Sound Off With Sasha

Hosted and produced locally by Sasha Rethati,  “Sound Off with Sasha” airs on Fridays at Noon. “Sound Off with Sasha” is a weekly review of current topics and events. The call-in interview program is known for addressing vital issues, and for featuring a wide range of outstanding guests, such as :   Bishop John Shelby Spong,  Dr. Larry Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan,  Gen. George Joulwan, Former NATO Commander,  Nobel Laureate Economist Joseph Stiglitz, Bestselling author Naomi Klein, and a list of authors, opinion makers and experts in their fields. 

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List Of Shows

Coming Up Friday: James Galbraith - Economic Improvement

09-02-2010

News reports on the economy are both disappointing and confusing: The Economy is improving, but not fast enough, unemployment is growing, but it could be worse, the stimulus didn’t work, but it created 3.5 million jobs…

Discussing the economy and what would work to improve it is economist and University of Texas government Professor James Galbraith. He’s the author of several books, including the The Predator State

Should America stimulate the economy or worry about the deficit?

Dave Bruns - Social Security / Rana Foroohar - The Best Country in the World is…

08-27-2010

This month Social Security celebrated its 75th birthday, and Americans of all ages wished it many happy returns. Communication Director Dave Bruns of Florida AARP talks about AARP’s survey, showing 76% of adults over 18 years plan to rely on Social Security in their retirement.

Also, Newsweek Deputy Editor Rana Foroohar, in charge of international business and economics, discusses their cover story, titled The Best Country in the World is… Did we make it to the top ten?

A.C. Thompson - Frontline: LAW AND DISORDER

08-19-2010

Five years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the relentless journalistic effort in pursuit of the truth impelled authorities to indict 16 current and former officers with the New Orleans Police Department.

Investigative Journalist A.C. Thompson talks about the new PBS Frontline documentary, ‘LAW AND DISORDER’ , a co-production with ProPublica, an independent investigative journalism group,  and the New Orleans Times Picayune. ProPublica became the first online newsroom to win the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Raj Patel - The Cost of the BP Oil Spill / Larry Korb - Military Budget

08-13-2010

The oil well in the Gulf is capped, but are things back to normal?

Author Raj Patel, Ph.D., talks about his Nation magazine article titled We have yet to see the biggest costs of the BP spill.

Later, addressing the recently announced military budget cuts is former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Larry Korb, who administered 70% of the Defense budget in the Reagan administration. He is Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Barbara Ehrenreich - Bright-Sided – How Positive Thinking is Undermining America

08-06-2010

Can positive thinking conquer the world’s ills? Or, can being  bright-eyed optimists prevent us from recognizing and dealing with realistic challenges?

Barbara Ehrenreich, author of sixteen books, including the bestsellers Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch talks about her latest book, Bright-Sided – How Positive Thinking is Undermining America.  

Does positive thinking make bad situations worse in Consumerism, Business Failure, Unemployment and even in the Healthcare industry?

Dr Randy Frost - "STUFF, Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things”

07-30-2010

Are you running out of room for all your possessions? Do you cringe at the thought of getting rid of some?  

Saving and collecting possessions can be a harmless hobby, but over six million Americans, their families and friends are affected by a compulsive disorder called hoarding.

Discussing  its symptoms and treatment is Dr. Randy Frost, professor of psychology at Smith College, and author of STUFF, Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.

Ashley Merryman - “The Creativity Crisis”

07-23-2010

America’s renowned leadership in creativity and innovation is more vital today than ever, but is America losing its innovative edge?

Journalist and author Ashley Merryman, talks about her Newsweek Magazine article, titled The Creativity Crisis, on America's declining creativity and how to fix it.

Can creativity be taught?  What are other countries doing in making creativity development a national priority?

Robert Weiss - Sexual Addiction

07-15-2010

How does living in an era of in-your-face sex, - being exposed to sexual messages from magazines, commercials, internet porn, to performance enhancing drugs, - affect sexual addiction? Founding Director, Robert Weiss, of the Sexual Recovery Institute discusses the programs from diagnosis to treatment, designed for patients, their partners, and for the training of recovery professionals.

Dr. Douglas Bremner - “Does Stress Damage the Brain?”

07-09-2010

In addition to the steadily growing cases of depression recorded by mental health organizations, there is a growing number of people who appear to have symptoms of depression from watching the news.  Are they afflicted by an undiagnosed news-induced-depression?

Discussing  the causes, symptoms and treatment of depression and PTSD is Dr. Douglas Bremner, Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology, Director of the Emory Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at Emory University School of Medicine, and Director of Mental Health Research at the Atlanta VA Medical Clinic.  He is the author of several books, including "Does Stress Damage the Brain?"

Encore - Dr. Shannon O’Neil “The Real War in Mexico, How Democracy Can Defeat the Drug Cartels”

07-02-2010

The escalating lawlessness and drug related violence on our Southern border, prompted former CIA chief to claim that Mexico could become “more problematic than Iraq”. Addressing the challenges to U.S.-Mexican relations is Latin American Expert, Dr. Shannon O’Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations, author of the study titled “The Real War in Mexico, How Democracy Can Defeat the Drug Cartels”

Preventing Future Oil Spills - Karla Walter / Afghanistan War - Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski

06-25-2010

Should regulators have seen the BP disaster coming? Can we prevent them in the future? Senior Policy Analyst Karla Walter with American Progress calls for strengthening the review process on present and future contracts and reining in irresponsible oil drillers.

Also, reviewing recent developments in Afghanistan and the replacement of General Stanley McChrystal with General David Petraeus is retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski, Ph.D. who writes on defense issues for Military Week. 

Rabbi Michael Lerner / Mark Levine - Is criticizing Israel anti-Semitic?

06-18-2010

Is criticizing Israel anti-Semitic?

A long overdue discussion on this question is conducted between Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of the Interfaith Publication “Tikkun”, a Middle East Peace advocate, and a critic of some Israeli policies, --  and Mark Levine, former Congressional attorney, radio talk show host, a firm supporter of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State, and a critic of some of Israel’s critics.

Does criticism harm or strengthen Israel?

Improving Education - Linda Darling-Hammond, Philissa Cramer

06-11-2010

Improving education has long been the stated goal of the United States.  What was accomplished? Author, and Stanford University Professor Linda Darling-Hammond talks about her article published in Nation Magazine, on Restoring our Schools, and what high achieving Nations are doing.

Later, Philissa Cramer,  Assistant Editor of Gotham Schools, discusses “Bright Ideas”, how innovation in education is going on in unexpected places.

Inside Scoop Host Mark Levine / Brian Katulis on Gaza

06-04-2010

The new law in Arizona put immigration up for debate, including challenges to automatic citizenship for children born to parents without legal residency in the US.   Discussing Immigration and the applicable  14th Amendment  is former House Judiciary Committee Counsel Mark Levine, who currently hosts “Inside Scoop”, a Washington DC radio show.

Next, Middle East and U.S. National Security expert Brian Katulis addresses recent events in Gaza. He is Senior Fellow at American Progress, and has lived and worked in the West Bank and Gaza Strip while engaged in the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. What will America’s role be in bridging the conflict between two allies, Israel and Turkey?  What is next for Middle East Peace Talks?

Sally Kestin - Gubernatorial Candidate Rick Scott / Author Colin Beavan - "“No Impact Man”"

05-28-2010

Is Gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott the inventive entrepreneur he says Florida needs, or is he the man whose company had to pay 1.7 billion dollars in fines for defrauding Medicare, and “barely escaped imprisonment”, as his opponent, Attorney General Bill McCollum charged? Investigative Reporter for the Sun Sentinel, Sally Kestin talks about her article: “Rick Scott, who ran a company involved in the nation's largest Medicare fraud case, wants to be Florida's governor.

Also, many observers of the devastating Gulf oil leak were prompted to seek a greener lifestyle and cut their energy and oil dependence.  Can it be done?  Author Colin Beavan, Ph.D., explains it in his book titled “No Impact Man”. His NoImpactMan.com blog had nearly two million visitors, and a highly praised documentary based on his book was shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jonathan Alter "The Promise, President Obama, Year One"

05-21-2010

Did President Obama have to “grapple with the worst set of problems of any incoming president since Roosevelt”?

Bestselling author Jonathan Alter makes the case for it in his new book: The Promise, President Obama, Year One.  Qualified to make the comparison, Alter is the author of the bestselling book on FDR’s first one-hundred days, The Defining Moment. The Promise is a journalistic report of history-in-the-making, that chronicles the events, decisions, challenges, and Obama’s Presidential style in dealing with them. What was accomplished, and what lies ahead?

Dr. Lawrence Korb / Kyle Smeallie

05-14-2010

Where do we stand in our mission in Afghanistan? Does President Karzai’s visit signal a change in plans? Former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Dr. Lawrence Korb comments.

Also, addressing the Supreme Court Nomination is Kyle Smeallie, co-author of the article "Elena Kagan’s shaky record , What a Kagan appointment to the Supreme Court could mean for civil liberties".  He researches and writes on civil liberties issues, contributing to articles published in the National Law Journal, Forbes, and others.

Gretchen Peters - "Seeds of Terror, How Drugs, Thugs and Crime are Reshaping the Afghan War” / Craig Pittman - Oil Spill

05-07-2010

The attempted terrorist attack by the Taliban-trained New York bomber calls for examining the threat and source of future attempts. Author Gretchen Peters talks about her book, the “Seeds of Terror, How Drugs, Thugs and Crime are Reshaping the Afghan War”. Peters spent over a decade covering Pakistan and Afghanistan for the Associated Press, and has briefed the Pentagon and the State Department on her findings on the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Later, award winning environmental journalist Craig Pittman of the St. Pete Times discusses the costly oil spill that could devastate the economy and wildlife of  Florida.  Pittman won the Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism in Florida in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Frontline Producer Martin Smith - "College, Inc." / John Bowe - "Bound for America"

04-30-2010

Education is the key to the future, but are we doing enough to give students the best education money can buy?  Award winning writer/producer Martin Smith talks about his new PBS Frontline Documentary titled “College, Inc”.

Later, award winning journalist John Bowe discusses his article “Bound for America” published in Mother Jones, about how the Immigration Law sets up foreign Guest Workers for a new kind of indentured servitude.

Roger Lowenstein - “The End of Wall Street” / Daniel Weiss, Director of Climate Strategy at American Progress

04-23-2010

What led to the 2008 financial collapse, and will the proposed finance regulation bill prevent future collapses?  Financial journalist, best selling author Roger Lowenstein talks about his new book, “The End of Wall Street.”

Later, in observation of Earth Day, Senior Fellow Daniel Weiss,  Director of Climate Strategy at American Progress discusses  How to Use Executive Authority to Boost Investments in renewable energy, Create Jobs, and Save Oil.



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