ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.'s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet” for his success helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 150 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.
Mr. Kennedy serves as Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and President of Waterkeeper Alliance. He is also a Clinical Professor and Supervising Attorney at Pace University School of Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and is co-host of Ring of Fire on Air America Radio. Earlier in his career he served as Assistant District Attorney in New York City. He has worked on several political campaigns including the presidential campaigns of Edward M. Kennedy in 1980, Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.
He has worked on environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands. He is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply. The New York City watershed agreement, which he negotiated on behalf of environmentalists and New York City watershed consumers, is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development. He helped lead the fight to turn back the anti-environmental legislation during the 104th Congress.
Among Mr. Kennedy's published books are the New York Times’ bestseller Crimes Against Nature (2004) The Riverkeepers (1997), and Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr: A Biography (1977) and his recent children’s book St. Francis Of Assisi: A Life of Joy. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Nation, Outside Magazine, The Village Voice, and many other publications. His award winning articles have been included in anthologies of America’s Best Crime Writing, Best Political Writing and Best Science Writing.
Mr. Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation he attended Pace University School of Law, where he was awarded a Masters Degree in Environmental Law.
He is a licensed master falconer, and as often as possible he pursues a life-long enthusiasm for white-water paddling. He has organized and led several expeditions in Canada and Latin America, including first descents on three little known rivers in Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela.
David Bender
When John F. Kennedy, Jr. launched George Magazine, he chose David Bender as its first West Coast contributing editor. Citing Bender's more than thirty years of experience in politics, government and entertainment, Kennedy said, "As long as I've known David Bender, he has been involved in public issues. I think what he's been able to do, rather uniquely, is kind of meld a lot of different worlds and channel them into public issues, whether it be Washington, New York or Los Angeles - particularly within the entertainment industry. I can't really think of anyone who has done it longer or as well as he."
Bender's four-decade career as a political activist began at the age of twelve when he took a "leave of absence" from the seventh grade to become a full-time volunteer in the presidential campaign of Senator Robert F. Kennedy..
Four years later, as a high school reporter, Bender covered the presidential campaigns of Richard Nixon, George McGovern and Hubert Humphrey. He was literally a "boy on the bus," traveling in the company of such journalistic legends as Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid. Later, he became a key aide to the legendary liberal activist Allard K. Lowenstein, the former New York congressman who was a pivotal figure in both the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement.
David Bender has also been deeply involved in both the television and music industries, serving first as a senior executive in the production company of musician Stephen Stills and later, as vice president of Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold’s television production unit. After Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, Bender became the Democratic National Committee’s liaison to the entertainment industry.
In 2003, Bender returned to politics as a senior advisor in the presidential campaign of Vermont Governor Howard Dean. He subsequently joined Air America Radio to become the host of his own long-running talk show, “Politically Direct with David Bender.” Bender was also Rachel Maddow’s “political guru,” appearing regularly on The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America.
David Bender is also the author or co-author of four books, including Stand and Be Counted, a chronicle of artist activism in the music industry written with musician David Crosby. He also scripted and co-produced the two-part, four hour television documentary of Stand and Be Counted that aired on TLC.
Mike Papantonio
Mike Papantonio is a senior partner of Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Echsner & Proctor, P.A., one of the largest plaintiff’s law firms in America, having handled thousands of cases throughout the nation including Asbestos, Breast Implants, Pharmaceutical Drug Litigation, Factory Farming, Securities Fraud, the Florida Tobacco Litigation, and other mass tort cases. “Pap”, has received numerous multi-million dollar verdicts on behalf of victims of corporate malfeasance.
Papantonio is listed in the publications, Best Lawyers in America and Leading American Attorney. He is also a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. Both organizations invite only 500 trial lawyers throughout America to participate as members. Papantonio is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates; the American Association for Justice (formerly the ATLA); the Southern Trial Lawyers Association; and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; where he served on the Board of Directors for five years. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who has authored and co-authored instructional articles on handling complex litigation for trial lawyers.
Papantonio also is the founder of the cutting edge continuing legal education seminar organization, Mass Torts Made Perfect, which has and continues to train thousands of lawyers in how to better their legal practice. The organization has hosted speakers such as former President Bill Clinton, James Carville, Al Sharpton, Johnnie Cochran, Bob Woodward, Elliot Spitzer, Jack Kemp, Arianna Huffington, Dick Morris, and Paul Begala.
An author of four motivational books for lawyers, Papantonio regularly lectures at trial seminars throughout America. He is also the co-author of Air America: The Playbook; listed by The New York Times as a Political Best Seller. In 1998, Mike Papantonio teamed with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Hudson Riverkeepers, and Water Keeper Alliance, to establish a Riverkeepers program in Northwest Florida, known as the Emerald Coastkeepers, Inc., a full-time organization that serves the community as a public advocate for the waterways of Northwest Florida. Emerald Coastkeepers and Riverkeepers are reputable for their willingness to take polluters to court. In 2001, Mike filed two lawsuits against polluters, which lead to a $70 million settlement. In 2007, as lead trial counsel in the environmental class action case of Perrine v. Dupont, Mike received a jury verdict award for a West Virginia community with an estimated value in excess of $380 million.
Mike Papantonio, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and David Bender currently host Ring of Fire, a nationally syndicated radio show. Mike’s role on Ring of Fire is featured in the movie, Jesus Camp, which was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. Papantonio is also a regular contributor to Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel.
Straight Talk. No Bull.
Join Sonny, Daniella and their
favorite lender Jesse every Saturday morning to dish about real estate and
lending. We’ll share what’s new in the real estate and mortgage markets,
offer valuable insights and tips, and answer your questions on the air. What’s
the best strategy to buy foreclosed homes? What’s involved in buying or
listing a short sale? How do you take advantage of the various state and local
financial assistance programs? You have questions… we have answers!
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.'s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet” for his success helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 150 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.
What could be more important than power? The Soviet Russian astronomer, Nikolai Kardashev laid this out quite beautifully in 1964 when he described civilization’s level of technological advancement by their energy use. Right now, Earthlings are still burning dinobits to warm their homes and we are not even a Type I civilization. Until we understand and master renewable power, humans will remain nothing more than clever monkeys. Ahh, but we are clever and some of us get it and are working to master the sun and the wind and moving water and many other kinds of power. We understand that pouring all the carbon stored away for millions of years underfoot into the incredibly thin and delicate envelope of gas that surrounds our planet all at once may not end the planet, but it certainly will end us. Those of us that get it need to find a way to explain it to all of the others before things can’t be turned around. The problem is so big and so obvious that we thought it would be easy, but it’s not. The Renewable Power Hour will take a look at this challenge every Saturday afternoon from 2-3pm. It’s bad. It’s getting worse, but we can still laugh at our predicament and our silliness while we look for answers.
Listen as David hosts an informative show about Sky Harbor Airport. David and his guests discuss everything from how to get over your fear of flying to Sky Harbor's extensive artwork collection that is displayed througout the airport.
Your hosts Eric Reinert and DD Mason. Eric grew up in Orange County, California where he spent most of his youth learning the ropes of the Music Business...from performing to recording. He released two albums, one in 1990 and another in 1991. Eric has lived in Cave Creek, AZ since his move to Arizona 14+ years ago. Eric is also the producer of the Mike Newcomb Show on weekdays and has been in several films and movies. One of Eric's films is 
