The Wooden Teeth Show

Youth are increasingly interacting with AI chatbots, and the risks to their wellbeing, including self harm, are becoming tragically apparent. Jake speaks with Amina Fazlullah, Head of Tech Policy Advocacy at Common Sense Media, about how we can responsibly regulate these platforms to protect kids.

Creating quality urban greenspaces isn't just a common sense way to adapt to climate change, it produces a range of documented benefits for both physical and mental health. Jake speaks with Katrina Forrest, Executive Director of the CityHealth, about their efforts to get more cities to make this win-win-win public health investment.

When President Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law, 2.4 millions became destined to lose their assistance in securing the food they need. Jake speaks with Dayana Leyva of Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger about the impact of this bill on the food security of Americans and what we can do about it.

Jake speaks with Nicole Riehl about the business challenges of childcare and how they impact price and availability for families. Nicole is President & CEO of EPIC, where she works with employers and business executives to advocate for early childhood investments, policies, and workforce solutions.

Jake speaks with Susan Lontine about the public health implications of declining immunization rates, as well as new, regressive vaccine policies and what we can do about them. Susan is the Executive Director of Immunize Colorado and a former state legislator.

Jake speaks with Dr. Jessica Knurick about the Make America Healthy Again agenda. They evaluate the existence of scientific evidence that supports the movement's signature initiatives, consider the partisan and other dynamics that shape MAHA's support and opposition, and discuss the rise of Americans consuming wellness information via social media.

Jake speaks with Jordana Ash and Dr. Megan Rogers about new research on suicidality that has implications for how we screen for risk. Drawing from Jordana's tragic family story and Dr. Rogers' research, the trio discuss how we can improve suicide screening and save lives.

Jake speaks with Phyllis Resnick, co-author of a new report on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion in Colorado. They address the effects of the so-called "Medicaid Unwind" and the damage that may be caused in the event of cuts to Medicaid that Congress is currently considering.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The Wooden Teeth Podcast, the show about truth-telling in politics and health, is coming back on Tuesday, February 25th, and every fourth Tuesday of the month after that.

Jake speaks with Chris Keating and Jake Martin of the polling firm Keating Research about how best to consume polling information, and they dive into some interesting recent data. Topics include demographic shifts in the presidential race, the implications of a potential open primary and ranked-choice voting system in CO, and some predictions about how some races will turn out this November.

We've heard a lot from adult sources on our youth mental health crisis in recent years, but what do young people themselves have to say? Jake speaks with two teen leaders, Lily Poteet and Braeden Turner, about their activism on youth mental health. They have launched a podcast, called "The Prosperity Project," that explores issues including suicide, stress and perfectionism.