Shows
Fatal Facts of FentanylNarcan Saved Lives, But It Couldn't Save His SonSend us a textA federal narcotics officer who lost his son to fentanyl shares his heartbreaking personal story while explaining the realities of fighting the deadly opioid crisis from both sides.• Officer Rick's 19-year-old son died from fentanyl after multiple overdoses, despite Rick's 25 years of experience fighting illegal drugs• The progression from marijuana to high-potency THC vapes (80-90% THC) to fentanyl poisoning• Narcan (naloxone) saved Rick's son twice before the fatal overdose• All families should have Narcan readily available regardless of suspected drug use• Fentanyl is commonly smoked, snorted, or ingested i...2025-07-1051 min
Informed DissentEpisode 32: Revisiting the HHS report, with co-author Alex ByrneAlex Byrne is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy at MIT and the author of the book Trouble with Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions. Last week, Alex revealed in a Washington Post op-ed that he was one of the nine co-authors of the anonymous HHS report on pediatric gender medicine. He is married to the evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven.CORRECTIONS: UPenn is restoring titles and records and issuing apologies to female athletes. Not Penn State. And it’s Title IX, not Title X.* HHS report* Executive Order 14187* “In Defense of Tran...2025-07-051h 41Fatal Facts of FentanylStigma Kills: How Understanding Addiction Science Saves LivesSend us a textDr. Charles Smith brings critical insights about addiction as a legitimate medical disease requiring scientific understanding and treatment approaches that match its complexity and timeline.• Addiction is a brain disease affecting the dopamine reward system, comparable to diabetes or heart disease• Approximately 1 in 10 people have vulnerable dopamine systems predisposing them to addiction• Risk factors include genetic predisposition, early age of first use, childhood trauma, high substance tolerance, and co-occurring mental disorders• Full brain healing from addiction typically requires 1-2 years, making 30-day rehab models inadequate• Dr. Smith shares his...2025-07-011h 00Fatal Facts of FentanylFrom Tragedy to Hope: A Mother's Journey Through Unimaginable LossSend us a textFreida McDonald shares her devastating experience of losing both her sons—Stephen to homicide and Michael to fentanyl poisoning—and how she transformed her grief into a mission to help others battling addiction. Her powerful story illustrates how grief can lead to addiction and how knowledge about the dangers of fentanyl and street drugs can save lives.• Stephen was murdered in 2012, shot and killed during a robbery• Michael turned to prescription painkillers (Roxys/Oxycontin) to cope with losing his brother• The path from prescription pills to street drugs to heroin hap...2025-06-2631 minFatal Facts of FentanylSnapchat, Fake Pills, and the Truth No One Told UsSend us a textThe silent epidemic of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl is claiming thousands of young lives across America, and most parents have no idea until it's too late. When Laura's 17-year-old son Zach purchased what he thought was a Percocet on Snapchat, she couldn't have known it would end his life. A straight-A student with college acceptance letters to multiple UC schools including UCLA, Zach had his entire future ahead of him. His story demolishes the stereotype of who fentanyl victims are - they're often not addicts but unwitting first-time users deceived b...2025-06-1831 minFatal Facts of FentanylFrom Cancer to Addiction: Peyton's Story Will Change How You View AddictionSend us a textAddiction doesn't discriminate—it can begin in the most unexpected ways, even through legitimate medical treatment. In this powerful conversation, Kelly shares the heartbreaking journey of her son Peyton, whose battle with opioid dependency began after cancer treatment.At 16, Peyton was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The high-dose steroids used to save his life had devastating side effects, deteriorating his hip bones and requiring a full hip replacement by age 19. The prescription pain medications that followed created a pathway to addiction that eventually led to tragedy when what he thought was a Pe...2025-06-0429 minFatal Facts of FentanylAmerica's Invisible War: Fighting the Fentanyl EpidemicSend us a textRE-UPLOAD ... Season 2, Episode 1.. Original Interview for Season 1, Episode 1 was in July, 2021 with Derek Maltz, SR. ~ former DEA Special Operations leader, and more recently... The Acting Director of the DEA - Appointed by President Donald J. Trump from January-May, 2025The information STILL remains Relevant and True as of NOW. Some Changes have been Made in AMERICA, yet, more NEED to be made in Order to SAVE LIVES. America faces an unprecedented drug crisis as Mexican cartels and Chinese criminal org...2025-05-2834 min
A Composer's CornerLisa Swerdlow joins A Composer's CornerLisa Swerdlow is an accomplished pianist and composer who lives in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she grew up in a progressive Jewish family. Her mother was an elementary schoolteacher and her father worked in the garment industry. Her childhood home was full of music thanks to her father's piano, accordion and mandolin playing.Lisa studied classical piano from the age of six playing Fur Elise by Beethoven for her first piano recital at seven. She began writing and performing songs on piano and guitar at sixteen and went on...2025-05-261h 04Fatal Facts of FentanylOne and Done ~ Snapchat DealersSend us a textInterview with Jaime Puerta, president of VOID, Victims Of Illicit Drugs, in particular Illicit Fentanyl bombarding our country with hundreds-of-thousands of deaths of our youth and young adults. Jaime is a grieving father who lost his 16-year old son, Daniel when he ingested a counterfeit pill that he purchased on SNAPCHAT, full of deadly Fentanyl that killed him.Death by Deception!Since, his son's death, Jaime has worked tirelessly in bringing awareness and education about the social media threat to all children, and for advocating for more common sense la...2025-05-2150 min