Miles and Dr. Rob break down major developments shaping the current health care and political landscapes, including a landslide Wisconsin Supreme Court race, new polling showing strong opposition toward cutting health care to fund foreign conflicts, and the Trump administration’s push to access federal workers’ medical data. They also discuss the stalled Surgeon General nomination of Casey Means and proposed cuts to NIH funding, highlighting growing tensions within the administration.

In the second half, Dr. Rob sits down with Conexión Co-Founder and Creative Director, Colin Rogero, to unpack what’s happening on the ground in key battleground districts. Rogero shares insights from frontline races, explaining why health care consistently ranks among the top issues for voters, and how campaigns can better message around cost, access, and trust. He also dives into Latino voter dynamics, the impact of misinformation, and why authentic, community-based communication may be the key to winning elections in 2026.

Background reading:

* Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Liberal Chris Taylor cruises to Wisconsin Supreme Court win

* Reuters: Trump’s AI image of himself as Jesus-like figure follows feud with Pope Leo

* The Washington Post: Lambasting Pope Leo, Trump risks alienating conservative Catholics

* The Washington Post: Trump post appearing to depict him as Jesus removed amid backlash

* Video of Trump claiming he thought the image was of him as a “doctor” is here

* The New York Times: Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology

* The Hill: Mike Johnson ‘taken aback’ by pope’s comments about war

* The Hill: Casey Means’s brother says ‘conversations happening’ in surgeon general confirmation process

* KFF: Trump’s Personnel Agency Is Asking for Federal Workers’ Medical Records

* POLITICO: Trump is still trying to DOGE the NIH. Republicans are tired.

* April 9 Navigator poll: The Conflict With Iran

* POLITICO: RFK Jr. launches midterm travel push to shore up MAHA support

* POLITICO: Poll: The battle for MAHA that could sway the midterms

* POLITICO: More Americans doubt vaccine safety than trust it, POLITICO Poll finds

* Conexión’s website

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 health care 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