Evidence-based medicine (peer-reviewed and published clinical research results) is the life-blood of conventional medical knowledge and practice. All standard allopathic medical treatments rest upon it with physicians relying on the results of this clinical research to guide their practice. But what if this gold standard of medical practice is based on research that is largely wrong, biased or outright fraudulent? It is estimated that up to 90% of biomedical studies are false. More and more scientific papers are being retracted because of sloppy research, data calculation and collection errors or purposeful lying on the part of researchers. We've gotten to the point where that anything read in a scientific journal needs to be take with a large grain of salt.

In this episode of the Health and Wellness Show we explore the dubious nature of scientific study; the conflicts of interest, the hidden (and not so hidden) corporate funding that guides research, the censorship of negative results and the lies and obfuscation that plague so-called evidence based studies.

Stay tuned for Zoya's Pet Health Segment about pain in cats.

Running Time: 01:36:31

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Before the end of last year, protests broke out in Iran, quickly hijacked by rioters on the streets and neocons on Twitter. Economic demands, criticisms of the Islamic rulers, calls for all-out regime change: distinctions between the various demands were ignored by Western pundits eager to capitalize on the unrest and frame it in terms of their own myopic worldview. The hysteria has largely died down, but not the hypocrisy. Such protests are dealt with more harshly in Western democracies, but you wouldn't think it by looking at the news commentary.

Meanwhile, the war of blustery rhetoric between arch trolls Kim Jong-un and Donald J. Trump reached heights of comedic mastery in a comparison of nuclear-button-size. While those without a sense of humor worried about post-apocalyptic dystopia, the effect has been quite the opposite: North Korea calling for direct peace talks with their neighbors in the South.

As for the serialized slapstick comedy known as Russiagate, the "prosecution's" case continues to fall apart as the DOJ, FBI, and DNC are repeatedly exposed as dim-witted, naive marks for unsophisticated con-men like Chris Steele and his mentally deranged supporters. Once again, clown-in-chief Trump ends up looking like the sane one.

Tune in to Behind the Headlines at 6-8pm CET (4-6pm UTC / 12-2pm EST), on the SOTT Radio Network.

Running Time: 01:54:56

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There are estimated to be over 200 million smartphone addicts worldwide and 46% of Americans say that they can't live without their smartphones. Mobile phones were initially an adjunct to the home phone, useful for emergencies while out on the road, but have morphed into an ever-present source of addiction for children and adults alike. Users check their phones up to 85 times a day, interact more with their phones than they do with other people and live in a state of continuous distraction. Warnings of the dangers of smartphone overuse have fallen on deaf ears as the technology has invaded every aspect of life. Researchers are finding that as we become more dependent on smartphone apps our cognitive capacities weaken considerably and we are left dumbed down, moody and distanced from reality.

Join us on this episode of The Health and Wellness Show where we discuss the dumbness of smartphones (and their owners) and if society can ever turn back after Pandora's smartphone has been unboxed.

Also stay tuned for Zoya's Pet Health Segment where she discusses the use of a common cooking spice as a solution for dog's itching.

Running Time: 01:20:05

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The year of Trump, the demise of ISIS, the Rise of Russia, the Rise of China, #MeToo, #FakeNews, Antifa, Alt-Right, Brexit, Catalonia, the continuing migrant crisis, Russiagate, terror attacks, Jerusalem, North Korea, weather gone wild, and so much more.

2017 has been a whirlwind, and it's already coming to an end. On this final episode of Behind the Headlines for 2017 (next Sunday is Christmas eve, the following is New Year's eve) we'll be discussing the trends and developments of the past year, as well as taking your questions and comments about anything and everything. The lines will be open, and chat will be active, so feel free to join in.

Tune in this Sunday, 6-8pm CET (4-6pm UTC / 12-2pm EST) for our interactive, year-end special!

Running Time: 02:15:38

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As we near the end of 2017 it seems only fitting to review the diseases that have swept the world and held our attention. On this episode of The Health and wellness show we salute the ubiquitous germs of Mother Nature who never fails to grace us with her infinite wisdom. Nothing says fear like The Plague which is currently making its way through Madagascar. Ebola is playing peek-a-boo in the Congo, Hepatitis A is busting a move in San Diego and meningitis C has reared its ugly head in Nigeria. On a more micro level, we also explored the ailments, flukes, fungal infections and other odd conditions that are knocking people out of commission all over the globe. Nature can be unkind and this year was no different so grab your seal repellent and try not to scromit as we take you on a tour of this year's worst health stories.

And stay tuned for Zoya's Pet Health Segment, where she speaks about parasites controlling the behavior of host!

Running Time: 01:32:20

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... or is he forcing the long-overdue issue of Palestinian statehood front and center?

Promises, promises. Nearly all U.S. presidents of the last thirty years have made campaign promises to move the American embassy in Israel to the contested city of Jerusalem in order to secure the Israel lobby's support. But once in office, none have ever followed through. That is, until now. Last week Trump dropped a matzo ball-encrusted bombshell on Palestinians, the Middle East and much of the whole world when he recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and said that he intends, in fact, to follow through on his promise to move the embassy ... in one or two years.

Was Trump merely making good on a deal he made for campaign funds, and not seeing how it could harm a 'dead in the water' peace process? Or was this decision part of a larger plan to team up with Saudi Arabia and Israel in a plan to topple Iran? On the other hand, Trump might be playing Netanyahu in order to get greater concessions for Palestinians during peace talks later. And how does Trump's Israeli settlement profiting son-in-law Jared Kushner fit into all of this?

Whatever the answers, the Middle East is now, more than ever, riled up with indignation and sees Trump's decision as symbolic of a U.S. choice to effectively end Palestinian aspirations for sovereignty.

Join us this week on Behind the Headlines as we follow this story, Brexit, the ongoing Russiagate Mueller investigation and more. Tune in at 6-8pm CET (4-6pm UTC / 12-2pm EST).

*Shlemiel: A jewish or Yiddish term meaning "unlucky bungler" or "chump." It is a common archetype in Jewish humor, and so-called "shlemiel jokes" depict the shlemiel falling into unfortunate situations.

Running Time: 01:53:28

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It's that time of year again! The holiday season is upon us and for many so is the pressure to shop. Gotta find that perfect present? Maybe a little something for yourself?

What drives our desire to shop? Are we manipulated by the sophisticated propaganda of advertising? Does a seductive media convince us with its illusion of consumer happiness?

Consumption means acquiring and using goods and services to meet one's needs, yet consumerism is our particular (and peculiar) relationship to consumption, in which we seek to meet our emotional and social needs through shopping, defining and demonstrating our self-worth through the stuff we own. Does this sound like the basis of a happy and fulfilled populace?

Join us on The Health and Wellness Show as we discuss consumerism: the consumption that is consuming us. How can we navigate our daily lives without buying into the lies that we are exposed to every moment of the day? And stay tuned for Zoya's Pet Health Segment, where she talks about the psychic power of pets!

Running Time: 01:36:11

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Another week, another Russiagate flop. As many predicted, Flynn was finally indicted this week. But the charges have nothing to do with alleged collusion with Russia. Instead, they are for lying to the FBI about the content of phone calls he had with the Russian ambassador, the content of which was perfectly legal. If anything, however, the actual evidence points to a long-standing relationship of collusion: with Israel.

Join us today as we talk Flynn, Trump, Russiagate, and more. Tune in to Behind the Headlines at 6-8pm CET (4-6pm UTC / 12-2pm EST).

Running Time: 01:35:56

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Marijuana used to be a popular herbal medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries and was common in U.S. pharmacies of the time. Yet, during the Nixon administration it was declared a Schedule 1 controlled substance and labeled as a drug with "no accepted medical use." Despite it being the most reviled plant on Earth, marijuana -- or cannabis -- has many medical uses that have long been known by science. There are over 100 active cannabinoids in cannabis with the non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) accounting for 40% of the plant's extract.

CBD in the form of oils, tinctures, creams and sprays, ingested or applied topically, has been proven very efficacious in treating a wide range of disorders and maladies. Seizures, chronic pain, cancers of all types, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, GI disturbances and psoriasis are just a few of the illnesses that this weed is known to treat and it's high time cannabis medicine regained its rightful place in pharmacology.

Join us for this episode of The Health and Wellness Show where we explore the abundant medical applications and actions of CBD.

And stay tuned for Zoya's Pet Health Segment where the topic is animal news and facts, including "can animals see invisible things", or "can they see themselves in the mirror"?

Running Time: 01:20:37

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Here's the transcript of the show:

This Sunday, we're interviewing Alex Krainer, hedge fund manager and author of The Killing of William Browder: Deconstructing Bill Browder's Dangerous Deception. Bill Browder is the man responsible for much of the anti-Russian sentiment in the West in recent years through his lobbying for the Magnitsky Act, which sanctions individuals believed to have been involved in the death of Russian "lawyer" Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. Browder told his story in a book called Red Notice, in which he paints himself as a totally innocent victim of a Russian campaign to destroy him. But Krainer dissects Browder's account piece by piece, showing that he was anything but an innocent businessman.

In addition to deconstructing Browder's self-serving lies and rampant Russophobia, Krainer gives a concise history of the crisis Russia went through in the 90s, how a handful of Russian oligarchs and Westerners like Browder siphoned the country's wealth, and how Putin turned all that around in the years after he came to power in 1999.

Due to pressure from Browder's legal team, Amazon censored the book by delisting it. Krainer has made it available for free here and here. Krainer maintains a blog at thenakedhedgie.com

Running Time: 01:32:11

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