In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, host Laurence I. Barsh sits down with Dr. Lee Tannenbaum, a physician and healthcare leader whose career has been devoted to improving addiction treatment across the lifespan. Together, they confront a growing but often invisible crisis: substance misuse among older adults. While addiction in the United States is frequently portrayed as a youth-driven epidemic, this conversation reveals a more complex and urgent reality—one in which seniors are increasingly vulnerable to alcohol misuse, cannabis overuse, and the abuse of prescribed medications.
As Americans live longer and face deepening isolation, many older adults find themselves navigating chronic pain, grief, and the challenges of polypharmacy. These factors not only increase the risk of addiction but also complicate diagnosis and treatment. Yet the healthcare system, still largely calibrated to younger populations, often fails to recognize or respond to these issues with the nuance they demand.
Dr. Tannenbaum, Senior Medical Director at ARS Treatment Centers, shares insights from decades of experience designing methadone and buprenorphine-based treatment programs, shaping policy, and managing clinical operations through crises like COVID. He and Laurence explore how addiction trends have shifted over the past decade, which substances are driving the most harm, and how mental health challenges intersect with substance use—particularly in aging populations.
They discuss how addiction manifests differently across age groups, regions, and racial demographics, and why older adults are frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked. Dr. Tannenbaum outlines the substances most commonly misused by seniors—alcohol, prescription medications, and increasingly, cannabis—and explains how confusion, falls, and even death can result from unrecognized dependence. He also highlights the role of grief, chronic illness, and social disconnection in triggering substance misuse later in life.
The conversation turns to the clinical blind spots that caregivers and providers often miss, the cultural and systemic barriers that prevent older adults from accessing care, and the need for treatment centers to adapt their models to better serve aging populations. Dr. Tannenbaum offers a detailed look at treatment protocols for seniors, including approaches to managing alcoholism and benzodiazepine dependence in private practice.
They also examine the political landscape, including the impact of recent federal initiatives like the Executive Order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” and how such policies affect harm-reduction strategies and medication-focused treatment approaches. Dr. Tannenbaum shares his concerns about governmental overreach and the erosion of programs like needle exchanges that have proven effective in reducing harm.
Listeners are invited to explore more of Dr. Tannenbaum’s work at addictioncoa.com, and to tune into his podcast, co-hosted with his daughter ,You Don’t Have Struggle (https://open.spotify.com/show/51NIjdp4uhQ1wQ9e1dyYCb) where they delve deeper into addiction medicine, treatment innovation, and the evolving challenges of care.
This episode is a call to action: to recognize that addiction doesn’t retire at 65—it evolves. And if our systems are to meet the moment, they must evolve too.
Dr. Tannenbaum's Book
The Addiction Conspiracy: Unlocking Brain Chemistry and Addiction So You Don't Have To Struggle (https://a.co/d/hDQzAfW)
Welcome to Specifically for Seniors, where today we explore the civic power of everyday objects and the people who dare to redesign them. Today’s guest didn’t start with a blueprint—she started with a daughter. Drew Ann Long is the creator of Caroline’s Cart, a revolutionary shopping cart designed for children and adults with disabilities. Named after her daughter Caroline, who was born with Rett syndrome, the cart began as a mother’s plea for inclusion and became a national movement in retail design.Drew Ann taught herself the language of industrial engineering, founded Parent Solution Group in 2008, and partnered with Technibilt to bring her vision to life. Her invention has earned national recognition, including the Da Vinci Award for universal design, and is now available in major retailers like Target, Kroger, and Walmart. But this story isn’t just about a cart—it’s about civic imagination, maternal resolve, and the quiet revolution of making space for everyone.
Welcome to Specifically for Seniors, the podcast that celebrates the wisdom, wit, and willpower of older adults who refuse to sit quietly on the sidelines.
Today’s episode is a rich opportunity to spotlight the civic firepower of senior activism and the strategic brilliance behind We the Seniors—a grassroots movement that’s proving age is not a limitation, but a launchpad for change.
Our guests, Mary Mulvihill and Judy Loeb, are the architects of this powerful network. Through weekly Zoom calls, postcard campaigns, rallies, and coalition-building, they’ve mobilized thousands of older Americans to engage in meaningful, sustained political action. Their work has drawn speakers like Skye Perryman, activist Bill McKibben, Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Katie Porter, Liz Cheney and Jen Johnson —not just to inform, but to inspire.
Mary brings decades of organizing experience and a gift for turning civic frustration into coordinated action. Mary spent the first half of her career as an Associate Dean and Professor at Fordham University’s Business School, where she also taught. In the next chapter of her career, She turned her focus to revitalizing nonprofits, serving as Executive Director of two different nonprofits.
Judy, a former regional director for Emily’s List as a result of her anger over the Anita Hill hearings and a lifelong advocate, adds strategic depth and fundraising savvy to the mix.
Together, they’ve built the platform,We The Seniors, that amplifies senior voices, connects communities across 15 states, and redefines what it means to age with agency.
Whether you’re a seasoned activist or just beginning to explore your civic power, this conversation will challenge assumptions, spark ideas, and remind us all that democracy thrives when seniors lead. Let’s dive into their story, their mission, and the unstoppable force of senior volunteers.
One day, Narcissus caught sight of his own reflection and thought, “Finally—someone who gets me.” Fast forward a few millennia, and Donald Trump, in a moment of mythological cosplay, gazed into the Capitol Reflecting Pool and saw not the dome of democracy, but the shimmering image of his own magnificence. And like his ancient counterpart, he was utterly transfixed.So in June 2025, to mark his 79th birthday—and presumably the anniversary of his divine self-recognition—he staged a taxpayer-funded spectacle featuring tanks, fighter jets, and enough red-white-and-bluster to make a banana republic blush. Price tag? $45 million. Purpose? Self-admiration. Subtext? “I am the state.”
Today’s guest is here to help us decode the psychological machinery behind this kind of political theater. Dr. Jocelyn Sze is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, a trauma psychologist specializing in narcissistic abuse, and and a board member of Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services and the McCune Foundation which supports grassroots organizations that empower and mobilize excluded populations.
Her work bridges the personal and the political—helping individuals heal from manipulation while exposing how those same tactics play out on the national stage.
In her recent Huffington Post article, “I’m A Psychologist Who Specializes In Narcissists. Here’s What We Need To Do To Stop Trump,” Dr. Sze draws on years of clinical experience to unpack the psychological tactics of authoritarian figures. She urges us to build what she calls psychological immunity—a kind of civic resilience against emotional chaos and gaslighting.
Today, we’ll explore how trauma-informed psychology can help us recognize, resist, and respond to narcissistic leadership—and why naming these patterns is essential to protecting democracy.
Let’s get clinical about the circus.
Join us on our Substack page (https://specificallyforseniors.substack.com)where satire meets substance and storytelling sparks civic engagement and where we comment several + times a week. Let’s keep the conversation sharp, smart, and unapologetically bold.In the August 14, 2025 episode, Larry welcomes Dr. Sophia McClennen. Sophia is a professor of international affairs and comparative literature at Penn State University. She is the author of several books on satire, media, and politics, including Trump Was a Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn’t. Her work has been featured in Salon, The Washington Post, and numerous academic journals.professor, author, and leading scholar of political satire, for a riveting conversation about humor as resistance. Drawing from her acclaimed book Trump Was a Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn’t and her Salon article "Sick of Trump? Try laughing at him", McClennen explores how irony and parody became essential tools for navigating a presidency that often felt like its own punchline. Together, they examine how satire evolved in response to Trumpism, the civic power of laughter, and the urgent need for media literacy in an age of disinformation and manufactured history.Highlights Include: The anatomy of political satire in the digital age How humor exposes authoritarian absurdities The civic power of irony and parodyMcClennen argues that satire doesn’t merely entertain—it educates, provokes, and defends. The episode dives into the anatomy of political humor, the role of comedians as cultural critics, and the unique position seniors hold in decoding media spectacle and resisting authoritarian absurdities. With sharp insight and a dose of irreverence, this conversation reminds us that laughter, when wielded wisely, can be revolutionary.Listen now on SpecificallyForSeniors.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.com/@UC441l9z6dBkZCU1bO5E3ynAMEMORY LANE INFORMATIONWeb Pagehttps://www.memory-lane.tvFor Individuals, Family and Caregivershttps://bit.ly/4mtTG2hThere is a 30% discount for annual subscriptions, please use code SFORSENIORS in the promo box.For Professional Care Facilitieshttps://www.memory-lane.tv/contact-adult-carePlease place "Specifically for Seniors" in the Ambassador LineResearchhttps://www.memory-lane.tv/researchDisclaimer: Specifically for Seniors receives a small stipend with each subscription that helps to keep the podcast on the air. Please use the links for further information
I don’t usually invite a sponsor on to a podcast, but today I’m going to do just that because I think it's important for you to hear what my guest has to say about his product.
Regular listeners to Specifically for Seniors realize that I have accepted a sponsor for the podcast and, hopefully, it will help keep us on the air. I’ve held off because I wanted to make sure that any product or service that we recommended was validated by clinical research. Memory Lane TV was that product.
I know many of you are saying “Yuh, we’ve heard that before” - a commercial is just that a commercial. So I’m going to take a chance and let you judge for yourself.
Our guest on the podcast today is Alban Maino, founder and CEO of Memory Lane TV. Alban spent ten years developing something that traditional television simply couldn't provide— clinically-validated, multi-sensory content that's showing remarkable results in reducing anxiety and improving quality of life for both individuals with dementia and their caregivers and we're going to give you a chance to validate that for yourself by providing access to research documentation and the organizations that have worked to prove it.
This podcast was more important than I had imagined. Alban’s approach to the betterment of the lives of both those suffering with dementia and their caregivers is admirable. His ultimate goal is to be able to offer his video content to all that need it free of charge is obvious. He pleaded for the help of a philanthropist or organization willing to help reaching that goal especially since the current administration has negated the grants under which he and his company have been working. For now, however, the subscription fee will help keep the program in operation.Please contact me directly from the contact section of this podcast from our web site specificallyforseniors.com and I will put you in touch directly with him.
For the benefit of those who would like to share in the research that validates his approach there is a White Paper entitled “Sensory Stimulation as a Means of Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia” that Alban will make available upon request. Drop me a note from the contact section of this podcast from our web site specificallyforseniors.com and I will send you his email address.
ARTICLE
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/albanmaino_memory-care-innovation-award-winner-alban-activity-7325190241588236288-uC7A?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABMrH0QByj043fv_Hrpv7l0OYIv07Xhl1sc
SOCIAL MEDIA
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With the appointment of Robert F Kennedy, Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Trump administration has systematically targeted the next generation of scientists and public health leaders. He has cut science funding to its lowest level in decades. More than 20,000 jobs were eliminated, billions of dollars in scientific research has been threatened or paused, and a budget draft proposes a major restructuring of Health and Human Services.
The Trump administration has asked Federal agencies to cancel contracts with Harvard worth an additional $450 million after canceling more than $2.2 billion in federal research grants. Among these grants and contracts were medical research projects.
The proposed budget for the NIH includes a 40% cut, the CDC faces a budget cut of about half its spending, and the NSF (National Science Foundation) 2026 budget would be cut in half. These budget cuts could drastically affect the health of Americans for generations.
RFK, Jr , fired 17 expert members of a committee that advises the CDC on what vaccines people in the United States should take and when, making families less safe.
And RFK, Jr. aims to prohibit government scientists from publishing in top journals, citing pharmaceutical influence and corruption concerns. He proposes new in-house journals for NIH-funded research, questioning the peer-review process of established journals.
To help us understand the ramifications of all of this, we invited Stephen Spielberg, MD to help us through the complexities of this strange time in medicine and science.
I asked Steve for some background information so I could introduce him properly on this podcast. He replied “if you wake me in the middle of the night and ask what I “do”, I would say I am a doctor, a pediatrician, and all I have done as a basic and clinical scientist, as a medical school dean, as deputy commissioner of the FDA – all that comes back to a focus on the care of sick children, the prevention of disease, and optimization of health, and remembering humbly that we are all human, all on a vast journey of learning and striving for a better world.”
I urge you all to read Steve’s full biography at our web site (https://www.specificallyforseniors.com) about this podcast.
Steve and I discussed medical research in the time of the Trump administration, the arbitrary cuts in funding of the NIH FDA and CDC, vaccines, RFK's proposal that research documentation be submitted to a government controlled journal, the status of medical research and the United States standing in the international order, public health and funding cuts and his personal experience treating two brothers with a rare genetic disorder.
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Disclaimer: Specifically for Seniors receives a small stipend with each subscription that helps to keep the podcast on the air. Please use the links for further information
We’re going to take a break from politics and the voices of older adults on today’s podcast and talk with the younger generation that keeps us inspired.I was recently introduced to a compelling new voice in filmmaking, a bold young screenwriter and director whose creative vision and storytelling instincts mark him as one to watch.
At this year’s NYC Short Film Showcase at New Plaza Cinema, audiences were treated to a standout debut from the rising young screenwriter and director behind the sharply observed short film Thank You for Your Interest. With a confident voice and a keen eye for detail, Ethan explores the awkward, often absurd dance of job hunting in today’s world—delivering a story that is as poignant as it is darkly funny.
Front and center in the film is the talented young actress, a compelling new face whose performance is equal parts raw, relatable, and refreshingly real. Carmel brings the lead role to life with quiet power, capturing both the frustration and hope that define so many of life’s transitional moments. A breakout performer whose screen presence is impossible to ignore, with nuance and depth far beyond her years, Carmel delivers a performance that anchors the film and lingers with the audience long after the credits roll.
Together, Ethan and Carmel mark an exciting new chapter in independent film—two emerging artists with voices worth listening to and stories worth telling.
Now, full disclosure — today’s guests are very special to me, not just because they’re incredibly talented, but because they also happen to be my grandchildren.
So if I sound a little extra proud today… well, I am. I apologize in advance for any grandparental gushing.
Thank you for supporting new talent — and for indulging me just a little.
A Fact Sheet at whitehouse.gov is entitled President Donald J. Trump Keeps Promises to Our Veterans and Establishes New Center for Homeless Veterans.
Fact Sheet
Linkhttps://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-keeps-promises-to-our-veterans-and-establishes-new-center-for-homeless-veterans/
On this page is the statement “President Trump strongly believes that every veteran deserves our gratitude, and that the federal government should treat veterans like the heroes they are."
Despite this the Department of Veteran’s Affairs is reportedly planning a major reorganization that includes cutting 80,000 jobs in an effort to reduce the agency’s workforce.
To clarify what’s going on we asked Elizabeth Jamison to help us out.Elizabeth Jamison is an attorney with nearly two decades of experience in veterans’ benefits and federal employment law. She has served as an Attorney Advisor at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and as a Senior Advisor to the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative. Libby played a key role in shaping the 2023 Executive Order on Economic Security for military spouses, caregivers, and survivors.
Today, through her law firm, she helps veterans and their families navigate the VA system with clarity and confidence.
Libby and I talk about her background and the fact that she worked for both the Obama and Biden Administrations through "Joining Forces" and what the cuts to veteran's services will do to medical care, mortgage-rescue programs, research and veteran's jobs. Libby also presented important information on what veterans can get help if they run into problems.
Website L:ink:https://www.egracelaw.com
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Please place "Specifically for Seniors" in the Ambassador Line
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Specifically for Seniors receives a small stipend with each subscription that helps to keep the podcast on the air. Please use these links for further information.
A FACT CHECK at the White House website proclaims “President Trump will always a protect Social Security and Medicare.” It goes on to quote Elon Musk saying “The waste and fraud in entitlement spending — which is most of the federal spending is entitlements — so, that’s, like, the big one to eliminate. That’s the, sort of half-trillion, maybe $6-700 billion a year.”
After a list of “facts” about fraud, improper payments to deceased individuals and improper payments to both SSA and Medicare and Medicaid services, the page goes on to ask “What kind of a person doesn’t support eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending that ultimately costs taxpayers more?”
Link to the Whitehouse web site:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/fact-check-president-trump-will-always-protect-social-security-medicare/
Am I missing something? First, Social Security and Medicare are not entitlements, they are services for which older Americans have paid for by deductions from THEIR salaries.
And , second, where is, in this so-called Fact Sheet, plans for how President Trump is going to preserve Social Security and Medicare except for a statement that reads “The Trump Administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. President Trump himself has said it (over and over and over again).”
Conversely, President’s Trump’s budget seeks to reduce or eliminate the Older Americans Act, to dissolve the Administration for Community Living, and cut funding to critical services that help older adults to live independently.
In order to be able to understand more completely what’s going on, we called on Nathan Boucher, to explain the effect of Trump’s real budget proposals on senior care. Nathan is Associate Research Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke University faculty at Sanford School of Public Policy, the Medical School, and the Nursing School. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Duke Center for the Study of Aging & Human Development as well as Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy Core Faculty.
Nathan and I talked about the Older Americans Act and the Administration for Community Living which provide services like Meals on Wheels, Adult Day Care, Falls and Elder Abuse Prevention and Respite care as well as services for younger people with disabilities. We discussed that despite reassurances that Medicare and Medicaid will not be touched, plans are in the works for reducing Medicaid and adding a work requirement and more difficult paperwork which would affect at least 7.6 million people.
A recent space tourism flight on the Blue Origin capsule featuring an all-female crew including Katy Perry and Gayle King sparked some controversy over whether it was a publicity stunt to promote Jeff Bezos’ space tourism business or whether it had some scientific purpose. We were curious about humans’ venture into space, so we called on the go-to-expert on all things space flight Dr. Jonathan McDowell. Dr. McDowell is an astrophysicist on the Chandra X-ray Center team at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, supporting NASA'sChandra X-ray Observatory space telescope mission. He studies black holes and quasars, and leads the science software algorithms team for the Chandra X-ray Observatory.Jonathan's astrophysics publications include studies of cosmology, black holes, galaxies, quasars, nearby galaxies, and asteroids.Jonathan is the editor of Jonathan's Space Report, a free internet newsletter founded in 1989 covering technical details of all space launches.Jonathan and I talked about space tourism, the Chandra Xray Observatory at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics right here in Cambridge, Massachusetts, how he became interested in space, learning from Stephen Hawking, and all things spaceflight. Jonathan discussed satellites and space junk, commercial and government entities in space, the Big Bang, and whether Klingons and Vulcans exist and what the likelihood is that we will ever meet one.My only disappointment in this whole discussion was that Dr, McDowell did not agree that tom Baker was the only real Dr. Who.
A Free ranging discussion of freedom of the press.Dictators hate a free press. Victor Orbán in Hungary built his own media universe while simultaneously dismantling the free press. The Nazis smashed printing presses of opposition newspapers. One of Trump’s first actions was to dictate who would cover him in the White House and on Air Force One and refuse to allow the Associated Press admittance to press briefings. Social media and press giants like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk control or rather eliminate control over truthfulness of content placed on Facebook and X; Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, stated he will not print opinions that oppose his subservience to Donald Trump.My guest today on Specifically for Seniors is Rebecca Hamilton a Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law. Her research and teaching focus is on national security law, technology, international law, and criminal law. Her scholarship draws on her experience in the prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, as well as her journalism background, including work in conflict zones as a foreign correspondent for The Washington Post. She is the author of FIGHTING FOR DARFUR: PUBLIC ACTION AND THE STRUGGLE TO STOP GENOCIDE, which analyzes citizen activism and the effort to stop mass atrocities.Rebecca and I talk about the First Amendment, control of media by billionaires who wish to control thought, Trump and his efforts to interfere with public access to the news, the punishment of non-profits and universities, the constitution crisis we are experiencing, law firm, academic freedom and what we as citizens can do.Links to interviewshttps://www.justsecurity.org/107377/trump-control-us-media-information/https://www.justsecurity.org/109439/collective-law-firms-universities-media/ Also - on a different note - The joy that is becoming a hearing aid userhttps://slate.com/technology/2024/10/hearing-aids-loss-sudden-deafness-apple-airpods.html
A recent article in the Washington Post described the current administration's attempts to cancel leases for many National Park Service buildings saying that it could save taxpayers millions of dollars. This move came after the firing of about 1000 probationary workers.I wanted to learn more about the National Park Service and how funding cuts will affect visitors this summer, but more than that - about the cultural and historical background of our national parks and the politics affecting them.So I called on Alan Spears to help us out. Alan is currently the Senior Director of Cultural Resources in the Government Affairs department. He serves as the National Parks Conservation Association's resident historian and cultural resources expert. Alan and I talked about his experience when working on a clean-up project that necessitated a helicopter rescue. We discussed the totality of the National Park Service, the number of visitors each year, and how the extent of funding cuts will affect visitors' experience at the parks and the affect it is having on the park workers. We talked about the mission of the National Parks Conservation Association.We discussed the fact that recently there has been an attempt to rewrite and erase part of American history by an executive order to remove content that "disparages Americans". Trump issued an executive order entitled "Restoring truth and sanity to American History". The order directed the Department of the Interior to conduct a review of history monuments, memorials and other properties for "partisan ideology".We briefly touched on the treaty with Tribal lands, mining on public lands, climate change, air quality and what we, as citizens, can do.NPR Interview and Article: Trump wants to restore statues and monuments. Will that happen?https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5343613/trump-executive-order-smithsonian-monuments
I was 6 years old when Voice of America first broadcast during World War II. It was established in 1941 initially focused on countering Nazi and Japanese propaganda during World War II and later played a significant role during the Cold War broadcasting to communist countries.
Very recently, however, the White House moved to close down Voice of America to "ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda. "
To get an up-close and personal view of what’s happening at VOA, we asked Steve Herman to be a guest on the podcast. Steven Herman is the chief national correspondent for the Voice of America. From 2017 to 2021, Steve was senior White House correspondent and subsequently VOA's White House bureau chief. Steve is the author of five books, the most recent of which is His latest, Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President — and Why It Matters, is a 2024 release from Kent State University Press.
In our conversation, Steve and I discussed why the Voice of America was so vital and why it was supported by all American presidents for the past 80 years with the exception of the current president. We talked about the dedication and diligence of the 1300 employees of VOA who have been put on leave and the closure of VOA. Steve pointed out that since VOA was shuttered, the world now can only hear the voices of Moscow, Beijing Pyongyang and Tehran and the danger that causes. We discussed Steve's appearance on 60 Minutes and his book Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist's Story of Covering the President - and Why It Matters.
Book Availability:
https://a.co/d/6zaFTL8
About the Book
https://www.c-span.org/program/book-tv/behind-the-white-house-curtain/643228
The news that the Trump administration plans to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency's offices and the future implications of Trump's energy policies on the environment and climate led to my concern about how it will affect my children and grandchildren and yours. Because I didn't understand what all the implications could be and what we could do about it, I invited David Cain from the Citizens' Climate Lobby to talk with us about the organization, what it does, and how he became active in the CCL. We talked about what the Citizen's Climate Lobby is and its mission, its climate solutions and how to volunteer.Links:Citizens' Climate Lobbyhttps://www.citizensclimatelobby.orgPodcastshttps://www.youtube.com/@CitizensClimateLobbyMonthly Speakershttps://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/monthly-speakersWrite Congress to Protect NOAAhttps://community.citizensclimate.org/tools/protect-noaa#/152/Write Congress to defend the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) climate provisionshttps://citizensclimatelobby.org/get-loud-take-action/protect-climate-ira/
One cannot turn on the news on TV or read a newspaper without hearing the words - Constitutional crisis. There's so much confusion about whether we are in a Constitutional Crisis or not, Professor Alexandra Keyssar rejoined the podcast to help us understand what a Constitutional crisis is and whether we are in one.Alexander Keyssar is the Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy. An historian by training, he has specialized in the exploration of historical problems that have contemporary policy implications. His book, The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States (2000), was named the best book in U.S. history by both the American Historical Association and the Historical Society; it was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Award. A significantly revised and updated edition of The Right to Vote was published in 2009. His 1986 book, Out of Work: The First Century of Unemployment in Massachusetts, was awarded three scholarly prizes. Keyssar is coauthor of The Way of the Ship: America's Maritime History Reenvisioned, 1600-2000 (2008), and of Inventing America, a text integrating the history of technology and science into the mainstream of American history. In addition, he has co-edited a book series on Comparative and International Working-Class History. In 2004/5, Keyssar chaired the Social Science Research Council's National Research Commission on Voting and Elections, and he writes frequently for the popular press about American politics and history. Keyssar's latest book, entitled Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? (2020), is published by Harvard University Press.
WE AT SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS WILL CONTINUE TO JOIN AS MANY GROUPS AS POSSIBLE, MONITOR THEIR APPEALS TO THE PUBLIC. AND BRING THEM TO YOU IN WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS ACTION CASTS. WE WILL PRESENT THEIR VIDEOS, SUMMARIZE THEIR THOUGHTS AND PROVIDE IDEAS FROM THESE GROUPS AS TO HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE. WHEN POSSIBLE WE WILL PROVIDE LINKS TO WAYS YOU CAN EASILY PARTICIPATE IN THE SHOW NOTES SO BE SURE TO CHECK THERE.WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THESE ACTION CASTS DROP, SO WATCH FOR THE NOTICE ANNOUNCING A SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS ACTION CAST. WE WILL PROVIDE LINKS TO WAYS YOU CAN EASILY PARTICIPATE IN THE SHOW NOTES SO BE SURE TO CHECK THERE.TODAY ON ACTION CAST FROM SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS A VIDEO FROM C.A.P - THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS, ATAMERICANPROGRESS.ORG - A PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH ABD ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WHIUCH PRESENTS A LIBERAL VIEWPOINT ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES. CAP IS HEADQUARTERED IN WASHINGTON DC. THE ISSUE TODAY IS THE SAVE ACT. MORE INFORMATION IS IN THE SHOW NOTES AND AT CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS https://www.americanprogress.org
SHOW NOTES
THE SAVE ACTFROM https://www.americanprogress.org
“This act would force every single American citizen to prove their citizenship status in person when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. For the vast majority of Americans, this would mean presenting a passport or birth certificate at their local election office. This SAVE Act threatens to disenfranchise millions of U.S. citizens: 146 million Americans do not have a passport, and 69 million women who have married do not have a birth certificate that matches their new legal name. Working-class and low-income Americans would also be disproportionately disenfranchised if the bill became law, as the vast majority of these groups do not possess a passport. The only Americans who stand to benefit from the SAVE Act are out-of-touch politicians who are willing to trade Americans’ right to vote for political points with the media and the administration. These politicians are trying to use claims of election integrity to trick us into making it harder for millions of eligible American citizens to cast their vote. Tell Congress to protect your rights by voting no on the SAVE Act.”
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
https://www.americanprogress.org
From Indivisible.org
"The House and Senate are heading home for recess from March 15-23 -- and they are desperate to avoid you.Why? Because during the last recess, the few Republicans who dared to hold town halls got absolutely wrecked by their own constituents. People showed up. They demanded answers. They called out their Members of Congress for gutting Medicaid, slashing Social Security, and letting President Musk seize control of federal systems with zero oversight. In the days that followed, we saw those same Republicans start to get very nervous about their complicity and their plan to slash very popular programs like Medicaid.Republican leadership took notes. Now they’re telling their members to dodge town halls altogether. They know that if voters see what they’re actually doing -- selling out the country to billionaires while shredding programs that millions rely on -- it will be politically devastating."
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There's an old Joke:
What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?
The answer: I don't know and I don't care.
That pretty much sums up the way many of us feel right now.
This podcast was recorded in mid- February, 2025 about a month after the inauguration of Donald Trump. In the few short weeks of his second term as president, he has fundamentally changed most of which we older adults have long considered the basis of our democracy - freedom of the press, birthright citizenship and three equal branches of government. He is attempting to cut off aid to foreign countries, drastically alter our concerns about climate change, pardon convicted insurgents , more than decimate
the FBI and CIA, change the way we approach public health concerns, annex foreign countries, allow a select group of billionaires to make drastic changes to the way our government works and even wage war on paper straws.
We re frustrated about our seeming lack of ability to do anything about it and to make our voices heard. So I invited Sam Daley-Harris, author of "Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen's Guide to Transformational advocacy" to help us learn how to make a difference.
Throughout the last three years, Specifically for Seniors has attempted to bring conversations of interest, importance and just plain fun to you, our listeners. We have talked with artists, politicians, authors, physicians, historians, journalists, comedians, biologists, retirement experts, political activists and other podcasters.
But in our more than 90 podcasts, we have never become actively involved in attempting to change our world. The current president and his sycophants, however, have forced Specifically for Seniors to change direction. We older adults must make our voices heard to create a better life for ourselves, our children, grandchildren and beyond.
Specifically for Seniors hereby issues call to action, urging older adults to accept our responsibility as advocates to work toward transformational change in our communities, government , our world and in ourselves
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Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen's Guide to Transformational Advocacy
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
To be honest I should have titled this podcast -Surviving the Podcast Guests.Tune in and you'll understand why I said this. Joel and Karmela Waldman are mother and son co-hosts of their True Crime podcast called Surviving the Survivor. Joel worked most recently as a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent for Fox News, covering national politics from Capitol Hill. He has also worked as an investigative reporter for Fox 5 in New York City and for TV-news programs in West Palm Beach, Miami, and Tucson. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, Ileana, and his three children, Vida, Zizi, and Juda. Karmela is best known as Joel’s mom (Joel wrote this). But, she’s so much more! A graduate of the University of Geneva, Karmela went on to get her masters in Social Work at Rutgers University. She’s both a licensed marriage therapist and Holocaust survivor. Hence, the podcast’s name, Surviving the Survivor. Now from these guests you might have expected a pretty dry, uninteresting podcast, but it was one of those days everything went wrong technically - from inability to sign on to the recording program to improper syncing of voice and video and combined with Kamrela and Joel's senses of humor- leading to what I consider to be the best podcast we've ever done. Link to the book Surviving the Survivor: https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Survivor-Conversation-Holocaust-Therapist/dp/B0D3VMVM2T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HXLB1GUAAM7X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JUU8BPhBhkLxg5vwvT2fAruoEoGn-l57lLdHMVnAETMQsSQ7ScF2PbT9hdoUxo2ouuqrfBt4U2qxsdzWIdtgD4WcN-eiOrcNB6glvQ9FvVhagapRw98HCQp09RnddDM4ytVnk3oy5RGEtYGD-JzaImD7uTKkMmkz1QVonWX8csRffNMWkQbqPHBZUz3GqZ3vXyssJMnlL5wFsD-JiC1LpR88VPOYBi8iEy_ZRvh3GBA.JK4_ie9MiSOqy3V-k8G8YH8eFWu3H4aQxQTPtmJrqEg&dib_tag=se&keywords=surviving+the+survivor&qid=1733420176&sprefix=surviving+the+survivor%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1