Dennis Prager sets talk-radio return following a severe spinal cord injury
Prager, whose nationally syndicated show aired locally from noon to 3 p.m. on AM 870 the Answer before his injury, will come back to host the third hour of that time slot starting June 3, Salem Media announced last week.
"I'm really feeling much better, as you can hear," the author of "The Rational Bible" said in a voice recording played during a March 7 health-update video featuring son David Prager and Prager University Chief Executive Marissa Streit. "My voice is practically normal, which is really exciting, because I intend to go back on radio. ... And my beloved son — one of my beloved sons — my beloved son David is here with me and I can't tell you how much he has done for me. ... OK everybody, looking forward to being with you often."
Read more: Wendy Williams wants 'to move on with my life' despite guardianship: How she got here
At the time that recording was played, Dennis Prager was 15 weeks post-injury. Before his fall, he'd had spinal fusion surgery that resulted in a "pretty stiff situation" with his back, Streit said in a Feb. 14 video update. He hit his head when he fell but suffered no brain injury, she said.
The spinal cord was another story. "It was not severed, but it was injured, and was injured at the top of his spinal cord, at the area of C3 and C4 that also controls his diaphragm," Streit said, noting that Prager could not move below his shoulders at the time.
"He is talking a lot to people in the rehab facility that he's at right now," David Prager, chief development officer for Prager U, said in the same February video. Nonprofit Prager U bills itself as a creator of "free educational content promoting American values." "He's all there. He's 100% there. When you hear him on the radio, you'll say he hasn't skipped a beat."
Read more: Beyond Joy Reid: MSNBC makes major schedule changes as it prepares for NBC News split
Dennis Prager is still undergoing "extensive" rehab, Salem Media said in its release.
"Dennis may have some physical limitations at the moment, but his wit, wisdom, insights and passion are as strong and as clear as ever and we are delighted at his spirit and resolve to return to his audience,' Phil Boyce, Salem's senior vice president of spoken word, said in the release. 'We want Dennis to remain a part of the Salem family and want his millions of loyal fans to continue to hear his voice.'
When Prager returns to radio, it won't be on the exact same show that he left. Salem Media announced last week that "The Charlie Kirk Show," hosted by the founder of the conservative Turning Point USA student movement, will take over Prager's affiliate stations — including 870 AM — beginning next Monday.
"Affiliates of Charlie will continue to get the Kirk show with no interruption, and affiliates of Dennis will soon get Charlie Kirk as a strong and able replacement," Boyce said in the release. The two men had been broadcasting live at the same time of day before Prager fell.
Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
3 hours ago
- Business Upturn
Craig Harper Fights Cancer with Single-Digit Body Fat and a 'Be Savage' Mindset on Health is a Skill with Todd Vande Hei
By GlobeNewswire Published on July 25, 2025, 02:56 IST Beverly Hills California, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In an episode that redefines resilience, Todd Vande Hei, CEO of Stark and host of Health is a Skill , sits down with 61-year-old executive Craig Harper to explore how deliberate health optimization can become a powerful edge against disease. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, Harper was told by his first oncologist there was 'nothing he could do.' Instead, he chose to rewrite the script. 'I'd rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war,' Harper said. Instead of waiting passively for chemo, he doubled down on proactive labs, heavy lifting, and long weighted walks. Today, he maintains just 9% body fat, logs 15,000 steps daily in a 40-pound vest, and surfs whenever possible, remarkably with no current symptoms. Highlights from their conversation included: Why Stark's routine lab work caught his cancer early, enabling a critical head start on intervention. How building lean mass and metabolic flexibility became essential tools, with muscle acting as 'storage for sugar'—helping to undercut cancer's fuel. The role of sauna, nasal breathing, and mobility in keeping him hiking strenuous trails and popping up on a surfboard at 61. Teaching his grandkids to 'be savage, not average,' encouraging them to find and test their own edges in life. Reflecting on the typical American path, Harper added, 'So many of my counterparts just seek comfort, too much alcohol, junk food, the couch. It seems like pleasure, but it leads to misery.' Instead, he hopes his story inspires others to take control before a diagnosis forces the issue. 'When the old man's knocking, don't let him in,' he advised. Listeners can hear the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. To explore how personalized strength, nutrition, and lab analysis can help build a more resilient body, visit About Health Is a Skill Health is a Skill is a Los Angeles-based podcast hosted by Todd Vande Hei, CEO of Stark. Each episode blends scientific insight, personal stories, and actionable habits to show how optimizing healthspan can transform every decade of life. Media Communications [email protected] Attachment Craig Harper shares how he's out-training blood cancer with Todd Vande Hei on Health is a Skill. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
TikTokers are obsessed with ‘fibermaxxing'. Here's what the experts say
Break out the chia pudding! The social media trend known as 'fibermaxxing' wants you to add more fiber to your daily diet. TikTok users tout the health benefits of including simple foods packed with the carbohydrate, including the relieving effects in the bathroom. Some TikTokers point to the recent rise in rates of colon cancer in young people, and note that eating fiber can help reduce the risk. To 'fibermaxx,' they're eating more chia seeds in their yogurt bowls, making meals with more beans, and taking supplements. While nutritionists are largely supportive of the trend, they have a few caveats. 'More isn't always better,' Mascha Davis, a registered dietician nutritionist and the owner of Nomadista Nutrition, told Health this week. 'Many people don't get enough fiber, but it's just important to be thoughtful about how you're doing it so that it's not too much too fast,' Kate Mintz, a registered dietitian at U.C.L.A. Health, also recently told The New York Times. Fiber is often used to fight constipation, helping stools to pass easier. 'Even if you suffer from constipation, increasing fiber all at once could make the situation worse before you get cleared out,' Jennifer House, a dietitian and founder of First Step Nutrition, also explained to Health. Getting too much fiber could lead to a bloated and uncomfortable experience, according to the Mayo Clinic. People need to be careful and methodical, and talking to a physician can help to determine what's a right amount, on a case by case basis. What's more, when people with autoimmune conditions such as Crohn's disease see symptoms flare up, they may need to eat less fiber to help manage symptoms. After stomach or intestinal surgery, doctors may also instruct you to keep a lower fiber diet that lets your digestive system heal. Before a colonoscopy the advice may be similar, helping to clear out the large intestine to ensure a successful procedure. But in general, Americans aren't getting enough fiber - more than 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men do not meet the recommended daily intakes. Total dietary fiber intake should be 25 to 30 grams a day from food, and not supplements, according to UCSF Health. Currently, dietary fiber intakes among American adults average about only 15 grams a day. Fiber is good for your gut, heart, and brain, and may also slash the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The Mayo Clinic recommends adding fiber to the diet slowly over a few weeks, letting the natural bacteria in your digestive system adjust to the change. Staying hydrated is also crucial and fiber works best when it absorbs water. So, what can you eat to fiber to the max? The next time you're at the grocery store, pick up some popcorn, beans, cereal, apples, oranges, peas, cauliflower, or carrots. Raspberries are a particularly fiber-rich fruit, packed with eight grams. "If you're going to have a cookie, have an oatmeal cookie," Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, told the American Heart Association. "It doesn't take large amounts of fiber to have a real effect.'
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Our Malady: Lessons In Liberty From A Hospital Diary by Timothy Snyder — Review
Health care should be a right, not a privilege, for the sake of our bodies, and for the sake of our souls. Emergency room visit. getty This summer, I have been deeply immersed in the many fascinating books written by Timothy Snyder, the inaugural Temerty Chair in Modern European History at the University of Toronto. Professor Snyder, who is currently on indefinite leave from his faculty position at Yale University, is an American historian specializing on 20th century atrocities, mainly those committed by the Nazis and the Stalinists. Amongst all his books – all brilliantly written – this particular book stood out to me because most people don't think so intensely about the intersections between history, politics, human rights and healthcare, including, as it turns out, the author himself. This changed abruptly after Professor Snyder fell ill in Germany just prior to the start of the pandemic in December 2019. He was released from hospital, undiagnosed, the following morning but ended up in hospital again a week or so later after returning to the United States, where an appendectomy seemed to correct his problems. He was released less than 24 hours after the surgery. A week later, he was back in hospital in Florida, suffering from a complex array of confusing symptoms. Were they related to the appendectomy or were they caused by something else entirely? No one knew. After this, Professor Snyder, who maintains a demanding schedule, was in and out of a number of hospitals in several states and European countries, but a diagnosis and an effective treatment remained elusive. Meanwhile, Professor Snyder became progressively, inexplicably, sicker. A few months later, he was gravely ill. Despite having health insurance, access to healthcare and a lot of support from family and friends, Professor Snyder almost died. Certainly, most Americans without healthcare in this situation would have died. I know I would have. Cover art for Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty and Solidarity by Timothy Snyder (2020, The Bodley ... More Head, London) The Bodley Head, London Throughout the entire ordeal, Professor Snyder kept a hospital diary where he recorded his symptoms, the test results and treatments provided, events and conversations, his dreams and he even drew pictures. This diary, which Professor Snyder refers to several times as 'a rant', was the basis of his book, Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary (2020; Penguin Press / The Bodley Head). Despite its small size (168 pages, including 20 pages of notes in the back), Our Malady is a timely and gripping examination of the state of the healthcare system in the USA as compared to healthcare systems in several European countries. As you might guess: the USA does not measure up very well. 'Americans helped to establish health care as a human right around the world,' Professor Snyder laments (p. 41). 'Why then is health care not seen as such in the United States? Why are Americans not protected by the agreements that our government signed? Should we accept that citizens of other democracies enjoy a right that we are denied, and live longer and healthier lives than we do? Many of us seem to find that acceptable. Why?' The answer lies in the chokehold that the health insurance industry wields over Americans' access to healthcare and over the authority of medical doctors to provide adequate and necessary care to their patients. Without any relevant medical training or apparently, even any empathy, insurance agents often make medical decisions based on what's best for their insurance company's bottom line, rather than what's best for the patients; effectively prioritizing profits over people. 'When money becomes the only goal, values disappear, and people imitate the oligarchs,' Professor Snyder warns (p. 139). 'We do this now when we admire oligarchs' fantasies of immortality rather than ask why our own lives must be shortened. When we indulge the daydreams of the ultra-wealthy, we create what Plato called 'a city of the rich' and 'a city of the poor'.' Can you guess which of Plato's 'cities' all of us live in? Professor Snyder interweaves his thoughts about the U.S. healthcare system with his personal story of serious illness as he develops his ideas on democratic values, love of family, and even the meaning of life. Only by formally recognizing equal access to healthcare as a human right, by elevating the authority of doctors and of truth, and by planning for our children's future can everyone be truly free. Foremost, the author argues that we must see the provision of health services as a human right because without good health, any other ideas about freedom that we might have cease to have any value. This thoughtful and important book is a quick read and an incisive analysis of the profoundly flawed medical system in the United States. It presents a powerful and well-written proposition in support of the re-evaluation and reform of the healthcare system in the USA to make it more humane and effective for everyone involved, by removing the profit motive. What does a health insurance company do, anyway, except collect its subscribers' money and deny these same people access to healthcare when they become ill? Although this cri de coeur is largely based on Professor Snyder's participation as a patient in the US healthcare system, I find myself increasingly worried about what I see happening in Britain, where some of my family live, as that country appears to be moving towards abandoning the NHS in favor of privatized, for-profit medicine. Don't do this to your country , to your communities, to your families, to yourselves, I want to shout. This is a grotesque mistake. This will not end well . Throughout the entire book, Professor Snyder writes passionately about how prioritising profit over human lives in health care makes us all more unhealthy and more unfree. 'America is supposed to be about freedom, but illness and fear render us less free,' Professor Snyder observes (p. 17). 'The word freedom is hypocritical when spoken by the people who create the conditions that leave us sick and powerless. If our federal government and our commercial medicine make us unhealthy, they are making us unfree […] Rather than pursuing happiness as individuals, we are together creating a collective of pain.' Highly recommended. © Copyright by GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes | Socials: Bluesky | CounterSocial | LinkedIn | Mastodon Science | Spoutible | SubStack | Threads | Tumblr | Twitter
