Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode

In this engaging discussion, investigative journalist Brian Deer, known for exposing Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent claims linking vaccines to autism, sheds light on the troubling persistence of vaccine misinformation. He recounts the red flags that led him to investigate Wakefield’s deceptive study and reveals how legal and financial motives fueled the anti-vaccine movement. Brian also critiques the ongoing influence of figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and explores how charisma can propagate dangerous myths, emphasizing the urgent need for transparency in medical reporting.

Has your grocery bill gone up? Ken’s guest today, Errol Schweizer, knows why. Errol has 25 years of experience in the food and grocery industry. He is the former grocery vice president of Whole Foods and has worked with Patagonia, Annie’s, General Mills, Fairway, Good Eggs and National Co+op Grocers. He is a self-professed “grocery nerd” and frequently writes for Forbes covering food retail, consumer packaged goods, and the food industry at large.Ken and Errol discuss food inflation, how federal immigration raids are impacting the food industry, and the disappointing lack of positive change coming from RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” regime. For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Errol's Substack - The Check Out Grocery UpdateErrol's articles for ForbesErrol Schweizer LLCMichelle Obama Was Vilified by the Right. Then Came MAHA (Politico)Isabella M. Weber ArticlesUnited Farm WorkersMake Our Children Healthy Again Strategy ReportKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Women’s healthcare and medical research have major funding shortfalls. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Lo Bosworth, TV star turned founder and CEO of Love Wellness. Lo knows all too well the journey many women need to take to self-advocate for their  health and wellness. Love Wellness’ mission is supporting women on their health and wellness journeys, investing in much-needed research for women’s health conditions. Lo shares her own personal health struggles, which led to her launching Love Wellness. She also talks about her IVF success story. By advocating for her own healthcare, Lo has created a movement that other people can follow. For a deeper dive into today’s discussion: Lo Bosworth Love Yourself Well: An Empowering Wellness Guide to Supporting Your Gut, Brain, and Vagina Endometriosis Foundation of America My Story: Diagnosis Endometriosis Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup 

If you’ve walked down a personal care products aisle in your local store, you probably recognize Dr. Bronner’s soaps. They come in big bottles with minimal graphics but plenty of words, are affordable, and many of their products are EWG Verified®. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Lisa Bronner, the granddaughter of Dr. Emanuel Bronner, who founded the company in 1948.Since its launch, Dr. Bronner’s has been committed to being ethical, thoughtful and forward-thinking, operating with stewardship. The company is also an industry leader on the front lines of the “regenerative” agriculture movement and reducing its carbon footprint through constant innovation. Ken and Lisa also discuss her book Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Body, Your Home, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps and what inspired her to write it.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Dr. Bronner’s: The original all-one soapEWG Verified: Dr. Bronner’sDr. Bronner’s CertificationsGoing Green with Lisa BronnerCampaign For Safe Cosmetics“Soap and Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps”“Honor Thy Label: Dr. Bronner’s Unconventional Journey to a Clean, Green, and Ethical Supply Chain”Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Does “the dose make the poison?” The chemical industry claims that a toxic exposure dose is “safe” until it’s not. But regulations can take years to catch up to scientific data about the dangers of low-level chemical exposures.In today’s episode, EWG President and co-Founder Ken Cook is joined by Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. In that role, he’s the  principal investigator for a study examining fetal and early childhood exposures.Lanphear is a leading proponent of using a science-based approach to assess the potential health harms children face through exposure to toxic chemicals.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Little Things MatterWater fluoridation less effective now than in past (Cochrane Review)Science and Decisions, Advancing Risk Assessment (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)MurderlandHormones And Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: What You Need To Know (The Endocrine Society)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Will Westmoreland became an influencer overnight when he directly addressed a farmer's concerns over not receiving a rotational grazing reimbursement. The first/second Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture promised the money but then rescinded it. Will’s story made an impression on millions of people with the straightforward way he shared how the farmer voted against his best interest by supporting Donald Trump.Westmoreland, Ken’s guest on today’s episode, is a farmer and political activist. He’s also the founder of The Back Forty, a bipartisan media company focused on fortifying and growing rural America, family farmers, ranchers, and nearby communities. It does this work through public education, infrastructure, healthcare, and economic development. EWG and  The Back Forty are committed to helping rural Americans. EWG’s Farm Subsidy Database (visited by thousands of people daily) helps ensure public accountability for how taxpayer dollars are distributed in agricultural support programs.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:The Back Forty@WestmorelandPopsFarm.EWG.orgNot All Corn Is the Same — Learn About the 3 Main Types with Our Handy Cheat Sheet (The Kitchn)RHIhub Maps on Rural Healthcare FacilitiesKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Under the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other key federal departments are shedding thousands of experienced scientists. This assault on federal scientists will have a lasting effect for generations, eliminating much-needed expertise that has historically played a central role in developing rules that protect human health and the environment.Two leaders in the science community – Dr. Linda Birnbaum and Dr. Micah Niemeier-Walsh – talk with Ken about the widespread damage this brain drain is causing. Birnbaum worked at the EPA and as the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Niemeier-Walsh is an industrial hygienist in the Firefighter Health Program and the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer at the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health.Federal rules that safeguard the environment and public health need scientific research – without it, backsliding to weaker rules and more pollution is the only likely outcome.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S.National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Food production is responsible for a third of the climate crisis, yet it’s the part of the problem we talk about the least. With agricultural land making up forty percent of our planet, we are literally eating the Earth. The first step is acknowledging the mess and the second is addressing it. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by investigative reporter Mike Grunwald. They discuss Mike’s exploration of our broken food system in his new book, “We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate”.Both Ken and Mike acknowledge that industrial agriculture has many problems: it mistreats workers and animals, pollutes air and water, and relies too heavily on toxic chemicals and antibiotics. But they also share a conviction that reform is possible — and essential — if we want to feed a growing population without destroying the planet.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:We Are Eating the Earth The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our ClimateMonsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution (The Washington Post, 2002)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

The Republican-led Congress is considering a “Big Beautiful” reconciliation bill that might include new hurdles for crucial assistance programs like Medicaid and SNAP, such as adding work requirements and increasing paperwork. GOP lawmakers claim the changes aim to tackle fraud, waste and abuse in the programs.In today’s episode, Ken talks with Bob Greenstein, founder and president emeritus of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank that for more than 40 years has been the gold standard for analyzing the impact of federal and state government budget policies.Ken and Bob highlight the millions of Americans who will lose access to health care and food assistance if the bill becomes law. A core EWG belief is that you can’t help people make healthier choices if they don’t have access to food. Creating barriers to, and reducing, benefits, doesn’t mean healthier kids – it only leads to hungrier kids.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:The Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesThe Brookings InstitutionPaul Krugman's SubstackWork Requirements and Work Supports for Recipients of Means-Tested Benefits (CBO)The Recession of 2007–2009 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)Medicaid Work Requirements In Arkansas: Two-Year Impacts On Coverage, Employment, And Affordability Of Care (NIH)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup 

While there are positive aspects of having top government officials talking about chronic disease prevention and diet, the food industry's primary goal remains profit – not public health. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Marion Nestle, one of America's most respected voices on nutrition and food politics. Marion believes that truly addressing human health and equality in food requires getting politics out of the discussion. She has dedicated her career to advocating for public health and food policy, is a professor at NYU, author of several books and writes the daily newsletter Food Politics.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Marion Nestle’s Newsletter Food PoliticsMarion Nestle’s BooksAwareness of the MyPlate Plan: United States, 2017–March 2020 Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesFood Research & Action CenterFood security among SNAP participants 2019 to 2021: a cross-sectional analysis of current population survey food security supplement data (Journal of Nutritional Science)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup