EP 462 New York: America’s Indispensable City

EP 462 New York: America’s Indispensable City

https://craigdtaylor.com/books   Neither terrorist attack, financial meltdown, devastating hurricane or a pandemic can shake New York City from its perch as America’s most unique and vital city.  While some say it’s teetering now in the wake of COVID-19 it is hard to bet against this city because of the resilience and strength of its people.  …

Read More Read More

EP 461 Spy Vs. Spy: The U.S. Fight Against Soviet, Now Russian, Aggression

EP 461 Spy Vs. Spy: The U.S. Fight Against Soviet, Now Russian, Aggression

https://jackdevine.com/about-jack/ It’s the same old song as the Russian spy machine keeps rolling along.  Who would know better than Jack Devine who formerly served as acting director and associate director at the CIA  and was in charge of the CIA’s largest and most successful covert action operation, which drove the Russians out of Afghanistan? In …

Read More Read More

EP 460 Is Capitalism Good for Our Health?

EP 460 Is Capitalism Good for Our Health?

https://www.amazon.com/At-What-Cost-Modern-Capitalism/dp/0190078626 There is a growing concern that capitalism, as presently practiced in the United States, is not working in the best interest of the majority of our citizens.  The growing income inequality gap is just one measure of how the ideal of The American Dream is becoming an illusion to a growing sector of our …

Read More Read More

EP 459 The Future of the Post Office

EP 459 The Future of the Post Office

https://www.snailworks.com/External3/about-us.aspx ‘Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from their swift completion of their appointed rounds’ has been the mantra of the United States Postal Service since its roots in 1775 before our country was formed.  It is one of the few government agencies explicitly referred to in the …

Read More Read More

EP 458 Will This Housing Boom Go Bust?

EP 458 Will This Housing Boom Go Bust?

https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/overvalued-housing-may.php  Red hot is a good way to characterize the recent housing boom in America.  Fortunately the fundamentals seem better aligned to avoid the crash which we experienced a little over a decade ago.  Mortgages are stricter, down payments are higher and the tight supply of housing is supporting prices.  Ken H. Johnson is a …

Read More Read More

EP 457 An Autopsy of Crime Labs in America

EP 457 An Autopsy of Crime Labs in America

https://www.amazon.com/Autopsy-Crime-Lab-Exposing-Forensics/dp/0520379330  We have mythologized crime labs to such a degree in America that they have become a staple on television given a seal of authority that is not justified upon serious scrutiny. Duke Law Professor, Brandon Garrett, chapter by chapter in his book, ‘Autopsy of a Crime Lab’, debunks the rigor, quality controls and the …

Read More Read More

EP 456 Is the Movie Theater Dead?

EP 456 Is the Movie Theater Dead?

https://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/shiggins/profile.html Movie theaters were in trouble before the pandemic and have been for years.  While megascreen complexes were still being built, consumers were gearing up their equipment at home to receive an abundance of movie choices by way of cable and streaming services.  The idea of going out to a movie requires many conscious decisions, …

Read More Read More

EP 455 Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries

EP 455 Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries

http://site.foodshare.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2017_about_cdo On many levels, the elaborate system of food banks feeding into food pantries in America works quite well. That’s until you consider the possibilities that these centers can become more client driven, more nutritionally based and can provide a range of wraparound services that they do not at this time.  Katie Martin, the Executive …

Read More Read More

EP 454 Be Aware: Made in China Label May Mean Made in a Forced Labor Camp

EP 454 Be Aware: Made in China Label May Mean Made in a Forced Labor Camp

THIS IS A BOOK AND PODCAST THAT YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO ! https://www.ameliapang.com/ That’s a nice shirt you’re wearing and where did you get that cute little display for Halloween?  In all likelihood, both of items came from China.  While we are aware that Chinese goods are cheaper than those made …

Read More Read More

EP 453 Poverty in America is Poorly Understood

EP 453 Poverty in America is Poorly Understood

https://www.amazon.com/Poorly-Understood-America-Wrong-Poverty/dp/0190881380 America loves to tell itself fables about many things.  For instance, the issue of poverty is often thought of as an issue of ‘them’ not ‘us’.  Yet over an adult lifetime, owing to divorce, job loss or health calamity, over half of us will experience poverty for a year or more.  We have so …

Read More Read More