Patty and Brian discuss media bias and the 5th Forward Radio birthday party!

#181 Critical Thinking for Everyone! | Media Bias Strategies | April 28, 2022

Recently, physicists learned how to generate lasers from Peacock feathers.  After discussing that, we explore a recent report that 5% of birds in Australia might exhibit 'sex reversal'.  In 'sex reversal' the body's sex organs don't match the sex as determined by DNA testing.  Finally, Dr. Leslie Moise reads a poem she wrote about an innovative recycling program in New Orleans that converts discarded glass bottles into beach sand.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. 

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode:  https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio 

Music ('Blossoming' by Podington Bear) provided by Free Music Archive.  



Bench Talk | Lasers from Peacocks! - Sex Reversal in Birds - Innovative Glass Recycling | Sept 22, 2025

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, is honored to be in conversation with Natasha DeJarnett, PhD, MPH, BCES, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine, and a researcher with UofL's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute (https://louisville.edu/envirome). Dr. DeJarnett's research interests include the cardiovascular health burden of extreme heat exposure, air quality, and environmental health disparities. In addition, Dr. DeJarnett is passionate about environmental health research that informs policies and empowering communities through research engagement.

Tune in as we discuss climate impacts on human health, including air quality, extreme heat, extreme weather, precipitation extremes, and vectorborne disease; Health inequities and environmental justice; Her previous work in the Biden-Harris Administration at the White House Council on Environmental Quality around the Justice40 Initiative and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool; The current federal landscape; and her work co-editing a textbook on environmental health called “Environmental Health Foundations for Public Health.”

We also bring you a preview of an exciting new series called “& Science” which kicks off this week on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 on the theme of Communication & Science, with a reception from 5:15-6pm and a panel discussion from 6-7:30pm, at the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage (1701 W Muhammad Ali Blvd). This important discussion will cover how communicating scientific information raises public awareness, creates interest, and informs policy. UofL's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute is hosting a new quarterly health forum called “& Science". 

Our kickoff event will focus on Communication & Science, featuring communication professionals from a variety of backgrounds including journalism and academia. Much of the discussion will focus on the environment, including environmental justice. The “& Science” series will provide a community forum for conversations at the intersection of health, the environment & science. Future events will focus on Faith, History Art, & Science.
Panelists:
    Tawana Andrew (WAVE 3)
    James Bruggers (Inside Climate News)
    Dr. Nick Paliewicz (University of Louisville)
    Dr. Wayne Tuckson (KET)
    Morgan Watkins (LPM)
Moderator:
    Dr. Natasha DeJarnett (University of Louisville)
Please RSVP and learn more at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/communication-science-the-kickoff-to-the-science-forums-tickets-1632599171069?aff=oddtdtcreator

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Natasha DeJarnett | Envirome Institute | Environmental Health | 9-22-25

This week on the Access Hour, Terrell Holder from Forward Radio's proud Community Partner, the Greater Louisville Sierra Club, is in conversation with fellow organizers from Indivisible Louisville. Indivisible is a grassroots movement of thousands of local indivisible groups with a mission to elect, progressive leaders rebuild our democracy and defeat the Trump agenda. Learn more at https://indivisible.org/

They invite you to come on out Sunday, September 28, 2025 and be with your neighbors at the WE THE PEOPLE Palooza sponsored by Indivisible Louisville. Enjoy an afternoon in celebration of freedom and democracy with live Music, inspiring speakers, food, drink, and community. Show starts at 1 pm and rocks until 6 pm at Trellis Brewery, 827 Logan St. Louisville. 

Connect with Indivisible Louisville at:
https://indivisiblelouisville.godaddysites.com/
https://www.instagram.com/indivisiblelouky/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580875510653

The Access Hour airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Wednesday at 2pm and repeats Thursdays at 11am and Fridays at 1pm. Find us and please donate to support this work at https://forwardradio.org

If you’ve got something you’d like to share on community radio through the Access Hour, whether it’s a recording you made or a show you’d like to do on a particular topic, community, artistic creation, or program that is under-represented in Louisville’s media landscape, just go to https://forwardradio.org, click on Participate and pitch us your idea. The Access Hour is your opportunity to take over the air waves to share your passion with the world!

Access Hour | Terrell Holder | Indivisible Louisville | 9-24-25

This Democracy in Action forum, entitled "Constitutional Crisis:  Are Our Rights in Jeopardy?" and put on the the Louisville League of Women Voters, featured guest speakers Kentucky Representative Nima Kulkarni, Democrat from the 40th District and immigration attorney and David Tachau, attorney representing the Jefferson County Teachers Association and School Board before the Kentucky Supreme Court.  Cathy Hinko, attorney, moderated.  The meeting took place September 15, 2025.

Election Connection | Constitutional Crisis | Nima Kulkarni and David Tachau | 9-22-25

Patty and Brian take a deep dive into hate-reading and hate-watching. 

#247 Critical Thinking for Everyone! | The 59-Minutes Hate! | September 25th, 2025

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, sits down at the farm table with LeTicia Marshall, an urban farmer with Bearfruit & Grow in southwest Louisville, and Kimberly "Kimmie" Ishmael, Policy Specialist with the Community Farm Alliance (https://cfaky.org). On the menu for today’s hearty conversation is the FREE event coming up at LeTicia's farm:
Policy on a Plate: A Farm Bill Story
Wednesday, October 8th, 10:00am - 1:00pm, BearFruit & Grown Urban Farm, 5799 Pendleton Rd.
Join the Community Farm Alliance and BearFruit & Grow Urban Farm for a hands-on, heart-forward journey into the programs that nourish our communities and protect our land—all powered by the Farm Bill! Come explore how policies like SNAP and conservation efforts come to life right here on the farm. Get ready for:
A Scavenger Hunt Farm Tour – Discover hidden treasures and learn about food systems as you explore the farm.
A Delicious Local Lunch – Refuel with fresh, locally-sourced bites.
Real Stories from the Field – Hear directly from farmers and program leaders making a difference.
A Quick & Curious Panel – Ask questions and dive deeper into the programs that shape our plates and our planet.
This isn’t your average policy talk—it's a celebration of community, culture, and cultivation. Perfect for food lovers, farm supporters, policy nerds, and anyone curious about how federal funding grows real impact. Don’t miss this unique chance to connect, learn, and dig in! 
Learn more and find the link to register at https://facebook.com/communityfarmalliance

LeTicia is an urban farmer and food justice advocate with Bearfruit & Grow, a black owned company in Louisville that opened for business on July 8, 2020 during the global pandemic. In addition to farm products, she offers community engagement, advocacy, and consulting. You can find her naturally-grown products at our local farmers market or contact her at bearfruitgardening@gmail.com to learn more about how you can participate in their curbside pickup/delivery services. Learn more at https://www.bearfruitandgrow.com/

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | LeTicia Marshall & Kimberly Ishmael | Policy on a Plate | 9-29-25

On this week’s Access Hour, we explore the Environmental Footprint of Artificial Intelligence with Shaolei Ren, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California - Riverside. This presentation was given on September 19, 2025 as part of the Kentucky Resources Council’s on-going Kentucky Environmental Leadership Institute (KELI). Learn more at https://www.kyrc.org/our-work/kentucky-environmental-leadership-institute. Watch the full replay at https://bit.ly/EnvironmentalFootprintAI-VIDEO. The passcode is DataCentersKY2025! 	

AI might seem invisible, but the environmental toll is real. Data centers that power artificial intelligence consume vast amounts of water and electricity, placing new strain on local ecosystems and public health. Communities across the country are already feeling the effects, often without knowing why. Listen in as Professor Ren uncovers the hidden footprint of AI and what it means for the future of sustainable, health-informed technology.

The Access Hour airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Wednesday at 2pm and repeats Thursdays at 11am and Fridays at 1pm. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

If you’ve got something you’d like to share on community radio through the Access Hour, whether it’s a recording you made or a show you’d like to do on a particular topic, community, artistic creation, or program that is under-represented in Louisville’s media landscape, just go to https://forwardradio.org, click on Participate and pitch us your idea. The Access Hour is your opportunity to take over the air waves to share your passion.

Access Hour | Shaolei Ren | Environmental Footprint of Artificial Intelligence | 10-1-25

This week on Single Payer Radio, we discuss how the cuts to healthcare in the Big Beautiful (Ugly) Bill will affect Kentuckians, especially in rural areas.

Single Payer Radio | Medicaid Cuts HB1 | 9-29-25

Mary Williams introduces us to the Spotted Lanternfly, an insect pest that attacks a wide range of tree and shrub species.  The invasive pest was first seen in Pennsylvania in 2014, but is now spreading south and west, including Kentucky and Indiana.  Then, we hear a portion of the 'Big Picture Science' podcast of Sept. 8, 2025 about researchers trying to decipher language in sperm whales.  The episode ends with J. Scott Miller telling us what planets, stars, constellations and meteor showers we can see in the month of October.

Thanks to the SETI Institute for permission to rebroadcast their podcast 'Big Picture Science'.  Here is the full podcast:  https://radio.seti.org/episodes/animal-alphabets.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. 

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode:  https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio
 

Bench Talk | Spotted Lanternflies Are Coming - Sperm Whale Language - October Sky | Oct. 6, 2025

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, gets caught up with the developments across the river at Origin Park with Dennis Schnurbusch II, CEO of River Heritage Conservancy. Tune in to learn more about the plans for Origin Park (https://originpark.org), an evolving new urban riverfront park of 430 acres on the north shore of the Ohio River, in Clarksville, Indiana. This park celebrates and embraces the unpredictable Ohio River and the floods that come from it. Origin Park is already open in limited designated areas to the public.

Discover why the Ohio Riverfront was chosen for the park, and what makes this land so important to reclaim. We discuss the big goals of the park and what visitors will experience at Origin Park 10–15 years from now when the park is fully realized. In addition to an update on where we are right now in the process of developing the park, you’ll learn how you can get involved right now as a visitor, volunteer, or donor.

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Dennis Schnurbusch | River Heritage Conservancy | Origin Park | 10-6-25

Whitney Austin, co-founder of the Whitney Strong Foundation and survivor of the Cincinnati Fifth Third Bank shooting tells her story and the work of her organization to curb gun violence. Find out more about Whitney on https://www.whitneystrong.org/

Single Payer Radio | Reducing Gun Violence | Whitney Austin | 10-09-2025 Final

Patty and Brian discuss things that go bump in the night for Halloween! 

#248 Critical Thinking for Everyone! | The Veil is Thin -- A Halloween Episode | October 16, 2025

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, Forward Radio was proud to be the only media providing live wall-to-wall coverage on the ground at the No Kings Louisville rally from 2-5pm on The Belvedere (https://nokings.org). On this day, we saw over 2600 protests across the country in all 50 states and in 18 other countries!

Back in In June, millions of everyday Americans from every walk of life peacefully took to the streets and declared with one voice: No Kings. The world saw the power of the people, and President Trump’s attempt at a coronation collapsed under the strength of a movement rising against his abuses of power. Now, he’s doubling down — sending militarized agents into our communities, silencing voters, and handing billionaires giveaways while families struggle. This isn’t just politics. It’s democracy versus dictatorship. And together, we’re choosing democracy.

Today millions of Americans are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.

The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us. A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

In addition to No Kings Louisville at the Belvedere, there were local protests at:
•	NO KINGS SOUTHERN INDIANA, 2:30-5pm, Warder Park, 109 E Court Ave, Jeffersonville, IN
•	NO KINGS Indivisible Crescent Hill, 3-4pm, 3751 Frankfort Ave, Saint Matthews, KY
•	No Kings II sing-out!, 12-2pm, Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub on East Broadway

What's Next After No Kings? Join the national Mass Call on Tuesday, October 21st at 8 – 9pm EDT https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/858246/


LIVE | No Kings Louisville | 10-18-25

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, sits down with one of Louisville’s legendary sustainability advocates, Jackie Green, to discuss his new venture, Earth Home 40202 (https://www.bikecourier.org/earth-home-40202/) Get in touch at earth.home.40202@gmail.com. We also discuss Deep Ecology Louisville - Exploring what it means to 'Live Local Lightly' in a society that is diametrically opposed to the concept (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581836699217). 

Earth Home 40202 is an urban* Louisville space in which to grow non-mystical deep ecologists. Building environmentally sustainable lifestyles requires community – it takes a village. Mainstream Louisville does not embrace ‘Live Local** Lightly’. Most are unaware of the term ‘deep ecology’ (see addendum below). Most are unaware of the term ’embodied energy’ – https://www.bikecourier.org/embodied-energy/. Few who know the term are ready to live a minimalist lifestyle. No, this is not the effort of communist luddites, not a commune, not a cult, just citizens attempting to live lightly on Earth. Earth Home 40202 is citizens striving to minimize material and energy*** consumption, to identify ‘green washing’, to garden**** more, to create more environmentally sensitive communities, to joyfully live Earth-centric lives.

Earth Home 40202 is a work in progress. The concept has yet to be fully defined. Earth Home 40202 will be piloted in two Highland homes. Success will result in reduplicating the effort in a larger downtown space. Continued success will result in more Earth Homes. We need people to help define and develop the concept.

* ? Why ‘urban’? If nature is to endure, humanity must not encroach on natural spaces. Sprawl is destroying agricultural land and nature. Urban living also encourages walking, cycling and public transit use. The embodied energy of automobiles and all the infrastructure supporting automobiles is unsustainable.
** ? Why the ‘local’ in ‘Live Local Lightly’? Travel is:… energy intensive, infrastructure demanding, deprives local community of members’ focus, investment, and care; hastens the evolution of climate change to climate chaos. Our personal travel experiences are not that important. We are needed at home.
*** ? What is current energy production? One house hosts 16 solar panels. We have an option on using a property near UofL with 30 solar panels (8.5kW, 11,500kWh/yr, 2025 inverter).
**** ? What gardening is done now? Current gardening includes a dozen grape vines, apple, cherry, peach and fig trees, a small vegetable plot, and a 25′ x 100′ micro forest.

Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy and movement, founded by Arne Naess in the 1970s, that argues for the inherent worth and intrinsic value of all living beings and ecosystems, not just their utility to humans. It promotes a holistic worldview where humans are seen as an integral part of nature and emphasizes a radical transformation of our societal structures, technologies, and lifestyles to reduce human impact and allow the richness and diversity of life to flourish.

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Jackie Green | Earth Home 40202 | 10-20-25

Did you know that diagnosis of ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) is higher in children on Halloween Day?  Did you know that the Pacific Ocean is experiencing two major weather phenomena this year?  This is the first time in recorded history that The Big Blob and La Nina are occurring simultaneously.  Then, hear about the recent review article on the hidden chronic health risks of nano- and microplastics in single-use plastic water bottles.  Which brands of water put the most plastic into our bodies?  Which parts of our bodies accumulates the most microplastics?  What is the possible link between microplastics and dementia?

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. 

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode:  https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio 

Public domain music ('Cosmopolitan-Margarita') is by Dee Yan-Kee.

Bench Talk | ADHD & Halloween - Big Blob in Pacific - Nanoplastics in Water Bottles | Oct. 20, 2025

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, digs up some delicious fun with Matt Robertson, founder and owner of Clover Systems (https://cloversystems.org), which offers permaculture landscaping and hardscaping, home remodels, ADUs, and tiny homes; as well as a backyard permaculture nursery in the St. Joseph neighborhood. For the past five years, Matt has been working professionally as a carpenter, building additions, ADUs, and general home remodels. Usually working alone or with one partner, Matt has been directly involved in every phase of a home build many times over.

Since 2018, Matt has studied permaculture and explored how it applies in the real world. He even lived off-grid and started a tropical food forest in Okeechobee, Florida, in 2020. Then, after returning home to Louisville, Matt founded Clover Systems in 2023 to offer solutions to our community by applying permaculture principles to local construction and urban agriculture.

Listen in as we discuss the value of edible landscapes and Matt’s Louisville food forest mission; Clover System's backyard permaculture nursery; the new Preston Park Food Forest; and the permaculture construction side of Clover Systems, including the advantages of building ADUs and your dream of a tiny home cottage court neighborhood with edible landscaping.

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Matt Robertson | Clover Systems | Permaculture Nursery & Services | 10-27-25

Members of Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care, Kay Tillow and Dr Melissa Lucas discuss the differences between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. The primary difference being that under Medicare Advantage your Medicare Parts A, B and D are bundled into one, technically known as Part C. and a for-profit, private insurance company is given by Medicare, a specific amount of money per client to pay the client's medical bills, as well as the authority to determine which payments are made to your providers such as doctors and hospitals and specialists and therapists And which of those payments may be denied. The more claims that are successfully denied, the more profit is made by the insurer.

Single Payer Radio | Melissa Lucas & Kay Tillow | Comparing Medicare and Medicare Advantage 10/21/25

As the weather turns and trees begin to go dormant, this week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, grabs a shovel to catch up with our friends at Louisville Grows (https://LouisvilleGrows.org). On the show to discuss the many community tree planting opportunities on the horizon are Executive Director, Christine Brinkmann, and Urban Forestry Manager, Colin Meadows.

Tune in to hear about the new partnership between Kentucky State University and Louisville Grows to expand environmental workforce pathways in Louisville's West End by expanding access to training in conservation, urban forestry, horticulture, and community agriculture. Louisville Grows will support participants as they gain practical experience throughout the city and surrounding areas in conservation, tree planting, orchard development, greenhouse management, soil restoration, and sustainable agricultural practices, contributing to a healthier urban environment.

Then grab a shovel, gather your friends, and join the Louisville Grows team at SIX tree planting events this fall to help grow Louisville’s tree canopy!
•        Friday, Nov. 7th & Saturday, Nov 8th, 9 AM - 1:00 PM  - Glenview Neighborhood - River Road Tree Planting,  4301 Lime Kiln Lane: Outdoor Pavillion
Help us plant over 100 new trees along River Road and residential addresses! To sign up and learn more, FRIDAY: https://tinyurl.com/Nov7Planting SATURDAY: https://tinyurl.com/PlantGlenview
•        Tuesday, Nov. 11th, 9:00 am - 1:00pm, Alberta O. Jones Park Microforest Tree Planting Wrap Up  https://tinyurl.com/AOJWrapUpPlanting
•        Friday, Nov 14th, noon - 4:00pm - Cardinal Harbour Neighborhood Tree Planting, Cardinal Harbour Clubhouse near Goshen (1905 Cardinal Harbour Rd, Prospect, KY)
To sign up and learn more, visit: https://tinyurl.com/CHPlantingVolunteer
•        Saturday, Nov 15th, 9:00 AM – 1pm  - Community Wide Planting Day - Hazelwood Neighborhood 
Join District 15, Metro Forestry, Trees Louisville & Louisville Grows to help us plant 100 trees in the Hazelwood neighborhood! Trained Citizen Foresters will lead groups of volunteers to properly plant trees on public and residential properties. No experience is necessary, everyone is welcome to come play in the dirt with us!  
To sign up and learn more, visit: https://tinyurl.com/HazelwoodPlantingBOB
•        Saturday, Nov 15th, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM - St Joseph Neighborhood Tree Planting, 
Meetup: 760 Eastern Pkwy (Our Mother of Sorrows church)
To sign up and learn more, visit: tinyurl.com/CommunityWidePlantingDay

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Christine Brinkmann & Colin Meadows | Louisville Grows | Tree Plantings | 11-3-25

Did you know that the earth broke a seven-year pattern in Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere last year?  Instead of increasing by 2.3 ppm per year (as it did from 2017 to 2023), CO2 levels in 2024 rose by 3.5 ppm!  A 52% jump.   Dave Robinson opines on the importance of the 'CO2 greenhouse effect' vs. land use management on climate disasters like storms, flooding, high temperatures, water scarcity, and sea level rise.  Then, Leslie Moise introduces Rocky, the three-legged horse that has captured the world's attention.  She reads a poem she wrote about Rocky and the people who are trying to help him.  Finally, Scott Miller tells us about the planets, constellations and meteor showers we can see in the night sky in November.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. 

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode:  https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio 


Bench Talk | CO2 Emissions Shift; Is It Important? - Three-Legged Horse - Night Sky | Nov. 3, 2025

A conversation with Marxian/socialist economist Michael Roberts on the current state of the global economy and where things may be headed.  Are we in a period of secular stagnation or the "winter" of a long wave economic cycle.  Is "time running out" on the capitalist economic system, and if so, what can be done?

Economic Impact | Episode 59 | Economist Michael Roberts on the Global Economy--Time is Running Out?

This is a look back at the history of segregated hospitals and health care in the United States.

Single Payer Radio |  Dr. Steven Lippmann 11-5-2025 | Hospitals and Segregation | 2025-11-05 Final

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, catches up with a local journalism legend, Marcus Green,	former reporter at WDRB and the Courier-Journal, now striking out as an independent consultant as Principal at Greenlight Projects LLC. Marcus Green is an Emmy-award winning former journalist who spent more than 25 years reporting on Louisville, southern Indiana and Kentucky. In 12 years writing on the newspaper's business and city desks, he covered small business, agriculture, the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries, the Ohio River Bridges Project, the KFC Yum! Center, and local housing and demographics. He moved to WDRB News in 2013 to become a digital journalist and investigative reporter. He left WDRB last month to launch Greenlight Projects LLC, a startup consulting firm. 	

Listen in as we discuss the state of local journalism and how it's changed, as well as some of the issues Marcus covered that dealt with sustainability -- like the Ohio River Bridges Project, the Bernheim pipeline/bypass, Urban Government Center, and others. Marcus and Justin reconnected in October at the Ohio River Confluence summit. They discuss this inspiring moment for the future of the Ohio River Basin, last week’s UPS flight disaster at the Louisville airport, and the upcoming I-65 closure.

Connect with Marcus at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-green-0208a8374/ 

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Marcus Green | Greenlight Projects | Local Journalism | 11-10-25

This week on Truth to Power, we bring you a community conversation about “Generational Shift: An Assessment of Evolving Student Attitudes on College Campuses Towards Israel” that was recorded October 22, 2025 as a virtual event organized by the Oberlin Club of Washington, D.C. Tune in for this conversation with Stephen Zunes (Oberlin College ’79), Professor of Politics and Director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Zunes is in conversation with his former classmate, Clyde Owan (Oberlin College ’79) from the Oberlin Club of DC who facilitates the conversation.

Few issues have seen such a generational divide in terms of public opinion than Israel/Palestine. Professor Stephen Zunes '79 will assess political changes in the United States and the region, review polling data, and share anecdotes from his experiences at various campuses to explain how student attitudes appear to be evolving on this important and controversial topic, why the issue has been so polarizing, and how the impact has challenged institutions and relations between students.  Join us for an informative conversation.

Stephen Zunes has been at the University of San Francisco since 1995, teaching courses on the politics of the Middle East and other regions, nonviolence, conflict resolution, U.S. foreign policy, globalization, and the politics of war and peace.  A prominent specialist on U.S. Middle East policy, Professor Zunes has presented hundreds of public lectures and conference papers in both the United States and over a dozen foreign countries and has traveled frequently to the Middle East and other conflict regions. He has served as a political analyst for local, national, and international radio and television and as a columnist for several print and online publications, has published hundreds of articles in academic journals, anthologies, and magazines, and has served as a writer and senior analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus, an associate editor for Peace Review, and a contributing editor of Tikkun.  At Oberlin, Stephen earned a degree in Government and earned his PhD in Government from Cornell University. Watch a full recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xeaGhzwYM4

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

Truth To Power | Stephen Zunes | Changing Attitudes Towards Israel on College Campuses | 11-14-25

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, rips out his lawn for an exciting conversation with Becca Trueman, a local advocate for native plants who is engaged with Kentucky Watershed Watch and Wild Ones Louisville. She serves on the board of the Kentucky Conservation Committee and is a former supervisor for the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District. She was a presenter at the October 17, 2025 Ohio River Confluence on the topic of “Planting for Change: Native Plants as a Catalyst for Restoration, Community, and Advocacy” (you can see her slides at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1reRX3EWIgie2k0AXBueCj3JbhUEQSRoJ/view?usp=sharing).

Listen in as we discuss how native plants help connect people, nature, and community. Cultivating native plants is an easy way to make a difference at home and small gardens and local efforts inspire learning and connection. We dive into the role that programs and partnerships play in making it easier for people to get involved; how community, education, policy, and business all work together; and why supportive city and county rules matter for native landscapes. But we also dive into larger scale change such as how restoration and native plants can grow local economies; how small efforts add up to massive collective impact; and how the same ideas that guide big restoration projects also work in our own backyards.

Becca shares these resources: 
Kentucky Conservation Committee: https://kyconservation.org/
Kentucky Native Plant Society: https://www.knps.org/
Kentucky Invasive Plant Council: https://www.se-eppc.org/ky/
Kentucky Watershed Watch: https://www.kywater.org/
Kentucky Master Naturalist Volunteer Program: https://naturalist.mgcafe.uky.edu/
Wild Ones Louisville: https://louisville.wildones.org/
Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District: https://www.jeffcd.org/
Growing Natives KY-IN Swap Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/growingnatives

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Becca Trueman | Native Plants to the Rescue! | 11-17-25

Our guest on Solutions to Violence this week is Stephen Bartlett, and our topic is Venezuela. Stephen is a student of languages, people and natural ecosystems. Son of a civil rights and peace making activist and an ornithologist, Stephen’s greatest adventures in life have involved smuggled rice seed, internationalist organizing and popular education. From New York to Dakar, from North Carolina to the Peoples’ Republic to Kenya, from Guatemala to Haiti, to Louisville to his farm in the Dominican Republic, Stephen has cultivated friendships on numerous continents.

Solutions to Violence | Stephen Bartlett | Venezuela | Nov. 17, 2025

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, takes you upriver to visit Payne Hollow on the Ohio (https://www.paynehollowontheohio.org/) with five wonderful guests who are all actively involved in protecting and restoring this ecological and cultural gem: Board members Stacey Burkhart, David Wicks, and Joe Wolek, along with Americorps members Anthony Lamb and Julian Rodriguez. Payne Hollow on the Ohio is a Kentucky non-profit established in June 2022 with the goal of sustainably preserving Payne Hollow up in Trimble County while protecting and promoting the legacy of Harlan and Anna Hubbard. The central mission is to stabilize the existing structures, document the property and natural history, to celebrate the homestead’s evident beauty, creativity, and innovation, and build a foundation for a safe and inspiring future for Payne Hollow and the community it inspires. Payne Hollow will demonstrate the remarkable example the Hubbards set for those who choose to live off the land in ecological consciousness.

Check out the Payne Hollow video “No Theories to Prove” and peruse the Payne Hollow strategic plan and ecological overview at https://www.paynehollowontheohio.org/projects.

You can also watch a series of short videos of Americorps members reading poems they created as a Payne Hollow activity at https://www.facebook.com/reel/3406715469460124

The Americorps members are helping Payne Hollow build it's visitor infrastructure and you can see some photos of that work at https://www.facebook.com/paynehollowontheohio/posts/pfbid0kHs48y6tPxF7cjPEM5xB8iBcqEBMLfHDnGmKitXxMrE5t1REE3Gg8HSXHBmikJCfl?rdid=j5fF9YOIlEzSXhVC

Join the Payne Hollow on the Ohio contact list and keep up with the work through six newsletters a year by going to https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/DJM8rNd

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Payne Hollow on the Ohio | 11-24-25

November 24th, 25, and 26th Solutions to Violence features K.T. Ockels.  From 1990 to 1994 KT Ockels lived in a Lutheran Church hostel in Jerusalem and taught in the American Friends Service School in Ramla. During the 4 years in Ramla she taught both Palestinian and Israeli students. Her Solutions to Violence presentation describes her venture in Jerusalem as well as the conditions endured by the Palestinian People.  She is now the pastor of the Strathmore Presbyterian Church in Louisville. Solutions to Violence airs on Mondays at 5 pm, Tuesdays at 8 am and Wednesdays at 6 am. You can listen livestream if you visit us at forwardradio.org and click on “listen Live Now.” I’m Jim Johnson 



Solutions to Violence | K.T. Ockels | Conditions on the ground in Jerusalem |  November 24, 2025

We continue our float down the Ohio River this week on Sustainability Now!, as your host, Justin Mog, paddles along with three guests who are all actively involved in advocating for the passage of the Ohio River Restoration Program Act (H.R. 5966): Forest Clevenger, Executive Director of The Ohio River Way (https://ohioriverway.org); Michael Washburn, Executive Director of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance (https://kwalliance.org); and David Wicks, Board Chair of River City Paddle Sports (https://rivercitypaddlesports.org)	

The Ohio River Basin, spanning 55 congressional districts across 15 states, is the nation’s largest body of water to receive no dedicated federal funding. In mid-November, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) led introduction of the Ohio River Restoration Program Act with Reps. Erin Houchin (IN-09), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mike Rulli (OH-06), and Mark Messmer (IN-08) to fund the economic and environmental restoration of the Ohio River. 

The bipartisan coalition of Members represents districts throughout the Ohio River Basin, which serves as a source of drinking water for more than 25 million Americans, and its ecosystem is vital to local economies and industries, generating more than 500,000 jobs and $21 billion in wages.

Nationwide, more than a third of the United States’ waterborne commerce travels through the Ohio River – $43 billion in commodities annually – yet the Ohio River is still the nation’s largest body of water without any dedicated federal funding. The bill would dedicate up to $350 million in federal investments to the large-scale restoration of the Ohio River Basin, using initiatives similar to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which resulted in more than $3 in return on every federal dollar invested in the program.

The Ohio River Restoration Program Act would create a federal office within the Environmental Protection Agency to guide a restoration plan in coordination with states, local governments, interstate compact agencies, tribal nations, and non-governmental organizations that includes:
•   habitat restoration, farm conservation, and invasive species control and management;
•   pollution prevention and clean water protection;
•   robust monitoring, data collection, and evaluation;
•   local workforce development and training for jobs in water protection and restoration;
•   input from the local public to hold elected officials accountable and ensure that residents have a seat at the table in restoration decisions;
•   guaranteed clean, safe, and affordable water for local homeowners regardless of economic status; and
•    investments in local communities at particular risk of extreme storms, flooding, and pollution.

Learn more:
Ohio River Basin Restoration & Protection Report: A Case Statement for the Need for Federal Investments in the Basin: https://www.ohioriverbasinalliance.org/restoration-plan
Kentucky-Ohio River Regional Recreation Authority (KORRRA): https://www.ohioriverway.org/news/passage-of-korra
National Wildlife Federation – Ohio River Restoration: https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Waters/Ohio-River
Ohio River Basin Alliance – Restoration Planning: https://www.ohioriverbasinalliance.org/restoration-plan
Ohio River Way Challenge:  https://www.ohioriverway.org/ohio-river-way-challenge  

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Ohio River Restoration Program Act | 12-1-25

This week on Truth to Power, we are thrilled to share a community conversation with two brilliant artistic minds who were awarded the 2025 Spalding Prize for the Promotion of Peace and Justice in Literature on November 11th at the Brown Hotel's 16th Floor Gallery. This year's winners are Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the award-winning Broadway musical Come From Away. 

This remarkable, moving, and award-winning comedy is based on true events in the Newfoundland town Gander. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, dozens of commercial aircraft with approximately 7,000 passengers aboard were ordered to land at Gander International Airport. The airport’s impressive name belies the fact that Gander was and is a small town in Newfoundland; nonetheless, Gander residents scrambled to feed, shelter, and, most importantly, welcome thousands of passengers, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religious or sexual preference, or nationality. The compassion and kindness of the citizens of Gander and their generosity toward stranded passengers created enduring friendships and connections among people who were recently complete strangers. Come From Away highlights the many occasions for human compassion even in the midst of a global tragedy. After the play’s immense success, Sankoff and Hein wrote the screenplay providing international access to the staged performance of Come From Away.

Irene Sankoff is a Canadian Tony- and Olivier-nominated, Grammy-nominated writer for theatre, film, and television. A writer and actor, Sankoff has received a Meritorious Service Cross of Canada. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writers Guild, and ASCAP.

David Hein is an Olivier Award-winning, Tony- and Grammy-nominated writer. He and Irene Sankoff created My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding based on his mother's true story, earning Best Musical awards across America.

The Spalding Prize is awarded by the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University. Learn more at https://www.goodriverreview.com/spalding-prize

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

Truth to Power | Irene Sankoff and David Hein | Come From Away | 12-5-25

It’s all about re-gifting this week on Sustainability Now!, as your host, Justin Mog, is in conversation with Logan Sowell, a Business Development Executive with a national nonprofit called Human-I-T that takes organizations’ e-waste and securely refurbishes and repurposes the retired tech. They then get that refurbished tech into the hands of low-income families, disaster survivors, veterans, and students; and they even hook up the device recipients with internet access and digital skills training. Human-I-T was founded in 2012 and employs 170. 
Learn more at https://www.human-i-t.org/ 
Connect with Logan at logan.sowell@human-i-t.org

Tune in as we discuss the current state of e-waste, the sheer scale of the problem and why it's such an urgent topic in 2025; the business side of e-waste, including the hidden risks, liabilities, and true costs of old technology for companies; reuse vs. recycling, a comparison of the environmental and carbon impact, and why simply recycling isn't the best-case scenario; the "Human" solution to the digital divide and how end-of-life tech can become a community asset; data security and corporate responsibility - how Human-I-T addresses the main concerns companies have and what "doing it right" (and securely) actually looks like; and how Louisville can lead in this space - what can businesses and individuals in our community do to make a tangible impact.  

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Logan Sowell | Human-I-T | 12-8-25

Solutions to Violence features the Rev. Dean Bucalos. Rev. Dean W. Bucalos is the former executive director of Mission Behind Bars and Beyond, an ecumenical re-entry program that trains small faith-based groups to work with returning citizens upon their release from prison.  In addition, he is the founding pastor of New Life in Christ Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a congregation he began inside Dismas Charities-Diersen, a women’s re-entry facility in Louisville, Kentucky.  He served as a part-time mission specialist for prison and jail ministries with the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Rev. Bucalos was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1994.  He has served as the pastor of congregations in Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.  He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (1974), The University of Kentucky College of Law (1978) and Lexington Theological Seminary (1994).   Prior to his ordination, Rev. Bucalos practiced law in Ashland and Lexington, Kentucky.  He has served as an adjunct professor at Bellarmine University in Louisville,  where he taught classes on Christianity and Social Justice.  In retirement, he has continued his ministry by facilitating several contemplative dialogue groups, both on-line and in person.


Solutions to Violence | Rev. Dean Bucalos  | Mission Behind Bars and Beyond | Dec. 8, 2025

This week on Truth to Power, we bring you a community conversation about one of Kentucky's most notorious antislavery slaveholders! "Cassius Marcellus Clay: The Life of an Antislavery Slaveholder and the Paradox of American Reform" was the topic of discussion at the Filson Historical Society's Gertrude Polk Brown Lecture Series on the evening of Thursday, December 4, 2025 at the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts' Bomhard Theater. Cassius Marcellus Clay, a fiery nineteenth-century Kentucky antislavery reformer, was both admired and despised. A duelist, newspaperman, and ally of Lincoln, he fought slavery’s expansion while still enslaving people himself. 

Historian Anne E. Marshall’s biography reexamines Clay as emblematic of white Americans who opposed slavery’s economics more than its injustice. By portraying Clay’s contradictions, Marshall reveals why emancipation required war and why true racial equality faced enduring resistance. Marshall is an associate professor of history at Mississippi State University and on December 4th she was in conversation with the Filson's President, Dr. Patrick Lewis, who fielded audience questions. Watch the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRSKtIEte_8

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org


Truth to Power | Cassius Marcellus Clay | KY's Antislavery Slaveholder | Anne Marshall | 12-12-25

Anatol Lieven is a coauthor, with George Beebe and Mark Episkopos, of the policy brief, Peace Through Strength in Ukraine, published by the Quincy Institute for International Peace. Anatol Lieven is the director of the Eurasia Program and the Andrew Bacevich chair in American Diplomatic History at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He was formerly a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar and in the War Studies Department of King’s College London. He also served as a member of the advisory committee of the South Asia Department of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and of the academic board of the Valdai discussion club in Russia. He holds a B.A. and Ph.D. in history and political science from Cambridge University in England.

Solutions to Violence | Anatol Lieven | Peace Through Strength in Ukraine | Dec. 15, 2025

On this week's show, your host, Justin Mog, sits down for a conversation with Chad Rosen, the Founder and CEO of Victory Hemp Foods (victoryhempfoods.com), a Kentucky-based public benefit corporation building the infrastructure, markets, and supply chain needed to make hemp one of North America’s next major rotational crops. Under his leadership, Victory developed a patented mechanical processing method that turns hemp seeds into highly functional, allergen-free protein, oil, and fiber ingredients.

Join us as we explore the advantages of hemp from the perspectives of environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social & community impact. Learn Chad's story of founding the company, what it does, and why. What does rebuilding rural American manufacturing mean? What does the future look like when hemp reaches its potential? Find out on this week's show!

Learn more online:
Website: https://victoryhempfoods.com
Chad's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/chad-rosen
Victory's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/victory-hemp-foods

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Sustainability Now! | Chad Rosen | Victory Hemp Foods | 12-15-25

This week on Truth To Power, we bring you the Faith & Science Forum held on the evening of December 11, 2025 at St. Stephen Baptist Church on 15th St. During this, the second installment of the "& Science" Forums, we heard from an expert panel discussing the key intersections of faith & science. UofL's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute is hosting this new quarterly series called “& Science"" which provides a community forum for conversations at the intersection of health, the environment & science. 

This installment of the series features leaders from different faith traditions with the following objectives: Explore key intersections of faith & science; Discuss challenges & opportunities for voices of faith in a time of climate crisis; Share examples of faith community responses to matters of health & environmental concerns; Envision a brighter future for faith & science. Panel Speakers include:
•    Dr. Kevin W. Cosby (Senior Pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church and President of Simmons College of Kentucky)
•    Dr. Angelique Johnson (CEO/Founder, MEMStim LLC)
•    Dr. Justin Mog (Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, University of Louisville)
•    Waylon Riley (Youth Program Manager & Assistant Camp Director, Trager Family JCC)
•    Rev. Dr. Leah Schade (Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, Lexington Theological Seminary)"

Watch a full recording of the evening at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPI6O1u2lLo

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

Truth To Power | Faith and Science Forum | 12-19-25

Why don't woodpeckers experience head concussions after all that vigorous pecking on trees with their beaks?  Dave Robinson summarizes a November 6th research paper.  Leslie Moise reads a poem she wrote about woodpeckers. Then, why does a December 4th paper claim that volcanoes might be responsible for the Black Death pandemic (that killed up to half of the European population in the 14th century)?  Finally, Scott Miller narrates a story about the birth of a black hole, written by AI to sound like a fairy tale.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. 

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode:  https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio 

Music (the 'Pineapple Rag' by Scott Joplin ; 1908) is modified from a public domain version performed by Vinheteiro in 2022.


Bench Talk | Woodpecker  Concussions? - Volcanoes & Black Death - Black Hole Tale | Dec 15, 2025

David Borman Interview 12-16-25-sansmusic

Being that we are on the heels of Christmas (2025), I interviewed Dr. David Borman III, artistic director of the Louisville Chorus.  Dr. Borman recounts his childhood and what drew him into music; how music can enhance and deepen one's own life experiences and outcomes; the benefits (mental and physical) of singing in small or large ensembles, regardless of one's musical aptitude; and upcoming concerts being performed by the Louisville Chorus, including two Christmas concerts (12/19/25, 7 pm at Cathedral of the Assumption and 12/21/25, 3 pm at St. Brigid), plus concerts scheduled for the 2026 season.

Election Connection | Dr. David Borman III, Dir. of Louisville Chorus  | The Joys of Music | 12/16/25

Part two of a four-part Summer 'Read&Succeed' series on Hungarian novelist and 2019 National Book Award winner for Translated Literature László Krasznahorkai.  'The Melancholy of Resistance' (1989) serves as his first creative revision of his first novel 'Satantango' (1985).  Cold War darkness descends yet again, but this time Krasznahorkai and his characters see light's return as part of the cosmic harmony and dance.  Exclusive content by PEN America in the second half of the show!

Read&Succeed | Ep 6 | The Melancholy of Resistance (1989) | László Krasznahorkai | 7-8-20

Forward Radio is independent, listener-sponsored, volunteer-powered, grassroots community radio WFMP-LP Louisville, Kentucky. We have been broadcasting at 106.5fm and live-streaming at forwardradio.org since April 9, 2017. Please donate at forwardradio.org to keep us on-air. It costs $42/day to keep this programming coming your way.

Forward Radio

Popular tracks