Ralph Nader Radio Hour

Ralph welcomes civics educator and author, Barbara Lewis, who tells how best to teach kids how to be effective activists in their communities. Then, investigative reporter, Greg Palast, joins us to outline how we can protect our vote this election year, chronicled in his book “How Trump Stole 2020: The Hunt for America’s Vanished Voters.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Amidst a general discussion of this year’s presidential race, political ad guru Bill Hillsman deconstructs four Joe Biden ads and one Trump ad for message and effectiveness.  Plus, child advocate Robert Fellmeth rejoins us to continue his crusade against anonymity on Facebook. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes back Andrew Kimbrell, founder of the Center for Food Safety, to discuss the dangers of genetically engineered viruses and the possibility that COVID-19 escaped from a lab. And Dr. Michael Carome, director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen, tells us about Public Citizen's effort to get President Trump and Vice President Pence to step down and put health experts in charge of the pandemic response. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph, David, and Steve invite Republican pollster, Frank Luntz, coiner of the terms “climate change” and “clean coal,” for a freewheeling conversation about - among other things – why he has changed his mind about the climate crisis. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Daniel Newman, author of the intriguing and accessible non-fiction graphic novel “Unrig: How To Fix Our Broken Democracy,” about how private “wealth hoarders” work to weaken government and what you can do about it. Then, Dr. John Geyman returns to remind us how corporate healthcare rips us all off as evidenced in his new book “Profiteering, Corruption and Fraud in U.S. Health Care.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph reflects on the current unrest in the streets with Professor Michael G. Long, author of “We the Resistance: Documenting a History of Nonviolent Protest in the United States.” Then, he welcomes Middle East scholar, Juan Cole, to speak about Netanyahu’s plan to annex 30% of the West Bank for Israel. Plus, Ralph addresses listener objections to his use of the term “Moscow Mitch.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes back Glen Ford from Black Agenda Report to discuss the ongoing protests over police brutality and the myth of the “warrior cop.” Then Lisa Gilbert, executive vice-president of Public Citizen, tells us what they are fighting to get into the next stimulus package. Plus, Ralph updates us on the Boeing Max 8 issue. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes “the world’s greatest political adman,” Bill Hillsman, to discuss what Joe Biden and the Democrats need to do to beat Trump. And Susan Clark, author of “All Those In Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community” joins us to talk about the virtues of direct democracy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ari Berman, author of “Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America” joins Ralph to discuss what needs to happen for Americans to be able to vote this November. Plus, Ralph talks about George Floyd, Boeing, and answers listener questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph talks to Hassan El-Tayyab, from the Friends Committee on National Legislation, about how the US urgently needs to resume food and medical aid to Yemen in order to avert an even more serious humanitarian tragedy. And James Zirin, author of “Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits” comes back to update us on the status of Trump’s legal issues, and why they are taking so long to resolve. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph talks about how ending corporate tax giveaways and enacting a stock transfer tax can help the country recover from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with first Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First and then New York State Assemblyman, Phil Steck. Plus, we pay tribute to a number of progressive activists and thinkers we’ve lost recently, including one of our favorite and frequent guests, the Green Cowboy, David Freeman.    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Award-winning filmmaker, Eugene Jarecki, joins Ralph to talk about the electronic billboard he put up in New York’s Times Square, the “Trump Death Clock.” And Mark Dimondstein, head of the American Postal Workers Union, reminds how the health and safety of postal workers as well as the preservation of the post office is essential for delivering medicines and other vital goods as well as protecting democracy. Plus, listener questions!   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Former Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, who was convicted on dubious corruption charges and spent five years in prison joins us to talk about his chronicle of those events in his book “Stealing Democracy: How the Political Assassination of a Governor Threatens Our Nation.” And old friend and constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, makes the case that Congress has once again abdicated its responsibility during the Covid-19 crisis. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Infectious disease expert, Dr. Michael Osterholm, comes back to update us on the latest in the battle against Covid-19. And Naila Bolus, president and CEO of “Jumpstart,” joins us to talk about how the money spent on early education gives society a tremendous return on investment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

On the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, Ralph welcomes environmental historian, Adam Rome, author of “The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach- In Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation.” And the Green Cowboy, S. David Freeman returns to talk about the state of the environment today. Plus, we debut a special song in honor of Earth Day. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Jean Ross, president of the largest nurses’ union in the country, National Nurses United, joins Ralph to talk about how healthcare workers are not being protected from Covid-19. And Yale psychiatrist, Dr. Bandy Lee, comes back to update us on the Donald Trump’s mental pathology. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Scholar and Bernie Sanders surrogate, Ramesh Srinivasan, joins us to talk about the need to regulate big tech while also sharing his thoughts about the end of the Sanders campaign. Then prominent Bay Area attorney, Joe Cotchett, explains why during the coronavirus lockdown, he has stopped collecting rent from the tenants in the commercial properties he owns. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Constitutional scholar Alan Hirsch to talk about how best - amid a pandemic - we can still conduct a legitimate presidential election. And labor writer, Steven Greenhouse, asks the question: Are our grocery deliveries worth a worker’s life? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph talks drugs with two experts, first Katherine Eban about how we can expect the coronavirus pandemic to affect the supply chain for every drug we import. And Jamie Love about how the government needs to keep pharmaceutical companies from gouging American taxpayers in a crisis, especially when the research and development of the drugs was done with taxpayer money. Plus, Ralph answers a question from a listener trapped in the credit economy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph speaks to James Zirin, former prosecutor and author of “Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3500 Lawsuits,” which chronicles how Trump throughout his life has weaponized the court system to his advantage. Plus, we welcome back the director of the Health Research Group for Public Citizen, Dr. Michael Carome, to give us an update on the coronavirus pandemic. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com