Of Consuming Interest

Hosted by Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio

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340

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Of Consuming Interest is a weekly show examining the most important consumer issues today. ]]>

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June 13, 202625 min

Here's much more you you might not know about George and Martha Washington

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with John Berlau of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who discusses George Washington’s life at Mount Vernon, his innovative farming techniques, military career, and presidency.He also talks about the important role Martha Washington played in running the plantation while Washington was fighting the Revolutionary War.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

June 6, 202625 min

Distinguishing between weather changes and climate change

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Steven Milloy, founder of junkscience.com, who discusses how the climate has fluctuated from hot to the Ice Age and how many of the efforts to stop climate change have failed. He also questions many of the models that have been used to track changes in the climate..  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 30, 202625 min

Banter plus empathy equals Bempathy

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Jill Robin Payne, psychotherapist and author, who discusses ways to reduce tensions in intensive conversations by using banter with empathy. Banter is a useful in defusing a situation. In addition, if empathy is carried too far it can lead to what one author calls suicidal empathy where emotions take over good judgment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 23, 202625 min

Giving your kids a jump start on financial literacy

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Laura Levine, president and CEO of the Jump Start Coalition, who discusses the progress in schools providing financial education to children starting in kindergarten as well suggesting ways parents can introduce their kids to responsible use of credit cards, debit cards, and planning a budget.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 16, 202625 min

Is your recyclable water bottle really clean?

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Rick Berman, RBB Strategies, who cites numerous studies that reveal very high levels of contaminants in the majority of the bottles tested. The simple solution is to clean them thoroughly, especially the lids and the grooves in the bottles, wash with soap and water daily and put in the dishwasher at least once a week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 9, 202625 min

Easing the pain at the pump

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Chip Lupo, WalletHub writer and analyst, who describes some ways to ease the pain at the pump.  A credit card might be one of the tools that will give you rewards or cash back. A recent study outlines points to consider in choosing a credit card, its limits, advantages, and drawbacks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 2, 202625 min

Changes are coming that could make the legal system more accessible and affordable to consumers

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Tom Gordon, executive director of Responsive Law, who discusses the ways laws are slowly changing that could make the legal system more accessible and affordable to consumers. Utah and Arizona have innovative programs that may be one way to achieve these goals.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

April 25, 202624 min

Ways to deal with creditors when you fall behind in paying off the debt

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Chip Lupo, an analyst with Wallet Hub, who discusses how consumers use credit cards, the dangers of only paying the minimum each month and how to deal with creditors when you fall behind in paying off the debt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

April 18, 202625 min

How accessible is the legal system, really?

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Tom Gordon, executive director of Responsive Law, who discusses the changes that can be made to the legal system that will make it more accessible and affordable for consumers and how some states have taken steps to accomplish this goal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

April 11, 202625 min

Can artificial intelligence reduce your intelligence?

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Jill Robin Payne, a psychotherapist, who describes the behavior changes that occur when people use AI. For example, an MIT study showed that users forget what they just wrote and feel detached from their work. It concludes that our thinking ability and creativity appear to be significantly reduced.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.