The Present Illness

Diabolical Dictators and Online Trolls


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The doctors thrive on spite; Nurse Alex Pretti; Iran Update; How cheap bots/trolls drive disinformation

Note: we had an audio issue for the first few minutes of the episode (4:55). 

Iran Update:

  • Per Iran International, internal documents from Iran suggest the regime killed at least 36,500 protesters between January 8th and January 9th, 2026
  • Arghavan’s carousel about Iran that got a lot of trolls/bots/not nice people in the comments
  • Some sources for learning what’s happening in Iran (these are their websites; all are also on Instagram) 
    • Iran International (English)
    • Tavaana
    • Manoto
    • Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA)
    • Hengaw
  • Dr. Alireza Golchini has been arrested and faces the death penalty
  • More information on what’s happening in hospitals and the names of other physicians who have been arrested
  • CNN’s 2022 report on sexual violence in prisons in Iran
  • Boycott Huda Beauty 
    • Arghavan’s reaction to Huda’s comments
    • Video 1
    • Video 2 (in Farsi)
    • Video 3

Alex Pretti, ICU Nurse:

  • Anderson Cooper’s interview with Stella Carson (the woman in the pink jacket)
  • Side-by-side video of Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino
  • People who have died in relation to ICE this year
  • Agent Jenn Budd's Borderland Talk

💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning

  • JB Star’s latest Dougie
  • The fed gov drops its appeal regarding withholding $$$ from schools with DEI programs
  • The EU updates terror list with IRGC
  • Otters destroying ice
  • Devil and Jesus videos
  • Taryn Delanie

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Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart!

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Credits

  • Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart
  • Editing by Alyssa Burgart
  • Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff
  • Social Media by Arghavan Salles
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The Present IllnessBy Alyssa Burgart & Arghavan Salles