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We were promised a functional train tunnel for $2 billion, but Auckland's City Rail Link blew out to $5.5 billion. Unaccountable council staff and ministers went missing while gold-plating stations and dropping over a million dollars on public art installations. We take a hard look at the $3 billion cost overruns, who signed off on the lavish designs, and why long-suffering Auckland ratepayers will be paying off this massive bill for decades. PLUS, Minister Simon Court joins us to discuss who signed off on this gold-plated blowout and why Auckland ratepayers are left holding the massive bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thrive from the Inside Out Podcast | Personal Transformation|Entrepreneurship
You've done the therapy. Read the books. Taken the courses. You can name the dynamic, diagnose the pattern, and explain exactly what's wrong — probably better than most professionals could. So why hasn't any of it changed your relationship? In this episode, we're getting honest about the gap between insight and action — the place where so many high-achieving women get stuck. Not because they lack awareness, but because awareness was never the thing that was going to save them. We're unpacking the "Rising Him" trap — why the same competence that built your career and your healing is the exact thing keeping you stuck in a relationship that isn't changing. We're talking about what's really underneath staying when you know better: not a lack of clarity, but a ceiling on what you believe you're allowed to have. And we're naming the part almost nobody says out loud — that some of you aren't addicted to him. You're addicted to the chaos. This one's for the woman doing everything right, holding it all together, and still watching nothing actually change — in herself or in her relationship. In This Episode: Why intellectual awareness of a relationship pattern doesn't equal freedom from it The "Raising Him" trap — how high-achieving women unconsciously turn their partner into the next project to complete The difference between knowing a pattern in your head vs. knowing it in your body Why the real question isn't "why do I understand this and still stay" but "what do I actually believe I'm allowed to have" The physiological addiction to chaos, adrenaline, and intensity — and why it has nothing to do with weakness or low self-worth How intermittent reinforcement keeps the cycle running, and why leaving can feel like withdrawal instead of relief What it actually takes to break the pattern — and why it's not more insight Quote to Sit With: "The pattern doesn't break at awareness. It breaks when you can tolerate what real peace feels like in your body long enough to stop mistaking calm for absence." Who This Episode Is For: The woman who's done the inner work, can recite her own patterns fluently, and still finds herself in the same relational dynamic — high-achieving, self-aware, exhausted from trying to rise someone else to her level while quietly wondering why none of it is landing as actual change. Follow @awakeningwomenoffical on Social Media Get the video binge list to help you break the emotional grip of unhealthy love: REGISTER HERE
The release of Anthony Fauci's COVID-era diaries gives Todd an opportunity to revisit the government's pandemic response and the lessons Americans should carry forward. Todd argues that early uncertainty may have justified caution, but not years of mandates, shifting claims, economic disruption, and pressure on constitutional liberties. He reviews reported diary entries about Fauci's relationship with President Trump, his growing celebrity, and internal discussions surrounding COVID's possible origins, while recalling public claims about distancing, masks, vaccines, and ivermectin that shaped the national debate. The episode then connects those concerns to a broader warning about unelected power. Drawing on a report about CIA whistleblower James E. Erdman III, Todd discusses allegations that intelligence officials sometimes view themselves as the “adults in the room” who may restrain elected leaders. His central argument is that a permanent bureaucracy cannot become a fourth branch of government, insulated from presidential authority and public accountability. The answer, he says, is truth, constitutional limits, and sustained scrutiny of institutions that exercise power over American life.
The release of Anthony Fauci's COVID-era diaries gives Todd an opportunity to revisit the government's pandemic response and the lessons Americans should carry forward. Todd argues that early uncertainty may have justified caution, but not years of mandates, shifting claims, economic disruption, and pressure on constitutional liberties. He reviews reported diary entries about Fauci's relationship with President Trump, his growing celebrity, and internal discussions surrounding COVID's possible origins, while recalling public claims about distancing, masks, vaccines, and ivermectin that shaped the national debate. The episode then connects those concerns to a broader warning about unelected power. Drawing on a report about CIA whistleblower James E. Erdman III, Todd discusses allegations that intelligence officials sometimes view themselves as the “adults in the room” who may restrain elected leaders. His central argument is that a permanent bureaucracy cannot become a fourth branch of government, insulated from presidential authority and public accountability. The answer, he says, is truth, constitutional limits, and sustained scrutiny of institutions that exercise power over American life.
The release of Anthony Fauci's COVID-era diaries gives Todd an opportunity to revisit the government's pandemic response and the lessons Americans should carry forward. Todd argues that early uncertainty may have justified caution, but not years of mandates, shifting claims, economic disruption, and pressure on constitutional liberties. He reviews reported diary entries about Fauci's relationship with President Trump, his growing celebrity, and internal discussions surrounding COVID's possible origins, while recalling public claims about distancing, masks, vaccines, and ivermectin that shaped the national debate. The episode then connects those concerns to a broader warning about unelected power. Drawing on a report about CIA whistleblower James E. Erdman III, Todd discusses allegations that intelligence officials sometimes view themselves as the “adults in the room” who may restrain elected leaders. His central argument is that a permanent bureaucracy cannot become a fourth branch of government, insulated from presidential authority and public accountability. The answer, he says, is truth, constitutional limits, and sustained scrutiny of institutions that exercise power over American life.
The release of Anthony Fauci's COVID-era diaries gives Todd an opportunity to revisit the government's pandemic response and the lessons Americans should carry forward. Todd argues that early uncertainty may have justified caution, but not years of mandates, shifting claims, economic disruption, and pressure on constitutional liberties. He reviews reported diary entries about Fauci's relationship with President Trump, his growing celebrity, and internal discussions surrounding COVID's possible origins, while recalling public claims about distancing, masks, vaccines, and ivermectin that shaped the national debate. The episode then connects those concerns to a broader warning about unelected power. Drawing on a report about CIA whistleblower James E. Erdman III, Todd discusses allegations that intelligence officials sometimes view themselves as the “adults in the room” who may restrain elected leaders. His central argument is that a permanent bureaucracy cannot become a fourth branch of government, insulated from presidential authority and public accountability. The answer, he says, is truth, constitutional limits, and sustained scrutiny of institutions that exercise power over American life.
Thrive from the Inside Out Podcast | Personal Transformation|Entrepreneurship
In this episode, I cover: What the Law of Polarity actually says about energy, contrast, and charge — and why relationships without it go flat Jung's anima and animus: the masculine within the woman, the feminine within the man, and why knowing which one leads matters What the wild teaches us about polarity — from lionesses to wolves — and why nothing in nature survives on two things leading in the same direction at once Why a strong woman doesn't need a smaller man — she needs one secure enough that her strength makes him rise instead of react The truth about misogyny: why a controlling, reactive man isn't "too masculine" — he's dysregulated, and fear is wearing masculinity as a costume Why real polarity isn't about who's on top — it's about who's finally free to be fully themselves Key takeaway: Polarity isn't mystical or performative. It's nervous-system level real. And understanding it correctly changes how you read chemistry, safety, and who you choose. Mentioned in this episode: The Law of Polarity Carl Jung — anima/animus theory Connect with Leanne: Instagram: @awakeningwomenofficial Apply for Private Coaching in Fall 2026
The day before 9/11, a 70-pound branch fell from 30 feet and split Lance's chair in half — right where his head had been one second earlier. The only reason he moved? An unaccountable impulse while praying in the Spirit that he couldn't plan, reason through, or explain. What does the Holy Spirit reveal through praying in tongues that your mind simply can't access on its own? In this message, Lance shares the story of that divine deliverance at a Tony Robbins event in 2001, what it taught him about yielding to the Spirit's nudges before you understand them — and how that same supernatural sensitivity connects to the 7 wells God is calling His people to dig in 2026. Drawing from Isaac's story in Genesis 26 and the Seven Mountains mandate, Lance brings a prophetic update on why the Philistines keep filling your wells with gravel, and what God is releasing this year to push the enemy back across every key mountain of culture. In this episode: The "unaccountable impulse" that saved Lance's life the night before 9/11 Why praying in tongues is "the believer's edge" — not a cosmic battery, but revelation in delay The seven wells God wants dug in 2026 — and how the enemy tries to fill each one Isaac's pattern: blessings so conspicuous that even your enemies want peace The Seven Mountains mandate and its relevance to America's next chapter This is the kind of story that reframes why you pray in the Spirit — even when nothing seems to be happening. Podcast Episode 2173: How The Unaccountable Impulse of God Saved My Life! | don't miss this! Listen to more episodes of the Lance Wallnau Show at lancewallnau.com/podcast
Marcus and Michael each pick their three stand out takeaways from Australian Defence officials testimony about delivery and performance to the Parliament. It's hard to pick winners in a field like this, but there's some overlap in the Grumpy choices. Taxpayers and the Parliament are not amongst them, unfortunately. Looking at the performance of senior Defence officials, 'Condescending emptiness' and 'falling upward' are terms that come to mind. None of this is building public trust in our Defence organisation or its leadership.Beyond the nasty realisation that senior Australian Defence officials are no longer servants of the public or the Parliament, but simply creatures of the Government of the day, it's good to have individual officials on the public record making claims that can be compared to evidence. Past statements (even carefully crafted avoiding manoeuvres) didn't stack up well for several - including incoming Chief of Australia's military, Mark Hammond. New Secretary Quinn displayed novel contortions to the English language and made a new 'AUKUS truth' that others then embraced.Then the Grumpies helicopter away from events in the Parliament and look at UK defence trouble, and the sobering realisation that AUKUS has turned into a rationing exercise: sharing out submarine numbers that would have existed without the whole AUKUS hoopla between the three Navies. Meanwhile, while AUKUS nations plan to get beyond rationing and increase submarine numbers sometime in the 2040s, China is shifting the AUKUS goalposts: out-producing the three nations on increasingly capable nuclear submarines, and building an extensive set of complementary undersea capabilities.Expectations that AUKUS might shift the military balance in the Pacific away from China look doomed to disappointment.
Emily and Ky have had their Spring Break, and they are, as the autogenerated chapter titles once said, High, Unaccountable, and Ready to Chat! They're diving right in with musings on the nature of achievement and validation, a long tangent on an embryo-centered court case, and of course, the classic song that started it all: "All I Want to do is Make Love to You" by Heart! This season they've done (most of) their homework, and are each coming to you with a handful of songs to propose as prequels or sequels to the events in the story. New to the pod? You can get a perfect refresher by going back to episode one of season 5! If you want every crumb of context, listening to all five of our previous season openers before this would be a hell of a way to experience the magic of Wine, Weed, Weird! Happy Summer, yall! Welcome to the new season!
In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with journalist and author Richard Miniter for a sweeping conversation on the rise of the “unaccountable class,” the collapse of institutional trust, and the growing revolt against technocratic elites across the West.Miniter argues that modern society is increasingly dominated by people insulated from the consequences of failure: bureaucrats, managers, academics, media figures, and institutional elites whose power is no longer tied to results or public accountability. We explore how this “unaccountable class” has reshaped politics, culture, business, and even religion, from the managerial revolution of the 20th century to the rise of stakeholder capitalism and the decline of democratic responsiveness.The conversation examines Brexit, the COVID pandemic, and the collapse of public trust in experts and institutions. Miniter explains why so many voters turned against the political establishment, arguing that ordinary people increasingly feel ruled by elites who neither understand nor suffer the consequences of their own decisions.We also discuss the Church of England, progressivism, socialism, and the transformation of Western institutions into ideological vehicles detached from the people they were meant to serve. The discussion then turns to artificial intelligence, whether AI will empower ordinary people or further entrench elite power, and why the future of the West may depend on restoring accountability at every level of society.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Our show is independently supported by you, consider signing up to our substack to get added benefits like ad-free and extended episodes here: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:23 The Rise Of The “Unaccountable Class”05:32 How Experts Took Over Institutions09:00 The Church, Brexit & Political Ideology12:50 Christianity, Nationalism & The Modern Church18:45 The “Managerial Revolution” Explained24:53 Woodrow Wilson & Rule By Experts30:53 Socialism, Thatcher & Britain's Decline39:11 Brexit, Covid & The Failure Of Experts46:14 AI, Technocracy & The Future Of Power53:34 How To Make Institutions Accountable Again58:44 Can Accountability Save Western Civilization?
Welcome listeners, to Season 2 of Charles Speaks on Alternative Convos. This episode is titled “ Choosing Courage in an Age of Unaccountable Power: Why Resistance Still Matters” Alternative Convos Podcast is a dynamic and engaging talk show that aims to foster unity and drive positive transformation in Africa. Alternative Convos Podcast is your go-to source for thought-provoking conversations that inspire change.
Struggling developers face a high-stakes paradox as they fight to revive Oklahoma's dilapidated properties. Plus, we dive into the potential fallout of the state's Republican primary and launch a new series, Unaccountable, with a look at the unsettling reality of bike stops in Duncan. Catch these stories and more on the latest Long Story Short with Shaun Witt.
This week, Ellen is joined by journalist David Aaronovitch, who warns about the extreme wealth and unaccountable power of America's new elite.From John D Rockefeller to Jeff Bezos, David explores the parallels between the “robber barons” of the late 19th century and today's tech titans. He argues that the US is experiencing a second Gilded Age, in which the elite enjoy lavish lifestyles—as well as unchecked power and influence.David also discusses Jeff Bezos's wedding, the Amazon-produced Melania film, and Donald Trump's relationship with tech CEOs.In a post-Epstein era, are there means to check this power? And what happens if we can't?To read David Aaronovitch's cover essay of the latest magazine, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The world is shaking but what looks like chaos is actually a battle over territory God always intended His people to occupy. I unpack the prophetic shift coming to the seven mountains and why 2026 marks a turning point where resistance gives way to expansion. What you recognize in this moment will determine whether you retreat from the pressure or step into influence you were prepared for long ago. Podcast Episode 2029: How The Unaccountable Impulse of God Saved My Life! | don't miss this! Listen to more episodes of the Lance Wallnau Show at lancewallnau.com/podcast
In today's HMS fellowship luncheon, introduced by a season kickoff video, Chaplain Donnie Floyd speaks on the sermon topic "Being Accountable in an Unaccountable World." Take a listen and enjoy!
The reckless behavior of masked ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis has been appalling to witness, and widely condemned by real law enforcement officers. Their misconduct must not be beyond the reach of law for people they have injured. Reforms and accountability are due. On this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse welcomes back Representative Hank Johnson, his House counterpart in leading the Bivens Act and Constitutional Accountability Act. Professors Mary Mason and Ed Maguire weigh in on policing reforms and how these two bills would increase accountability.
Major Garrett of CBS News gives us excellent perspective on the racist post from President Trump last night and how the White House is trying to put out the fire. Plus, we have some fun with Major talking about why he is such a huge fan of everything to do with the Olympics.
4. Guest Author: Victor Davis Hanson. Headline: The Unaccountable Power of the Deep State. Summary: Hanson warns against the "administrative state," a permanent class of bureaucrats who wield power without democratic accountability, exemplified by regulatory overreach in the raisin industry. He claims this "deep state" actively undermined the Trump administration through "resistance" tactics, viewing themselves as superior to elected representatives.1870 HENRY WARD BEECHER AND HIS SISTER HARRIET BEECHER STOWE
After all those months of babbling about fentanyl and "narcoterrorism" and freedom and democracy, the Trump administration has come right out and admitted that its regime change interventionism in Venezuela has always been a good old-fashioned oil grab. Reading by Tim Foley.
BT and Sal tore into the Yankees organization for their handling of Anthony Volpe's shoulder injury. The hosts were furious that the team let Volpe play for months with a partially torn labrum, even as his performance plummeted and he faced fan criticism. They accused the Yankees of being either "stupid" for not seeing the impact of the injury or, worse, deliberately hiding it to avoid accountability. The hosts argued that the organization's actions were a disservice to the player, ruining his confidence and potentially his career, all while misleading the public.
VLOG July 29 Court transparency win in 2d Cir, Lee v Greenwood https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/951288b2-3be2-421a-b914-d6d19c276f04/2/doc/23-7432_opn.pdfwill apply it to Epstein and Maxwell- and cite in US v Roman Storm, even reason transcript sealed is sealed (for now). Miles Guo $1.3B? GENIUS Act; Lively docket, UNaccountable
Civil rights are under attack. The Supreme Court seems to have its sights set on the Voting Rights Act. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is taking every issue to the court knowing that it will never have to face accountability there. And with states like Texas considering unpopular redistricting plans, the administration may never face it at the ballot box either. Put more bluntly, many of our elected officials are operating with a perceived immunity from accountability of any sort. This week Dahlia spoke about the deleterious effects of these actions on voting rights with Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. They discuss the damage done to our civil rights by the current Department of Justice, and what we can learn about accountability from recent developments in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Civil rights are under attack. The Supreme Court seems to have its sights set on the Voting Rights Act. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is taking every issue to the court knowing that it will never have to face accountability there. And with states like Texas considering unpopular redistricting plans, the administration may never face it at the ballot box either. Put more bluntly, many of our elected officials are operating with a perceived immunity from accountability of any sort. This week Dahlia spoke about the deleterious effects of these actions on voting rights with Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. They discuss the damage done to our civil rights by the current Department of Justice, and what we can learn about accountability from recent developments in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Civil rights are under attack. The Supreme Court seems to have its sights set on the Voting Rights Act. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is taking every issue to the court knowing that it will never have to face accountability there. And with states like Texas considering unpopular redistricting plans, the administration may never face it at the ballot box either. Put more bluntly, many of our elected officials are operating with a perceived immunity from accountability of any sort. This week Dahlia spoke about the deleterious effects of these actions on voting rights with Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. They discuss the damage done to our civil rights by the current Department of Justice, and what we can learn about accountability from recent developments in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A key element of Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories is that Epstein's friends and "clients" are wealthy elites who commit horrible crimes against underage girls but never get in trouble for it because of their elite status. And so, key to Donald Trump's support is the idea that he would bring accountability to those elites. Jen Psaki argues, now that Trump is apparently standing in the way of the release of information about the Epstein case, Trump is being recognized as the unaccountable elite he actually is and has always been.
A Note from James:Marty Makary is the new head of the FDA, but he is also an old friend of the podcast. He's been on several times, and it's really important to know how this is going to be a new and different FDA, and it's going to be molded by Marty's very specific opinions about healthcare and the medical industry—and here they are.Episode Description:In this episode, James reconnects with Dr. Marty Makary, now heading the FDA, to discuss what's broken in the American healthcare system—and what can actually be done about it. Marty pulls back the curtain on the realities of medical pricing, why unnecessary surgeries happen more often than most suspect, and how medical education is failing future doctors and patients alike. They explore the origins of Marty's bestselling books, the TV adaptation of Unaccountable, and why your hospital bill may have little to do with actual care. This conversation is a rare window into what's really happening inside hospitals and policy rooms—and what the future of smarter, more humane healthcare could look like.What You'll Learn:Why 11% of surgeries and 21% of all medical care may be unnecessary—and what's driving that trend.How hidden costs, out-of-network billing, and surprise charges are crippling Americans financially.What reforms are gaining traction in Congress and why hospitals may be resisting them.How nutrition, inflammation, and simple wellness practices are overlooked in modern medicine.What questions you should ask your doctor to avoid inappropriate or excessive care.Timestamped Chapters:[00:00] Introduction to Marty Makary and the New FDA[01:17] From Book to TV Show: The Journey of Unaccountable[03:42] The Price We Pay: Unveiling Healthcare Costs[09:06] Medical Education and Its Flaws[15:01] The Hidden Costs of Healthcare[34:52] Inappropriate Care and Its Consequences[43:14] The Referral Business in Medicine[44:00] Unnecessary Surgeries: A National Concern[44:48] Malpractice Fears and Their Impact[47:33] The Overuse of Antibiotics[50:28] Inappropriate Medical Care: Real-Life Examples[53:45] The Role of Nutrition and Wellness in Healthcare[58:15] Innovative Medical Education and Training[01:00:36] The Importance of Experience in Medical Practice[01:18:32] The Future of Healthcare: Inflammation and Biome Health[01:20:53] Final Thoughts and Practical Health TipsAdditional Resources:Dr. Marty Makary's websiteUnaccountable by Marty MakaryThe Price We Pay by Marty MakaryThe Resident (TV Series)Healthcare BluebookRestoring MedicineSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Several federal agencies responsible for terminating nearly 25,000 federal probationary status workers told a federal court Monday evening that they're complying with an order to reinstate those employees, giving thousands of people their jobs back for the time being. According to a status report and corresponding declarations filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 18 federal agencies and their subcomponents said they were working to reinstate their fired probationary employees following the court order. Most of those agencies said those workers would be placed on administrative leave. While the court order doesn't cover all fired probationary workers, the declarations in the case offer one of the first clear windows into the breadth of firings under President Donald Trump. Per figures in those declarations, the agencies initially terminated 24,813 probationary workers. Of that total, 15,499 were offered reinstatement as a direct result of the court's order. An additional 5,925 employees, at least, were previously offered reinstatement by those respective agencies before the court's order. That includes the 5,714 terminated employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture who got their jobs back for 45 days as the result of a ruling by a quasi-judicial body within the executive branch known as the Merit Systems Protection Board. As litigation plays out on DOGE access to individuals' sensitive data, a House lawmaker is asking civil society groups, privacy experts, government technologists and others to inform legislation seeking to modernize the Privacy Act of 1974. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., said in a press release that she is beginning an effort to reform the Privacy Act, which has been cited in various lawsuits against agencies over allegedly allowing unauthorized DOGE staffers to access data that could contain personally identifiable information. “Unaccountable billionaires, inexperienced programmers and unvetted political appointees are perpetrating the biggest government privacy scandal since Watergate,” Trahan said in the release. In order to begin this effort, Trahan is asking the public to respond to a series of questions, including the federal government's need to balance privacy with other priorities like reducing waste, how the government can effectively leverage privacy-enhancing technologies, the privacy risks associated with artificial intelligence and more. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
In this gripping episode of Cup of Justice... investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell, and attorney Eric Bland — dive deep into the second Jane Doe lawsuit against JP Miller, revealing shocking details of alleged sexual abuse in an unaccredited religious school. The lawsuit details how Miller's father, Wayne Miller, mishandled the initial report, placing the victim with the alleged assailant. The conversation also touched on the broader issues of church and school regulation, the challenges of pursuing civil and criminal cases, and the impact of media coverage on public perception. The team explores the systemic failures that allowed predatory behavior to continue, discussing the challenges victims face when reporting assault and the complex legal landscape of pursuing justice. Highlights include: Explosive new allegations against JP Miller Insights into the challenges of reporting sexual abuse Behind-the-scenes details of the upcoming Murdaugh Murders Hulu series Expert legal analysis from Eric Bland on civil litigation strategies With their trademark blend of investigative reporting and candid conversation, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in true crime, legal insights, and equal justice for all. Also! Big Congrats to Liz who appeared on Julie Grant's CourtTV show Friday, and catch EB on Anderson Cooper discussing a separate legal matter involving Nancy Mace. ☕ Cup's Up! ⚖️ Episode Resources Murdaugh Murders Hulu Show IMDB Page Mandy & David on Hulu Set - Instagram Jane Doe No. 1 Lawsuit & Article on LUNASHARKMedia.com Jane Doe No. 2 Lawsuit & Article LUNASHARKMedia.com IRS 501(c)(3) Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations “What is a ‘Church' for Federal Tax Purposes?” - Congressional Research Service, Oct 25, 2023 Justice for Mica protestor asks police officer about definition of harassment - TikTok, March 4, 2025 Upcoming Events: Liz with Julie Grant on CourtTV - March 7, 2025 Episode EB with Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN Julie Grant on EB's “Good Skill” podcast Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ Premium Members also get access to episode videos, case files, live trial coverage and exclusive live experiences with our hosts. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. Check out Luna Shark Merch With a Mission shop at lunasharkmerch.com/ What We're Buying... Hungryroot - hungryroot.com/coj - Let Hungryroot know Cup of Justice sent you! 40% off your first delivery will automatically apply at checkout. Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn Find us on social media: bsky.app/profile/mandy-matney.com | bsky.app/profile/elizfarrell.com | bsky.app/profile/theericbland.bsky.social Twitter.com/mandymatney | Twitter.com/elizfarrell | Twitter.com/theericbland https://www.facebook.com/cupofjustice/ | https://www.instagram.com/cojpod/ YouTube | TIKTOK SUNscribe to our free email list to get alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBM *** Alert: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** *The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes do not constitute legal advice. Listeners desiring legal advice for any particular legal matter are urged to consult an attorney of their choosing who can provide legal advice based upon a full understanding of the facts and circumstances of their claim. The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes also do not express the views or opinions of Bland Richter, LLP, or its attorneys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Stanford Law School professor Pamela S. Karlan, an expert on voting and the political process and a former UVA Law professor, delivers the McCorkle Lecture. (University of Virginia School of Law, Feb. 24, 2025)
Europe Moves Away from Free Speech More & More also DOGE Finds $4.7TRILL in Untraceable Payments See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode was recorded on November 8th, 2024. Dr. Martin Makary is a highly distinguished professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, renowned for his work in the re-design of healthcare and expert author of three New York Times bestsellers, including The Price We Pay, which earned him the 2020 Business Book of the Year Award and a key role in creating the federal hospital price transparency rule. Also lauded for his clinical work, he serves as the chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at Johns Hopkins and is a respected voice in public healthcare debates, writing for top-tier publications such as the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. A graduate of Bucknell University, Jefferson Medical College, and Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Makary's influence goes beyond academia to impact policy and popular culture, as his previous book, Unaccountable, was transformed into the widely viewed TV show, The Resident. Find more from Dr. Makary: Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health: https://a.co/d/6Yi6a1R Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martymakary/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marty.makary X: https://x.com/MartyMakary Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy.m.peterson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TammyPetersonPodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tammypetersonpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tammy1Peterson Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TammyPetersonPodcast
In this enlightening episode, we are joined by Ioana Popp, the visionary Founder and Executive Director of UNaccountable, to delve into the dynamic world of relational accountability within the UN system. Discover how this Geneva-based organization aims to revolutionize multilateralism by exploring innovative solutions for enhancing the effectiveness and transparency of international organizations. We discuss the critical role of relational accountability, its implementation across the UN, and how it complements the new Pact for the Future. Learn about the challenges of maintaining accountability in such a complex organizational ecosystem and the strategies UNaccountable employs to address these challenges. Furthermore, we explore the groundbreaking potential of AI in facilitating a more efficient multilateral system, enabling stakeholders to access vital information quickly and accurately. Ioana shares insights into how AI-driven solutions can empower diplomats and organizations to make informed decisions and foster a more transparent and effective UN system. Resources: Ask a Librarian! UNaccountable website: https://UN-accountable.ch/ Where to listen to this episode Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/ Content Guest: Ioana Popp, Founder and Executive Director, UNaccountable Host: Francesco Pisano, Director, UN Library & Archives Geneva Production and editing: Amy Smith Recorded and produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva
There are dangers lurking in our food that affect your health and the health of our entire society, and you should know about them. In this episode, get the highlights from two recent Congressional events featuring expert testimony about the regulation of our food supply, as well as testimony from the man who is soon likely to be the most powerful person in our national health care system. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Joe Rogan Episodes The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience. Ron Johnson Scott Bauer. January 3, 2023. AP News. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Daniel Cusick. October 28, 2024. Politico. Rachel Treisman. August 5, 2024. NPR. Susanne Craig. May 8, 2024. The New York Times. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. FDA “Generally Recognized as Safe” Approach Paulette M. Gaynor et al. April 2006. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Paulette Gaynor and Sebastian Cianci. December 2005/January 2006. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Glyphosate September 20, 2023. Phys.org. Lobbying and Conflicts of Interest OpenSecrets. OpenSecrets. OpenSecrets. LinkedIn. Shift from Democrats to Republicans Will Stone and Allison Aubrey. November 15, 2024. NPR. Helena Bottemiller Evich and Darren Samuelsohn. March 17, 2016. Politico. Audio Sources September 25, 2024 Roundtable discussion held by Senator Ron Johnson Participants: , Author, Good Energy; Tech entrepreneur, Levels , Co-founder, Truemed; Advocate, End Chronic Disease , aka the Food Babe, food activist Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, nutritionist, businesswoman, media personality, and author Dr. Chris Palmer, Founder and Director, Metabolic and Mental Health Program and Director, Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education, McLean Hospital; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Brigham Buhler, Founder & CEO, Ways2Well Courtney Swan, nutritionist, real food activist, and founder of the popular platform "Realfoodology" , Founder and CEO, HumanCo; co-founder, Hu Kitchen Dr. Marty Makary, Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery, Professor of Surgery, and Public Policy Researcher, Johns Hopkins University Clips Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: When discussing improvements to US healthcare policy, politicians from both parties often say we have the best healthcare system in the world. That is a lie. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: Every major pillar of the US healthcare system, as a statement of economic fact, makes money when Americans get sick. By far the most valuable asset in this country today is a sick child. The pharma industry, hospital industry, and medical school industry make more money when there are more interventions to perform on Americans, and by requiring insurance companies to take no more than 15% of premiums, Obamacare actually incentivized insurance companies to raise premiums to get 15% of a larger pie. This is why premiums have increased 100% since the passage of Obamacare, making health care the largest driver of inflation, while American life expectancy plummets. We spend four times per capita on health care than the Italians, but Italians live 7.5 years longer than us on average. And incidentally, Americans had the highest life expectancies in the world when I was growing up. Today, we've fallen an average of six years behind our European neighbors. Are we lazier and more suicidal than Italians? Or is there a problem with our system? Are there problems with our incentives? Are there problems with our food? 46:15 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: So what's causing all of this suffering? I'll name two culprits, first and worst is ultra processed foods. 47:20 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: The second culprit is toxic chemicals in our food, our medicine and our environment. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: The good news is that we can change all this, and we can change it very, very, very quickly, and it starts with taking a sledgehammer to corruption, the conflicts in our regulatory agencies and in this building. These conflicts have transformed our regulatory agencies into predators against the American people and particularly our children. 80% of NIH grants go to people who have conflicts of interest, and these scientists are allowed to collect royalties of $150,000 a year on the products that they develop at NIH and then farm out to the pharmaceutical industry. The FDA, the USDA and CDC are all controlled by giant for-profit corporations. Their function is no longer to improve and protect the health of Americans. Their function is to advance the mercantile and commercial interests of the pharmaceutical industry that has transformed them and the food industry that has transformed them into sock puppets for the industry they're supposed to regulate. 75% of FDA funding does not come from taxpayers. It comes from pharma. And pharma executives and consultants and lobbyists cycle in and out of these agencies. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: Money from the healthcare industry has compromised our regulatory agencies and this body as well. The reality is that many congressional healthcare staffers are worried about impressing their future bosses at pharmaceutical companies rather than doing the right thing for American children. Today, over 100 members of Congress support a bill to fund Ozempic with Medicare at $1,500 a month. Most of these members have taken money from the manufacturer of that product, a European company called Novo Nordisk. As everyone knows, once a drug is approved for Medicare, it goes to Medicaid, and there is a push to recommend Ozempic for Americans as young as six, over a condition, obesity, that is completely preventable and barely even existed 100 years ago. Since 74% of Americans are obese, the cost of all of them, if they take their Ozempic prescriptions, will be $3 trillion a year. This is a drug that has made Novo Nordisk the biggest company in Europe. It's a Danish company, but the Danish government does not recommend it. It recommends a change in diet to treat obesity and exercise. Virtually Novo Nordisk's entire value is based upon its projections of what Ozempic is going to sell to Americans. For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised organic agriculture, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership for every obese American. Why are members of Congress doing the bidding of this Danish company instead of standing up for American farmers and children? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: For 19 years, solving the childhood chronic disease crisis has been the central goal of my life, and for 19 years, I have prayed to God every morning to put me in a position to end this calamity. I believe we have the opportunity for transformational, bipartisan change to transform American health, to hyper-charge our human capital, to improve our budget, and I believe, to save our spirits and our country. 1:23:10 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Our next presenter, Dr. Marty Makary also bears a few scars from telling the truth during COVID. Dr. Makary is a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. He writes for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and is the author of two New York Times best selling books, Unaccountable and The Price We Pay. He's been an outspoken opponent of broad vaccine mandates and some COVID restrictions at schools. Dr. Makary holds degrees from Bucknell University, Thomas Jefferson University and Harvard University. Dr. Marty Makary: I'm trained in gastrointestinal surgery. My group at Johns Hopkins does more pancreatic cancer surgery than any hospital in the United States. But at no point in the last 20 years has anyone stopped to ask, why has pancreatic cancer doubled over those 20 years? Who's working on that? Who's looking into it? We are so busy in our health care system, billing and coding and paying each other, and every stakeholder has their gigantic lobby in Washington, DC, and everybody's making a lot of money, except for one stakeholder, the American citizen. They are financing this giant, expensive health care system through their paycheck deduction for health insurance and the Medicare excise tax as we go down this path, billing and coding and medicating. And can we be real for a second? We have poisoned our food supply, engineered highly addictive chemicals that we put into our food, we spray it with pesticides that kill pests. What do you think they do to our gut lining and our microbiome? And then they come in sick. The GI tract is reacting. It's not an acute inflammatory storm, it's a low grade chronic inflammation, and it makes people feel sick, and that inflammation permeates and drives so many of our chronic diseases that we didn't see half a century ago. Who's working on who's looking into this, who's talking about it? Our health care system is playing whack a mole on the back end, and we are not talking about the root causes of our chronic disease epidemic. We can't see the forest from the trees. Sometimes we're so busy in these short visits, billing and coding. We've done a terrible thing to doctors. We've told them, put your head down. Focus on billing and coding. We're going to measure you by your throughput and good job. You did a nice job. We have all these numbers to show for it. Well, the country is getting sicker. We cannot keep going down this path. We have the most over-medicated, sickest population in the world, and no one is talking about the root causes. Dr. Marty Makary: Somebody has got to speak up. Maybe we need to talk about school lunch programs, not just putting every kid on obesity drugs like Ozempic. Maybe we need to talk about treating diabetes with cooking classes, not just throwing insulin at everybody. Maybe we need to talk about environmental exposures that cause cancer, not just the chemo to treat it. We've got to talk about food as medicine. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So, Dr Makary, I've got a couple questions. First of all, how many years have you been practicing medicine? Dr. Marty Makary: 22 years. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So we've noticed a shift from decades ago when 80% of doctors are independent to now 80% are working for some hospital association. First of all, what has that meant in terms of doctors' independence and who they are really accountable too? Dr. Marty Makary: The move towards corporate medicine and mass consolidation that we've witnessed in our lifetime has meant more and more doctors are told to put their heads down, do your job: billing and coding short visits. We've not given doctors the time, research, or resources to deal with these chronic diseases. 1:32:45 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Dr. Casey Means is a medical doctor, New York Times Best Selling Author, tech entrepreneur at Levels, an aspiring regenerative gardener and an outdoor enthusiast. While training as a surgeon, she saw how broken and exploitative the health care system is, and led to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room. And again, I would highly recommend everybody read Good Energy. It's a personal story, and you'll be glad you did. Dr. Casey Means: Over the last 50 years in the United States, we have seen rapidly rising rates of chronic illnesses throughout the entire body. The body and the brain, infertility, obesity, type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, Alzheimer's, dementia, cancer, heart disease, stroke, autoimmune disease, migraines, mental illness, chronic pain, fatigue, congenital abnormalities, chronic liver disease, autism, and infant and maternal mortality all going up. Americans live eight fewer years compared to people in Japan or Switzerland, and life expectancy is going down. I took an oath to do no harm, but listen to these stats. We're not only doing harm, we're flagrantly allowing harm. While it sounds grim, there is very good news. We know why all of these diseases are going up, and we know how to fix it. Every disease I mentioned is caused by or worsened by metabolic dysfunction, a word that it is thrilling to hear being used around this table. Metabolic dysfunction is a fundamental distortion of our cellular biology. It stops our cells from making energy appropriately. According to the American College of Cardiology, metabolic dysfunction now affects 93.2% of American adults. This is quite literally the cellular draining of our life force. This process is the result of three processes happening inside our cells, mitochondrial dysfunction, a process called oxidative stress, which is like a wildfire inside our cells, and chronic inflammation throughout the body and the gut, as we've heard about. Metabolic dysfunction is largely not a genetic issue. It's caused by toxic American ultra processed industrial food, toxic American chemicals, toxic American medications, and our toxic sedentary, indoor lifestyles. You would think that the American healthcare system and our government agencies would be clamoring to fix metabolic health and reduce American suffering and costs, but they're not. They are deafeningly silent about metabolic dysfunction and its known causes. It's not an overstatement to say that I learned virtually nothing at Stanford Medical School about the tens of thousands of scientific papers that elucidate these root causes of why American health is plummeting and how environmental factors are causing it. For instance, in medical school, I did not learn that for each additional serving of ultra processed food we eat, early mortality increases by 18%. This now makes up 67% of the foods our kids are eating. I took zero nutrition courses in medical school. I didn't learn that 82% of independently funded studies show harm from processed food, while 93% of industry sponsored studies reflect no harm. In medical school, I didn't learn that 95% of the people who created the recent USDA Food guidelines for America had significant conflicts of interest with the food industry. I did not learn that 1 billion pounds of synthetic pesticides are being sprayed on our food every single year. 99.99% of the farmland in the United States is sprayed with synthetic pesticides, many from China and Germany. And these invisible, tasteless chemicals are strongly linked to autism, ADHD, sex hormone disruption, thyroid disease, sperm dysfunction, Alzheimer's, dementia, birth defects, cancer, obesity, liver dysfunction, female infertility and more, all by hurting our metabolic health. I did not learn that the 8 billion tons of plastic that have been produced just in the last 100 years, plastic was only invented about 100 years ago, are being broken down into micro plastics that are now filling our food, our water, and we are now even inhaling them in our air. And that very recent research from just the past couple of months tells us that now about 0.5% of our brains by weight are now plastic. I didn't learn that there are more than 80,000 toxins that have entered our food, water, air and homes by industry, many of which are banned in Europe, and they are known to alter our gene expression, alter our microbiome composition and the lining of our gut, and disrupt our hormones. I didn't learn that heavy metals like aluminum and lead are present in our food, our baby formula, personal care products, our soil and many of the mandated medications, like vaccines and that these metals are neurotoxic and inflammatory. I didn't learn that the average American walks a paltry 3500 steps per day, even though we know based on science and top journals that walking, simply walking 7000 steps a day, slashes by 40-60% our risk of Alzheimer's, dementia, type two diabetes, cancer and obesity. I certainly did not learn that medical error and medications are the third leading cause of death in the United States. I didn't learn that just five nights of sleep deprivation can induce full blown pre-diabetes. I learned nothing about sleep, and we're getting about 20% less sleep on average than we were 100 years ago. I didn't learn that American children are getting less time outdoors now than a maximum security prisoner. And on average, adults spend 93% of their time indoors, even though we know from the science that separation from sunlight destroys our circadian biology, and circadian biology dictates our cellular biology. I didn't learn that professional organizations that we get our practice guidelines from, like the American Diabetes Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, have taken 10s of millions of dollars from Coke, Cadbury, processed food companies, and vaccine manufacturers like Moderna. I didn't learn that if we address these root causes that all lead to metabolic dysfunction and help patients change their food and lifestyle patterns with a united strong voice, we could reverse the chronic disease crisis in America, save millions of lives, and trillions of dollars in health care costs per year. Instead, doctors are learning that the body is 100 separate parts, and we learn how to drug, we learn how to cut and we learn how to bill. I'll close by saying that what we are dealing with here is so much more than a physical health crisis. This is a spiritual crisis we are choosing death over life. We are we are choosing death over life. We are choosing darkness over light for people and the planet, which are inextricably linked. We are choosing to erroneously believe that we are separate from nature and that we can continue to poison nature and then outsmart it. Our path out will be a renewed respect for the miracle of life and a renewed respect for nature. We can restore health to Americans rapidly with smart policy and courageous leadership. We need a return to courage. We need a return to common sense and intuition. We need a return to awe for the sheer miraculousness of our lives. We need all hands on deck. Thank you. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): I'm not letting you off that easy. I've got a couple questions. So you outlined some basic facts that doctors should know that truthfully, you could cover in one hour of an introductory class in medical school, yes. So why aren't we teaching doctors these things? Dr. Casey Means: The easy thing to say would be, you know, follow the money. That sounds sort of trite, but frankly, I think that is the truth, but not in the way you might think that, like doctors are out to make money, or even medical schools. The money and the core incentive problem, which is that every institution that touches our health in America, from medical schools to pharmaceutical companies to health insurance companies to hospitals offices, they make more money when we are sick and less when we are healthy. That simple, one incentive problem corrodes every aspect of the way medicine is thought about. The way we think about the body, we talked about interconnectedness. It creates a system in which we silo the body into all these separate parts and create that illusion that we all buy into because it's profitable to send people to separate specialties. So it corrodes even the foundational conception of how we think about the body. So it is about incentives and money, but I would say that's the invisible hand. It's not necessarily affecting each doctor's clinical practice or the decision making. It's corroding every lever of the basics of how we even consider what the human body is and what life is. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): In your book, you do a really good job of describing how, because of the specialization of medicine, you don't see the forest for the trees. The fact is, you do need specialized medicine. I mean, doctors can't know it all. So I think the question is, how do we get back to the reward for general practitioners that do focus on what you're writing about? Dr. Casey Means: I have huge respect for doctors, and I am incredibly grateful for the American health care system, which has produced miracles, and we absolutely need continue to have primary care doctors and specialists, and they should be rewarded highly. However, if we focused on what everyone here is talking about, I think we'd have 90% less throughput through our health care system. We would be able to have these doctors probably have a much better life to be honest. You know, because right now, doctors are working 100 hours a week seeing 50, 60, 70 patients, and could actually have more time with patients who develop these acute issues that need to be treated by a doctor. But so many of the things in the specialist office are chronic conditions that we know are fundamentally rooted in the cellular dysfunction I describe, which is metabolic dysfunction, which is created by our lifestyle. So I think that there's always going to be a place for specialists, but so so many, so much fewer. And I think if we had a different conception for the body is interconnected, they would also interact with each other in a very different way, a much more collaborative way. And then, of course, we need to incentivize doctors in the healthcare system towards outcomes, not throughput. 1:46:25 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Our next presenter is Dr. Chris Palmer. Dr. Palmer is a Harvard trained psychiatrist, researcher and author of Brain Energy, where he explores a groundbreaking connection between metabolic health and mental illness. He is a leader in innovative approaches to treating psychiatric conditions, advocating for the use of diet and metabolic interventions to improve mental health outcomes. Dr. Palmer's work is reshaping how the medical field views and treats mental health disorders. Dr. Chris Palmer: I want to build on what Dr. Means just shared that these chronic diseases we face today. Obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, all share something in common. They are, in fact, metabolic dysfunction. I'm going to go into a little bit of the science, just to make sure we're all on the same page. Although most people think of metabolism as burning calories, it is far more than that. Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that convert food into energy and building blocks essential for cellular health. When we have metabolic dysfunction, it can drive numerous chronic diseases, which is a paradigm shift in the medical field. Now there is no doubt metabolism is complicated. It really is. It is influenced by biological, psychological, environmental and social factors, and the medical field says this complexity is the reason we can't solve the obesity epidemic because they're still trying to understand every molecular detail of biology. But in fact, we don't need to understand biology in order to understand the cause. The cause is coming from our environment, a toxic environment like poor diet and exposure to harmful chemicals, and these are actually quite easy to study, understand, and address. There is no doubt food plays a key role. It provides the substrate for energy and building blocks. Nutritious foods support metabolism, while ultra processed options can disrupt it. It is shocking that today, in 2024, the FDA allows food manufacturers to introduce brand new chemicals into our food supply without adequate testing. The manufacturer is allowed to determine for themselves whether this substance is safe for you and your family to eat or not. Metabolism's impact goes beyond physical health. I am a psychiatrist. Some of you are probably wondering, why are you here? It also affects mental health. Because guess what? The human brain is an organ too, and when brain metabolism is impaired, it can cause symptoms that we call mental illness. It is no coincidence that as the rates of obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing, so too are the rates of mental illness. In case you didn't know, we have a mental health crisis. We have all time prevalence highs for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, deaths of despair, drug overdoses, ADHD and autism. What does the mental health field have to say for this? Well, you know, mental illness is just chemical imbalances, or maybe trauma and stress that is wholly insufficient to explain the epidemic that we are seeing. And in fact, there is a better way to integrate the biopsychosocial factors known to play a role in mental illness. Mental Disorders at their core are often metabolic disorders impacting the brain. It's not surprising to most people that obesity and diabetes might play a role in depression or anxiety, but the rates of autism have quadrupled in just 20 years, and the rates of ADHD have tripled over that same period of time. These are neuro developmental disorders, and many people are struggling to understand, how on earth could they rise so rapidly? But it turns out that metabolism plays a profound role in neurodevelopment, and sure enough, parents with metabolic issues like obesity and diabetes are more likely to have children with autism and ADHD. This is not about fat shaming, because what I am arguing is that the same foods and chemicals and other drivers of obesity that are causing obesity in the parents are affecting the brain health of our children. There is compelling evidence that food plays a direct role in mental health. One study of nearly 300,000 people found that those who eat ultra processed foods daily are three times more likely to struggle with their mental health than people who never or rarely consume them. A systematic review found direct associations between ultra processed food exposure and 32 different health parameters, including mental mental health conditions. Now I'm not here to say that food is the only, or even primary driver of mental illness. Let's go back to something familiar. Trauma and stress do drive mental illness, but for those of you who don't know, trauma and stress are also associated with increased rates of obesity and diabetes. Trauma and stress change human metabolism. We need to put the science together. This brings me to a key point. We cannot separate physical and mental health from metabolic health. Addressing metabolic dysfunction has the potential to prevent and treat a wide range of chronic diseases. Dr. Chris Palmer: In my own work, I have seen firsthand how using metabolic therapies like the ketogenic diet and other dietary interventions can improve even severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, sometimes putting them into lasting remission. These reports are published in peer reviewed, prestigious medical journals. However, there is a larger issue at play that many have talked about, medical education and public health recommendations are really captured by industry and politics, and at best, they often rely on weak epidemiological data, resulting in conflicting or even harmful advice. We heard a reference to this, but in case you didn't know, a long time ago, we demonized saturated fat. And what was the consequence of demonizing saturated fat? We replaced it with "healthy vegetable shortening." That was the phrase we used, "healthy vegetable shortening." Guess what was in that healthy vegetable shortening? It was filled with trans fats, which are now recognized to be so harmful that they've been banned in the United States. Let's not repeat mistakes like this. Dr. Chris Palmer: So what's the problem? Number one, nutrition and mental health research are severely underfunded, with each of them getting less than 5% of the NIH budget. This is no accident. This is the concerted effort of lobbying by industry, food manufacturers, the healthcare industry, they do not want root causes discovered. We need to get back to funding research on the root causes of mental and metabolic disorders, including the effects of foods, chemicals, medications, environmental toxins, on the human brain and metabolism. Dr. Chris Palmer: The issue of micro plastics and nano plastics in the human body is actually, sadly, in its infancy. We have two publications out in the last couple of months demonstrating that micro plastics are, in fact, found in the human brain. And as Dr. Means said, and you recited, 0.5% of the body weight, or the brain's weight, appears to be composed of micro plastics. We need more research to better understand whether these micro plastics are, in fact, associated with harmful conditions, because microplastics are now ubiquitous. So some will argue, well, they're everywhere, and everybody's got them, and it's just a benign thing. Some will argue that the most compelling evidence against that is a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine a few months ago now, in which they were doing routine carotid endarterectomies, taking plaque out of people's carotid arteries. Just routinely doing that for clinical care, and then they analyzed those plaques for micro plastics. 58% of the people had detectable micro plastics in the plaques. So they compared this 58% group who had micro plastics to the ones who didn't, followed them for three years, just three years, and the ones who had micro plastics had four times the mortality. There is strong reason to believe, based on animal data and based on cell biology data, that microplastics are in fact, toxic to the human body, to mitochondrial function, to hormone dysregulation and all sorts of things. There are lots of reasons to believe that, but the scientists will say, we need more research. We need to better understand whether these micro plastics really are associated with higher rates of disease. I think people are terrified of the answer. People are terrified of the answer. And if you think about everything that you consume, and how much of it is not wrapped in plastic, all of those industries are going to oppose research. They are going to oppose research funding to figure this out ASAP, because that will be a monumental change to not just the food industry but our entire economy. Imagining just cleaning up the oceans and trying to get this plastic and then, more importantly, trying to figure out, how are we going to detox humans? How are we going to de-plasticize human beings? How are we going to get these things out? It is an enormous problem, but the reality is, putting our heads in the sand is not going to help. And I am really hopeful that by raising issues and letting people know about this health crisis, that maybe we will get answers quickly. Dr. Chris Palmer: Your question is, why are our health agencies not exploring these questions? It's because the health agencies are largely influenced by the industries they are supposed to be regulating and looking out for. The medical education community is largely controlled by pharmaceutical companies. One and a half billion dollars every year goes to support physician education. That's from pharmaceutical companies. One and a half billion from pharmaceutical companies. So physicians are getting educated with some influence, large influence, I would argue, by them, the health organizations. It's a political issue. The NIH, it's politics. Politicians are selecting people to be on the committees or people to oversee these organizations. Politicians rely on donations from companies and supporters to get re-elected, and the reality is this is not going to be easy to tackle. The challenge is that you'll get ethical politicians who say, I'm not going to take any of that money, and I'm going to try to do the right thing and right now, the way the system is set up, there's a good chance those politicians won't get re-elected, and instead, their opponents, who were more than happy to take millions of dollars in campaign contributions, will get re-elected, and then they will return the favor to their noble campaign donors. We are at a crossroads. We have to decide who are the constituents of the American government. Is it industry, or is it the American people? 2:09:35 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Calley Means the co-founder of Truemed, a company that enables tax free spending on food and exercise. He recently started an advocacy coalition with leading health and wellness companies called End Chronic Disease. Early in his career, he was a consultant for food and pharma companies. He is now exposing practices they used to weaponize our institutions of trust, and he's doing a great job doing interviews with his sister, Casey. Calley Means: If you think about a medical miracle, it's almost certainly a solution that was invented before 1960 for an acute condition: emergency surgical procedures to ensure a complicated childbirth wasn't a death sentence, sanitation procedures, antibiotics that insured infection was an inconvenience, not deadly, eradicating polio, regular waste management procedures that helped control outbreaks like the bubonic plague, sewage systems that replaced the cesspools and opened drains, preventing human waste from contaminating the water. The US health system is a miracle in solving acute conditions that will kill us right away. But economically, acute conditions aren't great in our modern system, because the patient is quickly cured and is no longer a customer. Start in the 1960s the medical system took the trust engendered by these acute innovations like antibiotics, which were credited with winning World War Two, and they used that trust to ask patients not to question its authority on chronic diseases, which can last a lifetime and are more profitable. But the medicalization of chronic disease in the past 50 years has been an abject failure. Today, we're in a siloed system where there's a treatment for everything. And let's just look at the stats. Heart disease has gone up as more statins are prescribed. Type 2 diabetes has gone up as more Metformin is prescribed. ADHD has gone up as more Adderall is prescribed. Depression and suicide has gone up as more SSRIs are prescribed. Pain has gone up as more opioids are prescribed. Cancer has gone up as we've spent more on cancer. And now JP Morgan literally at the conference in San Francisco, recently, they put up a graph, and they showed us more Ozempic is projected to be prescribed over the next 10 years, obesity rates are going to go up as more is prescribed. Explain that to me. There was clapping. All the bankers were clapping like seals at this graphic. Our intervention based system is by design. In the early 1900s, John D. Rockefeller using that he could use byproducts from oil production to create pharmaceuticals, heavily funded medical schools throughout the United States to teach a curriculum based on the intervention-first model of Dr. William Stewart Halsted, the founding physician of Johns Hopkins, who created the residency-based model that viewed invasive surgical procedures and medication as the highest echelon of medicine. An employee of Rockefeller's was tasked to create the Flexner Report, which outlined a vision for medical education that prioritized interventions and stigmatized nutritional and holistic remedies. Congress affirmed the Flexner Report in 1910 to establish that any credentialed medical institution in the United States had to follow the Halsted-Rockefeller intervention based model that silos disease and downplay viewing the body as an interconnected system. It later came out that Dr. Halsted's cocaine and morphine addiction fueled his day long surgical residencies and most of the medical logic underlying the Flexner Report was wrong. But that hasn't prevented the report and the Halsted-Rockefeller engine based brand of medicine from being the foundational document that Congress uses to regulate medical education today. Calley Means: Our processed food industry was created by the cigarette industry. In the 1980s, after decades of inaction, the Surgeon General and the US government finally, finally said that smoking might be harmful, and smoking rates plummeted. We listened to doctors in this country. We listened to medical leadership, and as smoking rates plummeted, cigarette companies, with their big balance sheets, strategically bought up food companies, and by 1990 the two largest food companies in the world were Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds, two cigarette companies. These cigarette companies moved two departments over from the cigarette department to the food department. They moved the scientists. Cigarette companies were the highest payers of scientists, one of the biggest employers of scientists to make the cigarettes addictive. They moved these addiction specialists, world leading addiction specialists, to the food department by the thousands. And those scientists weaponized our ultra processed food. That is the problem with ultra processed food. You have the best scientists in the world creating this food to be palatable and to be addictive. They then moved their lobbyists over. They used the same playbook, and their lobbyists co-opted the USDA and created the food pyramid. The Food Pyramid was a document created by the cigarette industry through complete corporate capture, and was an ultra processed food marketing document saying that we needed a bunch of carbs and sugar. And we listened to medical experts in this country, the American people, American parents. Many parents who had kids in the 90s thought it was a good thing to do to give their kids a bunch of ultra processed foods and carb consumption went up 20% in the American diet in the next 10 years. The Devil's bargain comes in in that this ultra processed food consumption has been one of the most profitable dynamics in American history for the health care industry. As we've all just been decimated with chronic conditions, the medical industry hasn't. Not only have they been silent on this issue, they've actually been complicit, working for the food industry. I helped funnel money from Coca Cola to the American Diabetes Association. Yeah. 2:31:40 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Next presenter will be Brigham Buhler. Brigham is the Founder and CEO of Ways2Well, a healthcare company that provides personalized preventive care through telemedicine, with a strong background in the pharmaceutical industry. Brigham is focused on making healthcare more accessible by harnessing the power of technology, delivering effective and tailored treatments. His vision for improving health outcomes has positioned him as a leader in modern patient centered healthcare solutions. Brigham Buhler: We hear people reference President Eisenhower's speech all the time about the military industrial complex, but rarely do we hear the second half of that speech. He also warned us about the rise of the scientific industrial complex. He warned us, if we allow the elite to control the scientific research, it could have dire consequences. 2:36:30 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): I'm going to call an audible here as moderator, I saw that hopefully the future chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Mike Crapo from Idaho, came into the room. I asked Mike to share his story. He used to wear larger suits, let's put it that way. But he went down the path of the ketogenic diet, I believe. But Mike, why don't you tell your story? And by the way, he's somebody you want to influence. Chairman of Senate Finance Committee makes an awful lot of decisions on Medicare, Medicaid, a lot of things we talked about with Ozempic, now the lobbying group try and make that available, and how harmful, I think, most people in this room think that might be so. Senator Crapo, if you could just kind of tell us your story in terms of your diet change and what results you had. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID): Well, first of all, let me thank you. I didn't come here to say anything. I came here to listen, but I appreciate the opportunity to just have a second to tell you my personal story. I'll say before I do that, thank you for Ron Johnson. Senator Johnson is also a member of the Finance Committee, and it is my hope that we can get that committee, which I think has the most powerful jurisdiction, particularly over these areas, of any in the United States Congress, and so I'm hopeful we can get a focus on addressing the government's part of the role in this to get us back on a better track. 2:54:35 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Vani Hari, known as the Food Babe -- they wrote that for me, that wasn't me, that's my not my nickname -- is a food activist, author and speaker committed to improving food quality and safety. She has built a powerful platform through her blog advocating for transparency in food labeling and the removal of harmful chemicals from processed food. Her activism has spurred significant change in the food industry, encouraging consumers to make healthier, more informed choices, while prompting companies to adopt cleaner practices. Vani Hari: Our government is letting US food companies get away with serving American citizens harmful ingredients that are banned or heavily regulated in other countries. Even worse, American food companies are selling the same exact products overseas without these chemicals, but choose to continue serving us the most toxic version here. It's un-American. One set of ingredients there, and one set of ingredients here. Let me give you some examples. This is McDonald's french fries. I would like to argue that probably nobody in this room has not had a McDonald's french fry, by the way, nobody raised their hand during the staff meeting earlier today. In the US, there's 11 ingredients. In the UK, there's three, and salt is optional. An ingredient called dimethyl polysiloxane is an ingredient preserved with formaldehyde, a neurotoxin, in the US version. This is used as a foaming agent, so they don't have to replace the oil that often, making McDonald's more money here in the United States, but they don't do that across the pond. Here we go, this is Skittles. Notice the long list of ingredient differences, 10 artificial dyes in the US version and titanium dioxide. This ingredient is banned in Europe because it can cause DNA damage. Artificial dyes are made from petroleum, and products containing these dyes require a warning label in Europe that states it may cause adverse effects on activity and attention in children, and they have been linked to cancer and disruptions in the immune system. This on the screen back here, is Gatorade. In the US, they use red 40 and caramel color. In Germany, they don't, they use carrot and sweet potatoes to color their Gatorade. This is Doritos. The US version has three different three different artificial dyes and MSG, the UK version does not and let's look at cereal. General Mills is definitely playing some tricks on us. They launched a new version of Trix just recently in Australia. It has no dyes, they even advertise that, when the US version still does. This is why I became a food activist. My name is Vani Hari, and I only want one thing. I want Americans to be treated the same way as citizens in other countries by our own American companies. Vani Hari: We use over 10,000 food additives here in the United States and in Europe, there's only 400 approved. In 2013, I discovered that Kraft was producing their famous mac and cheese in other countries without artificial dyes. They used Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 here. I was so outraged by this unethical practice that I decided to do something about it. I launched a petition asking Kraft to remove artificial dyes from their products here in the United States, and after 400,000 signatures and a trip to their headquarters, Kraft finally announced they would make the change. I also discovered Subway was selling sandwiches with a chemical called azodicarbonamide in their bread in other countries. This is the same chemical they use in yoga mats and shoe rubber. You know, when you turn a yoga mat sideways and you see the evenly dispersed air bubbles? Well, they wanted to do the same thing in bread, so it would be the same exact product every time you went to a Subway. When the chemical is heated, studies show that it turns into a carcinogen. Not only is this ingredient banned in Europe and Australia, you get fined $450,000 if you get caught using it in Singapore. What's really interesting is when this chemical is heated, studies show that it turns into a carcinogen. Not only is this ingredient banned, but we were able to get Subway to remove azodicarbonamide from their bread in the United States after another successful petition. And as a bonus, there was a ripple effect in almost every bread manufacturer in America followed suit. For years, Starbucks didn't publish their ingredients for their coffee drinks. It was a mystery until I convinced a barista to show me the ingredients on the back of the bottles they were using to make menu items like their famous pumpkin spice lattes. I found out here in the United States, Starbucks was coloring their PSLs with caramel coloring level four, an ingredient made from ammonia and linked to cancer, but using beta carotene from carrots to color their drinks in the UK. After publishing an investigation and widespread media attention, Starbucks removed caramel coloring from all of their drinks in America and started publishing the ingredients for their entire menu. I want to make an important point here. Ordinary people who rallied for safer food shared this information and signed petitions. Were able to make these changes. We did this on our own. But isn't this something that the people in Washington, our elected politicians, should be doing? Vani Hari: Asking companies to remove artificial food dye would make an immediate impact. They don't need to reinvent the wheel. They already have the formulations. As I've shown you, consumption of artificial food dyes has increased by 500% in the last 50 years, and children are the biggest consumers. Yes, those children. Perfect timing. 43% of products marketed towards children in the grocery store contain artificial dyes. Food companies have found in focus groups, children will eat more of their product with an artificial dye because it's more attractive and appealing. And the worst part, American food companies know the harms of these additives because they were forced to remove them overseas due to stricter regulations and to avoid warning labels that would hurt sales. This is one of the most hypocritical policies of food companies, and somebody needs to hold them accountable. Vani Hari: When Michael Taylor was the Deputy Commissioner of the of the FDA, he said, he admitted on NPR, we don't have the resources, we don't have the capabilities to actually regulate food chemicals, because we don't have the staff. There's no one there. We are under this assumption, and I think a lot of Americans are under this assumption, that every single food additive ingredient that you buy at the grocery store has been approved by some regulatory body. It hasn't. It's been approved by the food companies themselves. There's 1000s of chemicals where the food company creates it, submits the safety data, and then the FDA rubber stamps it, because they don't have any other option. 3:09:15 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So our next presenter is Jason Karp. Jason is the founder and CEO of HumanCo, a mission driven company that invests in and builds brands focused on healthier living and sustainability. In addition to HumanCo, Jason is the co-founder of Hu Kitchen, known for creating the number one premium organic chocolate in the US. My wife will appreciate that. Prior to HumanCo, Jason spent over 21 years in the hedge fund industry, where he was the founder and CEO of an investment fund that managed over $4 billion. Jason graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 3:11:10 Jason Karp: I've been a professional investor for 26 years, dealing with big food companies, seeing what happens in their boardrooms, and why we now have so much ultra processed food. Jason Karp: Having studied the evolution of corporations, I believe the root cause of how we got here is an unintended consequence of the unchecked and misguided industrialization of agriculture and food. I believe there are two key drivers behind how we got here. First, America has much looser regulatory approach to approving new ingredients and chemicals than comparable developed countries. Europe, for example, uses a guilty until proven innocent standard for the approval of new chemicals, which mandates that if an ingredient might pose a potential health risk, it should be restricted or banned for up to 10 years until it is proven safe. In complete contrast, our FDA uses an innocent until proven guilty approach for new chemicals or ingredients that's known as GRAS, or Generally Recognized as Safe. This recklessly allows new chemicals into our food system until they are proven harmful. Shockingly, US food companies can use their own independent experts to bring forth a new chemical without the approval of the FDA. It is a travesty that the majority of Americans don't even know they are constantly exposed to 1000s of untested ingredients that are actually banned or regulated in other countries. To put it bluntly, for the last 50 years, we have been running the largest uncontrolled science experiment ever done on humanity without their consent. Jason Karp: And the proof is in the pudding. Our health differences compared to those countries who use stricter standards are overwhelmingly conclusive. When looking at millions of people over decades, on average, Europeans live around five years longer, have less than half our obesity rates, have significantly lower chronic disease, have markedly better mental health, and they spend as little as 1/3 on health care per person as we do in this country. While lobbyists and big food companies may say we cannot trust the standards of these other countries because it over regulates, it stifles innovation, and it bans new chemicals prematurely, I would like to point out that we trust many of these other countries enough to have nuclear weapons. These other countries have demonstrated it is indeed possible to not only have thriving companies, but also prioritize the health of its citizens with a clear do no harm approach towards anything that humans put in or on our bodies. Jason Karp: The second driver, how we got here, is all about incentives. US industrial food companies have been myopically incentivized to reward profit growth, yet bear none of the social costs of poisoning our people and our land. Since the 1960s, America has seen the greatest technology and innovation boom in history. As big food created some of the largest companies in the world, so too did their desire for scaled efficiency. Companies had noble goals of making the food safer, more shelf stable, cheaper and more accessible. However, they also figured out how to encourage more consumption by making food more artificially appealing with brighter colors and engineered taste and texture. This is the genesis of ultra processed food. Because of these misguided regulatory standards, American companies have been highly skilled at maximizing profits without bearing the societal costs. They have replaced natural ingredients with chemicals. They have commodified animals into industrial widgets, and they treat our God given planet as an inexhaustible, abusable resource. Sick Americans are learning the hard way that food and agriculture should not be scaled in the same ways as iPhones. 3:16:50 Jason Karp: They use more chemicals in the US version, because it is more profitable and because we allow them to do so. Jason Karp: Artificial food dyes are cheaper and they are brighter. And the reason that I chose to use artificial food dyes in my public activist letter is because there's basically no counter argument. Many of the things discussed today, I think there is a nuanced debate, but with artificial food dyes, they have shown all over the world that they can use colorants that come from fruit. This is the Canadian version. This is the brightness of the Canadian version, just for visibility, and this is the brightness of artificial food dyes. So of course, Kellogg and other food companies will argue children prefer this over this, just as they would prefer cocaine over sugar. That doesn't make it okay. Calley Means: Senator, can I just say one thing? As Jason and Vani were talking, it brought me back to working for the food industry. We used to pay conservative lobbyists to go to every office and say that it was the "nanny state" to regulate food. And I think that's, as a conservative myself, something that's resonated. I just cannot stress enough that, as we're hopefully learned today, the food industry has rigged our systems beyond recognition. And addressing a rigged market is not an attack on the free market. Is a necessity for a free market to take this corruption out. So I just want to say that. 3:21:00 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Our next presenter is Jillian Michaels. Ms. Michaels is a globally recognized fitness expert, entrepreneur, and best selling author. With her no nonsense approach to health, she's inspired millions through her fitness programs, books and digital platforms, best known for her role on The Biggest Loser, Michaels promotes a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition and emphasizing long term health and self improvement. Jillian Michaels: The default human condition in the 21st century is obese by design. Specific, traceable forms of what's referred to as structural violence are created by the catastrophic quartet of big farming, big food, Big Pharma, and big insurance. They systematically corrupt every institution of trust, which has led to the global spread of obesity and disease. Dysfunctional and destructive agricultural legislation like the Farm Bill, which favors high yield, genetically engineered crops like corn and soy, leading to the proliferation of empty calories, saturated with all of these toxins that we've been talking about today for three hours, it seems like we can never say enough about it, and then this glut of cheap calories provides a boon to the food industry giants. They just turn it into a bounty of ultra processed, factory-assembled foods and beverages strategically engineered to undermine your society and foster your dependence, like nicotine and cocaine, so we literally cannot eat just one. And to ensure that you don't, added measures are taken to inundate our physical surroundings. We're literally flooded with food, and we are brainwashed by ubiquitous cues to eat, whether it's the Taco Bell advertisement on the side of a bus as you drive to work with a vending machine at your kids school, there is no place we spend time that's left untouched. They're omnipresent. They commandeer the narrative, with 30 billion worth of advertising dollars, commercials marketed to kids, with mega celebrities eating McDonald's and loving it, sponsored dietitians paid to promote junk food on social media, utilizing anti-diet body positivity messaging like, "derail the shame" in relation to fast food consumption, Time Magazine brazenly issuing a defense of ultra processed foods on their cover with the title, "What if altra processed foods aren't as bad as you think?" And when people like us try to sound the alarm, they ensure that we are swiftly labeled as anti-science, fat shamers, and even racists. They launch aggressive lobbying efforts to influence you. Our politicians to shape policy, secure federal grants, tax credits, subsidy dollars, which proliferates their product and heavily pads their bottom line. They have created a perfect storm in which pharmaceuticals that cost hundreds, if not 1000s per month, like Ozempic, that are linked to stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, can actually surge. This reinforces a growing dependence on medical interventions to manage weight in a society where systemic change in food production and consumption is desperately needed and also very possible. These monster corporations have mastered the art of distorting the research, influencing the policy, buying the narrative, engineering the environment, and manipulating consumer behavior. Jillian Michaels: While I have been fortunate enough to pull many back from the edge over the course of my 30 year career, I have lost just as many, if not more, than I have saved. I have watched them slip through my fingers, mothers that orphan their children, husbands that widow their wives. I have even watched parents forced to suffer the unthinkable loss of their adult children. There are not words to express the sadness I have felt and the fury knowing that they were literally sacrificed at the altar of unchecked corporate greed. Most Americans are simply too financially strained, psychologically drained and physically addicted to break free without a systemic intervention. Attempting to combat the status quo and the powers that be is beyond swimming upstream. It is like trying to push a rampaging river that's infested with piranhas. After years of trying to turn the tide, I submit that the powers that be are simply too powerful for us to take on alone. I implore the people here that shape the policy to take a stand. The buck must stop with you, while the American people tend to the business of raising children and participating in the workforce to ensure that the wheels of our country go around. They tapped you to stand watch. They tapped you to stand guard. We must hold these bad actors accountable. And I presume the testimonials you heard today moved you. Digest them, discuss them, and act upon them, because if this current trend is allowed to persist, the stakes will be untenable. We are in the middle of an extinction level event. The American people need help. They need heroes. And people of Washington, your constituents chose you to be their champion. Please be the change. Thank you. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): There was one particular piece of legislation or one thing that we could do here in Washington, what would it be? Jillian Michaels: Get rid of Citizens United and get the money out of politics. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Okay. 3:37:00 Calley Means: To the healthcare staffers slithering behind your bosses, working to impress your future bosses at the pharmaceutical companies, the hospitals, the insurance companies, many of them are in this building, and we are coming for you. 3:37:25 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Next up is Ms. Courtney Swan. Ms. Swan is a nutritionist, real food activist, and founder of the popular platform, Realfoodology. She advocates for transparency in the food industry, promoting the importance of whole foods and clean eating. Courtney is passionate about educating the public on the benefits of a nutrient dense diet, and she encourages sustainable, chemical-free farming practices to ensure better health for people and the planet. Courtney Swan: Our current agriculture system's origin story involves large chemical companies -- not farmers, chemists. 85% of the food that you are consuming started from a patented seed sold by a chemical corporation that was responsible for creating agent orange in the Vietnam War. Why are chemical companies feeding America? Corn, soy and wheat are not only the most common allergens, but are among the most heavily pesticide sprayed crops today. In 1974 the US started spraying our crops with an herbicide called glyphosate, and in the early 1990s we began to see the release of genetically modified foods into our food supply. It all seems to begin with a chemical company by the name IG Farben, the later parent company of Bayer Farben, provided the chemicals used in Nazi nerve agents and gas chambers. Years later, a second chemical company, Monsanto, joined the war industry with a production of Agent Orange, a toxin used during the Vietnam War. When the wars ended, these companies needed a market for their chemicals, so they pivoted to killing bugs and pests on American farmlands. Monsanto began marketing glyphosate with a catchy name, Roundup. They claimed that these chemicals were harmless and that they safeguarded our crops from pests. So farmers started spraying these supposedly safe chemicals on our farmland. They solved the bug problem, but they also killed the crops. Monsanto offered a solution with the creation of genetically modified, otherwise known as GMO, crops that resisted the glyphosate in the roundup that they were spraying. These Roundup Ready crops allow farmers to spray entire fields of glyphosate to kill off pests without harming the plants, but our food is left covered in toxic chemical residue that doesn't wash, dry, or cook off. Not only is it sprayed to kill pests, but in the final stages of harvest, it is sprayed on the wheat to dry it out. Grains that go into bread and cereals that are in grocery stores and homes of Americans are heavily sprayed with these toxins. It's also being sprayed on oats, chickpeas, almonds, potatoes and more. You can assume that if it's not organic, it is likely contaminated with glyphosate. In America, organic food, by law, cannot contain GMOs and glyphosate, and they are more expensive compared to conventionally grown options, Americans are being forced to pay more for food that isn't poisoned. The Environmental Working Group reported a test of popular wheat-based products and found glyphosate contamination in 80 to 90% of the products on grocery store shelves. Popular foods like Cheerios, Goldfish, chickpea pasta, like Banza, Nature Valley bars, were found have concerning levels of glyphosate. If that is not alarming enough, glyphosate is produced by and distributed from China. In 2018, Bayer bought Monsanto. They currently have patented soybeans, corn, canola and sugar beets, and they are the largest distributor of GMO corn and soybean seeds. Americans deserve a straight answer. Why does an agrochemical company own where our food comes from? Currently, 85 to 100% of corn and soy crops in the US are genetically modified. 80% of GMOs are engineered to withstand glyphosate, and a staggering 280 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed on American crops annually. We are eating this roundup ready corn, but unlike GMO crops, humans are not Roundup Ready. We are not resistant to these toxins, and it's causing neurological damage, endocrine disruption, it's harming our reproductive health and it's affecting fetal development. Glyphosate is classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is also suspected to contribute towards the rise in celiac disease and gluten sensitivities. They're finding glyphosate in human breast milk, placentas, our organs, and even sperm. It's also being found in our rain and our drinking water. Until January of 2022, many companies made efforts to obscure the presence of GMOs and pesticides in food products from American consumers. It was only then that legislation came into effect mandating that these companies disclose such ingredients with a straightforward label stating, made with bio engineered ingredients, but it's very small on the package. Meanwhile, glyphosate still isn't labeled on our food. Parents in America are unknowingly feeding their children these toxic foods. Dr. Don Huber, a glyphosate researcher, warns that glyphosate will make the outlawed 1970s insecticide DDT look harmless in comparison to glyphosate. Why is the US government subsidizing the most pesticide sprayed crops using taxpayer dollars? These are the exact foods that are driving the epidemic of chronic disease. These crops, heavily sprayed with glyphosate, are then processed into high fructose corn syrup and refined vegetable oils, which are key ingredients for the ultra processed foods that line our supermarket shelves and fill our children's lunches in schools across the nation. Children across America are consuming foods such as Goldfish and Cheerios that are loaded with glyphosate. These crops also feed our livestock, which then produce the eggs, dairy and meat products that we consume. They are in everything. Pick up almost any ultra processed food package on the shelf, and you will see the words, contains corn, wheat and soy on the ingredients panel. Meanwhile, Bayer is doing everything it can to keep consumers in the dark, while our government protects these corporate giants. They fund educational programs at major agricultural universities, they lobby in Washington, and they collaborate with lawmakers to protect their profits over public health. Two congressmen are working with Bayer right now on the Farm Bill to protect Bayer from any liability, despite already having to pay out billions to sick Americans who got cancer from their product. They know that their product is harming people. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Couple questions. So you really have two issues raised here. Any concern about just GMO seeds and GMO crops, and then you have the contamination, Glycosate, originally is a pre-emergent, but now it's sprayed on the actual crops and getting in the food. Can you differentiate those two problems? I mean, what concerns are the GMO seeds? Maybe other doctors on t
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.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.The reality is we don't need Medigap. We could plug those holes with public coverage. There's no reason to have a role for private insurers to cover a slice of our healthcare when all seniors need the same thing—which is comprehensive universal care. There's no need for these private stopgap measures, when what we need is a public system of universal care.Dr. Adam GaffneyI do think there's growing interest among physicians in change. Their bosses are increasingly these for-profit companies whose mission is not really medicine. Their mission is money. And what we need to do is to rethink our healthcare system, so it serves communities, is owned by communities, and it returns us to the underlying reason why we went into this profession—which is to help patients, and not to pad the pockets of shareholders.Dr. Adam GaffneyDr. 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. His latest book is Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health.For most of human history, doctors were respected, but maybe like you would respect your hairdresser, or maybe a clergy member in the community. And we didn't have many tools as doctors. We had a lancet, we had a saw to do amputations, we had a couple of drugs that didn't work or were counterproductive like digoxin. And then what happened in 1922 is Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. And by the post-World War II era in the 1940s and '50s, we saw the mass production of antibiotics. That ushered in the white coat era of medicine. Doctors began to wear a white coat. They now had the power to prescribe a magical pill that could cure disease, make childbirth safe, enable surgeons to do procedures safer. And this ushered in this new unquestioned authority. And what happened was, physicians as a class took advantage of this unquestioned authority.Dr. Marty MakaryDavid 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, Killing the Messenger: The Right Wing Plot to Hijack Your Government, and his latest book is Stench: The Making of the Thomas Court and the Unmaking of America.The Federalist Society was originally founded by three rightwing law students. And it was pitched as a debating society. So I don't think in the original incarnation, they had a master plan. But soon enough, they realized that membership in the Federalist Society could confer on people a certain imprimatur for appointments—and that's appointments not only to the federal judiciary, but all through the executive branch.David BrockThe scheme to overturn Roe has been going on for all these decades. There were setbacks, of course, because there were times when Republican appointees ended up being independent—Sandra Day O 'Connor, for example, David Souter, for example—and the right was defeated in their effort to overturn Roe. So it took a while and it took a lot of steadfast, patient spending of money on their crusade.David Brock[This is] a time when the Biden regime is supporting the destruction of the ancient land of Lebanon— whom he's called in prior years an ally. He's letting Netanyahu destroy Lebanon with the same tactics that Netanyahu applied to the genocide in Gaza.Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 10/23/241. Last week, Israel announced they had killed longtime Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. As NBC put it, the footage of his death released by Israel “showed Sinwar not hiding in a tunnel surrounded by hostages — as Israeli officials often claimed he was — but aboveground and hurling a stick at a drone with his last ounce of strength.” American political leaders, such as Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, are seeking to use Sinwar's death to argue that Israel has accomplished its mission and should therefore conclude its genocidal campaign in Gaza. Israeli leaders however have made it abundantly clear that they have no intention of pulling out of Gaza, with Benny Gantz – chairman of Israel's National Unity Party and among Prime Minister Netanyahu's chief political rivals – stating that the Israeli military “will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip for years to come,” per Al Jazeera.2. According to POLITICO, during an August 29th meeting in Washington Lise Grande, the top U.S. official working on the humanitarian situation in Gaza told the leaders of more than a dozen aid organizations that “the U.S. would not consider withholding weapons from Israel for blocking food and medicine from entering [Gaza].” It is illegal to block the delivery of humanitarian assistance under both American and international human rights law. As the paper notes, Grande's “candid assessment…raises questions about the seriousness of recent Biden administration threats to [withhold arms].” One attendee told POLITICO “[Grande] was saying that the rules don't apply to Israel.”3. Meanwhile, Israel continues its war on the United Nations mission in Lebanon. On October 20th, UNIFIL released a statement saying “Earlier today, an IDF bulldozer deliberately demolished an observation tower and perimeter fence of a UN position in Marwahin…The IDF has repeatedly demanded that UNIFIL vacate its positions along the Blue Line and has deliberately damaged UN positions. Despite the pressure being exerted on the mission and our troop-contributing countries…We will continue to undertake our mandated tasks.” UNIFIL added “Yet again, we note that breaching a UN position and damaging UN assets is a flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolution 1701.”4. In a frankly dystopian story from the United Kingdom, British counterterrorism police “raided the home and seized several electronic devices belonging to The Electronic Intifada's associate editor Asa Winstanley,” despite the fact that Winstanley has not been charged with any offense. Electronic Intifada reports the raid was conducted under sections 1 and 2 of the 2006 “Terrorism Act,” which deal with the “encouragement of terrorism.” Human Rights Watch has previously urged the British government to repeal the repressive provisions of the 2006 act noting that “the definition of the encouragement of terrorism offense is overly broad, raising serious concerns about undue infringement on free speech.” Electronic Intifada further notes “In August, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service issued a warning to the British public to ‘think before you post' and threatening that it would prosecute anyone it deemed guilty of what it calls ‘online violence.'” Winstanley is the author of Weaponising Anti-Semitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn and has been interviewed by the Capitol Hill Citizen.5. According to the Libertarian magazine Reason, Bob Woodward's new book War includes a passage about a “shockingly blunt conversation,” between President Biden and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham regarding “Biden's attempts to negotiate a ‘megadeal' between the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.” Per Reason “Graham reportedly said that only Biden could secure a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty, because it would ‘take a Democratic president to convince Democrats to vote to go to war for Saudi Arabia'” Biden's response? “Let's do it.” Furthermore, reports indicate this security pact only fell apart after October 7th, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman seeing a prominent deal with Israel at that time as a major political liability. Reason cites an article from the Atlantic in January wherein Salman reportedly told Secretary of State Antony Blinken “Do I care personally about the Palestinian issue? I don't, but my people do…Half my advisers say that the deal is not worth the risk. I could end up getting killed because of this deal.”6. In more international news, the Cuban energy grid collapsed on Friday, under strain from Hurricane Oscar. The complete grid collapse left the entire country of 10 million without electricity, per NPR. Reuters reports that over the weekend, the grid failed three more times as authorities sought to restore power. Brasil de Fato, or BdF, a Brazilian socialist news service, reports China, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Russia and Barbados are offering support to Cuba amid the total blackout. BdF further reports “The Alba Movimientos platform, which brings together more than 400 organizations from 25 countries, issued a statement...[saying] ‘No one can attribute this virtual collapse of the Cuban electricity system to a specific measure by the US government – that would be too simplistic…this is'“the result of a long strategy of planned destruction of the material and spiritual living conditions of the Cuban population…with the financial resources denied to Cuba due to the blockade policy, 18 days of accumulated damages equal the annual cost of maintaining the country's electricity system.” According to the UN, the U.S. embargo cost Cuba $13 million US dollars per day between 2022 and 2023 alone.7. A new scandal has rocked American Higher Education. Inside Higher Ed reports “Last week a lawsuit accused 40 colleges and universities, as well as the nonprofit College Board, of participating in a price-fixing conspiracy to jack up tuition rates” specifically, for children of divorced parents. The scheme itself had to do with consideration of the non-custodial parent's income, but the larger issue at stake here is the fact that the universities entered into a “cartel” in violation of antitrust laws. As this piece notes this is the “second major price-fixing antitrust lawsuit filed against highly selective universities since 2022, when 17 institutions…were accused of illegally colluding to set common financial aid formulas. So far, 10 of those institutions have settled for a combined $248 million.”8. Boeing has offered their striking machinists a new deal, which they hope will end their crippling strike. ABC reports “The new offer delivers a 35% raise over the four-year duration of the contract,” which is short of the 40% raise demanded by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers but considerably better than the aerospace titan's previous offer of 25%. ABC continues “The proposal also hikes Boeing's contribution to a 401(k) plan, but it declines to fulfill workers' call for a reinstatement of the company's defined pension.” As this piece notes, the machinists overwhelmingly rejected Boeing's previous offer last month; this week they will vote on the new proposal. Whatever the details of the final contract, this episode clearly demonstrates the power of a union, even going up against one of the most powerful corporations in America.9. A stunning CNN investigation reveals the extent of predatory fundraising by the major parties off of elderly people suffering from dementia or other forms of cognitive decline in their old age. According to “More than 1,000 reports filed with government agencies and consumer advocacy groups… deceptive political fundraisers have victimized hundreds of elderly Americans…into giving away millions of dollars.” These heartbreaking stories concern “Donors…often in their 80s and 90s…[including] retired public workers, house cleaners and veterans, widows living alone, nursing home residents…[with] money…from pensions, Social Security payments and retirement savings accounts meant to last decades.” To cite just one just one shocking example: “[an] 82-year-old woman, who wore pajamas with holes in them because she didn't want to spend money on new ones, didn't realize she had given Republicans more than $350,000 while living in a 1,000 square-foot Baltimore condo since 2020.”10. Finally, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has sent a letter to Rodney McMullen, Chairman and CEO of Kroger, decrying the company's “decision to roll out surge pricing using facial recognition technology.” Specifically, Tlaib cites concerns about price manipulation based on external factors like supply as well as discrimination based on race, gender, and other criteria determined through facial recognition. Tlaib ends this letter with six key questions, including “Will Kroger use…facial recognition to display targeted advertisements…?…What safeguards will be in pace?…[and] Are there plans to sell data collected in the store?” among others. Grocery prices continue to be a source of everyday economic hardship for working Americans and corporations are increasingly interested in surge pricing for essential goods. There is some comfort in knowing at least one member of Congress is concerned about this dangerous combination.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
“We must protect science from politics!” science journalists shouted from 2017 to 2021. Then yesterday, the editors of Scientific American – the oldest ‘continuously published magazine' in the USA, with contributors including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla – endorsed their second presidential candidate in the publication's 179-year history: Kamala Harris. Their first endorsement? Joe Biden in 2020. The publication had only a few positive words about the previous administration and “Operation Warp Speed, which developed effective COVID vaccines extremely quickly.” Should science publications stay out of politics – and how can scientists rebuild their credibility as nonpartisan, unbiased truth seekers? For one night only, there are over 100 theatre screenings of VAXXED III which features Dr. Brian Hooker. Get tickets at https://vaxxed3.org Dr. Marty Makary, MD is a Johns Hopkins professor and member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Unaccountable and The Price We Pay, winner of the 2020 Business Book of the Year Award. 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. Follow him at https://x.com/martymakary and read his latest book “Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health” at https://amzn.to/4erBm4V Dr. Brian Hooker is an author and the chief scientific officer at Children's Health Defense. He holds five U.S. patents and has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications, including 20+ papers on vaccine injury epidemiology. He co-authored the New York Times bestseller “Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A former Biology Professor at Simpson University, Dr. Hooker specialized in microbiology and biotechnology. Find more at https://childrenshealthdefense.org and follow him at https://x.com/BrianHookerPhD 「 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 」 Find out more about the brands that make this show possible and get special discounts on Dr. Drew's favorite products at https://drdrew.com/sponsors • FATTY15 – The future of essential fatty acids is here! Strengthen your cells against age-related breakdown with Fatty15. Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit Subscription at https://drdrew.com/fatty15 • CAPSADYN - Get pain relief with the power of capsaicin from chili peppers – without the burning! Capsadyn's proprietary formulation for joint & muscle pain contains no NSAIDs, opioids, anesthetics, or steroids. Try it for 15% off at https://drdrew.com/capsadyn • PALEOVALLEY - "Paleovalley has a wide variety of extraordinary products that are both healthful and delicious,” says Dr. Drew. "I am a huge fan of this brand and know you'll love it too!” Get 15% off your first order at https://drdrew.com/paleovalley • THE WELLNESS COMPANY - Counteract harmful spike proteins with TWC's Signature Series Spike Support Formula containing nattokinase and selenium. Learn more about TWC's supplements at https://twc.health/drew 「 MEDICAL NOTE 」 Portions of this program may examine countervailing views on important medical issues. Always consult your physician before making any decisions about your health. 「 ABOUT THE SHOW 」 Ask Dr. Drew is produced by Kaleb Nation (https://kalebnation.com) and Susan Pinsky (https://twitter.com/firstladyoflove). This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Unaccountable, unelected, globalist bodies, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, the Bank of International Settlements and others, are attempting a coup, giving themselves powers to take away our sovereignty. Reggie Littlejohn joins us with news on a bill that just passed the House to stop this, and other ways to take action. Anti-Globalist International – Resisting the Great Reset. (antiglobalist.net)
3pm: Update: Bell Town Hellcat Driver Miles Hudson taken into custody! Barred from using Instagram // Paris Organizers Apologize After Last Supper Backlash // Olympics Takes Down Opening Ceremony Videos Starring Drag Queens Mocking Christianity // The Olympics: Expensive, Unaccountable, and Undemocratic // Dashcam video shows Vermont man being arrested after flipping off state trooper: ‘Freedom of expression’ // Man wins $175,000 lawsuit over the case // Proof that local television ads are infinitely better than national ads.
6pm: Update: Bell Town Hellcat Driver Miles Hudson taken into custody! Barred from using Instagram // Paris Organizers Apologize After Last Supper Backlash // Olympics Takes Down Opening Ceremony Videos Starring Drag Queens Mocking Christianity // The Olympics: Expensive, Unaccountable, and Undemocratic // Dashcam video shows Vermont man being arrested after flipping off state trooper: ‘Freedom of expression’ // Man wins $175,000 lawsuit over the case // Proof that local television ads are infinitely better than national ads.
“Unaccountable federal spending is the secret lifeblood of the Great Awokening,” write the authors of Mandate for Leadership, the Conservative Promise on page 6 of their 922-page document.
Is qualified immunity a narrow doctrine focused on protecting the police when they make “split second decisions”? If you listen to its defenders you would get that impression. The reality is far, far different. And IJ now has the stats to back that up. In this special episode, we welcome on IJ's Bob McNamara and data scientist Jason Tiezzi to discuss a new report Unaccountable: How Qualified Immunity Shields a Wide Range of Government Abuses, Arbitrarily Thwarts Civil Rights, and Fails to Fulfill Its Promises. It presents an analysis of over 7,000 federal appellate decisions over an eleven-year period and tells us a lot about how qualified immunity actually works in practice. We dig into many of its findings, such as that only 27% of appeals where qualified immunity was at issue involved excessive force. And that almost one in five qualified immunity appeals involved First Amendment claims. Listen in to hear the details, including about how this massive study was put together. And click below in the show notes to read the report itself. Unaccountable, the IJ report Bound By Oath episode on qualified immunity
CareLuminate unlocks hospital quality by tapping into bedside nurses' firsthand insights, empowering patients and stakeholders to make informed decisions. In this episode, Linda Komisak, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at CareLuminate, shares her journey from working in emergency and trauma departments to co-founding CareLuminate with the mission of revolutionizing hospital quality measurement. She explains how the company aims to gather quality data directly from nurses to obtain accurate and accountable hospital quality data and provide transparent and comprehensive insights into hospital care. Linda emphasizes the critical role of accountability in healthcare and recounts setbacks in convincing stakeholders to invest in this innovative research approach. She also discusses Caluminate's approach, setbacks, and the potential impact on healthcare transparency and patient empowerment. Listen to this episode and learn valuable insights on hospital care, accountability, and empowerment within the healthcare landscape! Resources: Watch the entire interview here. Connect with and follow Linda Komisak on LinkedIn. Learn more about CareLuminate on LinkedIn and their website. Pick up a copy of Marty Makary's book, Unaccountable, here.
Can our society's tribalistic tendencies be cultivating hidden dangers within our communities, unnoticed and unchecked? This critical issue was the central theme of a recent episode of "Hidden Killers," a podcast known for diving deep into the murky waters of criminal behavior and societal ills. Tony Brueski, the host, engaged with retired FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, Robin Dreeke, in a thought-provoking discussion that shed light on the evolving landscape of community behavior and the role of local media as a watchdog. The conversation began with an examination of whether there has been an increase in what Brueski refers to as "cabal type behavior" — small, tight-knit groups fostering a particular mindset or behavior that could potentially corrupt systems from within. Dreeke noted the rise of such behavior might not be as critical as the increase in media outlets that expose them. “Shows like this that highlight these things,” Dreeke observed, “are part of what is great about our country; free press allows us to dig deep in areas that we think there's not things going right.” However, the discussion took a turn when Brueski pointed out a disturbing trend: the disappearance of local media outlets, which traditionally played a significant role in holding local systems accountable. He emphasized that, unlike in the past when local media constantly monitored local affairs, now it seems “we only really hear about it when it gets out of control.” Dreeke concurred, articulating the profound impact of the decline in local journalism: “Those smaller media outlets are evaporating... and it's those smaller media outlets that have held our local politicians and our systems accountable for their behavior because that's what they're there for.” The two pondered the consequences of this vacuum, drawing parallels to a “Pandora's box open without an accountability partner,” leading to unchecked groupthink and possibly corrupt practices going unnoticed until they reach a critical and often scandalous peak. Brueski recalled how smaller communities, like the one he grew up in, were once under the vigilant eye of local newspapers and radio stations, which have since dwindled or been swallowed by larger conglomerates. He highlighted the independent efforts of platforms like East Idaho News, which strive to fill that gap, yet acknowledged the challenge of these few remaining guardrails to cover all that needs scrutiny. Dreeke, with his background in behavioral analysis, brought to the fore the idea that the very essence of trust within a community is forged by the sense of safety that accountability engenders. Without it, individuals and groups may devolve into dangerous patterns of behavior, often unconsciously. This brings into question the adequacy of our current systems to inspire trust and whether we are doing enough to highlight and investigate the multitude of cases that never make the headlines. In a society that prides itself on freedom of the press and the pursuit of justice, Brueski and Dreeke's conversation raises an alarm — not with sensationalism, but with a somber warning of the implications of losing local journalism's “guardrails.” They reflect on the challenges of uncovering and reporting on the plethora of cases that escape national attention, hinting at a vast underbelly of unreported or underreported issues simmering beneath the surface of our daily news feed. The article concludes by inviting the reader to ponder a crucial question: As the echo chambers grow louder and the traditional platforms of accountability fade, how many hidden killers are thriving in the shadows, bolstered by the very tribalism that once nurtured the collective community? And what will it take to shine a consistent light into these overlooked corners of our society before they reach a boiling point? Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Can our society's tribalistic tendencies be cultivating hidden dangers within our communities, unnoticed and unchecked? This critical issue was the central theme of a recent episode of "Hidden Killers," a podcast known for diving deep into the murky waters of criminal behavior and societal ills. Tony Brueski, the host, engaged with retired FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, Robin Dreeke, in a thought-provoking discussion that shed light on the evolving landscape of community behavior and the role of local media as a watchdog. The conversation began with an examination of whether there has been an increase in what Brueski refers to as "cabal type behavior" — small, tight-knit groups fostering a particular mindset or behavior that could potentially corrupt systems from within. Dreeke noted the rise of such behavior might not be as critical as the increase in media outlets that expose them. “Shows like this that highlight these things,” Dreeke observed, “are part of what is great about our country; free press allows us to dig deep in areas that we think there's not things going right.” However, the discussion took a turn when Brueski pointed out a disturbing trend: the disappearance of local media outlets, which traditionally played a significant role in holding local systems accountable. He emphasized that, unlike in the past when local media constantly monitored local affairs, now it seems “we only really hear about it when it gets out of control.” Dreeke concurred, articulating the profound impact of the decline in local journalism: “Those smaller media outlets are evaporating... and it's those smaller media outlets that have held our local politicians and our systems accountable for their behavior because that's what they're there for.” The two pondered the consequences of this vacuum, drawing parallels to a “Pandora's box open without an accountability partner,” leading to unchecked groupthink and possibly corrupt practices going unnoticed until they reach a critical and often scandalous peak. Brueski recalled how smaller communities, like the one he grew up in, were once under the vigilant eye of local newspapers and radio stations, which have since dwindled or been swallowed by larger conglomerates. He highlighted the independent efforts of platforms like East Idaho News, which strive to fill that gap, yet acknowledged the challenge of these few remaining guardrails to cover all that needs scrutiny. Dreeke, with his background in behavioral analysis, brought to the fore the idea that the very essence of trust within a community is forged by the sense of safety that accountability engenders. Without it, individuals and groups may devolve into dangerous patterns of behavior, often unconsciously. This brings into question the adequacy of our current systems to inspire trust and whether we are doing enough to highlight and investigate the multitude of cases that never make the headlines. In a society that prides itself on freedom of the press and the pursuit of justice, Brueski and Dreeke's conversation raises an alarm — not with sensationalism, but with a somber warning of the implications of losing local journalism's “guardrails.” They reflect on the challenges of uncovering and reporting on the plethora of cases that escape national attention, hinting at a vast underbelly of unreported or underreported issues simmering beneath the surface of our daily news feed. The article concludes by inviting the reader to ponder a crucial question: As the echo chambers grow louder and the traditional platforms of accountability fade, how many hidden killers are thriving in the shadows, bolstered by the very tribalism that once nurtured the collective community? And what will it take to shine a consistent light into these overlooked corners of our society before they reach a boiling point? Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
3 - Rich kicks off the afternoon with a story over two moms, each on separate sides of the political aisle, upset over the wacko policies being put in New Jersey that eliminate pronouns from school and sports, allowing boys to play girl sports and be in locker rooms and vice versa. Rich gives his take on the matter 310 - Rich then moves to the Biden corruption scandal and an oversight's committee report over payments made to the Biden family and associates from all across Europe and Asia. Rich goes through the details of the report and gives his knee-jerk reactions. 330 - Twitter has been fined for not handing over the keys to Trump's Twitter account to , but as we go through this story, Twitter has handed it over to investigators. Joe Biden is out west talking about climate change nonsense and touching reporters. We play some audio and get feedback from Rich over the whole green initiative just being a honey pot for special interest groups. 350 - Mike Pence stars in a new ad where he is very clearly not pumping gas because he never chooses the fuel grade and it beeps throughout the video. 4 - Which state will be the first to declare that going against the climate change agenda will be a crime? Rich's money is on Jersey as possible Democratic candidates for President jockey for position, including King Phillip the Unaccountable trying to place himself ahead of those like Newsome and Shapiro. Newsome is also ducking Ron DeSantis after DeSantis accepted his debate challenge. Who will be the most left above the rest? 420 - Legendary guitarist Robbie Robertson passed away today and we pay tribute to a life well-lived. 430 - Can you get my testicles? They're right next to the eggs. 445 - Rich just vibes, man. 450 - The case against Trump: Do you have the right to lie? Why is climate change always blamed on humans but not the volcanoes mentioned yesterday, or the current solar flares flashing up? 5 - Drive @ 5 - Disney partners with a ‘gender fluid' man to promote Minnie Mouse women's apparel. Stories like this always bring up the term ‘groomer.' Harry's Razors, former sponsor, went woke and now have a trans man promoting shaving their chest and face. After Bud Light's fiasco, when will these companies learn the consumer does not want this stuff shoved in our faces? 510 - Segueing into prosecuting people for lying. Why would we not do that for someone like Dr. Rachel Levine, who identifies as a woman despite being a man? 525 - A professor told his class that biological sex was determined by chromosomes. Students walked out of class which led to a suspension which in turn then led to a firing due to his comment. Now that professor is suing as he was using college approved material and the fact you are able to have these discussions within the classroom a la the First Amendment. 540 - How does Robbie Robertson's death affect Phil's set tonight? Let's talk about baseball! Joe Biden just helped out Russia by canceling domestic uranium mining after deeming the work area out west a national monument. Now we will get most of our Uranium from Putin himself. 550 - AI is fueling anorexia. A smorgasbord of topics to end the 5 o'clock hour. 6 - We kick off the final hour with 24 straight minutes of Democrats denying elections. Just kidding, we only have to play a couple minutes to get the point across. Yet, nobody got indicted over it! 610 - Was it okay for Biden to enter that reporter's personal space during an interview? When is it appropriate? Let's hold Biden criminally accountable for saying he'd stop drilling? 630 - A former climate change alarmist has changed her tune and is fighting to debunk climate change as she explains it is all for profit gain. Scientists know climate change is a ruse, but those who come up with the most alarming and fear-mongering numbers will have fame and riches in the science community and beyond, hence why all these different reports always come out. And the ones funding these conspiracies? Our own government. 650 - Fourth and Final Follow The Money. More on Biden payments to the family and associates.
4 - Which state will be the first to declare that going against the climate change agenda will be a crime? Rich's money is on Jersey as possible Democratic candidates for President jockey for position, including King Phillip the Unaccountable trying to place himself ahead of those like Newsome and Shapiro. Newsome is also ducking Ron DeSantis after DeSantis accepted his debate challenge. Who will be the most left above the rest? 420 - Legendary guitarist Robbie Robertson passed away today and we pay tribute to a life well-lived. 430 - Can you get my testicles? They're right next to the eggs. 445 - Rich just vibes, man. 450 - The case against Trump: Do you have the right to lie? Why is climate change always blamed on humans but not the volcanoes mentioned yesterday, or the current solar flares flashing up?
3 - Everybody loves a good motorcade, but what about its carbon footprint? Trump is heading to court to plead not guilty, then turn around and drive back in another motorcade that will get way too much press coverage. 310 - Rich then moves to something pointed out by our own Matt Rooney regarding King Phillip the Unaccountable and his consistent pushing of wind energy off the coast despite consistent killing off whales. We have a new member of the Cape May Marlin & Tuna Club! 330 - We go live to one of Trump's lawyers taking questions on the matters today. 340 - How far is Jack Smith reaching in order to make this case? Well, Rich let's you know. 350 - Andy McCarthy has been incredibly critical of Donald Trump, but even he has to admit in his new piece how absurd these attempts to smear Trump are.
3 - Everybody loves a good motorcade, but what about its carbon footprint? Trump is heading to court to plead not guilty, then turn around and drive back in another motorcade that will get way too much press coverage. 310 - Rich then moves to something pointed out by our own Matt Rooney regarding King Phillip the Unaccountable and his consistent pushing of wind energy off the coast despite consistent killing off whales. We have a new member of the Cape May Marlin & Tuna Club! 330 - We go live to one of Trump's lawyers taking questions on the matters today. 340 - How far is Jack Smith reaching in order to make this case? Well, Rich let's you know. 350 - Andy McCarthy has been incredibly critical of Donald Trump, but even he has to admit in his new piece how absurd these attempts to smear Trump are. 4 - There's a Democrat being investigated and somebody actually reported on it? Bob Menendez's wife Nadine is now being investigated for accepting gifts. Rich details the inner mechanisms of this new inquiry into the oft in trouble Menendez, including cornering the halal market here in the States through shady means. Tying this in with Trump's case. 430 - Paul Sperry of Real Clear Investigations is back on the horn to discuss what's in the news. They start with the abuses committed to keep spying on Trump, renewing the FISA act, fake Washington Post stories leading to Pulitzer Prizes, Hunter Biden and Devon Archer, controlling the narrative, and Jack Smith and his Democrat activist wife. 450 - Friends of The Rich Zeoli Show are all over TV today giving their expertise on the Trump indictment situation. 5 - Drive @ 5 - Tucker Carlson's biographer Chadwick Moore joins us once again to discuss Tucker speaking with Devon Archer as well as Tucker's well being after leaving Fox. They also discuss the public disdain for the “explosiveness” the mainstream media gives you nowadays instead of just regular news. How is the book doing? And we learn about the “Do Not Book” list. 510 - Don't let the left control the narrative. Even Fox News is doing the “look, new, shiny object” bit to distract viewers from the real issues. We are in the police state with state run media. 540 - How often do you wash your hair? Will the mullet be at the next live broadcast? 550 - Budweiser should hire Danny DeVito to fix their PR problem as sales plummet and product is sitting on the shelves. 6 - The final hour kicks off with a salute to a CBS reporter and some audio clips. Rich then moves into the Hunter Biden case and the details that dropped today despite being overshadowed by Trump. 630 - New gender policies were passed in New jersey today to include more neutral language and allowing kids to take classes with the same gender they identify with. Back to the Hunter Biden news, as well as touching on Trump and more audio. 640 - Changes in Disney? 650 - Justin Trudeau and Wife are splitting, so who gets the oil painting of Fidel Castro? What is coming up on The Mark Levin Show? Final thoughts.
Emma hosts Joanna Schwartz, professor at UCLA Law School, to discuss her recent book Shielded: How The Police Became Untouchable. Then, she's joined by Sam Mellins, senior reporter at New York Focus. to discuss New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's top judicial nominee, Judge Hector LaSalle, being struck down by the State Senate in Albany. First, Emma runs through updates on a second earthquake hitting Turkey and Syria, China's denial of any Russian allyship, the Israeli Knesset advancing Netanyahu's extreme abuses of the judicial branch, Buttigieg's delayed action in East Palestine, and Ron DeSantis launching his “Crime Tour,” before diving into Tucker Carlson's attempt to shift East Palestine discourse away from corporate cost-cutting and towards Joe Biden's “industrial sabotage.” Professor Joanna Schwartz then joins as she explores her focus on various untold stories of police brutality throughout the US, beginning with the story of Onree Norris, a 78-year-old victim of a wrong-address home invasion, to explore the complete lack of accountability faced by police departments nationwide when an incident doesn't make the 24-hour news cycle. Diving deeper into Onree Norris' story as she assesses the barrier of qualified immunity on his quest for justice, with prosecution requiring pre-existing judicial decisions surrounding the exact same circumstances – decisions that courts actively refuse to publish for this very reason – all serving to stifle any attempts to hold police, their departments, or their local government's accountable. Next, Professor Schwartz zooms out to look at the history of qualified immunity, beginning with the passage of the Klu Klux Klan Act in 1871 which sought to grant the right of trial and due process to the recently freed Black population when it came to addressing justice for constitutional violations by the state, only for the Supreme Court to respond immediately by making various decisions to undermine and stunt these developments as the US continued into the Jim Crow era. Moving into the second half of the 20th Century, Joanna and Emma explore the Supreme Court's decision to finally reverse this decision in 1968, then opening up lawsuits against local governments in '71, only to – once again – launch various decisions that undermined this right, opening up local governments to passing qualified immunity and other measures that protect them from accountability and hinder victims of police brutalities' quests for justice. Wrapping up the interview, they tackle the history and development of policing institutions in the US, coming out of the slave economy and settler-colonial structure of the early US, and discuss what policy measures can help bolster Americans' right to justice in the face of state abuses. Sam Mellins then joins as he walks through Kathy Hochul's failed nomination of Hector LaSalle to the Chief Judgeship of the NY Court of Appeals, why she embraced this loss so dearly, and where it leaves the future of this seat. And in the Fun Half: Emma talks with Mason from Alabama on the relationship between gun-control legislation and policing reform, Donald Trump talks the “n-word” (Nuclear) and rags on DeSantis' crime tour, and the crew parses through Jimmy Dore's recent “anti-war” rally that featured promoters of the invasion of Afghanistan and Ukraine, and exemplified the untethering of Dore's anti-establishment schtick from the relationship between labor and capital. George Santos finally takes down his walls on Piers Morgan Uncensored and gets honest about his lies, Bob from Raleigh plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Joanna's book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677131/shielded-by-joanna-schwartz/ Check out Sam's work here: https://www.nysfocus.com/author/sam-mellins/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: Shopify: Scaling your business is a journey of endless possibility. Shopify is here to help, with tools and resources that make it easy for any business to succeed from down the street to around the globe. Go to https://shopify.com/majority for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features! 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Megyn Kelly is joined by Jesse Kelly, host of "I'm Right" on TheFirst TV, and Buck Sexton, host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, to talk about the "system" collusion involving Jim Baker and his involvement with the FBI and Twitter, what we learned now about Elon Musk's "Twitter Files," the importance of the FBI and Hunter Biden laptop timeline, CIA's lack of introspection about the laptop, the corruption of institutions, what we learned from a deposition of Dr. Fauci about his lies surrounding masks, Fauci continuing to not be held accountable, the Herschel Walker loss in Georgia and national vs. local politics, Prince Harry's climate hypocrisy, Time Magazine naming Zelensky Person of the Year, continued politicization of the January 6 riot, leftists favoring emotion over reality, Elon Musk's free speech push, the important issue of shadow-banning, media covering for violence, Jane Fonda claiming climate change is about misogyny and racism, the status of victimhood, and more.Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKellyTwitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShowInstagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShowFacebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at: https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow