How would you feel if you found out the government has taken away your right to full disclosure on what you eat and where it comes from? That is reality in Iowa, and several other states may be soon to follow. Vicki returns live and welcomes one of the country’s foremost experts on the meat packing and processing industry for an inside look at how large corporations have achieved such power, and what can be done about it!  Plus, a special look at returning to the way a doctor-patient relationship should be.  Don’t miss a single episode of Conversations Live, every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM! 

Recently in Iowa, the state government passed an extraordinary legislation to protect factory farms in their state from undercover investigation, making it a crime for job applicants to not disclose if they are affiliated with a news organization, animal rights group, or a union. This controversial bill was pushed through by large corporations who had repeatedly been exposed for engaging in animal cruelty and not maintaining sanitary facilities. Mere weeks later, millions of Americans were shocked to learn they were eating “pink slime”, the industry term for lean finely textured beef. In light of these alarming developments, industry expert Professor Donald Stull, co-author of Slaughterhouse Blues, feels it is more important than ever for the public to learn the truth about the U.S. meat and poultry industry. Professor Stull examines how the corporations came to such power, as well as sustainable solutions that respect everyone involved from the animals, to the workers, to the small farmers having an increasingly difficult time competing in the marketplace. Professor Stull has studied the meat and poultry industry for 25 years in North America, focusing on it’s effects on farmers, ranchers, workers, and the rural communities where processing plants are located.

There is no more trying time in a person’s life then when a serious medical condition presents itself to you or a loved one.  The doctor entrusted with diagnosing and treating the condition must build trust quickly… or lose it for good.  In The Cancer Experience: The Doctor, The Patient, The Journey, retired Dr. Roy B. Sessions examines the critical topics of medical ethics, doctor-patient relationships, and the methods of decision making during treatment.  Dr. Sessions promotes a return to more traditional medical values in which the relationship between the doctor and patient becomes a partnership.  Dr. Sessions is currently professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at The Medical University of South Carolina.  Over his nearly 40 year career, he has been responsible for over 140 scientific publications, and has lectured extensively across the globe.

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