Underreported from WNYC's The Leonard Lopate Show

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Underreported: Foreign Countries and Lobbying Nov 05, 2009

Show notes

Countries such as Honduras and Sudan have come under fire recently for hiring PR and lobbying firms to make the case for them to American lawmakers. We’ll speak with Ken Silverstein, Washington Editor for Harper’s magazine about how foreign governments use lobbying firms in Washington D.C. to advance their agenda.
You can read Ken's article "Their Men in Washington" from 2007 here.

Underreported: Algae as a Weapon of Mass Extinction Oct 29, 2009

Show notes

Over the past decade many species of algae have expanded their range toward the poles and into areas where they previously have not been found and many speculate that global warming is to blame. New research into the fossil record is linking the toxins produced by algal blooms to numerous mass extinctions in our planet’s history. On today’s first Underreported we’ll speak to Professor Jim Castle and Professor John Rodgers, both of Clemson University, authors of a paper on mass extinctions and algae.

Underreported: Algae's Biofuel Potential Oct 29, 2009

Show notes

Many scientists are hoping that algae could provide the basis of a biofuel. On today’s second Underreported, Dr. Anastasios Melis, Professor of Biology at University of California, Berkeley, explains why algae have so much potential for becoming a source of biofuel and the hurdles that remain for making it a viable alternative.

Underreported: Gene Patenting Oct 22, 2009

Show notes

Twenty percent of the human genome has been patented by biotechnology companies, universities, and research institutions. The patenting of two genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer is also the subject of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation against Myriad Genetics, a company that offers diagnostic tests for the genes. On today’s Underreported segment we’ll look at the controversial practice of gene patenting and the serious ethical, medical, and public policy questions it raises. We’ll be joined by Dr. David Koepsell, a philosopher, attorney, and Assistant Professor at the Technology University of Delft in the Netherlands. His book is called Who Owns You? The Corporate Gold Rush to Patent Your Genes.

Underreported: Censored 2010 Oct 15, 2009

Show notes

On this week’s Underreported, we look at 25 important stories you’ve never heard of – including articles about nuclear waste pools in North Carolina and Ecuador becoming the first country to grant human rights to nature. Mickey Huff, the co-editor of Censored 2010, tells us about this year’s best underreported stories. Find out more about Project Censored here.

Underreported: The Golden Bubble? Oct 08, 2009

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The price of gold has been reaching record highs this week. On today’s second Underreported, Fortune’s Scott Cendrowski explains why investors are turning to gold and what that says about the global financial markets.

You can read his article on gold here.

Underreported: Politicians and their PAC Money Oct 08, 2009

Show notes

Political Action Committees were established to enable politicians to raise money for their colleagues and support their campaigns. On this week’s Underreported, ProPublica reporter Marcus Stern explains how several law makers are now using their PAC money – from golf outings to casinos to commissioning portraits – and why the rules for PAC money aren’t tighter.
You can read his article that appeared in the Washington Post here.
Read the ProPublica article here.
You can look up information about your congressmember's leadership PAC here.

Underreported: The Placebo Effect Oct 01, 2009

Show notes

"The placebo effect" has been known to scientists for a very long time. But for some reason, the placebo effect is getting stronger and researchers don’t know why. In fact, an increasing number of medications are unable to beat sugar pills in clinical trials. Steve Silberman, is a senior writer for Wired magazine and wrote about this subject in the August issue.
You can read his article here.

Underreported: Coal Ash Sites Oct 01, 2009

Show notes

There are almost 600 coal ash sites throughout the United States. On today’s first Underreported, Lisa Evans, Senior Administrative Counsel for Earthjustice, explains why these toxic leftovers are so dangerous, how they’re disposed of, and what the Environmental Protection Agency proposes to do about coal ash sites.
You can read Earthjustice's report on Coal Ash sites here.

Underreported: The New French GDP Sep 17, 2009

Show notes

Earlier this week French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that his country would now be taking happiness and well-being into account when it calculates its Gross Domestic Product. Ben Hall Paris correspondent for the Financial Times explains how this change will affect France’s GDP and why the country is urging other nations to adopt its new formula.