The Wooden Teeth Show

Jake speaks with Chris Keating and Jake Martin of the polling firm Keating Research about how best to consume polling information, and they dive into some interesting recent data. Topics include demographic shifts in the presidential race, the implications of a potential open primary and ranked-choice voting system in CO, and some predictions about how some races will turn out this November.

Jake speaks with Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of Boston University's School of Public Health. Dr. Galea has authored a new book, "Within Reason: A Liberal Public Health for an Illiberal Time," in which he contends that public health has strayed from its roots within the classical liberal tradition, especially during the pandemic, and should now re-embrace the pursuit of knowledge through reasoned inquiry and open debate. 

We've heard a lot from adult sources on our youth mental health crisis in recent years, but what do young people themselves have to say? Jake speaks with two teen leaders, Lily Poteet and Braeden Turner, about their activism on youth mental health. They have launched a podcast, called "The Prosperity Project," that explores issues including suicide, stress and perfectionism.

Jake speaks with Dr. Keshia Pollack Porter of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and Katrina Forrest, Co-Executive Director of City Health. Porter and Forrest have co-authored Policy Engagement, a book that guides public health practitioners on engaging with policymakers to create a healthier, more equitable world. Their conversation covers the book, along with examining the political moment in which the field of public health finds itself after the pandemic.

Jake speaks with Danny Weiss, Chief Advocacy Officer at Common Sense Media. They cover how social media is impacting young people, how public policy can mitigate this impact, and how Common Sense Media is helping to educate kids and parents about how to safely navigate online platforms.

Excessive alcohol consumption and related deaths are on the rise. Why is this happening and what can we do about it? Jake speaks with Dr. Bill Burman about the latest data and possible policy solutions to address this public health challenge. 

This episode's truth: polling impacts our democracy and democracy, of course, impacts our health. Jake speaks with pollster Chris Keating of Keating Research about the state of public opinion polling, what happened in this year's election and what to look out for in the next one.

The rise in overdoses, crime and homelessness is posing a political challenge to continued movement away from the war on drugs and toward a public health approach. Jake speaks with Kassandra Frederique and Terrance Carroll about both the politics and the reality of what's happening on the ground on this issue. Kassandra leads the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit that works to end the war on drugs. Terrance is the former Speaker of the House in Colorado, and a current police officer.

Jake speaks with investigative journalist Susan Greene of Colorado News Collaborative, who recently published a piece that reports on troubling financial arrangements, lax oversight and systemic failures that leave Coloradans without needed mental health care. The piece is the first in an ongoing series of reports, called "On Edge," that examines the state's mental health system

Jake speaks with journalist and bestselling author David Sirota about his new podcast, "Meltdown," available on Audible. The eight-part series identifies the anemic political response to the Great Recession as a primary driver of troubling political trends we're experiencing today, including the rise of white nationalism and the assault on democracy. They also discuss "Don't Look Up," a new movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. Sirota helped create the story for the film, which originated as a political (and comedic) allegory for our response to climate change.