Today, we’re talking about a different kind of health: the health of our media and information diet. What information we consume, how we consume it, and whether today’s social media ecosystem has become so toxic that it threatens not only our well-being, but the health of our democracy itself.

It’s no secret that trust in mass media has plunged to an all-time low, with the old top-down model of journalism—where a handful of outlets controlled the flow of information—losing its authority. 

So we’ve invited three major voices who operate on the front lines of this shift: Astead Herndon, formerly of The New York Times and now at Vox; Emily Jashinsky, of Breaking Points and now part of Megyn Kelly’s media offerings; and Eliot Higgins, founder of the investigative collective Bellingcat, who warns that in this fractured landscape where we can’t even agree on basic facts, democracy isn’t just wobbling; it’s breaking down.

Today we ask: Are we in a crisis? If so, what will it take to secure the “information supply chains” that a functioning democracy depends on? And finally, if we can get things back on the rails, could this new, more democratized media ecosystem with individuals, not institutions, driving the flow of information, possibly lead us to a better, more trusted place?

We talk Iraq War, 2016 and 2024 Elections, Covid, Epstein, and so much more. 

Hosts

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett (off this week)

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off this week)

Guests: 

Eliot Higgins, founder,  Bellingcat, an open source investigative journalism network

Emily Jashinsky, host, After Party; Megyn Kelly wrap-up show; co-host Breaking Points; writes for UnHerd

Astead Herndon, editorial director and host, Vox; former national political reporter The New York Times

Source:

Verification, Deliberation, Accountability: A New Framework for Tackling Epistemic Collapse and Renewing Democracy

https://demos.co.uk/research/verification-deliberation-accountability-a-new-framework-for-tackling-epistemic-collapse-and-renewing-democracy/

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In the final installment of our series from the Children’s Health Defense conference in Austin, we sit down for candid, face-to-face conversations with attendees. They share their life stories, talk about their thoughts on vaccines, on why RFK Jr. resonates with them, and why they came to Austin.

We also reflect on our own experience: Why did we go? What did we learn about the MAHA movement and the extent of the mistrust in science and medicine today? And, ultimately, what have we learned about both the potential and limits of opening up a dialogue across our great health divide today? 

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Audrey Trepiccione, midwife

Tina Siemens, founder, West Texas Living Heritage Museum, https://wtlhm.com/

Len Arcuri, host Autism Parenting Secrets podcast and a Strategic Parenting Advisor

AutismParentingSecrets.com

ElevateHowYouNavigate.com

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In part two of our three-part series from the Children’s Health Defense conference in Austin, we sit down with one of the most influential figures in the MAHA movement: Del Bigtree.

A longtime ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Bigtree is a singular presence—an expert communicator, storyteller, and filmmaker with a reach of tens of millions. To fans and supporters, he’s a charismatic fighter taking on the chronic illness crisis and exposing corruption. His critics say he is a spreader of anti-vaccine misinformation.

We discuss politics, the future goals of MAHA, America's vaccine policies, bodily autonomy, and activism. It is a free-wheeling, occasionally raucous, but respectful conversation with one of the most important voices in MAHA today. 

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guest host: Elizabeth Frost, MAHA Ohio; Independent Force Consulting

Guest:

Del Bigtree, founder and head of Informed Consent Action Network; former director of communications for Robert F Kennedy Jr's presidential campaign; founder, host High Wire

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We’re on the road this week, coming to you from Austin, Texas, at the Children’s Health Defense 2025 conference. Yes, that Children’s Health Defense: the influential organization founded and once led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now the country’s top health official. 

Critics say CHD is one of the most outspoken anti-vaccine groups in America and a major source of misinformation. Supporters say it is fighting to eliminate toxic exposures and protect kids in an era of rising chronic disease. Our central question: Is there any space—any at all—for common ground? Or are the chasms simply too deep?

In the first of a series of episodes from the conference, we sit down with two of its most influential voices: Dr. Bret Weinstein, evolutionary biologist, author of A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, and host of the DarkHorse Podcast, and Dr. Pierre Kory, critical care and pulmonary specialist, and author of The War on Ivermectin.

We have an honest, no-holds-barred conversation about the breakdown in trust on all sides; what it means to live in a world of competing “facts” and data; whether standards of care help or hinder doctors; and, most importantly, whether respectful dialogue can help rebuild trust in one another. We bring them together with doctors from more traditional public health with more CHD/MAHA supporting doctors. Take a listen. 

 Guests:

Dr. Craig Spencer is an emergency medicine physician and public health professor at Brown University.  He worked on front lines during the COVID outbreak in New York City and now focuses his work on global health, humanitarianism, pandemic preparedness and the impact of COVID-19 on health systems.

Link: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/cspenc10

Dr. Pierre Kory

Dr. Pierre Kory is a physician trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine who gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for his advocacy of off-label treatments, including ivermectin. He now runs The Leading Edge Clinic where he works as a Certified Tribal Practitioner where he focuses on long COVID and post- vaccine injury.

Link: https://drpierrekory.com/

Brett Weinstein, PhD

Brett Weinstein, PhD, is an evolutionary biologist, author, and co-host of the podcast, The DarkHorse, which aims to explore science, culture, and human nature with a goal of making scientific thinking more accessible for everyone.

Link: https://www.bretweinstein.net/about-bret-weinstein

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School vaccine requirements have long been the backbone of America’s public health, keeping vaccination rates high for decades. Every state mandates that children be up to date on routine vaccinations to attend public school, and every state allows medical exemptions—most also allow religious or philosophical ones. But just weeks ago, Florida—and now Idaho—said “no more,” insisting parents must have ultimate control over what goes into their child’s body. Are these the first dominoes to fall?

Today, we’re having an honest—and yes, uncomfortable—conversation about why some parents are questioning the vaccine schedule and the mandates. Should public health hold the line? Is there a way to respect individual choice without dismantling a system that’s protected us for generations? And can these mandates survive a movement that sees them as an affront to parental rights?

Joining us is Jennifer Reich, author of Calling the Shots: Why Parents Reject Vaccines, who explores why some parents are seeking an individualized approach to vaccination and what that means for the community.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guest:

Jennifer Reich; sociologist, Professor of Sociology University of Colorado-Denver; author Calling the Shots: Why Parents Reject Vaccines. 

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It’s Election Day in parts of the country, so we thought it was time to talk politics.

Dr. Craig Spencer, from Brown University’s School of Public Health, penned a Substack last week that stopped us cold. In it, he makes a bold case that public health needs to get more political—not partisan, but political in the sense of organizing, mobilizing, and demanding what people say they value: cleaner air, safer food, prevention that actually gets funded.

It’s a striking call at a moment of profound change — what some call a reimagining, others a dismantling — of public health itself. But if you look at the polling across Republicans, Democrats, and the MAHA “curious,” there’s surprising common ground right in public health’s wheelhouse.

It’s time, Spencer argues, for public health to step into the political arena to fight for change or watch the system unravel.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off today)

Guest:

Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency medicine physician; Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health.

Craig's Substack article referenced:
https://craigaspencer.substack.com/p/when-public-health-forgot-how-to

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East Palestine, Ohio, became a national symbol of fear and mistrust after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed, resulting in a massive black plume filling the sky. Two years later, how are residents of this small community faring? Is their soil, air, and water truly safe?

In this episode, we meet two women who chose collaboration over conflict: Elizabeth Frost of MAHA, Ohio, and Dr. Nicole Deziel of the Yale School of Public Health. The pair met through our podcast and teamed up — Elizabeth working on the ground to connect with residents, and Nicole, along with partners including Ohio Valley Allies, securing an NIH grant to study East Palestine’s water as part of a larger research effort led by the University of Kentucky. Joining the conversation is Stuart Day, an area resident, member of Ohio Valley Allies, and community partner on the research team.

How are a grassroots MAHA advocate and a Yale public health scientist bridging the divides that define so much of our nation’s health debate today? And most importantly, what are researchers discovering that could help address residents’ concerns and help East Palestine move forward?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Dr. Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Elizabeth Frost: grassroots organizer for the MAHA movement in Ohio; the Ohio State director for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign;  is a co-founder of Independent Force Consulting

Dr. Nicole Deziel: Associate Professor in Environmental Health Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health & co-Director of the Yale Center of Perinatal, Pediatric, & Environmental Epidemiology.

Stuart Day: community partner with Ohio Valley Allies; co-creator and executive producer of Exposure Podcast, investigating environmental health issues in the region (Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exposure/id1765728709)

John Klar: a former attorney who now operates a small farm in Vermont, is a writer for The MAHA Report, a popular newsletter, and a big supporter of Secretary Kennedy’s vision

Participants in the East Palestine research:
The Yale-based proposal was led by Dr. Nicole Deziel and Professor Michelle Bell from the Yale School of the Environment, and involved a broad team of researchers and community partners. The awarded NIH grant formally includes Nicole Deziel, Michelle Bell, Dr. James Saiers, a hydrogeologist at Yale, and Ohio Valley Allies (led by Jill Hunkler and Stuart Day).

At Yale, Drs. Deziel, Bell, and Saiers will assess water quality impacts using advanced hydrological modeling in partnership with Ohio Valley Allies and other community stakeholders such as MAHA Ohio.

The work is part of the newly formed East Palestine Investigation Consortium (EPIC), which will be led by the University of Kentucky (Dr. Erin Haynes) and also includes the University of Pittsburgh.

Resources:

https://research.uky.edu/news/uk-lead-federal-research-effort-on-east-palestine-health-impacts

https://www.epa.gov/east-palestine-oh-train-derailment

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/east_palestine

https://www.ohiovalleyallies.org/campaigns 

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They’re the invisible forces steering what we see every day and shaping what we trust.
Algorithms, now supercharged by AI, don’t just feed us information. They feed us emotion — suspicion, outrage, validation — and, maybe most dangerously, only the content they think we want to see.

Today, we’re talking with an expert about how we got here and where we’re heading.

With trust in institutions, public health, and science under constant attack, how much of that is the algorithm’s fault? And how much is on us?

How are memes, ricocheting through our media ecosystems, changing the very nature of political communication?

And as user-facing AI begins to learn from these same algorithms, will it start tailoring its answers to match what it thinks we want to hear?

If that’s our future, how do we hold on to what little remains of our shared facts and shared reality?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guest:

Claire Wardle, co founder of the Information Futures Lab at Brown University as well as the non profit First Draft, meant to study and navigate what she calls “information disorder." Claire is currently an associate professor of communications at Cornell University.

Definition, from Oxford Language Dictionary

DVD: a type of compact disc able to store large amounts of data, especially high-resolution audiovisual material.

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Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Jennifer Phillips, MAHA mom, has a daughter living with autism, founder Make a Stand 4 Autism

Holden Thorp, editor in chief, Science; was diagnosed as being on the ASD spectrum as an adult

April Robinson, MAHA mom, has a son living with autism; works with Voice for Choice

Dr. Rachael Bedard, physician, journalist, works with caregivers managing serious illness 

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It’s been just over a year since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood before a raucous Arizona crowd and asked, “Don’t you want a president who’s going to make America healthy again?”-- and with that, the MAHA era began.

Now, for the first time, we have data showing how big this movement really is--and how much of America agrees with it. A brand-new national poll reveals what’s fueling MAHA’s rise: from food and fitness to vaccines, chemicals, and pesticides.

How has MAHA reshaped MAGA — and how has MAGA reshaped MAHA? Which MAHA issues resonate most with the rest of the country? And how much do vaccines really factor into the movement’s identity?

We’ll dig into the numbers with Erica Seifert of Navigator Research. Joining the convo is MAHA supporter Aaron Everitt, who is a friend of the show.

If you’ve been tempted to write MAHA off as a small, fringe movement…you're gonna want to sit down for this one.  

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Aaron Everitt, MAHA supporter, former Kennedy campaign volunteer, video journalist and writer for Besides the Revolution and for prominent MAHA influencer Jessica Reed Kraus' House InHabit newsletter. 

Erica Seifert, polling expert and senior director at Navigator Research, a progressive polling firm

Links to the Navigator Poll:

https://navigatorresearch.org/maha-americans-and-health-and-wellness/
https://navigatorresearch.org/maha-the-policies-and-messages/

Global Strategy Group conducted a public opinion survey among a sample of 1,000 registered voters from September 4-September 8, 2025. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 75 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. For more on the poll, please visit www.navigatorresearch.org

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