Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode

Something unprecedented just happened at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A newly reconstituted advisory committee voted to recommend delaying hepatitis B vaccination for most babies. The vote overturns a 30-year policy that led to a massive decline in infant infections.In today’s episode, Ken talks with former CDC Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Dr. Demetre Daskalakis. Daskalakis spent decades fighting on the front lines of America's toughest public health battles. He brought HIV testing to the communities that needed it most. He stopped a meningitis outbreak in its tracks and he led the national Mpox response. He left the CDC in August.Demetre breaks down the recent shake-up at the CDC and why the best sign that federal public health efforts are working are that they’re not in the news – unlike today.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Dr. Demetre’s InstagramKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other [email protected]@environmentalworkinggroup 

Are you susceptible to cult-like thinking? According to author Jane Borden, everyone might be, especially Americans.In today’s episode, Jane talks with Ken about how the Pilgrims and Puritans essentially founded America as a "high-control doomsday group" and that those patterns never went away.In her book, "Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America," Jane identifies the warning signs: worship of a charismatic leader who can't be criticized, apocalyptic crisis narratives, conspiratorial thinking that explains away inconvenient facts, and promises to return to a "pure" past. Sound familiar?The “Make America Great Again” and “Make America Healthy Again” movements check many of these boxes even while acknowledging that the health threats many Americans face are very real. Are we addressing those threats through evidence and accountability, or through cult-like devotion to leaders who promise easy answers?For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Jane Borden’s WebsiteKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week. @kencookspodcast www.ewg.org @environmentalworkinggroup

The longest U.S. government shutdown in history just ended and millions of Americans are about to pay for it. Health insurance premiums are set to double, SNAP food benefits were frozen for 42 million people and Democrats caved without securing protections for either.In today’s episode, Ken sits down with Liz Hamel, vice president and director of public opinion and survey research at health policy research organization KFF, about her groundbreaking research on the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement. A Washington Post/KFF poll reveals surprising contradictions: Most MAHA parents vaccinate their kids but trust Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine information. These parents want more government regulation of food but support deregulating raw milk and they're more worried about fluoride than gun violence. As the government shutdown fallout continues and with basic health protections at risk, this conversation explores how divided Americans are over what they want for their children's health.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Washington Post - Who Supports RFK Jr’s MAHA KFF/The Washington Post Survey of Parents: Polling Insights on the MAHA MovementKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other [email protected]@environmentalworkinggroup

In today’s episode Ken and Lindsay Dahl talk about how we regulate chemicals, protect public health and decide product safety. Lindsay has more than two decades of environmental health work in the private and public sector. She’s the author of "Cleaning House: The Fight to Rid Our Homes of Toxic Chemicals,” that discusses why environmental health has always been a bipartisan issue, despite today's polarized politics. She emphasizes the importance of holding all elected officials accountable, regardless of party, on their environmental health records. Lindsay addresses the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, noting that Republican women joining the fight against toxic chemicals represent a continuation of decades-long grassroots organizing, not something new. She warns that voters who supported President Donald Trump based on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's promises need to hold the administration accountable as it rolls back air quality regulations, protections from the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS  and other environmental safeguards. Lindsay is an incredible science communicator and encourages people to cut through social media disinformation to engage meaningfully with environmental health issues through their votes and advocacy.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Cleaning House: The fight to rid our homes of toxic chemicalsLindsay Dahl’s SubstackKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other [email protected]@environmentalworkinggroup

Matt Randolph, aka Mr. Global, has more than 33 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, including his work as Shell expert and as co-founder of Sentinel Energy. As Mr. Global, he’s an internet educator using TikTok and YouTube to combat political lies about energy policy. While Matt is an oil industry veteran, he actively promotes renewable energy and believes in climate change, while warning about the consequences of moving too fast on clean energy without proper planning.Ken and Matt explore why Americans’ electric bills are skyrocketing, what environmentalists get right and wrong about energy transitions and why California's rollback of rooftop solar incentives was such a devastating mistake. This conversation proves that an environmentalist and an oilman can actually learn from each other through curiosity and facts. Whether you care about climate change, energy policy or just want to understand why your electric bill keeps climbing, this one is for you.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Mr. Global on TikTokMr. Global on YoutubeKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other [email protected]@environmentalworkinggroup