This week, Miles and Dr. Rob are joined by special guest Sarah Ewall-Wice from The Daily Beast, whose reporting has raised urgent questions about President Trump’s health. Together, they unpack Trump’s bruised hands and the administration’s terrible attempt at covering it all up. Sarah digs into the red flags that are going up from the administration’s evasiveness around Trump’s health and what it means when transparency is replaced with cover-ups and propaganda.

Miles and Dr. Rob also cover yesterday’s breaking news. Overnight, the CDC seemingly imploded, with top officials resigning or being fired. This leaves the nation’s (and world’s) top health agency gutted just as we head into another fall and winter virus season.

It also wouldn’t be an episode of Paging America without an update from RFK Jr., who announced this week that you can maybe/maybe not get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall after rescinding emergency-use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines and restricting who qualifies.

Background reading:

* Daily Beast: Trump, 79, Smears Right Hand in Makeup Amid Cankles Cover-Up

* Twitter/X: #BREAKING 🚨Trump’s bruised hands, swollen ankles, and reduced stamina reportedly point to Congestive Heart Failure.

* Daily Beast: Trump, 79, Clasps Both Hands in Desperate Bid to Cover Up Bruises

* USA Today: RFK Jr.'s FDA approves new COVID vaccines with restrictions

* Twitter/X: RFK Jr.’s announcement on COVID vaccine restrictions

* NYT: F.D.A. Approves Covid Shots With New Restrictions

* Reuters: US CDC director ousted weeks into job

* The Hill: RFK Jr. defends CDC shake-up after high-level resignations

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

This week, Miles and Dr. Rob unpack how fringe conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer convinced Trump to halt medical visas for kids from Gaza, exposing how far-right conspiracy theories are warping U.S. health policy.

Then, they turn to the escalating fight over abortion access, as Republican Attorneys General push to restrict Mifepristone and target doctors across state lines, while Costco caves to anti-abortion pressure and pulls back on selling the medication.

Finally, they break down RFK Jr.’s latest loyalty pledges, his renewed push for anti-vaccine task forces, and Trump’s dangerous theatrics around homelessness and mental health, all while rural hospitals face collapse from devastating Medicaid cuts.

Background reading:

* Drop Site News tweet about Laura Loomer getting visas stopped for injured Gazans is HERE.

* NPR: State Department halts 'medical-humanitarian' visas for people from Gaza

* The Guardian: US state department stops issuing visas for Gaza’s children to get medical care after far-right campaign

* Dr. Rob on the Paging America Substack: Every Individual in the World Is Our Patient

* FOX News: More than 20 GOP attorneys general call on RFK Jr, FDA to reinstate safeguards for abortion drugs

* The Atlantic: A Convenient Piece of Junk Science

* SCOTUSblog: Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill

* Center for Reproductive Rights: Interstate Shield Laws

* The Washington Post: Costco will not sell abortion pills after pressure from conservatives

* Idaho Statesman: After pressure from Idaho company, Costco decides not to sell abortion drug

* The Hill: Senate Democrat rips Costco for ‘refusing to sell’ abortion pills

* RFK Jr.’s tweet about not running for president is HERE

* AXIOS: RFK Jr.'s PAC stirs, fueling speculation on a 2028 campaign

* The Hill: Second MAHA report’s release delayed

* Reuters: Draft 'MAHA' commission report avoids pesticide crackdown feared by farm groups

* The New York Times: Farmers Are Turning on MAHA

* Reuters: A 'Farm Babe' fights for GMOs and Big Ag, pushing back on MAHA influencers

* AXIOS: HHS revives childhood vaccine safety panel RFK-backed antivax group sought

* The New York Times: Federal Raids Target D.C. Homeless Camps

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This week, Miles and Dr. Rob dive into a whirlwind of troubling healthcare news — and what it means for patients, providers, and public health. First, they unpack RFK Jr.’s decision to slash over $500 million in mRNA research funding — a move critics call reckless and potentially devastating for vaccine development, cancer treatments, and cutting-edge medical breakthroughs.

Then, they discuss the shocking shooting at the CDC in Atlanta, exploring how years of anti-vaccine rhetoric have fueled hostility toward public health agencies, before turning to the Veterans Administration’s sweeping cancellation of union contracts covering 80% of its workforce (and why this could spell disaster for veterans’ care and VA staffing).

Finally, they break down Trump’s latest move to impose massive tariffs on pharmaceuticals — a policy that could skyrocket drug prices for patients while gutting medical research.

Background reading:

* AXIOS: Trump admin pulls funding for new mRNA vaccines

* MedPage Today: Pulling the Plug on mRNA Vaccine Development Is 'Reckless,' Experts Say

* STAT: As mRNA falls out of favor for HHS, are cancer vaccines next?

* PBS News: Shooter attacked CDC headquarters to protest COVID-19 vaccines, authorities say

* CNN: RFK Jr. contradicts law enforcement on CDC shooter's motive

* STAT: Former surgeon general: The CDC shooting must be a wakeup call

* Miltary.com: VA to End Bargaining Agreement Contracts with Most Unions

* Pew Research Center: What we know about veterans who work for the federal government

* The Washington Post: FEMA joins other federal agencies in canceling union contracts

* ProPublica: Veterans’ Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals

* The Guardian: US veterans agency lost thousands of ‘core’ medical staff under Trump, records show

* The Hill: Trump threatens pharma tariffs of up to 250 percent

* Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: What Pharmaceutical Tariffs Would Mean for Americans

* Marketplace: What Trump's pharmaceuticals tariff threats mean for patients

* CNN: Trump is promising to slash drug prices by 1,500%. Here’s what’s really happening

* NPR: Trump's Washington, D.C., takeover targets a host of groups, many of them vulnerable

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

This week on Paging America, Miles is joined by co-host Dr. Kristin Lyerly. Together, they unpack the Trump administration’s quiet walk-back on IVF access, the implications of medical data-sharing with ICE, and the shocking decision to burn millions in unused contraceptives meant for global aid.

Later, Miles is joined by special guest Dr. Jill Gibson, former Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood Arizona. Dr. Gibson shares her experience and expertise on the Trump Administration’s empty promise of IVF coverage and how these policies hurt real families, and will make IVF even more inaccessible for trying families.

Background reading:

* Background reading:

* The Washington Post: White House has no plan to mandate IVF care, despite campaign pledge

* Roll Call: Judge shields all Planned Parenthood clinics from defunding

* 10 WBNS: Medicaid ruling won't save two Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio

* The Guardian: Trump administration to destroy nearly $10m of contraceptives for women overseas

* AXIOS: State Department to burn almost $10 million of contraceptives for poor countries

* The Hill: White House launching new health data sharing initiative

* ABC News: Trump administration launching private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

* MedPage Today: Simone Gold's Disciplinary Action Erased by California Medical Board

Join the fight at ⁠committeetoprotect.org⁠.

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Have thoughts, questions, or your own rural healthcare story? Email us at [email protected].

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This week on Paging America, Miles and Dr. Rob catch up on the latest research on the impact of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." New data from JAMA Health Forum predicts nearly 1,500 unnecessary deaths and 94,000 preventable hospitalizations every year due to massive Medicaid cuts. Together, they break down what these numbers really mean and how these policy choices are shaping real-world hospital capacity and care.

Miles and Dr. Rob welcome Kim Lewis, Managing Director at the National Health Law Program, for an eye-opening discussion about a new policy that allows federal health officials to share Medicaid data with ICE agents. Kim walks through the history of privacy in Medicaid (and why this data-sharing move is unprecedented), the legal and ethical implications, and how this policy undermines public trust in health care, especially for the most vulnerable

Background reading:

* JAMA Health Forum: ⁠Projected Health System and Economic Impacts of 2025 Medicaid Policy Proposals⁠

* STAT: ⁠GOP tax law will increase overdose deaths by 1,000 each year, analysis finds⁠

* AP: ⁠Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE⁠

* AXIOS: ⁠Undocumented immigrants barred from Head Start, other federal benefits⁠

* AXIOS: ⁠Community clinics squeezed by immigration checks⁠

* Nurse.org: ⁠ICE Concerns May Be Keeping Some Patients From Hospitals, Nurses Say⁠

* MedPage Today: ⁠Trump Admin Hands Over Nation's Medicaid Enrollee Data to ICE⁠

* CT Mirror: ⁠Lamont urges CT residents to keep using health centers, despite Trump policy shift⁠

* AP: ⁠Lawsuit challenges restrictions on Head Start for kids in the US illegally⁠

* AXIOS: ⁠RFK Jr.'s PAC stirs, fueling speculation on a 2028 campaign⁠

* Washington Post: ⁠West Virginia’s near-total abortion pill ban upheld by federal court⁠

* WUSF/NPR: ⁠Florida's surgeon general calls for more study of people injured by COVID mRNA vaccines⁠

Join the fight at ⁠committeetoprotect.org⁠.

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Have thoughts, questions, or your own rural healthcare story? Email us at [email protected].

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On this episode of Paging America, hosts Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson sit down with Dr. Shelly Johnson, a registered nurse, professor, and former rural hospital executive, for a deep dive into the looming crisis facing rural hospitals across America following Republicans’ Medicaid cuts. Dr. Johnson breaks down how Medicaid cuts uniquely threaten small-town hospitals and why these closures could devastate entire communities.

Background reading:

* The Hill: ⁠Rollins suggests Medicaid recipients can replace deported farmworkers⁠

* KFF: ⁠Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work: An Update⁠

* Bureau of Labor Statistics: ⁠Agricultural Workers⁠

* KFF: ⁠Potential Implications of Immigration Restrictions on the U.S. Agricultural Workforce⁠

* USDA: ⁠Farm Labor⁠

* The Hill: ⁠RFK Jr.: ‘No cuts on Medicaid’ in ‘big, beautiful’ law⁠

* The Senate Democrats’ Letter on Rural Hospitals is ⁠HERE⁠

* POLITICO: ⁠The megabill’s Medicaid cuts shocked hospitals, but they may never happen⁠

Join the fight at ⁠committeetoprotect.org⁠.

Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own rural healthcare story? Email us at [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

This week on Paging America, former health insurance executive turned whistleblower and author Wendell Potter joins hosts Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson for a candid look inside the health insurance industry, Congressional stock trading scandals, and the hidden forces driving up your healthcare costs. Wendell Potter shares a firsthand look into his time at Cigna and Humana, why he left the industry, and what every American needs to know to protect themselves. Don’t miss his recommendations for healthcare advocates and a preview of his latest investigative project.

Dr. Rob and Miles also unpack the devastating impacts following the passage of Trump’s tax bill and the hypocrisy of several key Republican members of Congress who ultimately voted for the largest reduction to the American social safety net in generations.

Background reading:

• Healthcare Uncovered Substack by Wendell Potter

• Deadly Spin by Wendell Potter

• Derrick Van Orden’s deleted tweet

• Letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Majority Leader Michael Johnson from eight moderate Republicans pushing to protect Medicaid ahead of the final votes

• Statement from Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) saying he would fight against the closure of rural hospitals in Arizona before voting for the bill that will hasten the closure of rural hospitals in Arizona

• Video of Jen Kiggans (VA-02) spewing misinformation about the Trump budget bill

• Newsweek: Republican Unloads Medicaid-Related Stock Before Voting For Trump Tax Bill 

• Citizen Times: NC Sen. Chuck Edwards, with tax break on $1M PPP loan, opposes student loan tax breaks

• Sen. Chuck Edwards inaccurate tweet about Medicaid work requirements

• Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) tweeted that she would not vote for any version of the Trump budget bill “that does not protect vital Medicaid services & address SALT” before doing just that

• Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP: Centene Corporation (CNC) Investors See Over $11 Billion Of Shareholder Value Wiped Out In 1 Day Amid Independent Actuary Data, Withdrawn 2025 Guidance

• NBC News: Kennedy says health insurers promise to change prior authorization process

• HEALTH CARE un-covered: CMS is Trying to Expand Prior Authorization in Traditional Medicare Even Though All Data Points Say That’s a Bad Idea

• NPR: GOP's History Of Resistance To Social Welfare Programs

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This week on Paging America, Miles and Dr. Rob break down the devastating implications of the “Big Beautiful Bill” moving through Congress. Then, discuss RFK Jr.’s latest move: a massive federal push for health wearables led by his Surgeon General nominee, and how listeners, especially physicians, can organize, take action.

Background reading:

• The Washington Post: Here’s what’s in Trump and Senate Republicans’ tax and immigration bill

• CNBC: Medicaid cuts in Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ will leave millions uninsured, threaten rural hospitals

• STAT: Senate GOP tweaks health care measures in tax bill to win holdouts, please parliamentarian

• The Washington Post: NBC News: GOP Sen. Thom Tillis won't seek re-election in North Carolina after drawing Trump's ire

• The Washington Post: Republican Rep. Don Bacon, a vocal Trump critic, won’t seek reelection

• The Hill: Senate defeats Collins proposal to raise taxes on highest earners to help rural hospitals

• STAT: Senate GOP tweaks health care measures in tax bill to win holdouts, please parliamentarian

• NBC News: GOP Sen. Thom Tillis won't seek re-election in North Carolina after drawing Trump's ire

• The Washington Post: Key quotes: Tillis floor speech after announcing retirement

• The Washington Post: Republican Rep. Don Bacon, a vocal Trump critic, won’t seek reelection

• Delaware Online: What is a wearable? Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tracking device proposal explained

• CNET: RFK Jr. Announces All Americans Need Health Tracking Devices: Here Are the Pros and Cons

• Financial Times: Robert Kennedy’s touting of health ‘wearables’ sends medical device makers’ shares higher

• Levels Podcast: New Continuous Glucose Monitoring Innovation – Dr.Casey Means

• Levels’ WeFunder page is HERE

• ZDNet: US government wants health trackers for all? What it means for your health, privacy, and wallet

• LifeHacker: Wearables Aren't Going to 'Make America Healthy Again'

• CDC’s website: Thimerosal and Vaccines

• Reuters: Exclusive: US CDC vaccine presentation cites study that does not exist, author says

• The New York Times: Kennedy’s New Advisers Rescind Recommendations for Some Flu Vaccines

• Reuters (via MSN): US CDC report shows no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism

Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe