Air Date 1/18/2025

We are looking back on Jimmy Carter's life and legacy as a lens through which to more clearly see and understand the current state of our politics, our incoming president, the Middle East, the climate, and more.

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Full Show Notes | Transcript

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: Jimmy Carter Part 1 - Past Present - Air Date 2-28-23

KP 2: From the Archives: Former President Jimmy Carter on Women's Rights, Religion and Power - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-30-24

KP 3: Jimmy Carter's "Decency & Humanity" Came with Deadly U.S. Policies in Latin America_ Greg Grandin - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-7-25

KP 4: The Faith of Jimmy Carter - Facepalm America - Air Date 4-12-23

KP 5: The Jimmy Carter Cudgel & Preparing for Mass Deportations with Gabriel Salguero - Holy Post - Air Date 1-8-25

KP 6: When Carter called out America - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-30-24

(46:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the supposed desire for truth

DEEPER DIVES

(52:22) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

(1:33:23) SECTION B: FOREIGN POLICY

(2:07:22) SECTION C: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

(2:25:30) SECTION D: REPUBLICAN RATFUCKING

SHOW IMAGE

Description: Black and white photo of President Jimmy Carter in front of the White House in 1977. Credit: “President Jimmy Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the White House, Washington, D.C.“ by Marion S. Trikosko, Library of Congress | License: Public Domain

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Introducing What to eat to avoid osteoporosis from ZOE Science & Nutrition.

Follow the show: ZOE Science & Nutrition

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

Every 12 years, our skeletons undergo a complete transformation.

Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Cyrus Cooper discuss how to avoid Osteoporosis, a condition where bones become fragile, significantly increases the risk of fractures from minor incidents, often without any noticeable symptoms. Worldwide, it affects one in three women and one in five men over fifty, leading to pain, potential disability and loss of independence.

In today’s episode, Jonathan, Tim and Cyrus ask the question: How can understanding osteoporosis and implementing targeted lifestyle changes enhance bone health and reduce the risk of fractures?

Cyrus Cooper is a Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Southampton, where he is also the Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and Vice-Dean of Medicine. In addition, he’s a Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford.

Tim Spector is one of the world’s top 100 most-cited scientists, a professor of epidemiology, and scientific Co-Founder at ZOE. Tim trained originally in rheumatology and epidemiology. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Quickfire questions

03:08 What is osteoporosis?

06:10 Why might our bones become more fragile as we age?

08:10 Your skeleton renews itself all the time

10:30 Does menopause cause osteoporosis?

12:48 What's it like living with osteoporosis?

15:16 How common is osteoporosis in males?

16:04 What are the symptoms of osteoporosis and at what age should you get checked?

21:40 Some chilling statistics about osteoporosis

23:10 Common myths about the effects of calcium and vitamin D on osteoporosis

27:50 What is the latest science on vitamin D supplementation?

34:10 Can vitamin D and calcium ensure children’s bone density is healthy?

34:55 Osteoporosis treatment options, including new drugs    

37:20 The impacts of HRT on bone density

39:30 What are the downsides to some of these treatments?

43:00 Does physical activity help to prevent fractures?

44:30 Lifestyle impacts: diet and nutrition

49:40 Can exercise make your bones stronger?

55:20 Ideal exercises to prevent osteoporosis

57:10 Cyrus and Tim’s top 3 actions to improve bone health

59:10 Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

Relevant studies:

Books:

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Air Date 1/15/2025

Elon Musk is leading the way for his class of tech broligarchs anxious to take over the MAGA movement and shape it to their own ends of deregulation, tax cuts, and lucrative government contracts. The disappointment that is inevitable for the MAGA populists is coming even faster than expected.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected]

Full Show Notes | Transcript

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: The long con of America's ultra-wealthy elites - The ReidOut - Air Date 1-2-25

KP 2: Crack-Up Capitalism- How Billionaire Elon Musk's Extremism Is Shaping Trump Admin & Global Politics - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-6-24

KP 3: GOP Already At Each Other's Throats While Musk Gloats - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-24-24

KP 4: MAGA civil war explodes between Elon & Trump faithful - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 12-29-24

KP 5: Elon & Vivek's H1-B Crash Out - Bad Faith - Air Date 1-2-25

KP 6: Our Moment is Approaching - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-31-24

KP 7: Weekly Roundup Jimmy Carter vs Elon Musk - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-3-25

KP 8: The Oligarch Class - Left Anchor - Air Date 1-3-25

(55:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the rehashing of the anti-democratic argument for extreme wealth for the benefit of humanity

DEEPER DIVES

(1:07:40) SECTION A: OLIGARCHS

(1:35:23) SECTION B: THE MAGA FRACTURE

(1:51:04) SECTION C: GLOBAL INFLUENCE

(2:21:44) SECTION D: ORGANIZING

Introducing Finding Holiday Happiness from How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.

Follow the show: How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But all too often, the darker, colder days of winter, and even the stress of preparing for the holidays themselves, can lead people to feel something else: rushed, stressed, lonely, or even hopeless. How can you make sure this year is bright? Science shows that there's a wisdom to parts of traditional winter celebrations – a wisdom that's been honed over centuries to help us all find light, joy, and connection during the darkest and coldest time of the year. 

Join Dave as he chats with Laurie Santos about how to unpack the psychological secrets of celebrations from Christmas, to Hanukkah, to Yule, and more. They’ll also discuss how we can put that wisdom into practice, whatever our beliefs, to make this season a happier and healthier one for all.

Laurie Santos hosts the podcast The Happiness Lab and is a Professor of Psychology at Yale, where she teaches the most popular class in the university’s history. Learn more about her work at her website. 

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Air Date: 1/11/2025

Today, we look back to the warnings we gave ourselves at the beginning of the first Trump administration. In 2017 there was concern about corruption and his business dealings, ethics around his nominees, and the inability of the media to cover him properly.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected]

Full Show Notes

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Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

Join our Discord community!

KEY POINTS

KP 1: What should Trump do to resolve his conflicts of interest? - @DecodeDC - Air Date 1-11-17

KP 2: SHOCKING: The GOP Doesn't Care That the Office of Govt. Ethics Can't Fully Vet Trump Nominees - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 01-10-17

KP 3: Zephyr Teachout on Trump and the emoluments clause - Amicus from @Slate - Air Date 12-24-16

KP 4: Trump's team exhibits classic abuser behavior - Bradcast from @TheBradBlog - Air Date 1-23-17

KP 5: We Need To Talk About That Donald Trump Press Conference - Jay Smooth (@jsmooth995) - Air Date 1-12-17

KP 6: A Taxonomy of Trump Tweets - On the Media - Air Date 1-13-17

KP 7: Masha Gessen on the rules for surviving autocracy - Trumpcast from @Slate - Air Date 11-14-16

MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Introducing How to lower cholesterol in 10 days | Prof. Sarah Berry from ZOE Science & Nutrition.

Follow the show: ZOE Science & Nutrition

Forty percent of people in the UK and US have high cholesterol. Knowing how to lower it can be confusing. In today’s episode, we simplify the science of cholesterol, drawing from ZOE’s 2021 PREDICT study, which explored its link to the gut microbiome.

Dr. Sarah Berry explains the differences between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol, discusses how cholesterol can impact your health, and shares tips on maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Sarah is a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King's College London and Chief Scientist at ZOE. She is also the lead nutritional scientist on the PREDICT program.

🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Quickfire questions

04:01 What is cholesterol?

05:50 LDL vs HDL cholesterol

11:35 How diet affects cholesterol

13:55 Which fats should you increase?

16:00 Why do some people have high LDL levels?

18:40 The gut microbiome and cholesterol

20:37 What is ApoB?

24:00 Why don’t all doctors measure ApoB?

25:50 Why triglycerides matter to your health

29:30 Triglycerides and post-meal responses

30:45 Which foods can help lower cholesterol?

33:20 Saturated fat explained

35:30 How refined carbs affect cholesterol

39:50 Can you trust ‘low fat’ food labels?

41:15 The benefits of whole grain carbohydrates and fibre

45:03 Sarah’s personal view on statins

48:13 Cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

Free resources from ZOE:

Mentioned in today's episode

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Air Date 1/8/2025

Trump's first term was marked by all of the friendships he built with some of the world's worst, most oppressive leaders. His second term is getting an early start as he has begun making threats toward traditional allies and friends including Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and Panama.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected]

Full Show Notes | Transcript

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon)

Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

Join our Discord community!

KEY POINTS

KP 1: Make US imperialism great again: Trump threatens to colonize Panama, Canada, Greenland, Mexico - Geopolitical Economy Report - Air Date 12-27-24

KP 2: Donald Trump’s New Manifest Destiny - WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch - Part 1 - Air Date 12-26-24

KP 3: Why Elon Musk interferes in politics around the world - DW News - Air Date 1-3-25

KP 4: Is Musk Flirting With Fascism? - Politics unpacked - Air Date 1-3-24

KP 5: Imperialist Fantasy: Historian Greg Grandin on Trump Threat to Retake Panama Canal, Invade Mexico - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-27-24

KP 6: The Weekender: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Destruction Part 1 - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-27-24

(49:09) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the baby-brained ideas of the far right

DEEPER DIVES

(54:40) SECTION A: PANAMA

(1:16:10) SECTION B: MANIFEST DESTINY

(1:35:47) SECTION C: MUSK

(1:48:38) SECTION D: TRUMP 2.0

SHOW IMAGE

Description: Composite image of a vector drawing of a confused-looking Trump leaning on a podium with a globe and dice being rolled. A risk dial is on the front of the podium showing an increasing threat level.

Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman | Images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Introducing Blood sugar hacks to give you more energy | Glucose Goddess Jessie Inchauspé and Prof. Tim Spector from ZOE Science & Nutrition.

Follow the show: ZOE Science & Nutrition

Why do some people feel fine eating lots of carbs when others feel energy slumps? Is blood sugar to blame?

In this episode, we learn why blood sugar varies so much between people, and the tools to manage these levels. 

Tim Spector and Jessie Inchauspé (aka the Glucose Goddess) will discuss the latest science around glucose control, what the cool new device on the block – the CGM – can tell us and why blood sugar levels are only one part of the picture of our health.

Jessie is a bestselling author and science communicator with a community of over 5 million followers. Tim is a professor of epidemiology at King’s College London and ZOE’s scientific co-founder.

🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Quickfire questions

02:39 What is glucose?

07:50 What are blood sugar spikes?

09:15 Are lots of spikes dangerous?

10:45 What happens when your blood sugar spikes?

14:03 Should I worry about blood sugar levels?

15:11 HbA1c and fasting glucose explained

19:30 What are CGMs?

23:24 How breakfast impacts the rest of your day

29:07 Eat these foods first

33:12 Can physical activity reduce spikes?

35:46 How gut microbiome and blood fat play a role

41:39 The risks of ultra-processed foods

Find more from Jessie at glucosegoddess.com 

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

Free resources from ZOE:

Studies relevant to this episode:

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Air Date: 1-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - Why people love villains - How plutocracy kills - Why the path forward is through membership organizations

FOLLOW US ON:  Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e

REFERENCES:

The Year Villainy Won

Plutocracy Kills

Democracy Is Not a Customer Loyalty Program

Join our Discord Server

Leave a message at 202-999-3991

Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at [email protected]  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Introducing What to eat to avoid osteoporosis from ZOE Science & Nutrition.

Follow the show: ZOE Science & Nutrition

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

Every 12 years, our skeletons undergo a complete transformation.

Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Cyrus Cooper discuss how to avoid Osteoporosis, a condition where bones become fragile, significantly increases the risk of fractures from minor incidents, often without any noticeable symptoms. Worldwide, it affects one in three women and one in five men over fifty, leading to pain, potential disability and loss of independence.

In today’s episode, Jonathan, Tim and Cyrus ask the question: How can understanding osteoporosis and implementing targeted lifestyle changes enhance bone health and reduce the risk of fractures?

Cyrus Cooper is a Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Southampton, where he is also the Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and Vice-Dean of Medicine. In addition, he’s a Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford.

Tim Spector is one of the world’s top 100 most-cited scientists, a professor of epidemiology, and scientific Co-Founder at ZOE. Tim trained originally in rheumatology and epidemiology. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Quickfire questions

03:08 What is osteoporosis?

06:10 Why might our bones become more fragile as we age?

08:10 Your skeleton renews itself all the time

10:30 Does menopause cause osteoporosis?

12:48 What's it like living with osteoporosis?

15:16 How common is osteoporosis in males?

16:04 What are the symptoms of osteoporosis and at what age should you get checked?

21:40 Some chilling statistics about osteoporosis

23:10 Common myths about the effects of calcium and vitamin D on osteoporosis

27:50 What is the latest science on vitamin D supplementation?

34:10 Can vitamin D and calcium ensure children’s bone density is healthy?

34:55 Osteoporosis treatment options, including new drugs    

37:20 The impacts of HRT on bone density

39:30 What are the downsides to some of these treatments?

43:00 Does physical activity help to prevent fractures?

44:30 Lifestyle impacts: diet and nutrition

49:40 Can exercise make your bones stronger?

55:20 Ideal exercises to prevent osteoporosis

57:10 Cyrus and Tim’s top 3 actions to improve bone health

59:10 Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

Relevant studies:

Books:

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].