Expat Files – 08.18.17

#1- Corn Tortillas: the unusual truth about the 3000 year old food that fed a good number of mighty civilizations. However good they taste and smell, gringos and expats should watch carefully how they are made and handled. Every little tortilla stand has a different set of hygienic standards ranging from good to ugly. Unfortunately the cleanliness factor can be …

Expat Files – 07.23.17

#1- A frequent question from listeners: “Johnny, where would you live if you had to settle down and have your “Plan B” in Mexico?” Today you’ll get the full, unabridged answer.   #2- In Mexico the prices are going up, up, up. You might be surprised at the reasons why. That’s all bad news for the hundreds of thousands of Gringo and …

Alternative Visions – The New Phase of Global Capitalism Post-2008 – 07.07.17

Dr. Rasmus explains how the global capitalist economy entered a new phase of evolution with the 2008-09 global financial crash and recession, and how central banks have become the primary economic policy institution for the advanced economies.  Central banks have been transformed since 2008 from institutions designed to bail out the private banks in periods of crises, into institutions that …

Advertisement Hidden Distress Among Well-Off Women in America

We’ve written regularly about the how death rates have been rising among some large segments of the US population. One troubling finding was the Case-Deaton study that reported how lifespans have shortened among less educated white Americans aged 45-54. As co-author and Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton said earlier this year, “Many areas of Appalachia and Mississippi Delta have lower …

iEat Green – Jennifer Harris – 01.26.17

Dr. Jennifer L. Harris is Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and Associate Professor in Allied Health Sciences at University of Connecticut. She leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers who study food marketing to children, adolescents, and parents, and how it impacts their diets and health. Dr. Harris received her B.A. from Northwestern University and M.B.A. in Marketing from The Wharton School. Before returning to graduate school, she was a marketing executive for eighteen years, including at American Express as a Vice President in consumer marketing and as principal in a marketing strategy consulting firm. Dr. Harris completed her PhD in Social Psychology at Yale University with Dr. John Bargh and Dr. Kelly Brownell. Dr. Harris is a leading expert on food marketing to youth, and her research is widely used by the public health community and policymakers to improve the food marketing environment surrounding children and adolescents in the United States and worldwide. Specific areas of research include monitoring and evaluating the amount, types, and nutrition quality of food and drinks marketed to youth and families; the psychology of food marketing and its impact on health behaviors; and identifying effective policy solutions. Her current research focuses on targeted marketing and health disparities affecting black and Hispanic youth; new forms of marketing targeted to youth on social media and mobile devices; and effects of food marketing on what and how parents feed their babies and young children.

This Can’t Be Happening – 01.25.17

Ellen Schrecker, author of “No Ivory Tower” and other books about the McCarthy era, and a widely acclaimed expert on that subject, talks about similarities — and differences — between that era of anti-communist witch-hunts and our own era of official hounding of government critics, immigrants and “pro-Russian” leftists.

Noah Smith – Milton Friedman’s Cherished Theory Is Laid to Rest

When you’re wrong, you’re wrong, no matter how famous and respected you might be as a scientist. Albert Einstein was wrong about quantum mechanics. Linus Pauling was wrong about the structure of DNA. And Milton Friedman was wrong about the permanent income hypothesis. But unlike with the first two examples, where scientists quickly realized the mistake, economists haven’t yet come …

Leid Stories—The Year It’s Been: Looking Back At 2016 (Part 4)—12.30.16

Leid Stories listeners close out the year with wide-ranging discussions on the issues and events they believe were most significant or had the greatest impact this year. It’s our last “Free Your Mind Friday” for 2016. Call 888-874-4888 and help us adjust our rear-view mirrors.