Forward Radio podcasts

A group from Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare discuss the recent killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the effect on it's quest for Medicare for All

A discussion of the cons of AI when it comes to possible "deskilling" of labor and harm to education.

On today's show, we listen in on a very timely community conversation hosted on January 14th, 2025 with the Oberlin Club of Washington, DC, focused on the question: "Why is the working-class leaving the Democratic Party?" The conversation featured remarks by Les Leopold, Executive Director of The Labor Institute, and a 1969 graduate of Oberlin College. You can watch the full event and see the slides at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThOll28AuYY In assessing the 2024 elections, many voters are asking: has the working-class abandoned the Democratic Party? If so, why? What does that tell us about the views of working people and what does that suggest about the Party and its future? There are two major theories to account for the extensive working-class shift to the Republicans since 1996. One argument rooted in social issues is that working-class resentment against women, immigrants, LBGTQ+ communities and other ""woke"" concerns has resulted in an embrace of right-wing candidates whose supporters Hillary Clinton once termed "a basket of deplorables". The other theory is that economic issues like job insecurity, stagnant wages and declining prospects for the future have pushed workers away from the Democrats. What does the data reveal? Les Leopold offers an assessment based on findings in his latest book "Wall Street's War on Workers: How Mass Layoffs and Greed Are Destroying the Working Class and What to Do About It." Les Leopold co-founded and currently directs The Labor Institute, a non-profit organization that designs research and educational programs on occupational safety and health, the environment and economics for unions, workers centers and community organizations. In addition to "Wall Street's War on Workers," he is the author of "Defiant German, Defiant Jew"; "Runaway Inequality"; "How to Make a Million Dollars an Hour: Why Financial Elites get away with siphoning off America's Wealth"; "The Looting of America: How Wall Street's Game of Fantasy Finance destroyed our Jobs, Pensions and Prosperity, and What We Can Do About It"; and "The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor: The Life and Times of Tony Mazzocchi." Les graduated from Oberlin with a degree in Government and earned an MPA from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else! Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

Hear the story of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865-1915), the first indigenous woman to earn a medical degree in the US. Mary Williams reports on this fascinating woman of the Omaha tribe. Then, have you heard that a glass of wine every night is good for your health? But is it true? There is accumulating evidence that any alcohol we drink has a negative effect on our overall health and longevity. Dave Robinson examines the evidence from both sides of this controversial question. ‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly radio program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenchTalkRadio/posts/?ref=page_internal

This week on Sustainability Now!, we continue our theme of ringing in the new year with a focus on healthy soils and healthy food! Your host, Justin Mog, is thrilled to be in conversation with two friends from OAK, the Organic Association of Kentucky: Shannon Post is OAK's Farmer Education Coordinator, and one of OAK founders, Larry Brandenburg, owner of Harmony Fields Farm in Shelbyville with his wife, will be part of the organic farmer panel that opens the 14th Annual OAK Conference, January 23-25 at Kentucky State University’s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort. Tune in as we discuss the rich history and growth of OAK and organic agriculture across the Commonwealth. You’ll also get a preview of this year’s OAK Conference, where you can join fellow farmers, ag professionals and local food system advocates for three days of engagement around this year’s theme, Grounded in Organics: From Soil to Market. The Conference features 33 Kentucky farmer-speakers; updates on PFAS, the “forever chemicals” in agriculture; an Organic Farmer Panel featuring Larry Brandenburg, Harmony Fields Farm; Daniel Mays, Frith Farm; Keith McKenzie, Knob Hill Farm; Cortney Moses, GoodThymes Organic Farm; Lisa Munniksma, Freelance Writer - Moderator; and this year’s Keynote Speaker, Jesse Buie, who has farmed for over 30 years and is President of Ole Brook Organics, which has been certified organic for over ten years. Currently, his farm in Brookhaven, Mississippi, produces mixed vegetables, melons, ginger and turmeric. He produces a private-label certified organic tea for sale to local groceries and direct to consumers. Scholarships are available. Immerse in farm-based learning on Thursday, January 23, by joining a pre-conference workshop. Don't miss this year's offerings: six half-day workshops on agroforestry, walk-behind tractors, farm profitability, silvopasture, storage crops and an intensive for experienced growers. All workshops include a locally-sourced, farm-to-table lunch. MORNING WORKSHOPS (9:00am - 12:30pm ET) • Agroforestry in Practice: Adding Perennials to the Farmscape - Daniel Mays, Frith Farm; Margaret Shea, Dropseed Native Plant Nursery; Ian Zeglin, Greenacres Foundation; Marissa Arnoldussen, OAK; Jesse Frost, Rough Draft Farmstead (Moderator) • Walk-Behind Tractors A to Z: History, Applications, Use and Maintenance - Joel Dufour, Earth Tools; Maggie Dungan, Salad Days Farm • Dealing with the Squeeze: Finding Profit When All Input Costs are High - Ellen Polishuk, Plant to Profit; Adam Barr, Barr Farms AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS (1:30 - 5:00pm ET) •. Silvopasture in the Eastern Hardwood Forests - Brett Chedzoy, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County / Angus Glen Farms LLC; Greg Brann, Greg Brann Consulting / Big Spring Farm; Marissa Arnoldussen, OAK (Moderator) • Storage Crop Success: Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squash - Jeff Poppen, Long Hungry Creek Farm • Mini-Mastermind for Experienced Growers - Ellen Polishuk, Plant to Profit; Sarah Geurkink, OAK Learn more about the conference and get registered at: https://www.oak-ky.org/agenda https://www.oak-ky.org/annual-conference OAK's Find a Farm Directory: https://directory.oak-ky.org/ Larry's website: https://www.harmonyfieldsfarm.com/ As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

Annelle Sheline is a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. She previously served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Office of Near Eastern Affairs (DRL/NEA), before resigning in March 2024 to protest the Biden administration’s unconditional support for Israeli military operations in Gaza. She is a senior non-resident fellow at the Arab Center of Washington DC and a non-resident fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. She holds a PhD in political science from George Washington University. She has written for Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic, and has appeared on the BBC, CNN, CBS, and Al Jazeera.

Patty and Brian dive into some critical thinking news for The New Year!

Dr. Lawrence Lessig, Prof. of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, formerly professor at Stanford Law School, former clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia and author of numerous books and articles on democracy and its accelerating decline, spoke with Ruth and occasional co-host James Moore on money's corrupting influence over our democracy and what we as individuals and as a nation can do about it.

To kick off the new year on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, is thrilled to be in conversation with Deb Dynako, Senior Director of Partnership Development at Slipstream (https://slipstreaminc.org). Slipstream discovers, tests, and scales climate solutions in buildings and communities that move us faster toward a clean economy for all. The nonprofit organization is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with offices in Chicago and staff across the U.S. Slipstream’s solutions include research, program acceleration, inclusive energy financing, and workforce development through education and training. With 40 years of experience demonstrating "what’s next" in programs and technologies, Slipstream partners with utilities, local and state governments, regulatory agencies and other organizations to inspire new solutions to big energy challenges. Learn more and connect with Deb at https://www.linkedin.com/in/debdynako/ As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

K.A. Owens interviews Vincent Gonzalez-former co-host of "Community Control Now". There are comments on the KY Alliance Against Racist And Political Repression December 31, 2024 New Years Eve Party, the 2024 Protect Our Schools Campaign and evaluations of Jefferson County Public Schools. Recorded Friday January 3, 2025, 10PM.

Dr. Sheila Schuster, Psychologist and Mental Health and Healthcare Advocate, along with Lisa Willner, Ph.D. Mental Health Professional and District 35 Kentucky House Representative both spoke at the Louisville League of Women Voters Democracy in Action Forum on how to advocate effectively to members of the Frankfort KY Legislature for causes that you are passionate about.

Linus Pauling (1901-1994) is the only person to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes. One prize was for his groundbreaking research in biochemistry, and the other for his anti-nuclear war activism. But he made mistakes too; like his ugly support of 'negative eugenics' and his unsubstantiated claims about Vitamin C megadosing. Let's review his career! Then, Scott Miller tells us about the four planets, and the meteor showers, stars, constellations and nebulae we can see in the night sky in January. ‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly radio program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenchTalkRadio/posts/?ref=page_internal

GRACIE LEWIS is a journalist and retired employee of the federal government and former Staff Assistant, United States Congress, Subcommittee on Labor Standards. She has spent some 50 years as a “warrior for justice.” Her contributions to many organizations have demonstrated her unwavering dedication to justice, equality and community development. GRACIE LEWIS started her activism in 1971 with the “Free Angela Davis” Defense Movement in Washington, DC. Since then she has lived by the creed, “If I can help somebody along the way, my living has not been in vain.”

Dr Tom James joins Drs Mike Flynn and Gene Shively along with Paul Hoppe in a discussion on womens reproductive rights in Kentucky. Kentucky currently has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States. As of December 2024, abortion is illegal in Kentucky at all stages of pregnancy, with very limited exceptions.

David Bollier, author, co-author and co-editor of 12 books on new, more earth- and human-aligned paradigms, presents his views of our current economic, political and social systems -- why they are failing us, and how a parallel system of self-growing communities he calls "the Commons" or "the Commonsverse" is popping up in different parts of the world to rekindle a sense of agency, belonging and self governing.

A talk on how the horse replaced the ox as the preferred farm animal and its consequences for economic development in Britain and how it helped the animal mattered in the transition from feudalism to capitalism. Based on my paper "The Horse versus the Ox during Medieval Times.......and Horse Power versus Horsepower Today." This can be accessed at https://ir.library.louisville.edu/faculty/868/ .

Mark Alsip debunks some common myths like the real reason hot water helps clean our hands, and how the majority of the earth's atmospheric Carbon Dioxide is there naturally, and how humans are upsetting it's balance. He also discusses whether daily megadoses of Vitamin C really prevent colds and flu. Then, Dave Robinson discusses a new Texas public school curriculum that integrates the Bible into lesson plans for K-5 students. Next year, millions of children could be required to study, and be tested on, stories from the Book of Genesis and the New Testament. Why are STEM-education activists opposed to these changes? Here is the 'Bad Science Debunked' website of Mark Alsip: https://badscidebunked.wordpress.com/author/markaaronky/ ‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly radio program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenchTalkRadio/posts/?ref=page_internal Music heard on this episode is 'Dance of the Reed Flutes' from 'The Nutcracker Ballet' by Peter Tchaikovski (1892); public domain.

To wrap up the year on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, puts his overalls on for a conversation with Ben Heimach-Snipes. Ben is a gardener, composter, Prebyterian pastor and much more. He moved to Louisville two years ago and has been working in roofing sales to fund his dream of starting a compost business, similar to what Vermont Compost or Charlie's Compost south of Owensboro (http://charliescompost.com/) does - high value, high quality compost for gardeners or farmers. He'd like to contract with restaurants and other businesses that have pretty consistent waste volumes without herbicides. Join us as we discuss compost as the story of new life and the theology of soil, as Genesis in the bible says, we are made from the "best, richest, darkest, thickest soil.” You’ll also learn about creating safe compost and get introduced to the ideas of Jessie Frost from the NoTill Market Garden podcast (http://Notillgrowers.com), who says over and over again that there is no source of compost in Kentucky that is guaranteed to be free of persistent herbicides and affordable enough to be part of a farmer's budget. Ben’s goal is to one day fill this gap in the perceived market. We also talk about the Soil Food Web School (https://www.soilfoodweb.com/), soil food web based lawn care, and healthy gardening in Kentucky through healthy soils. Get in touch with Ben at Benheimachsnipes@gmail.com As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

To mark the 400th edition of Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, is delighted to sit down once again with local environmental educator, researcher, and consultant, Carolyn Waters! Gather ‘round the hearth as we catch up with Carolyn and her current pursuits, including: teaching an internship class in Bellarmine University’s Department of Environmental Studies; delivering a workshop on environmental education and natural history interpretation at the Association of Nature Center Administrators summit; publishing an article on exclusionary narratives in the field in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (https://rdcu.be/dGOKX); submitting two applications for EPA community change grants with Origin Park in southern Indiana; touring a permaculture-style agave farm in Oaxaca, Mexico; reflecting on past and present experiences in intentional community and how that informs resiliency; experiencing the Givaudan explosion and ongoing aftermath in her Clifton neighborhood; and growing chickens, veggies, and fruit trees at home. As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

You can find Tracy Clark on social media on Instagram @tpclark2000, on FB at Tracy Clark and on her website tracyclarkbooks.com/ For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. We are also on Instagram @perksofbeingabookloverpod and on FB Perks of Being a Book Lover This week we have a Remix episode and catch up with Tracy Clark, who we interviewed in Season 8 (episode 161) about her first Harriet Foster novel titled Hide. Her most recent title, number 3 in the series, is called Echo, and it came out Dec 3. We chat with her about this book, as well as the Harriet Foster book she is currently writing. We caught her on a writing day in which Harriet Foster was not cooperating. Then you will hear some of our conversation with Tracy back in 2023 when Harriet Foster first arrived on the scene. Books Mentioned In This Episode 1- Hide by Tracy Clark 2- Echo by Tracy Clark 3- Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 4- Her Name is Knight series by Yasmin Angoe 5- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 6-The Ninja's Oath (Lily Wong series) by Tori Eldridge 7- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 8- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 9- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 10- American Fever by Dur e Aziz Almna Authors mentioned: 1- Sarah Paretsky 2- Sue Grafton 3- Agatha Christie 4- Valerie Wilson Wesley 5- Barbara Neely