KPFA - The Ralph Nader Radio Hour

Ralph welcomes back Adolph Reed, Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Mount Holyoke College to discuss the latest Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act. Then, Ralph and our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, talk about what ordinary citizens can do to pressure their reps to impeach Donald Trump. Adolph Reed is Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Mount Holyoke College. His most recent books are The South: Jim Crow and Its Afterlives, No Politics but Class Politics (co-authored with Walter Benn Michaels), and Black Studies, Cultural Politics, and the Evasion of Inequality: The Farce this Time (co-authored with Kenneth W. Warren). Bruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – Race, Class & Gerrymandering appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes six authors to discuss their books: “Beyond Nuclear” founder Linda Gunter; trial lawyer Sean Simpson; law professor Elizabeth Burch; naturalist David Schmidt; industrial hygienist Marc Axelrod; and educator and advocate Jonathan Kozol. Linda Gunter is the founder of the US-based non-profit Beyond Nuclear and serves as its international specialist. Previously, she was a journalist at USA Network, Reuters, and The Times. She launched, and writes for Beyond Nuclear’s online magazine, Beyond Nuclear International. And she is the author of No To Nuclear: Why Nuclear Power Destroys Lives, Derails Climate Progress and Provokes War. Sean Simpson is an attorney specializing in civil jury trials, representing individuals who have been harmed by someone else’s carelessness or intentional wrongdoing. He is the author of Punitive Damages: The Lawyer’s Tool for Shaping Society. David Schmidt is lifelong San Francisco Bay Area resident, naturalist, and environmental historian. He worked as a writer in the public affairs office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco from 1991 to 2021, led dozens of hikes for the Greenbelt Alliance in the region’s extensive public parklands, and volunteered on habitat restoration projects for the Golden Gate National Parks and the California Native Plant Society. He is the author of San Francisco Bay Area: An Environmental History. Elizabeth Burch is a professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, and co-author of Perceptions of Justice in Multidistrict Litigation: Voices from the Crowd. She is the author of The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America’s Lawsuit Factory. David Schmidt is lifelong San Francisco Bay Area resident, naturalist, and environmental historian. He worked as a writer in the public affairs office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco from 1991 to 2021, led dozens of hikes for the Greenbelt Alliance in the region’s extensive public parklands, and volunteered on habitat restoration projects for the Golden Gate National Parks and the California Native Plant Society. He is the author of San Francisco Bay Area: An Environmental History. Jonathan Kozol is a leading advocate for child-centered learning, equality, and racial justice in our nation’s schools, and he travels and lectures about educational inequality and racial injustice. Mr. Kozol is the author of nearly a dozen books about young children and their public schools, including Death at an Early Age, An End to Inequality: Breaking Down the Walls of Apartheid Education in America, and We Shall Not Bow Down: Children of Color Under Siege: An Invocation to Resistance.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – Book Week appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes Professor Nicholas Chater, co-author of “It’s on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We’re to Blame for Society’s Deepest Problems.” Then, as most of the media turns its attention to Iran, we return to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and welcome back Dr. Feroze Sidhwa to break down his three-part series published in Zeteo called “The Truth About Gaza’s Dead.” Nick Chater is Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School. He has written and co-written more than two hundred research papers and six books, including It’s on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We’re to Blame for Society’s Deepest Problems (co-written with George Loewenstein). Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – It’s On You appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes journalist and author Megan Greenwell to discuss her book “Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream.” Then, Ralph speaks to James Zogby (co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute) about the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Megan Greenwell is a journalist who has written or edited for publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, WIRED, and ESPN. She is also the deputy director of the Princeton Summer Journalism Program, a workshop and college-access initiative for students from low-income backgrounds. She is the author of Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – Bad Company appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes Haley Hinkle, policy counsel at Fairplay to tell us about how a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for harming children’s mental health and safety, violating state law. Then when present highlights from last week’s symposium on impeachment, featuring Dennis Kucinich, CIA whistleblower, Jeffrey Sterling, Public Citizen co-president, Rob Weissman, GW law dean Alan Morrison and many more. Haley Hinkle is policy counsel at Fairplay, where she advocates for laws and regulations that protect children and teens’ autonomy and safety online. Ms. Hinkle has also worked on issues at the intersection of government surveillance technology and civil liberties.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Meta Pays Up/Impeachment Symposium appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes international security expert Paul Rogers to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran. Then, Ralph speaks to constitutional law experts Bruce Fein and John Bonifaz about their upcoming impeachment symposium. Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. He is open Democracy’s international security correspondent.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all.   The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – Impeachment for All appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes Wes Bryant, a retired Air Force special operations master sergeant and former analyst at the Civilian Protection Center who talks to us about how civilians, either through incompetence or negligence, are not being protected during American missile strikes. Then our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, joins us to break down his latest op-ed “The Power to Declare War Belongs to Congress Alone.”   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – Targeting Civilians appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes international human rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber to discuss the U.S. and Israel’s illegal war on Iran. Then, Ralph speaks to investigative reporter David Cay Johnston about the finances of Donald Trump. Craig Mokhiber is an international human rights lawyer and activist, and a former senior United Nations human rights official. A human rights activist in the 1980s, he would go on to serve for more than three decades at the United Nations, with postings in Switzerland, Palestine, Afghanistan, and UN Headquarters in New York. In October of 2023, he left the United Nations, penning a widely read letter criticizing the UN’s human rights failures in the Middle East, warning of unfolding genocide in Gaza, and calling for a new approach to Palestine and Israel based on international law, human rights, and equality.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – The U.S.-Israel Axis appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph spends the whole hour with progressive activist, Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to discuss the lack of vision and the spineless leadership in the corporate Democratic Party. Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour : Spineless Democrats appeared first on KPFA.

On to day’s show: Ralph welcomes sociologist and historian Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi to discuss the United States’ war of aggression on Iran.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Long War on Iran appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show: Washington Post personal finance columnist, Michelle Singletary, tells the moving story of how a visit to her grade school by the Reverend Jesse Jackson inspired her life and career as described in her column, “How the Rev. Jesse Jackson Taught Me to Keep Hope Alive.” Then Ralph welcomes Professor Eric S. Fish from U.C Davis School of Law to explain how grand juries are no longer rubber-stamping frivolous cases brought to them by the Trump Administration. Plus, Ralph gives us his take on Trump’s marathon State of the Union speech and the Democratic response. Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post “I Am Somebody!” appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – February 23, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes, Robert Weissman co-president of Public Citizen, to discuss his Senate testimony about the many ways the Trump Administration’s assault on fraud is itself fraudulent. Plus, Ralph informs us of a report from Aljazeera about the MK-84 weapon the IDF is using in Gaza that is designed to generate so much heat it literally vaporizes people.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Empire of Fraud appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson to discuss a wide range of topics, including NATO, Greenland, Gaza, and more. Then, Ralph speaks to Rabbi Alissa Wise (founding director of Rabbis for Ceasefire) about the “Jews for Food Aid for People in Gaza” campaign. Finally, Ralph and the team address some current events.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Food Aid for Gaza appeared first on KPFA.

Capitalism as an economic system has been around in various forms for over a thousand years and according to our featured guest this week, it keeps evolving. Join us for a lively and challenging discussion between Ralph and Harvard history professor, Sven Beckert, as they discuss his book “Capitalism: A Global History.” Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The History of Capitalism appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes professor and historian Daniel Immerwahr to discuss the history of the United States’ overseas possessions and his book “How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States.”   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post How to Hide an Empire appeared first on KPFA.

With the American republic hanging in the balance, Ralph calls on Democrats to pressure Republicans in the House and Senate to impeach Trump before the midterms or suffer the consequences. Then, we welcome Dino Grandoni, co-author of a Washington Post report on the surprising ways various species of animals and plants help advance our own health and longevity.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Impeachment Now!/Fifty Species That Save Us appeared first on KPFA.

This week we focus on the Trump Administration’s seizure of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro as Ralph welcomes legendary former ambassador, Chas Freeman, who calls it nothing more than a “gas station stick-up.” Then our resident Constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, lays out some of the legal ramifications of the whole affair. Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Gas Station Stick-Up appeared first on KPFA.

Steve, David, Hannah, Jimmy, Matthew. and Francesco give Ralph a well-deserved break and highlight some of the clips they want to revisit from another challenging, inspiring, fascinating, infuriating, and galvanizing year. Featuring interviews with Chris Hedges, Jon Merryman, Mike German, and more.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post 2025 Highlights appeared first on KPFA.

We welcome Sam Rosenthal, political director of Roots Action, to analyze their “Autopsy” report on why in 2024 the Democratic Party lost to the worst, most corrupt GOP in American history. Plus, Ralph answers some of your listener questions.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post How The Democrats Lost the White House appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes RJ Cross from USPIRG to discuss the Trouble in Toyland 2025 report. Then, Ralph speaks with truck safety activist Marianne Karth about the need for stronger truck safety regulation. Plus, the RNRH team has a spirited debate about spectator sports. The post Trouble in Toyland 2025 / Stop Underride appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph once again welcomes Chuck Collins, heir to the Oscar Meyer fortune and one of the founders of Patriotic Millionaires, to discuss his agenda for reform outlined in his new book BURNED BY BILLIONAIRES: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet. Then Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board of Illinois (CUB), joins us to tell us how to fight back against AI data centers that are spiking your electric bills.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Burned By Billionaires/What’s Spiking Your Electric Bill? appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes Judith Enck (founder and president of Beyond Plastics, whose goal is to eliminate plastic pollution everywhere) to discuss her new book “The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late.” Then, Ralph reflects on the 60th anniversary of “Unsafe at Any Speed.”   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Problem with Plastic appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – December 1, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The Ralph Nader Radio Hour – November 24, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s wide-ranging program, Ralph welcomes David Dayen of “The American Prospect” to discuss the Democrats caving on the shutdown. Then, Ralph speaks to Dani Noble from Jewish Voice for Peace about their BDS campaigns, efforts to block weapons shipments to Israel, and the state of the ceasefire in Gaza. Finally, Ralph speaks to original Nader’s Raider Sam Simon about his new memoir, “Dementia Man: An Existential Journey.” Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post Caving on the Shutdown/ Campaigning for Gaza/ Dementia Man appeared first on KPFA.

Ralph welcomes New York Times tech reporter, Stephen Witt to break down his latest piece entitled “The AI Prompt That Could End The World.” Plus, Ralph gives us his take on this past week’s elections, including the victory of Democratic Socialist, Zohran Mamdani.   Ralph Nader talks about what’s happening in America, what’s happening around the world, and most importantly what’s happening underneath it all. The post The AI Prompt That Could End the World/Nader on recent elections, Mamdani. appeared first on KPFA.