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We send our soldiers to the front lines, but when they come home, does the healthcare system follow through? Jim Maguire and Joanne Frederick of Government Market Strategies explain why veterans and military families are struggling to get care, and how to fix it. Most people don't realize there are two completely separate systems. The Military Health System (TRICARE) covers about 9.5 million active duty members, families, and retirees. The Veterans Health Administration covers about 9 million veterans. Both are stretched thin. When military and VA facilities can't meet the demand, patients are sent out into the community, where they compete with everyone else for limited appointments. That's especially hard in rural areas, where many veterans live. On top of that, reimbursement rates are often lower than what private insurance and even Medicaid pay. Claims get delayed or never paid, so many doctors simply don't want to take these patients. Then there's the paperwork. Joanne estimates that roughly 15,000 pages of law, regulations, and manuals govern these contracts, and "no one really knows what they say." Using AI, she broke those documents down and found that they contradict each other. That project took two weeks, compared with a year and a half for a team of 20 doing it by hand. Jim and Joanne also share Patriot Health, their plan to modernize a TRICARE contract model that has barely changed since the 1990s. It would bring in more providers, more competition, and lower costs for taxpayers, while keeping the force ready for conflicts in the Middle East and beyond. If you're a veteran, a service member, or love someone who is, this episode is for you.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: The difference between the Military Health System (TRICARE) and the VA Why veterans and military families face long waits for care, especially in rural areas How low reimbursement rates and unpaid claims push doctors away Why an "adequate" provider network on paper doesn't mean you can get an appointment How a "game of telephone" from Congress to contract creates a bureaucratic mess How the Iran conflict and long deployments are pulling military doctors away from families at home What Patriot Health is and how it could modernize military healthcare How AI turned an 18-month, 20-person project into two weeks of work How the Oracle health record could follow service members from enlistment through veteran life What to do if you've been denied care: patient advocates, VSOs, and your congressional representative Why veterans juggling VA, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance need a better system   Jim Maguire is co-founder of Government Market Strategies (GMS). He has spent his career in government contracting and healthcare finance and operations. He has served as CFO of National Government Services and the Indiana Medicaid health plan MDwise, and as chief operating officer of Cerner Government Services, where he led the electronic health record rollout across the Department of Defense and the VA. Joanne Frederick is co-founder of GMS. She has more than 30 years of experience building and growing a consultancy that supports military health, VA care, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Her first TRICARE contract dates back to 1992. Contact / Follow Jim Maguire & Joanne Frederick: GMS website: https://marketstrategiesonline.com/ Jim Maguire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmaguireva/ Joanne Frederick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannemfrederick/   Veteran Resources Mentioned in This Episode: VA Patient Advocate Program: https://www.va.gov/health/patientadvocate/ Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): https://www.vfw.org Disabled American Veterans (DAV): https://www.dav.org TRICARE: https://www.tricare.mil Find your congressional representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative   Know a veteran or military family who needs to hear this? Share this episode, and subscribe to Cut to the Chase: Podcast with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.   Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

Is there still hope for climate change? Environmental journalist Fred Pearce, author of Despite It All, explains why climate change is solvable, from renewable energy and EVs to AI data centers and China's clean energy boom. Have you given up on the planet? Before you do, hear from someone who has spent 40 years reporting from more than 80 countries, and who has watched the world solve problems that once looked impossible. When Fred started out in the 1980s, the big environmental story was acid rain. Then came lead in petrol, the hole in the ozone layer, and warnings that a "population bomb" would starve billions. Today we barely talk about any of them, because we fixed them. So can we do the same with climate change? Gregg plays devil's advocate and throws the hardest questions at him. AI data centers are driving up energy demand. China is still building coal plants. Corporations and governments are quietly walking back their net-zero pledges. And climate change has become deeply politicized. Fred doesn't sugarcoat it: "You should be worried for sure." But he makes a compelling case for optimism. Solar and wind are now cheaper than coal. China has become the world's clean energy powerhouse. The conflict in Iran is pushing countries toward homegrown renewable power. And nature has an extraordinary ability to bounce back. As Fred puts it: "Hope drives ambition." If climate news leaves you feeling anxious or hopeless, this is the episode to watch.   What you'll learn: How the world solved acid rain, the ozone hole, and leaded petrol, and what that teaches us about climate change Whether AI data centers will derail climate progress, and how renewable energy can power them How China went from climate villain to the global leader in solar power, batteries, and electric vehicles Why corporations may be easier to convince than governments, and why renewables now win on cost How the conflict in Iran and energy security are accelerating the shift to clean energy Fred's honest take on nuclear power, geothermal, and Trump's energy policy Geoengineering and carbon removal: should we be ready to pull CO2 out of the sky? What a Bolsonaro comeback could mean for Amazon deforestation Why letting forests regrow naturally often beats planting trees What Fred got wrong about caribou hunters in Alaska, and why the herd doubled How the "population bomb" was defused without forced policies   TIME STAMPS: 0:00 – Is There Still Hope for Climate Change? 1:10 – We Fixed Acid Rain and the Ozone Hole 3:59 – Will AI Data Centers Wreck It All? 6:16 – What About China? 10:34 – Why Companies Are Ditching Net Zero 12:13 – Iran, Oil, and Russia's EV Boom 15:11 – Is Trump Getting Anything Right? 17:56 – Can We Suck CO2 Out of the Sky? 20:40 – Bolsonaro and the Amazon 27:20 – What Fred Got Wrong 29:20 – How the Population Bomb Was Defused 33:22 – Nature's Surprise Comeback     Fred Pearce is a London-based environmental journalist who has covered climate change, water, biodiversity, and global development for more than 40 years, reporting from more than 80 countries. He is the author of 14 books, including The New Wild and Despite It All (Granta, 2026), his case for climate optimism.   Contact / Follow Fred Pearce: Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/author/fred-pearce Climate Home News: https://www.climatechangenews.com/author/fred-pearce/ The Breakthrough Institute: https://thebreakthrough.org/people/fred-pearce Despite It All (Blackwell's): https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781803513638 Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week. #ClimateChange #RenewableEnergy #ClimateHope

Miami is raising its seawalls. Cities across the country are doing the same. The question now in front of the Supreme Court is whether the oil companies can be made to help pay for it. UC Berkeley law professor Daniel Farber joins Gregg to unpack Suncor Energy v. Boulder County. In this case, local governments are seeking compensation from oil companies for climate damage and for allegedly misleading the public about what their own scientists knew. The oil companies' defense is that climate change is a federal issue under the Clean Air Act, so state courts can't hear these cases. Here's the catch. The Trump EPA has repealed the endangerment finding, the legal foundation that lets the federal government regulate greenhouse gases. Pull that out, Farber explains, and "the whole house of cards falls down." The move meant to help Big Oil may end up weakening its best legal defense.   The case at a glance: Boulder and Boulder County sued Suncor and ExxonMobil in 2018 over climate costs like wildfires, floods, and heat waves. The Colorado Supreme Court let the case proceed in 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on October 5, 2026. The ruling could decide the fate of dozens of similar lawsuits across the country.   What you'll learn: What the Suncor case is about, and why it's the poster child for a second wave of climate litigation The "tobacco playbook" allegations: what oil companies are accused of misrepresenting How preemption works, and why oil companies say states can't sue at all What the endangerment finding is, and why repealing it could backfire on the industry Why cities and states, not individuals, are bringing these cases so far Why the Supreme Court might sidestep the big questions entirely How attribution science ties emissions to specific companies Whether the Paris Accord is working without the U.S.   Timestamps: 0:00 – Cold open 0:13 – The feds step back from climate regulation 0:47 – Meet Professor Daniel Farber 1:24 – What the Suncor case is all about 3:18 – Why can't states sue Big Oil? The preemption argument 5:22 – The misrepresentation claims and the tobacco playbook 6:34 – The endangerment finding, explained 8:44 – How the endangerment finding connects to state lawsuits 12:18 – Rock and a hard place: who's actually suing 15:00 – Can the Supreme Court thread the needle? 17:01 – Proving it: Exxon vs. Chevron vs. everyone else 20:21 – Is the Paris Accord still alive? 22:08 – Wrap-up and a promise to return after the Suncor decision Daniel Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at UC Berkeley and faculty director of the Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. He has written more than 20 books on climate law, disaster law, environmental regulation, cost-benefit analysis, and executive authority.    Contact / Follow Daniel Farber: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-farber-6801729 Berkeley Law: https://www.law.berkeley.edu Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/clee/ Legal Planet blog: https://legal-planet.org   Sources: Legal Planet: https://legal-planet.org/2026/09/08/legal-planet-guide-to-suncor-energy-v-county-commissioners-of-boulder-county/ SCOTUSblog: https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/suncor-energy-inc-v-county-commissioners-of-boulder-county/ E&E News: https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-climate-rollback-could-thwart-big-oils-next-supreme-court-fight/ E&E News: https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-endangerment-repeal-could-expose-industry-to-legal-blowback/ The American Prospect: https://prospect.org/2026/03/04/environmental-protection-agency-climate-endangerment-finding-repeal-trump-zeldin-supreme-court/ Smith Anderson: https://www.smithlaw.com/newsroom/publications/Supreme-Court-Takes-Up-Climate-Tort-Case-Amid-EPA-Endangerment-Rollback Beveridge & Diamond: https://www.bdlaw.com/publications/climate-change-and-state-authority-potential-broad-implications-of-the-supreme-courts-grant-of-certiorari-in-suncor-energy-inc-v-commissioners-of-boulder-county/ The Regulatory Review: https://www.theregreview.org/2026/04/20/reiter-ending-epas-endangerment-finding-wont-end-climate-change-regulation/ LegalClarity: https://legalclarity.org/epa-sued-over-endangerment-finding-repeal-last-week/ Inside Climate News: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082026/suncor-v-boulder-supreme-court-climate-case/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suncor_Energy_(U.S.A.)_Inc._v._County_Commissioners_of_Boulder_County Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

If you or a family member has a case involving Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, or Depo-Provera, you've probably seen headlines about deadlines and settlements and wondered where your claim actually stands. In Part 2 of this conversation on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down again with Steven Smith, Vice President of Broughton Partners, to unpack four more mass tort campaigns that are all reaching critical moments. Smith explains why Camp Lejeune finally has real momentum, now that a federal judge has given plaintiffs' leadership until the end of October to reach a deal with the DOJ or risk being replaced. He also clarifies why no new Camp Lejeune claims can be filed, since the window Congress opened has now closed. On PFAS, he walks through how firefighting foam (AFFF) seeps into soil and drinking water, why 131,000 cases were filed when only 60,000 to 70,000 were expected, and how an upcoming Daubert hearing on two additional injuries could shift negotiating leverage before a possible global resolution. On NEC, Smith explains how two defendants agreed to pay just under $1 billion, why state court cases have succeeded where the federal MDL has not, and why the details of case values are still unknown. And on Depo-Provera, he breaks down the science linking the birth control shot to brain tumors called meningiomas, with more than a 5x increased risk, and shares his expectation of average case values between $150,000 and $200,000 for qualifying claims. Throughout, Smith and Goldfarb stress that deadlines, qualifications, and venue all matter, and that claimants should talk to their own firm about where their specific case stands.   What You'll Learn Why a federal judge's October deadline could force a Camp Lejeune resolution Why new Camp Lejeune claims can no longer be filed How firefighting foam contaminates drinking water across the country Why 131,000 PFAS cases were filed, and how that number has been cleaned up What a Daubert hearing is, and how it could change PFAS negotiations How to find out if your water is contaminated with PFAS Why NEC cases in state court have outperformed the federal MDL What the science shows about Depo-Provera and brain tumors What Depo-Provera claimants might expect, and when   Time Stamps 0:00 - Intro 0:15 - Camp Lejune case updates 4:17 - PFAS Water Contamination Ligitagion 13:24 - NEC - Pre-Term Babies Settlement 14:23 - Depo-Provera Litigation and conclusion Steven Smith is Vice President of Broughton Partners, a mass tort marketing and consulting firm, where he has spent nearly 20 years advising law firms and claimants across major litigations including Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, Social Media, Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, and Depo-Provera. Known industry-wide as "The Mass Tort Mentor," he works to help claimants get connected with qualified representation and to help law firms navigate complex, evolving litigation.    Contact / Follow Steven Smith:  Firm: https://www.broughtonpartners.com/ Phone: 954-224-1733  Email: [email protected]   Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

If you or a family member has a case in Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, or the social media litigation, you've probably heard a settlement number in the news and wondered what it actually means for you. On this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with Steven Smith, Vice President of Broughton Partners, to unpack four major mass tort campaigns that are all reaching critical moments at once. Smith explains why J&J's $5.5 billion Talc settlement is really a floor, not a ceiling — with total payouts from this first wave expected closer to $8 billion, and no cap on what the company pays over time. He breaks down why a recent Supreme Court preemption ruling gutted the "failure to warn" claims in the Roundup litigation, while "design defect" claims may survive, and why the proposed class action's roughly $50,000 average case value has some claimants better off staying out of it. On Hernia Mesh, he details the split between Bard (which resolved lower-value cases early while holding back its biggest claims for a separate, stricter fund) and Covidien, where a recent verdict topped $66 million. And on social media, he walks through how Meta's $16.68 billion settlement with 29 state attorneys general is actually a step toward compensating individual families, not the end of the road. Throughout, Smith and Goldfarb stress that "qualified" is doing a lot of work in every one of these settlements — and that claimants should be talking to their own firm about where their specific case stands before assuming a headline number applies to them. What You'll Learn Why J&J's $5.5B Talc settlement is a floor, not a final number What "qualified" actually means — and why it changes as a case matures How the Supreme Court's preemption ruling reshaped the Roundup litigation Why some Roundup claimants may be better off outside the class action How Bard and Covidien ended up handling hernia mesh cases so differently What the $66 million Covidien verdict signals for pending cases Why Meta's $17B settlement is with states, not the injured kids themselves How to tell if your case is being handled by the right firm What "opting out" of a settlement means, and when it makes sense   Time Stamps: 0:00 – Cold open: $17 billion Meta settlement 0:27 – Intro: Steven Smith joins to break down mass tort settlements 1:22 – Talc / Johnson & Johnson (baby powder settlement, $5.5B+) 12:02 – Roundup (Bayer, Supreme Court ruling, class action) 17:37 – Hernia Mesh (Bard, Covidien, $66M verdict) 22:38 – Social Media (Meta, TikTok, Snapchat — $17B settlement explained)    Steven Smith is Vice President of Broughton Partners, a mass tort marketing and consulting firm, where he has spent nearly 20 years advising law firms and claimants across major litigations including Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, Social Media, Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, and Depo-Provera. Known industry-wide as "The Mass Tort Mentor," he works to help claimants get connected with qualified representation and to help law firms navigate complex, evolving litigation.    Contact / Follow Stephen Smith:  Firm: https://www.broughtonpartners.com/ Phone: 954-224-1733  Email: [email protected]   Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

What does a cereal box actually tell you? A lot more than you'd think. On this episode, Gregg Goldfarb is joined by Lisa Sutherland, who spent years running nutrition strategy inside Kellogg, and Marion Nestle, one of the country's most well-known food policy critics, to unpack their new book, Sugarcoated. The two co-authors met almost two decades ago when Nestle got rare access to Kellogg's archive: every piece of cereal packaging the company had ever created, dating back to 1919. What they found sitting in that library became the foundation for a book that traces American food policy, marketing tactics, and health claims through the lens of the cereal aisle. The conversation digs into how sugar content in cereal has changed since Sutherland's time at Kellogg, why the toys that consumer advocates once got pulled from cereal boxes are quietly making a comeback, and how the FDA and watchdog groups have spent decades battling cereal makers over health claims that cross the line. Nestle and Sutherland don't paint food companies as villains — they're businesses answering to shareholders every quarter — but they make clear that understanding that incentive is the key to understanding everything on the shelf. Gregg also gets both authors' take on whether today's political moment, with food additives and health claims under new scrutiny, is a real opportunity for change or just more noise.   Join Gregg Goldfarb, Marion Nestle and Lisa Sutherland on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: Why cereal boxes are a surprisingly rich record of American food policy history  How sugar content in cereal has actually changed since the 1990s — and how much  What life was like inside Kellogg's nutrition division, from label claims to ad strategy  Why the toys that were pulled from cereal boxes years ago are showing up again  How the FDA and consumer advocacy groups have repeatedly challenged cereal health claims  Why "healthier" products don't always win shelf space, even when companies want them to  What it actually takes to write a book with a co-author — and find a literary agent  Which cereals actually hold up as healthier choices, according to a nutrition PhD   TIME STAMPS  0:00 – The Open 0:17 – The Cereal Box as Sophisticated Advertising 1:40 – Why Sugarcoated, Why Now 2:39 – A Century of Cereal Boxes Reveal Food Policy History 5:53 – "They Want to Get Kids Hooked" — Toys Are Back 7:03 – Profit, Market Share, and the Cheerios Takeover 9:18 – Is This False Advertising? 11:57 – "That's the Issue" — The Real Incentive Behind Big Cereal 13:59 – The Michelle Obama White House Story 15:43 – What Readers Will Get From the Book 21:47 – The Healthiest Cereals, According to a Nutrition PhD 22:45 – Release Date & Sign-Off   Lisa Sutherland, PhD, is a public health–trained nutrition scientist and the former Vice President of Nutrition at Kellogg Company. She now works in academia, applying her food industry experience to public health education. Marion Nestle is a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, the author of Food Politics, and a longtime critic of food industry marketing practices. She writes daily at foodpolitics.com.   Contact / Follow Marion Marion Nestle Blog: https://www.foodpolitics.com/ Marion Nestle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-nestle-9515ba8/   Contact / Follow Lisa Lisa Sutherland LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lasutherlandphd/   Get the book! Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America's Favorite Breakfast Food: https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Coated-Unboxing-Breakfast-California/dp/0520421272   To hear more mass tort updates and legal issues shaping our communities, subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb.

Ten years. Three bankruptcies. Multiple trials. A lead plaintiffs' firm disqualified along the way. The Johnson & Johnson talc litigation has produced just about every issue a mass tort can produce, and for the tens of thousands of women waiting on it, the only question that ever mattered was whether it would actually resolve. On this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with Cameron Stevenson, shareholder at Levin Papantonio and one of the primary attorneys involved in the litigation, to walk through the settlement that finally came together. Stevenson explains what "uncapped" means in practice, why the deal is built for current claimants rather than future ones, and why he believes the dollar for dollar recovery for those claimants is substantially better than what the $8.9 billion bankruptcy proposal would have delivered, since that plan would have absorbed future claims, state AG claims, and Canadian class claims and paid out over roughly 25 years. He also delivers the part of this episode that claimants most need to hear: having a filed case does not automatically mean qualifying. The settlement is built around epithelial ovarian cancer, and Stevenson explains why post-hysterectomy pathology is the document that determines eligibility, and why some cases filed early in the litigation may not make it through. From there, Gregg and Cameron lay out the process step by step: the registration window, the opt-in release, the proof phase, how a case gets plotted on the settlement grid, and the 95% participation threshold the deal has to clear. Stevenson also addresses future diagnoses, why ovarian cancer's long latency means new cases will keep surfacing for decades, and why anyone diagnosed down the road needs to be acutely aware of their own state's statute of limitations. The conversation closes with the reason this episode exists. Attorneys are inundated, calls are rushed, and clients are hanging up unsure of what they were just told. Gregg's call to action is simple: share this with someone who needs it, then take your questions back to your own lawyer.   Join Gregg and Cameron Stevenson on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: 0:00 – "It Will Not Qualify" 0:13 – Did Talc Actually Settle? 0:58 – The Settlement Is Real, and It's Finalized 2:18 – Why a Smaller Number Beats the $8.9 Billion Bankruptcy Deal 4:05 – The Diagnoses Still Coming 30 Years From Now 5:22 – The One Document That Decides Your Claim 7:20 – Stop Doing the Math on What You'll Get 7:59 – Inside the Settlement Grid 10:45 – What You Need to Do This Week 11:39 – When the Money Actually Moves 14:47 – The Deadline That Can Still Cost You Everything   Cameron Stevenson is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio and one of the primary attorneys involved in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder litigation, a mass tort spanning more than a decade, three bankruptcy attempts, and multiple trials. He returns to the show to break down the settlement for the claimants and families who have been waiting on it.   Contact / Follow Cameron Stevenson: Phone: (850) 435-7176 Email: [email protected] Firm: Levin Papantonio Website: https://levinlaw.com To hear more mass tort updates and legal issues shaping our communities, subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb.

Larry Patterson went in for a routine hernia repair. He came out, eventually, with several inches of his bowel removed. Timothy O'Brien, board-certified trial attorney and shareholder at Levin Papantonio, just won $88 million for Patterson and his wife Tammy against Covidien, a Medtronic company. It is the largest compensatory award in fifteen years of mesh litigation, and the first of roughly 2,500 cases to reach a jury. The mesh, Symbotex, sits right against your intestines behind a collagen barrier meant to last 30 days. Covidien's own internal testing showed it was gone in under seven. They knew in 2003. O'Brien walks Gregg through the evidence that turned the trial, where sales staff swore to doctors the barrier lasted a month while R&D said otherwise in writing. He also maps the hernia mesh lawsuit landscape, from the Bard settlement covering 33,000 claimants to why Medtronic Covidien is the last major manufacturer still fighting, and what a bellwether verdict actually means for the thousands of people still waiting on their own cases   Join Gregg and Timothy O'Brien on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore:   What You'll Learn Why a generation of surgeons stopped doing tissue-to-tissue repair, and what that traded away How Symbotex's protective barrier was supposed to work, and how fast it actually disappeared The 2003 document that locked in the depositions and became the case's spine Why sales and R&D were telling two completely different stories about the same product What a bellwether trial is, and why the first one carries the most weight Where the Bard, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic Covidien litigations stand right now Why about 100 new Covidien cases are still being filed every month What Covidien's planned appeal means for people still waiting How to find out if you or someone you love has a case   Time Stamps 0:00 – "They are lying": the sales pitch vs. the truth 0:48 – Meet attorney Timothy O'Brien 1:02 – The hernia mesh "safety feature" that failed 2:06 – Why hernia mesh exists in the first place 4:13 – The Patterson case: what happened to the plaintiff 5:41 – The depositions that exposed Covidien 7:46 – 2003: when they allegedly knew the truth 9:33 – The 3 major mesh manufacturers, explained 11:59 – What a "bellwether trial" means for your case 14:07 – Will Covidien settle or appeal? 17:40 – How to contact Timothy O'Brien about your case   Timothy O'Brien is a board-certified trial attorney and shareholder at Levin Papantonio, where he has served as lead or co-lead counsel in mass tort litigation against major hernia mesh manufacturers, including Bard, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic Covidien. He recently helped secure an $88 million verdict in the first bellwether trial of the Covidien hernia mesh multidistrict litigation.    Contact / Follow Timothy O'Brien:  Firm: Levin Papantonio  Website: https://levinlaw.com     Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

Richard Lamondin and his brother started their company 13 years ago after reading that a fifth of all toilets leak, learning to replace them from YouTube videos, and going door to door at apartment communities. That business became ecofi, a national firm that cuts energy and water use in buildings. On this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law, he tells host Gregg Goldfarb why that work led him to run for the Florida Senate in District 38. The through line is affordability. Richard lays out what he sees as the squeeze on Miami families, from preschool costs to rents to a property insurance market he says has become unaffordable, and argues that Florida's problem is one of priorities rather than funding. He also explains what a legislative supermajority is, why he says most of the decisions that touch daily life come from Tallahassee rather than Washington, and what breaking that math would change at the committee level. Gregg, an environmental lawyer, brings his own history to the table, including an early case in the Keys built on the argument that in South Florida the environment is the economy. From there the two get into coastal resilience: storm surge, living sea walls, mangroves, fish stocks, fertilizer runoff and algae blooms, and saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. Richard's case is that decades of inaction on coastal risk are a direct upstream cause of today's insurance bills. They also cover why South Florida has so little rooftop solar despite the climate, the Everglades restoration work Richard says has stalled, and what his first 100 days and first three bills would look like.   Join Gregg and Richard Lamondin on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – "Can people actually make it here?" The real Florida crisis 0:40 – Meet the guy trying to flip Florida's most winnable Senate seat 1:33 – From fixing toilets to running for Senate (the EcoFi origin story) 2:43 – $2,000/month for preschool. Florida's affordability breaking point 3:59 – Alligator Alcatraz and the $10 land deal for Trump's private library 6:05 – "Silence is complicity." Calling out his opponent 8:58 – Did she back Alligator Alcatraz? His answer will surprise you 10:43 – The one seat that breaks Florida's Republican supermajority 13:44 – Is protecting the environment going to cost you money? His answer 16:55 – Florida is the Sunshine State, so why is solar this hard? 19:23 – Alligator Alcatraz's hidden victim: Florida's darkest skies 21:31 – His first 100 days in office, mapped out 23:46 – How to help flip the seat   Richard Lamondin is a born and raised Miamian and the co-founder and CEO of ecofi, a sustainability firm that works with real estate owners nationwide to reduce energy use, water use, and utility costs through renewables, LED lighting, water efficiency, and EV charging infrastructure. He and his brother started the company 13 years ago after learning to replace leaking toilets from YouTube videos and going door to door at apartment communities. He is a first-time candidate for the Florida Senate in District 38, which covers coastal Miami-Dade from Brickell and Key Biscayne to Homestead, where he is challenging the district's incumbent.   Contact/Follow Richard Lamondin: Website: https://richard.vote/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richard-lamondin-jr-7a1b221a   Contact/Follow his company: Website: https://goecofi.com/ Email: [email protected]   Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

Sunlight travels 93 million miles to reach Earth, and as Bill McKibben points out on this episode of Climate Change Environment Science & the Law, none of those miles pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with the bestselling author of "Here Comes the Sun" to unpack why the Iran conflict, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is becoming the second energy shock of the decade, and why it's pushing Asian nations that depend on oil and gas shipped through the Gulf to accelerate their pivot to solar, wind, and batteries. Bill breaks down the numbers behind China's clean energy build-out, explains why California now generates more than half its electricity from the sun thanks to massive battery buildout, and makes the case that renewables are no longer a fringe bet but the more reliable, and often cheaper — choice for most of the world. The conversation then turns to American farmland, where Bill separates fact from fiction on solar leasing: the stable income it provides farmers, the rise of agrivoltaics (from French vineyards seeing a jump in Chardonnay yields to sheep grazing beneath panels in New England), and why devoting a small share of U.S. farmland to solar could meet 100% of the country's energy needs. He closes with a practical tip anyone can use right now, inexpensive, plug-in balcony solar panels that require no electrician and are now legal in ten states, with more expected to follow.   Join Gregg and Bill McKibben on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law as they explore: Why the Strait of Hormuz has become a geopolitical argument for solar, wind, and batteries How China's clean energy build-out compares to the rest of the world, and what's happening across Southeast Asia Why California now draws more than half its power from the sun, and the role battery storage plays overnight Why some countries are ramping up coal short-term even as long-term investment shifts to renewables Why 80% of the world's population lives in fossil-fuel-importing countries, and what that means for the economics of going solar How solar leasing works for farmers, and what percentage of land is typically involved What agrivoltaics is, and how shade from solar panels is boosting crop yields and pollinator populations Why solar polls well across party lines, even when the motivations differ What plug-in balcony solar is, what it costs, and which states have legalized it How to get involved through Third Act, the climate advocacy group for Americans over 60   TIME STAMPS 00:00 Sunlight does not go through the Strait of Hormuz 00:18 Can solar actually power an economy 01:14 The second energy shock of the decade 02:17 China's pace, and who else is switching 03:44 The US exception: wind and solar rollbacks 04:54 Why coal is the patch, not the bet  05:27 Batteries and California after sundown 06:42 The oil money headwind, and the 80% who import 07:58 Farmers, land, and stable income 09:18 Corn for ethanol vs the same acres in panels  10:20 Agrivoltaics: shade, sheep, and pollinators 11:26 "It looks like a monstrosity" 12:15 What a farmer earns, and the removal bond 13:41 Trump flags at the mailbox, panels on the roof 14:26 Balcony solar is legal in 10 states 15:33 Push your state, and Bright Saver 16:53 Third Act and 350.org 17:59 Here Comes the Sun   Bill McKibben  is a bestselling author and one of the world's leading environmental advocates, known for decades of work sounding the alarm on climate change while championing practical solutions like the rise of solar power. He is the founder of 350.org, a global grassroots climate advocacy organization, and Third Act, which mobilizes Americans over 60 for action on climate and democracy. His latest book, "Here Comes the Sun," explores the accelerating global shift to renewable energy.    Contact / Follow Bill McKibben:  Organization: 350.org | Third Act  Website:https://thirdact.org  Balcony Solar Resource: https://brightsaver.org    Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

Is the Constitution built to handle the next 250 years, or is it time for a real mechanism for change? Tom Teicher, a constitutional thought leader, spent years developing a proposal for a 28th Amendment that would finally give structure to Article Five's long-dormant constitutional convention option. Cut to the Chase: Gregg sits down with Tom to break down how his plan would work: 153 impartial delegates chosen by state legislatures under an 80% supermajority requirement, closed-door sessions modeled on 1787, a two-thirds override for Congress, and ratification by direct popular vote rather than the states. They dig into why only 17 amendments have passed in over two centuries, what issues a modern convention might tackle, and why Tom insists the process must stay above party politics.   Join Gregg and Tom Teicher on Cut to the Chase: as they explore Why the Constitution has only been amended 17 times in over 200 years How Tom's proposed 28th Amendment would structure a modern constitutional convention Why delegates would be chosen by an 80% supermajority in state legislatures How Congress and the public would each get a role in approving changes Why the proposal is designed to stay impartial, with no sitting officials as delegates What it would take to keep the process out of near-term politics KEY MOMENTS Introduction: Framing the state of the Constitution at nearly 250 years old Tom's background and how he came to work on constitutional reform Why Article Five's convention option has never been used The proposal: turning the convention into a structured, recurring process How the 153 delegates would be chosen, and the 80% supermajority rule Devil's advocate: could the delegate-selection process be changed or gamed? The history of the proposal, from 2022 to today, and its reception so far How a convention would run: closed doors, open agenda, majority votes Congress's role: reviewing and potentially sending proposals back Ratification by national popular vote instead of the states How a convention might handle modern issues like AI, executive power, and more Keeping the amendment out of near-term politics with a 2029 effective date Historical parallels: Jefferson's 19-year proposal vs. Madison's view Closing thoughts: what one change could preserve the American experiment Tom Teicher is a constitutional thought leader and citizen advocate for reforming Article Five of the U.S. Constitution. With a law degree and a background largely in the nonprofit sector, he has spent years developing a detailed proposal for a 28th Amendment that would establish a structured, recurring constitutional convention process. His proposal has been shaped through public feedback since 2022, including a widely shared explainer video released in 2024 and a written essay published in 2025, and has been reviewed by a constitutional law professor.   Contact / Follow Tom Teicher:  Website: TomTeicher.com   Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

When Ron Magill announced his retirement on February 15th, plenty of people assumed South Florida was losing its most recognizable voice in the animal world.   On this episode of Cut to the Chase: host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with Ron to set the record straight. He retired from the county, moved his office about 30 yards north, and took on a new role as Goodwill Ambassador and Conservation Liaison for the Zoo Miami Foundation. Ron walks through the work ahead of him, including building the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment, the largest conservation endowment at the zoo, where none of the money can be spent at the zoo itself and goes entirely toward protecting animals in the wild. He also shares the travel programs he's leading, from 11 national parks across five states to polar bears in Churchill and a return voyage to Antarctica.   The conversation turns personal when Ron shares the story of the animal that changed his life. It was a squirrel that came down from a tree during recess, at a time when he was a Spanish-speaking kid being bullied so badly he'd retreated into his shell. He also weighs in on why Miami has become what he calls the Ellis Island of exotic animals, what's realistically possible with pythons and iguanas at this point, and why he's profoundly concerned about the rollback of environmental protections at a national level.   Join Gregg and Ron Magill on Cut to the Chase: as they explore: Why "retirement" for Ron meant moving offices rather than stepping away, and what the Zoo Miami Foundation role actually involves How the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment works, and why none of that money can be spent at the zoo How listeners can join Ron's travel programs through the travel tab at zoomiami.org Why local conservation in your own backyard matters before global causes Whether you can actually make a living in wildlife and conservation work, and what it takes Why storytelling, not statistics or pie charts, is the skill that opens doors in this field What Miami is doing to build green corridors connecting parks for wildlife Why invasive species like pythons, iguanas, and lionfish are here to stay, and what management realistically looks like Why the python hunts matter for public education even when they don't dent the population   TIME STAMPS 0:00 – Intro: "The Ellis Island of Exotic Animals" 0:30 – Welcome to Cut to the Chase & Ron's 4-Decade Legacy 1:01 – Retiring from the County, Not From the Mission 1:38 – New Role: Zoo Miami Foundation & Conservation Endowment 2:05 – Upcoming Trips: Antarctica, Africa, National Parks & How to Join  3:36 – Conservation Work: Audubon, Wildlife Rescue & Protecting Our Backyard 4:22 – Giving Back: Scholarships for the Next Generation  5:06 – "Living a Scam": On Loving Your Job 5:37 – Can You Actually Make a Living Doing This? 6:53 – Why Storytelling Matters More Than Ever 7:11 – The Next Ron Magill? Rising Stars at the Zoo  7:59 – Conservation in Your Own Backyard (Inspired by Wild London) 9:17 – The Squirrel That Changed His Life 11:29 – Escaped Animals & Hurricane Andrew 12:08 – Miami's Invasive Species Crisis: Pythons, Iguanas & More 13:01 – Are We Making Progress? The State of Global Conservation 13:56 – Final Thoughts & Call to Action    Ron Magill has spent more than four decades educating millions about wildlife and inspiring generations to care about conservation. After 46 years working under Miami-Dade County, he now serves as Goodwill Ambassador and Conservation Liaison for the Zoo Miami Foundation, where he leads the foundation's travel program and continues building the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment. He is also a USA Nikon Ambassador and wildlife photographer who has set foot on every continent and visited Africa more than 50 times.   Contact / Follow Ron Magill: Website: https://zoomiami.org (travel programs under the Travel tab) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-magill-0257bb8/   Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

Has a boss ever asked you to drinks or dinner, and something about it felt off? On this episode of Cut to the Chase: host Gregg Goldfarb sits down with Jesse Weinstein, a partner at Phillips & Associates who has recovered nearly $40 million for employees facing harassment, discrimination, and retaliation at work. Jesse walks through why office happy hours create risk, why HR exists to protect the company rather than the employee, and what retaliation looks like long before someone actually gets fired. He also breaks down medical leave, caregiver rights, and the protections available to pregnant employees, including what happens when people return from parental leave to find their role has quietly disappeared. Practicing across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Jesse shares how to document harassment the right way, what New York City's around-the-clock liability standard means for off-hours conduct, and why reading your employee handbook before anything happens could make or break a future case.   Join Gregg and Jesse Weinstein on Cut to the Chase as they explore: What You'll Learn Why mixing alcohol into work events raises the risk of harassment, and why saying no can trigger its own backlash Why HR exists to protect the company, not the employee, and how investigations can be quietly limited How to document harassment the right way, including timestamped notes, texts, and one-party consent recording rules What counts as retaliation before you're ever fired: isolation, stripped duties, sudden scrutiny, and cold shouldering Why New York City's automatic employer liability rule can apply even to off-premises conduct Your rights around short-term disability, FMLA, and caregiver leave for a family member's medical condition What protections exist for pregnant employees, from morning sickness accommodations to return-from-leave retaliation Why contingency-fee representation means legal help doesn't require money up front Key Moments Introduction: the "boss asks you out" scenario and today's topics Why alcohol at work events raises the risk of harassment Why rejecting a boss's advances can trigger its own backlash Spotting workplace culture red flags during the interview process Why HR exists to protect the company, not the employee How investigations get limited: unquestioned witnesses and quiet dismissals Why documentation matters: timestamped notes, texts, and one-party consent recording Practicing across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Sending a rejection text, and why it counters the "it was consensual" defense What leadership can do to actually curb workplace harassment Reading the employee handbook and finding the right HR contact New York City's automatic employer liability for supervisor harassment What retaliation looks like before termination: isolation, stripped duties, scrutiny Weighing legal strategy against personal and career consequences When to call a lawyer, even before you've been fired New York's 24/7/365 liability standard for off-premises harassment Why most people only read their handbook after meeting a lawyer Medical leave rights: short-term disability and FMLA Caregiver leave for a family member's medical condition Pregnancy rights: morning sickness accommodations and the "interactive process" Retaliation after returning from parental leave, and hidden reorgs How contingency fee representation works Whether employees can negotiate to get their job back after termination Closing thoughts and how to reach Jesse Jesse Weinstein is a partner at Phillips & Associates, where he represents employees facing harassment, discrimination, and retaliation across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Over eight years of practice, he has recovered nearly $40 million for clients, with a focus on advocating for women in lower-power roles who often don't know their workplace rights.   Contact / Follow Jesse Weinstein: Firm: Phillips & Associates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseweinstein/ Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

Is plastic really the environmental villain it's often portrayed to be, or have politics and misinformation overtaken the science? Dr. Chris DeArmitt, founder of the Plastics Research Council, spent thousands of unpaid hours reviewing more than 5,000 peer-reviewed studies to find out. Host Gregg sits down with Dr. DeArmitt to unpack why plastic makes up just half of one percent of the materials we use, why the "floating island" of ocean plastic doesn't exist, what's actually driving anti-plastic campaigns, and why microplastics may not be the health threat headlines suggest. It's a candid, evidence-first conversation that challenges nearly everything the public has been told about plastic. Join Gregg and Dr. Chris DeArmitt on Cut to the Chase as they explore: What You'll Learn Why plastic is only half of 1% of the material we use, and why that matters The truth behind the "floating island of plastic the size of Texas" What's really in ocean gyres, and why 85% of it is fishing gear, not consumer litter Why life cycle analysis shows plastic is the lowest-impact material in 9 out of 10 cases What microplastics research actually says, and why Dr. DeArmitt calls 80% of the studies flawed Why recycling isn't the environmental fix people think it is, and what actually helps   Key Moments Introduction: Framing the plastics debate and Dr. DeArmitt's background Why he spent 5,000+ unpaid hours reviewing studies, sparked by his daughters' school lessons The half of 1% myth: plastic vs. total material use The straw and single-use cup debate Reusing plastic bottles, and the SODIS water sterilization method The INC-4 plastics treaty meeting in Ottawa and what he saw there The "floating island the size of Texas" myth What's actually in ocean gyres (85% fishing gear) The environmental cost of NGO flights to plastics conferences Recycling: why it's overhyped and how life cycle analysis changes the picture The gold vs. plastic cost/impact comparison Landfill space and the three things that actually help the environment Microplastics: what the science says vs. the headlines Ocean plastic volume in context (the football stadium comparison) Litter as the real problem, and what actually stops it His books, peer review process, and who's changed their mind based on the data What he's working on next Closing: podcasts spreading misinformation, and his ask to hosts like Joe Rogan and Jordan Harbinger   Dr. Chris DeArmitt is the founder of the Plastics Research Council and Phantom Plastics, and a materials scientist recognized as one of the world's leading independent authorities on plastics, microplastics, and the environment. He is the author of The Plastics Paradox and Shattering the Plastics Illusion, both based on his review of thousands of peer-reviewed studies, and both available as free downloads in multiple languages. His research is unfunded by industry, and his conclusions have been reviewed and endorsed by scientists and toxicologists internationally.   The resources mentioned in this episode are: Book: The Plastics Paradox by Dr. Chris DeArmitt Book: Shattering the Plastics Illusion by Dr. Chris DeArmitt SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection) method, referenced for reused PET bottles INC-4 plastics treaty meeting, Ottawa Papermetaller / Eco Loop plastic bag recycling process, Germany Prior appearances: 60 Minutes with Scott Pelley, The Jordan Harbinger Show   Contact / Follow Dr. Chris DeArmitt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdearmitt/ Dr. DeArmitt's books are available for free download in multiple languages.    Want more conversations that cut through the noise on science, climate, and the issues shaping our future? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase with Gregg Goldfarb for new episodes every week.

One in eight Americans is already on a GLP-1. Within the next 12 to 24 months, that number could jump to one in two. And most people have no idea where these drugs actually come from — or what's really in them. In this episode of Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb, Gregg sits down with Fabian Calvo — longevity industry insider, pharmaceutical supply chain strategist, and CEO of WellSync — to pull back the curtain on the global drug supply chain, the real science behind peptides and testosterone therapy, and what it actually takes to live a longer, healthier life. If you've ever taken a medication, wondered about GLP-1s, or heard about peptides and had no idea where to start — this episode is essential listening.   Join Gregg and Fabian on Cut to the Chase as they discuss: Why 95% of America's generic drugs are manufactured in China and India — and what that means for national security  What a peptide actually is, why GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy are just the beginning, and how to know if your source is safe The truth about testosterone therapy — why decades of fear were based on bad science, and what the latest research actually shows What NAD does, what rapamycin is, and which longevity treatments have real science behind them Why the U.S. spends trillion a year on chronic disease — and what blue zone cultures are doing differently How pharmacy benefit managers are driving up drug prices for everyday Americans What medicine will look like in 10 years — and the three things you can do right now to be ready   KEY MOMENTS 00:00 — GLP-1s, peptides, and why this conversation matters right now 01:30 — How the pharmaceutical supply chain actually works 03:00 — Why 95% of generic drugs come from China and India 05:00 — What is a peptide? The simplest explanation you'll hear 07:30 — BPC-157, the "Wolverine stack," and what the science says 10:00 — Fabian's background: from real estate to pharmaceutical supply chain CEO 13:00 — The broken U.S. healthcare model and the chronic disease epidemic 16:00 — Female hormone therapy: the NIH study that was completely debunked 19:00 — Testosterone therapy: what's changed, what's FDA-approved, and who it's for 22:00 — NAD, NMN, and Dr. David Sinclair's research explained 25:00 — Rapamycin, Easter Island, and the most exciting longevity drug you've never heard of 29:00 — Blue zones, Japan, and why community might be the best longevity medicine 33:00 — America's drug supply at geopolitical risk — what's being done 37:00 — Why Americans pay more for drugs than any other country 40:00 — Pharmacy benefit managers explained — and why they're a problem 44:00 — What medicine looks like in 10 years and the three pillars to start with today    Fabian Calvo is a longevity industry insider and pharmaceutical supply chain strategist with over a decade of experience at the intersection of drug regulation, compound pharmacy networks, and healthcare access. He is the founder of New Care Pharmaceuticals, an FDA-compliant importer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and CEO and board member of WellSync, a tech infrastructure company whose platform Boom RX has been placed in over 10,000 medical clinics, med spas, and aesthetics practices across the United States. Fabian has met with FDA leadership including former FDA head Dr. Marty Makary, and has traveled extensively to China and India to vet pharmaceutical sourcing. His mission is to help people live healthier, longer lives through proactive, data-driven healthcare.   The resources mentioned in this episode are: Learn more about WellSync and the Boom RX platform, currently active in over 10,000 medical clinics across the U.S.: wellsync.com Learn more about New Care Pharmaceuticals and FDA-compliant pharmaceutical ingredient sourcing. Research BPC-157 and its studied benefits for gut health, tendon repair, and inflammation — referenced in this episode as a widely researched peptide. Learn more about rapamycin and its longevity research, originally discovered on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and now being studied for its mTOR-inhibiting and anti-aging properties. Research NAD and NMN supplementation and the work of Harvard PhD Dr. David Sinclair on mitochondrial function and aging. Consult your provider about a comprehensive blood panel that includes hormone levels — Fabian's recommended first step before starting any therapy. Learn more about GLP-1 medications including Ozempic and Wegovy and the compound pharmacy landscape for access and sourcing.     Want to hear more health, legal, and lifestyle conversations that matter? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb. Want to stay updated on our latest podcasts? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: Podcast Newsletter for monthly podcast releases and the latest legal news: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/KqDopgE