Why Should I Trust You?

Measles has returned to the United States in a way we haven’t seen in more than a quarter-century. The outbreak in South Carolina follows one in West Texas last year, threatening the measles-free status the U.S. achieved in 2000.

In today’s polarized climate, the virus has become a political flashpoint. Critics say the rise reflects eroding vaccine trust driven by the MAHA movement and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Others argue outbreaks like this occur every year, are usually mild, and are just a part of life. 

So we went straight to the front lines. We speak with doctors in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and a public health leader from West Texas who worked inside the communities most affected.

What are they actually seeing on the ground? How much of this surge is about politics and vaccine mistrust—and how much is rooted in religion, culture, or generations-old skepticism? What is the media getting right about the measles resurgence… and what might we be getting wrong?

As one of the most contagious viruses in the world makes a comeback in America, we ask: what comes next?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Dr. Robin LaCroix,  a pediatric infectious disease specialist, is the medical director emeritus of Prisma Health Children's Hospital in Greenville, S.C. 

Dr. Stuart Simko, a pediatrician with Prisma Health, practices in Greer, South Carolina, has seen several families with measles cases. 

Dr. Katherine Wells,  is Director of the Lubbock Public Health District, was the lead from Lubbock in responding to the West Texas measles outbreak. 

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GLP-1 drugs are being hailed as “miracle” treatments for obesity and diabetes, two of the biggest drivers of America’s chronic disease crisis. Nearly 30 million Americans say they’re taking one, and early signs suggest they may be changing not just individual lives, but even national health trends. Could Ozempic actually help reverse the obesity epidemic?

But in the era of “Making America Healthy Again,” where the focus is on food, lifestyle, and root causes, how does a blockbuster pharmaceutical fit in? Are GLP-1s a genuine breakthrough or another example of America reaching for the next quick medication fix while deeper problems go unsolved?

We’re joined by Rachael Bedard, who recently wrote about GLP-1s for New York Magazine; Mariela Glandt, an expert on metabolic health; and Dhruv Khullar, who has covered these drugs for The New Yorker.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Dr. Rachael Bedard, geriatrician, palliative-care specialist, contributing writer for The New York Times (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ozempic-weight-loss-diet-drug-moral-panic.html)

Dr. Dhruv Khullar, physician, associate professor Weill Cornell Medical College; staff writer at The New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/16/can-ozempic-cure-addiction)

Dr. Mariela Glandt, endocrinologist, experience treating diabetes, founder of Owna Health, a virtual clinic that helps people — especially in underserved communities — manage and even reverse type 2 diabetes and obesity through a nutrition-focused plan. (https://owna.health/)

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Our guest today is Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As he leads the world’s largest biomedical research enterprise and now the CDC--the first time one individual has led both institutions--we discuss his goals, governing philosophy, and vision for the future of American health science.

After emerging as a vocal critic of federal health leadership during the pandemic, how does he now approach his new roles? Nearly a year into his tenure, does he believe public trust is being restored?

We examine the past year, including cuts to research deemed connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; the administration’s freeze on certain university funding tied to concerns about campus policies it considers discriminatory or antisemitic; his strategic approach to setting funding priorities; and his message to early-career researchers.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Maggie Bartlett (producer role today)

Guest:

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Acting Director of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention

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In the wake of the President's executive order on glyphosate, the herbicide widely used on American farms and long derided by MAHA, there is intense focus on the movement. People are asking whether the wheels are coming off, whether this is the moment the MAGA–MAHA alliance begins to fracture. And that question isn’t just coming from critics. Many MAHA supporters themselves are wondering the same thing.

President Trump’s executive order invoked the Defense Production Act to safeguard U.S. supplies of glyphosate, calling it critical not only to farmers, but also to the nation’s food security — and even national defense.

MAHA and its leader, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have long argued that glyphosate is harming Americans’ health. Yet Kennedy has expressed support for the executive order.

That has left many in the movement furious. But is MAHA really splintering? Or are followers beginning to see this as the reality of governance — compromise and patience?

We’ve got a star-studded MAHA lineup today: Zen Honeycutt, Kelly Ryerson, and Jenna McCarthy — influential voices with plenty to say about where this movement goes next.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett (off)

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off)

Guests:

Zen Honeycutt, founder + executive director of Moms Across America movement; environmental activist

Kelly Ryerson, Glyphosate Girl on social media; environmental activist; regen farming advocate

Jenna McCarthy, author of Jenna's Side substack and co-author of The War on Ivermectin with Pierre Kory

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Now, some of you may have heard the recent headlines that the FDA refused to review Moderna’s application for its new flu vaccine … a vaccine that uses mRNA technology. And then a few days ago, the agency has REVERSED course. 

We had an episode planned all about what this decision means and whether or not it speaks to something larger about making vaccines in this moment….

So now we’re rolling with the news of that big reversal. And the truth is, we are kind of still asking the same question.

What the heck is going on? This is messy. On the one hand, doesn’t this FDA have a point about setting a higher standard for approving vaccines that they’re being asked to consider no matter how chaotic that might look? On the other hand, how are vaccine makers supposed to operate with all that chaos? And even with the reversal, is this ALREADY having a chilling effect on vaccine makers? 

Health journalist and physician Ben Mazer from the Atlantic joins us. 

Hosts:

Tom Johnson

Brinda Adhikari

Maggie Bartlett (off)

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off)

Guest:

Dr. Benjamin Mazer, surgical pathologist, writer for The Atlantic

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Today, we bring together a group of Black women with a wide range of perspectives — from mainstream public health and medicine to MAHA and everything in between — for a candid conversation about their health, their lived experiences, and their trust, or lack of it, in the systems designed to heal us.

Black women face higher rates of diabetes and stroke, more aggressive cancers, and far riskier pregnancies. And yet, time and again, they say the medical system meant to care for them has too often failed them.

So what do they see as their most urgent needs? How do they view this administration — Kennedy, MAHA, the push against ultra-processed foods, and the backlash against DEI? And ultimately, do they believe these changes will improve their health, or once again leave them on the margins?

And riding shotgun with us today is a friend of the pod, MacKenzie Isaac, who is passionate about the health issues affecting the Black community.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guest host: Mackenzie Isaac, health educator, getting phD in bioethics from Oxford University

Guests:

Dr. Keisha Callins, OB/GYN, health educator

Renee Mitchell, founder Breaking the Cycle Drop Corp; Kennedy & MAHA supporter

Denise Octavia Smith, community health worker and inaugaral executive director

Alexandra Thompson, public health policy analyst

Tribeca Cannon, community health worker

Yesenia Muhammad, lawyer; Kennedy & supporter

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You might remember monoclonal antibodies from the height of the pandemic, when President Trump and later Joe Rogan revealed they'd been treated with them for COVID. On today's episode, we dive into monoclonal antibodies--the science, the hopes, the limitations.

Monoclonal antibodies, the lab-created antibody treatment designed to disrupt a threat, boost your immune system, or even stave off an infection, are already a game-changer for millions of Americans struggling with disease or compromised immune-systems. Today we ask: where is this innovation heading? Can the high costs be reduced? Where does this approach fall in the treatment versus prevention tug of war that emerged during the pandemic? And given the mistrust towards other interventions, are monoclonals heading on a different trajectory?

We're joined by Marc Elia, the chairman of the board for Invivyd, and friend-of-the-pod, Dr. Michael Mina.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Marc Elia, Chairman of the Board of Invivyd, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing monoclonal antibody platforms

Dr. Michael Mina, epidemiologist, immunologist, and physician. He’s been an associate professor at Harvard Medical School as well as the TH Chan School of Public Health, led America’s test-to-treat program during the pandemic. 

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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

In today’s episode, we focus on a battle underway between two institutions that have long worked side by side. On one side: the Department of Health and Human Services. On the other: the American Academy of Pediatrics. Right now, these two organizations are in disagreement over how best to protect the health of children.

You’ve likely seen the headlines: for the first time, the AAP has broken with the CDC, refusing to endorse the agency’s childhood vaccination recommendations. Instead, the AAP is urging pediatricians across the country to follow the vaccination schedule that was in place before the current HHS made its changes.

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Susan Kressly, who sits on the AAP’s board, until very recently served as the organization’s president, and is a practicing pediatrician. She led the group through this tumultuous past year. We ask her why the AAP sued HHS, why it did not participate in the most recent ACIP meeting, how she believes trust in public health can be repaired, and, most importantly, at this fraught moment, who parents should trust.

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guest:

Dr. Susan Kressly, immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics; board-certified pediatrician

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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

The deadly shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has become a flashpoint in the national conversation. It feels like an inflection point. Today, we’re joined by evolutionary biologist and influential podcaster Bret Weinstein; MAHA supporter and writer Aaron Everitt; and doctors Rachael Beddard and Craig Spencer, both writers and prominent voices in public health. Together, we examine what Minneapolis tells us about where we are as a country today: How is it that people can watch the same video and reach radically different conclusions? Do we still share the same facts, or has our shared sense of truth fully collapsed? Should those who saw the government's response during COVID as overreach also see what's happening in Minneapolis as government overreach? And finally, could this tragedy actually reveal that we share more values with one another than we realize in these tense and combative days?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Guests:

Dr. Bret Weinstein, evolutionary biologist, author, co host of DarkHorse podcast

Dr. Craig Spencer, ER physician, professor at Brown School of Public Health; writer

Dr. Rachael Bedard, palliative care and geriatics physician; worked as physician at Rikers Island; contributing writer The New York Times

Aaron Everitt, MAHA supporter, Kennedy campaign volunteer, video journalist and writer House In Habit and Besides the Revolution substacks

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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Dr. Kirk Milhoan, chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), is our guest today. ACIP sets America’s vaccine policy, and since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the reins at HHS, it has been at the center of some of the most heated public health debates.

A pediatric cardiologist, Air Force veteran, and physician who has dedicated his life to helping sick children around the globe, we’ll ask Dr. Milhoan about his philosophy on vaccines, how he approaches vaccine policy for American children, and whether ACIP can operate independently of political pressure. We’ll also explore the massive changes that HHS has just been made to America's childhood vaccine schedule. Was ACIP consulted? And, finally, what does he see as his committee’s role in rebuilding public trust?

Hosts:

Brinda Adhikari

Tom Johnson

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek 

Guest:

Dr. Kirk Milhoan: pediatric cardiologist; chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; co-founder For Hearts and Souls

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Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]