PODCAST · government
The Wooden Teeth Show
by Jake Williams
Government, elections, historical myths, webs of influence – they’re all affecting your health more than you think.
Episodes
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Public Health's "Post-War" Moment
Jake speaks with Dr. Sandro Galea, who proposes how to address, or at least how to think about the American crisis of faith in public health in the wake of the pandemic in his new book, Why Health: What We Need to Think about When We Think about Health. Dr. Galea is the Dean of the Bursky School…
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Does Public Health Need MAHA?
Dr. Craig Spencer recently authored a piece in The Atlantic in which he contends that the field of public health must swallow its pride and admit where the insurgent MAHA movement is right. Jake and Dr. Spencer discuss the critique he lays out in his writing, as well as the backlash Dr. Spencer...
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How Did New Mexico Make Child Care Free?
New Mexico recently became the first state in the nation to offer free access to childcare for all, regardless of income, saving the average family $12,000 per year. Jake speaks with James Jimenez, Executive Director of New Mexico Voices for Children Action Fund, to discover how this breakthrough...
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Better Health For Less Money In NC
North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) is a Medicaid program that addresses healthy food, housing, interpersonal violence, and transportation. By keeping people healthy in their communities, the program has yielded savings of $164 per participant per month. The program is paused due…
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Better Health For Less Money In NC
North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) is a Medicaid program that addresses healthy food, housing, interpersonal violence, and transportation. By keeping people healthy in their communities, the program has yielded savings of $164 per participant per month. The program is paused due…
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Phones in Schools
Can the real world compete with smartphones for our kids' attention? What is the goal and effect of policies that remove these devices from students' hands during the school day? These questions and more are covered in the conversation that Jake has with Casey Mock, Senior Policy Director for The...
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Disagree Better
Political violence is becoming more common, and Americans report personal stress and dissatisfaction with the quality of our political dialogue. Disagree Better is an initiative that helps Americans engage in healthier conflict. Jake speaks with Marianne Viray, Disagree Better's Executive…
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Unhealthy Gamble
As legalized sports gambling has risen online, so has personal debt, bankruptcy, and even domestic violence. At least 8 million Americans now struggle with a gambling addiction. Jake speaks with Jonathan Cohen about policy responses to address this growing public health challenge. Cohen is the...
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Regulating AI to Protect Kids
Youth are increasingly interacting with AI chatbots, and the risks to their wellbeing, including self harm, are becoming tragically apparent. Jake speaks with Amina Fazlullah, Head of Tech Policy Advocacy at Common Sense Media, about how we can responsibly regulate these platforms to protect kids.
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Masculinity & Health
Jake speaks with Brian Heilman of Movember to discuss the unique challenges of men's health, including the role of masculinity. Movember is a global annual event in November where people grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues. They invest those resources in projects,...
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Red Flag & Donna's Law
In a suicide-prevention double header, Jake is joined by Nacole Palmer, Executive Director of Maine Gun Safety Coalition, who just led a successful statewide ballot campaign to pass a "red flag" law. Then, Senator Cathy Kipp and Virginia Mack join the pod to discuss new legislation, sometimes...
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How Big Social Media Is Using the Courts to Thwart Efforts to Protect Kids
Across the country, tech companies are successfully suing to block laws aimed at protecting children online. Jake speaks with Holly Grosshans and Ariel Fox Johnson of Common Sense Media about how the industry is using the first amendment and federal law to skirt accountability, and they discuss…
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Mental Health Begins in the Womb
Our mental health is impacted way before middle school. Jake speaks with Dr. Ayelet Talmi about the relevant influences within the first phase of life, how they impact the trajectory of a child's wellbeing, and what we should consequently pursue within public policy to improve outcomes for kids....
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Finding Public Health Gold in Urban Greenspaces
Creating quality urban greenspaces isn't just a common sense way to adapt to climate change, it produces a range of documented benefits for both physical and mental health. Jake speaks with Katrina Forrest, Executive Director of the CityHealth, about their efforts to get more cities to make this...
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America Just Got Hungrier, Now What?
When President Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law, 2.4 millions became destined to lose their assistance in securing the food they need. Jake speaks with Dayana Leyva of Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger about the impact of this bill on the food security of Americans and what…
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Why is Childcare so Expensive?
Jake speaks with Nicole Riehl about the business challenges of childcare and how they impact price and availability for families. Nicole is President & CEO of EPIC, where she works with employers and business executives to advocate for early childhood investments, policies, and workforce solutions.
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The Health Impact of Microplastic Ubiquity
Dr. Tracey Woodruff chats with Jake about how drinking, eating and even breathing microplastics are impacting reproductive health, increasing cancer risk and more. They also discuss what can be in our personal lives and in public policy to address these impacts. Dr. Woodruff directs the Program…
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The Return of Yesteryear Diseases
Jake speaks with Susan Lontine about the public health implications of declining immunization rates, as well as new, regressive vaccine policies and what we can do about them. Susan is the Executive Director of Immunize Colorado and a former state legislator.
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Applying a Scientific & Political Lens to MAHA
Jake speaks with Dr. Jessica Knurick about the Make America Healthy Again agenda. They evaluate the existence of scientific evidence that supports the movement's signature initiatives, consider the partisan and other dynamics that shape MAHA's support and opposition, and discuss the rise of...
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How to Improve Suicide Risk Screening
Jake speaks with Jordana Ash and Dr. Megan Rogers about new research on suicidality that has implications for how we screen for risk. Drawing from Jordana's tragic family story and Dr. Rogers' research, the trio discuss how we can improve suicide screening and save lives.
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The Stakes of the 'Medicaid Unwind'
Jake speaks with Phyllis Resnick, co-author of a new report on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion in Colorado. They address the effects of the so-called "Medicaid Unwind" and the damage that may be caused in the event of cuts to Medicaid that Congress is currently considering.
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The Wooden Teeth Podcast Is Back!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The Wooden Teeth Podcast, the show about truth-telling in politics and health, is coming back on Tuesday, February 25th, and every fourth Tuesday of the month after that.
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Polling the Pollsters
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...
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Illiberalism and Public Health
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,...
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Youth Mental Health, According to Youth
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...
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A Field Guide for Policy Engagement on Public Health
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...
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Social Media's Impact on Youth Mental Health
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.
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America, We Have a Drinking Problem
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.
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The Survey Says ...
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.
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Will the war on drugs continue?
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…
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Uncovering Deep Flaws in Colorado's Mental Health System
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...
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Meltdown
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...
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Public Health Under Siege
Jake speaks with Brian Castrucci, CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, who has produced a new book, "Public Health Under Siege: Improving Policy in Turbulent Times." They discuss the state of the public health workforce, readiness for future pandemic response, and the prospects for public health...
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The Ideas Episode
In search of fresh ideas to improve public policy for the sake of public health and equity, Jake asks four colleagues to come on the pod and pitch a policy idea that has caught their attention. They cover territory ranging from what we put in our bodies, to where we live, to how we get money.
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America’s Youth Mental Health Crisis
Jake speaks with Lishaun Francis of Children Now. They discuss the nature of the crisis of suicide, anxiety, depression and substance use facing kids today, and what we can do about it on a policy level as we exit the pandemic. Children Now is an organization that advances public policy to…
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The COVID-19 Vaccine Endgame
While COVID-19 vaccine distribution has been ahead of schedule in its early phases, polling shows that convincing those who remain unvaccinated will be difficult. Jake speaks with Dr. Jennifer Reich about how we address vaccine hesitancy to reach herd immunity on COVID-19. Dr. Reich is the author...
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Gaslit by the Gas Industry
Jake speaks with Sabrina Pacha of Healthy Air and Water Colorado, where they discuss the health effects of using gas in homes and how the gas industry is pushing back against converting homes to electric, including by using Instagram influencers. Then Jake speaks with Vijay Limaye, an...
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Jack Healy of the New York Times on COVID-19 impact on Native Americans
Native American communities are being devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the toll isn’t just on health, but also on culture, as language, customs and oral history is perishing along with Native elders. Jake speaks with New York Times journalist Jack Healy about his reporting on this impact...
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Public Health & Politics with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
Jake speaks with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed about how Abdul's public health training informs his political instincts, the status of the public health workforce, and his insights on why President Trump won in 2016, but lost in 2020. They also dabble in actors with Egyptian roots, Ann Arbor deli talk, and…
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On the Wildfire Frontline with Dan Gibbs
Jake speaks with Dan Gibbs, who is a wildland firefighter and Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Dan was deployed this year to fight what were the largest forest fires in the state's history, which was part of a swell of fires this year out West that consumed an...
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Rebuilding in the Wake of the Pandemic with Dr. Ashwin Vasan
Jake speaks with Dr. Ashwin Vasan, a physician and epidemiologist who is also the President & CEO of Fountain House, an organization with international reach that supports people with mental illness. In the conversation, Jake mines Dr. Vasan’s public health expertise in exploring our response to...
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A Breath of Fresh Cyanide
While our air quality overall has improved in the last 50 years, air pollution today still causes about 100,000 premature deaths annually in America. It costs us all about $886 billion per year. The air emissions from our fossil fuel economy not only accelerates climate change, but also poses a...
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The Future of Big Tobacco is ... Japanese?!
Altria recently introduced "Heat not burn" tobacco products in Atlanta, their first U.S. test market. This is the latest ploy big tobacco is using to hook people on nicotine. It’s so new it makes vaping seem like a thing of the past. These products come to the U.S. all the way from Japan, where...
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Coming out, interrupted.
Justin took the stage at a recent rural philanthropy event and, for the first time in his life, publicly shared his story about coming out as a gay man. However, his microphone got cut off. In this episode, we talk with him about what happened that day, as well as his personal experience with...
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A conversation with Liz Plank about idealized masculinity
In this episode, Jake speaks with award-winning Vox journalist Liz Plank about her new book, "For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity." We explore the negative health impact of toxic masculinity or, as Liz calls it, "idealized masculinity", and its role in fueling gun violence,...
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What it means to be "healthy": some thoughts from the SXSW Wellness Expo
This week, we’re taking a look back at one of our favorite episodes from the season: our trip to SXSW’s Wellness Expo, where we interviewed visitors and vendors about their thoughts on what it means to be “healthy”. Now, a few months after our initial trip, the Wooden Teeth staff takes time to...
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Need some summer reading ideas? We got you covered.
In this episode, we are looking back at some of our favorite interviews from this season about books—books that inspire, that force us to reevaluate our preconceived notions, and that illuminate something within ourselves. We’ll show you some highlights from our conversations with three different...
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How does economic inequality influence mental health?
In this episode, Jake speaks with Richard Wilkinson, co-author, along with Kate Pickett, of a new book titled "The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone's Well-Being". This book examines how economic policy influences a myriad of health…
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The re-birth of the public option
A public health insurance failed to make it into the Affordable Care Act, but now states are creating their own version of the public option. Colorado has adopted legislation that initiates the implementation of a public health insurance option for residents, and we get the inside story of the…
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All About the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary
On today’s episode, we speak with political consultants Jayson Sime and Kate Duch of One Minus Beta about the process and politics of the 2020 process to produce a Democratic nominee for President. How are the rules different this year? How will a large field of candidates change the race? Which...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Government, elections, historical myths, webs of influence – they’re all affecting your health more than you think.
HOSTED BY
Jake Williams
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Wooden Teeth Show have?
The Wooden Teeth Show currently has 69 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Wooden Teeth Show about?
Government, elections, historical myths, webs of influence – they’re all affecting your health more than you think.
How often does The Wooden Teeth Show release new episodes?
The Wooden Teeth Show has 69 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Wooden Teeth Show?
You can listen to The Wooden Teeth Show on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Wooden Teeth Show?
The Wooden Teeth Show is created and hosted by Jake Williams.
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