens otherwise could. Andy and Aaron explain the ins and outs of the case while also explaining how and why this law came to be. Andy illustrates his recommendation for overturning the law, providing examples of instances in which Feres has caused extreme suffering, frustration and unfairness. Throughout today’s conversation, Aaron and Andy talk about the effectiveness of our military, the fear of undermining authority, chain-of-command, agent orange, Camp Lejeune, judicial activism and more.   A veteran himself, Professor Popper is the Bronfman Distinguished Professor of Law and Government, teaching torts, administrative law, government litigation, and advanced administrative law. Andy is the recipient of American Bar Association awards for excellence in both tort and administrative law and has received American University’s highest faculty award, Scholar/Teacher of the year. He has served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and for nearly two decades has chaired the law school admissions committee.   In addition to his other works, Andy is also a successful fiction writer, having been the recipient of the Maryland Writer’s Association First Place Award for mainstream fiction. He has served as a consumer rights advocate and pro bono counsel for the Consumers Union of America, testified before more than 40 states and federal congressional committees, and authored amicus curiae briefs before the United States Supreme Court. Prior to coming to the Washington College of Law, he held an endowed chair at the University of Denver, School of Law, and before that practiced law in Washington, D.C.   To learn more about Professor Popper, please visit his bio page here. To read Professor Popper’s article, “Rethinking Feres: Granting Access to Justice for Service Members,” please click here.  To learn more about Feres v. United States, please click here. To explore the collection of Professor Popper’s literary works, please visit his Amazon page here.   Host: Aaron Freiwald Guest: Andrew Popper     Follow Good Law | Bad Law: YouTube: Good Law | Bad Law Facebook: @GOODLAWBADLAW Instagram: @GoodLawBadLaw Website: https://www.law-podcast.com

Gene Kimmelman, President and CEO of Public Knowledge, joins ACA’s Matt Polka on the first episode under our new podcast name, “ACA Connects.” Gene has served in many capacities in Washington, D.C., from the Department of Justice and Senate Judiciary Committee, to Consumers Union and now Public Knowledge, among many others. Public Knowledge works at the intersection of copyright, telecommunications, and internet law to advocate for policies that serve the public interest. On today’s podcast, Gene and Matt talk about forging solutions in today’s political environment, privacy and net neutrality, the impact of “Big Tech” companies and what can be done to protect consumers, and the harm of big media mergers ACA Connects the people, influencers and thought leaders to today’s important communications policies and issues.

The news to know for Thursday, December 6th, 2018! Today, we're talking about what happened when the Trumps, Obamas and Clintons were all in the same room, and secret facebook documents have been revealed.  Plus: the best places to work and the hosts of the Golden Globes. Those stories and many more in less than 10 minutes!  Award-winning broadcast journalist and former TV news reporter Erica Mandy breaks it all down for you.  Then, hang out after the news for 'Thing to Know Thursday.'  Today's bonus interview is all about those annoying scam robocalls and what's being done to fight them. Today's guest is Maureen Mahoney. She's a Policy Analyst in Consumers Union's San Francisco office, where she works on a number of issues related to consumer privacy. The Consumers Union is the advocacy division of Consumer Reports. Head to www.theNewsWorthy.com to read more about any of the stories mentioned under the section titled 'Episodes.'  Today's episode is brought to you by The Neat Company. Go to www.Neat.com/newsworthy to take advantage of your 30-day FREE trial.  And by FabFitFun -- get $10 off your first seasonal subscription box with the code 'NEWSWORTHY' at www.FabFitFun.com #fabfitfunpartner   

Herbicides are chemicals used to control weeds. As their primary purpose is to kill plants, their effects on some non-target organisms are not as well studied. New University of Canterbury research confirms that the active ingredients of the commonly used herbicides, RoundUp, Kamba and 2,4-D (glyphosate, dicamba and 2,4-D, respectively), each alone cause antibiotic resistance at concentrations well below label application rates. “They are among the most common manufactured chemical products to which people, pets and livestock in both rural and urban environments are exposed. There are no controls that prevent children and pets from being exposed in home gardens or parks. Despite their ubiquitous use, this University of Canterbury research is the first in the world to demonstrate that herbicides may be undermining the use of a fundamental medicine-antibiotics.” Tune in as we talk with senior scientist at Consumers Union, Dr. Michael Hansen, about this important new research.

Version 1709 of Windows may already be on your computer, so let's consider how to find out and look at what's new. I'll also have tips on how to get it if you don't have it and (for some users) how to avoid it for a while if you want to wait. A flurry of phony messages from Burger King, Donald Trump, Sam's Club, Walgreens, Amazon, and more all say they have gift certificates for me. In Short Circuits: A two-fer from Consumers Union this week. First, the organization is asking for information from people who have suffered identity theft. And second, a series of 6 steps you can take to keep your private information private. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A new version of Snagit adds several useful features. • A middle school student in New York City won a 3D printer and 30 Raspberry Pi computers from Micro Center for his school.

The Faster Payments Task Force has brought together a broad constituency with the payments industry thoroughly represented. And thanks to participation by organizations like Consumers Union, the people who bring us Consumer Reports, the voice of the consumer has been well represented in determining important evaluation criteria. Christina Tetreault, staff attorney at Consumers Union, joins Glenbrook’s George Peabody for this podcast discussion on faster payments, the consumer benefits these new approaches could offer, and what to hope for from their deployment in the U.S.

“Lose belly fat.” “Build muscle.” “Lower your cholesterol.” “Improve your sex drive.” Browse the shelves of any supermarket or pharmacy, and you will find dietary supplements that promise to do all this, and more. Supplements are a multi-billion-dollar business, and today more than half of American adults take them, many at the advice of their doctors. But dietary supplements can have real risks. They are not required by federal law to be proven safe “to the FDA's satisfaction” before hitting the market, raising concern among critics about a perceived lack of safety oversight and consumer education. Using the latest science as the basis for discussion, Forum experts examined the risks and benefits of supplements. How effective are they? What about dosages — or interactions with prescription medications? Should supplements be subject to more stringent rules and tests? What role should doctors, pharmacists, and drugstores have in helping consumers make safe, educated choices about supplements? This panel attempted to help sort the facts about supplements and health. Part of The Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn Forums, this event was presented jointly with PRI's The World & WGBH on May 11, 2017. Watch the entire series at ForumHSPH.org.

On EP 24 Paco and George talk with filmmaker Marjorie Sturm about her documentary The Cult of JT LeRoy. We talk about JT Leroy's first two novels Sarah and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things and we get into hero worship, cons, Rachel Dolezal, improvisation, filmmaking and much more. Authorized and unauthorized, The Cult of JT Leroy received two Jury Awards for Best Feature Documentary (SF IndieFest and Oslo/Fusion International) in 2015 and played at top-tier festivals around the world. Ethically charged, controversial, and confusing, JT’s life and death sprang open a Pandora’s box of powerful questions about literature and culture, identity and celebrity, and the reality of the society we live in. Fraud? Art? Sociopathy? Complicity? The Cult of JT Leroy is a testament to this bizarre and elaborate story that has captured the attention of the world’s media and perplexes to this day.Jeremiah "Terminator" LeRoy was a literary persona created in 1994 by American writer Laura Albert. LeRoy was supposedly born October 31, 1980 in West Virginia. His backstory was one of prostitution, drug addiction, and vagrancy in California. After his first novel Sarah was published, "LeRoy" started making public appearances. A January 2006 article in The New York Times declared that the person acting as LeRoy in public was Albert's sister-in-law, Savannah Knoop. Knoop wrote her own memoir of the experience called Girl Boy Girl. An Albert-endorsed documentary by Jeff Feuerzeig, Author: The JT LeRoy Story, premiered at Sundance 2016.Marjorie Sturm is an award-winning filmmaker whose films span a broad perspective: narrative, documentary, and experimental. She was an interviewer, cinematographer, and Bay Area media wrangler for the 99%-Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film which premiered at Sundance in 2013. She received the Grand Festival Award at Berkeley Video and Film Festival for her short narrative "Smoke the Pipe Dream." Sturm has created social activism videos for Consumers Union and worked as a social worker with the mentally ill homeless in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. Sturm studied Psychology at the University of Michigan, and received her MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University. She is the younger sibling of the graphic novelist James Sturm and the painter/photographer Ilona Sturm. Sturm lives in San Francisco with composer Ernesto Diaz-Infante and their two children.(the list of writers recommended by Michelle Tea can be found here at The Bold Italic)Follow us on:Twitter: @supdocpdocastInstagram: @supdocpodcastFacebook: @supdocpodcastsign up for our mailing listAnd you can show your support to Sup Doc by donating on Patreon.

We are back with a vengeance on this reboot. You owe it to yourself to give us another listen. This show we have a very special guest local San DIegan, singer and song writer Lacy Younger! We are promoting her album 'Live, the way you like it!' as she explains to Boice. We play 2 of her new tracks 'For the Record' and 'Spring'. Check her out at www.lacyyounger.com and follow her @lacy younger on twitter and Facebook. Junki and Boice also discuss the San Diego power outage that was ordered from Sacramento as well as the local CBS affiliate KFMB going dark on Directv for San Diego customer for over 3 weeks. Oh yeah, and this little topic called the NFL. Please follow and join us as we finally are putting together quality audio shows inside the NEW Verbal Ham Radio studio.

Arsenic in our food supply? This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer checks in Dr. Urvashi Rangan regarding the prevalence of arsenic in food products like rice, apple juice, and poultry. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D. leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports. She is responsible for managing risk analysis, policy assessments, label evaluations and consumer advice for tests, reports, and related advocacy work. Urvashi joined Consumers Union in 1999 and developed the ratings system, database, and Web site, Eco-labels.org for evaluating environmental and food labels. Dr. Rangan serves as a primary, national spokesperson for Consumer Reports in the areas of sustainable production/consumption practices, food safety, and product safety issues related to chemical and contaminant hazards. How are aresenicals introduced into the food supply? Find out ways to avoid arsenic by filtering drinking water, and selectively sourcing apple juice. Are cancer rates at all related to rice consumption due to arsenic levels? Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You! Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to Dead Stars for today’s music. “Rice likes to take up arsenic in general because it is grown in anaerobic conditions.” [4:45] “We should all be really concerned about our exposure to heavy metals over time.” [10:40] — Dr. Urvashi Rangan on What Doesn’t Kill You

Arsenic in our food supply? This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer checks in Dr. Urvashi Rangan regarding the prevalence of arsenic in food products like rice, apple juice, and poultry. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D. leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports. She is responsible for managing risk analysis, policy assessments, label evaluations and consumer advice for tests, reports, and related advocacy work. Urvashi joined Consumers Union in 1999 and developed the ratings system, database, and Web site, Eco-labels.org for evaluating environmental and food labels. Dr. Rangan serves as a primary, national spokesperson for Consumer Reports in the areas of sustainable production/consumption practices, food safety, and product safety issues related to chemical and contaminant hazards. How are aresenicals introduced into the food supply? Find out ways to avoid arsenic by filtering drinking water, and selectively sourcing apple juice. Are cancer rates at all related to rice consumption due to arsenic levels? Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You! Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to Dead Stars for today’s music. “Rice likes to take up arsenic in general because it is grown in anaerobic conditions.” [4:45] “We should all be really concerned about our exposure to heavy metals over time.” [10:40] — Dr. Urvashi Rangan on What Doesn’t Kill You

Guest Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, will discuss Consumer Unions latest report on antibiotic resistant bacteria found in supermarket pork chops and ground pork across the U.S.Not in My Food

Guest Michael Hansen, Ph.D., Consumers Union, talks about the safety of GMO foods and the need for labelingReasons for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

Jean Halloran rejoins Katy Keiffer on this week’s installment of Straight, No Chaser. Jean has worked on food safety and sustainability issues at in the Yonkers Office of Consumers Union for the last 25 years, and also works with consumer organizations globally. She helped develop international standards for safety assessment of genetically engineered food at the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Once again, Katy and Jean are talking about antibiotic usage in meat production. Recently, Consumers Union has urged Trader Joe’s to stop selling antibiotic-laden meat with a petition of 557,772 signatures from consumers. Learn more about the campaign and its outcome on this episode. Later, Katy and Jean talk about MRSA in pork, and other forms of resistant bacteria. How do antibiotics in meat affect antibiotic resistance in hospitals and medical treatment? Find out on this week’s Straight, No Chaser! This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “MRSA has become disturbingly common in hog production and among hog workers. How it got there, we’re not exactly sure…but there is evidence of Staph Aureus at a very low level in about half of the samples they [Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy] looked at. About 6 percent was antibiotic-resistant MRSA.” “The treatment of sick animals accounts for only 5% of antibiotic use as indicated by how many animals are injected with antibiotics. The remaining percentage of usage has been traditionally thought to be for growth promotion, although now they are calling it disease prevention…” “‘Natural’ has nothing to do with how the animal was raised. ‘Natural’ only means that there was no coloring added to the meat after slaughter.” — Jean Halloran on Straight, No Chaser

Jean Halloran rejoins Katy Keiffer on this week’s installment of Straight, No Chaser. Jean has worked on food safety and sustainability issues at in the Yonkers Office of Consumers Union for the last 25 years, and also works with consumer organizations globally. She helped develop international standards for safety assessment of genetically engineered food at the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Once again, Katy and Jean are talking about antibiotic usage in meat production. Recently, Consumers Union has urged Trader Joe’s to stop selling antibiotic-laden meat with a petition of 557,772 signatures from consumers. Learn more about the campaign and its outcome on this episode. Later, Katy and Jean talk about MRSA in pork, and other forms of resistant bacteria. How do antibiotics in meat affect antibiotic resistance in hospitals and medical treatment? Find out on this week’s Straight, No Chaser! This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “MRSA has become disturbingly common in hog production and among hog workers. How it got there, we’re not exactly sure…but there is evidence of Staph Aureus at a very low level in about half of the samples they [Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy] looked at. About 6 percent was antibiotic-resistant MRSA.” “The treatment of sick animals accounts for only 5% of antibiotic use as indicated by how many animals are injected with antibiotics. The remaining percentage of usage has been traditionally thought to be for growth promotion, although now they are calling it disease prevention…” “‘Natural’ has nothing to do with how the animal was raised. ‘Natural’ only means that there was no coloring added to the meat after slaughter.” — Jean Halloran on Straight, No Chaser

On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is joined in the studio by Jean Halloran. Jean has worked on food safety and sustainability issues at in the Yonkers Office of Consumers Union for the last 25 years. She also works with consumer organizations globally and helped develop international standards for safety assessment of genetically engineered food at the Codex Alimentarius Commission. How do different strains of bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? And what does resistant bacteria mean in terms of food safety? Tune in to this episode to learn about sub-therapeutic antibiotic use in confined animals, and how this practice affects the food that we eat. Learn why antibiotic usage is profitable for meat producers, and why so many people in the meat industry are resistant to change. This episode has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “We have a crisis, and the people who should be doing something, like the FDA or the USDA, are not stepping up to the plate.” “You are what you eat, and what you eat is formerly you.” “Of the antibiotics produced and sold in the United States, only 20% of are used on humans, and 80% are used on animals.” — Jean Halloran on Straight, No Chaser

On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is joined in the studio by Jean Halloran. Jean has worked on food safety and sustainability issues at in the Yonkers Office of Consumers Union for the last 25 years. She also works with consumer organizations globally and helped develop international standards for safety assessment of genetically engineered food at the Codex Alimentarius Commission. How do different strains of bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? And what does resistant bacteria mean in terms of food safety? Tune in to this episode to learn about sub-therapeutic antibiotic use in confined animals, and how this practice affects the food that we eat. Learn why antibiotic usage is profitable for meat producers, and why so many people in the meat industry are resistant to change. This episode has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “We have a crisis, and the people who should be doing something, like the FDA or the USDA, are not stepping up to the plate.” “You are what you eat, and what you eat is formerly you.” “Of the antibiotics produced and sold in the United States, only 20% of are used on humans, and 80% are used on animals.” — Jean Halloran on Straight, No Chaser

One of the most positive aspects of the skeptical movement is advocacy for consumer awareness about the claims made by producers and advertisers of all sorts of products, from the outlandish to the commonplace. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Robert Tiernan, Managing Editor of Consumer Reports magazine, the monthly publication produced by The Consumers Union. For nearly 75 years, the Consumers Union has utilized rigorous scientific testing to separate hype from fact and good products from bad ones — empowering consumers to think more critically about everything from cars to health care.

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Jim Guest Recommendations and ratings are a dime a dozen for patients looking for more information about a physician or procedure online, but finding quality, consumer-friendly information that's also reliable can be more of a challenge. What tools can physicians recommend to patients for understanding the implications of both reform and other healthcare matters? Jim Guest, president at CEO of Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, and ConsumerReportsHealth.org, discusses ways physicians can encourage better communication and health literacy with their patients, and stresses the importance of bringing up costs with your patients. How can healthcare ratings based on outcomes data improve quality of care? Hosted by Dr. Jack Lewin. Produced in Cooperation with

Host: Jack Lewin, MD Guest: Jim Guest Recommendations and ratings are a dime a dozen for patients looking for more information about a physician or procedure online, but finding quality, consumer-friendly information that's also reliable can be more of a challenge. What tools can physicians recommend to patients for understanding the implications of both reform and other healthcare matters? Jim Guest, president at CEO of Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, and ConsumerReportsHealth.org, discusses ways physicians can encourage better communication and health literacy with their patients, and stresses the importance of bringing up costs with your patients. How can healthcare ratings based on outcomes data improve quality of care? Hosted by Dr. Jack Lewin. Produced in Cooperation with

Why has it been so difficult to create a healthcare system that can prevent medical harm? As a recent report from the Consumers Union stated, “There have been countless task forces, conferences, editorials, and even episodes of Oprah focused on patient safety. But action...has been sluggish, leaving us without reliable means to track our progress or hold the local healthcare systems accountable for ending preventable patient harm.”

According to the Consumers Union 2009 Safe Patient Project, “More than 100,000 patients still needlessly die every year in U.S. hospitals and healthcare settings–infected because of sloppy compliance with basic cleanliness policies, injured by failure to follow simple checklists for safety.”

Michelle Jun is a Staff Attorney/Campaign organizer with the www.FinancialPrivacyNow.org campaign, a project of Consumers Union, the nonprofit independent publisher of Consumer Reports. The project's goal is to inform consumers about how sensitive information about their finances is being increasingly used without their permission and how consumers can take steps individually and collectively to regain control over this sensitive information. She has worked with individuals, groups and legislators on security freeze legislation in over half the nation's states.

Susanna Montezemolo, Policy Director of Consumers Union shares insights into new privacy legislation pending at the federal level and what is needed to protect the privacy of consumers.