Why Should I Trust You?

Kelly Ryerson, known as 'Glyphosate Girl', is a prominent activist addressing the dangers of environmental toxins like pesticides. In this discussion, she highlights the critical Supreme Court case affecting Americans' rights to sue pesticide manufacturers and her efforts to challenge Republicans supporting industry liability shields. Ryerson expresses her frustrations with the Trump administration's EPA and advocates for a health-centric voting bloc. She also shares insights into regenerative farming and the importance of drawing attention to pollution in red-state communities.

With the new federal nutrition guidelines out — and the old food pyramid effectively turned on its head — we dig into what this moment is really about. Where do MAHA and traditional nutrition experts actually agree on the new recommendations, and where do they sharply diverge? How has industry influenced past guidelines, and is it exerting a similar influence on the new ones? How should we understand the bold messaging about ending the “war” on protein and “healthy” saturated fats? And despite the heated rhetoric, is there real common ground here that could help rebuild trust?We’re joined by nutrition experts with a wide range of perspectives — plus a dose of MAHA — to unpack what these guidelines really mean for both our health and our confidence in the institutions behind them.Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie BartlettDr. Mark Abdelmalek (off)Guests:DeeDee Tobias, a nutrition and obesity epidemiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Kevin C. Klatt is a phD and a registered dietitian. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto.Ty Beal, is a nutrition scientist at GAIN–the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition–and host of The Ty Beal Show. Dr. Beal was a scientific review author for the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, part of the advisory team under the Trump administrationElizabeth Frost, a grassroots organizer, she leads MAHA Ohio, worked for the Kennedy campaign,  co-founder of a political consulting company called Independent ForceThanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe! Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

Today, we’re joined by sociologist Vivek Chibber, the provocative scholar and social critic who has a pointed critique of the modern day Left. The host of the Confronting Capitalism podcast joins us and argues that their management of institutions—including academia, media, the Democratic Party, and even public health—is completely out of touch with the lives and struggles of working and middle-class Americans. We discuss how this disconnect is fueling the widespread distrust of experts and institutions today, as well as Chibber's critique of the MAHA movement and its alliance with MAGA. We also speak with public health professor and emergency physician Craig Spencer to explore how these critiques play out in the health space —on public health, cuts to scientific research, and the shrinking safety nets under the Trump administration. Finally, we discuss what, if anything, can be done to rebuild trust within communities that feel left behind, keying off of polling showing dramatic bipartisan support of the idea that good healthcare is a human right.Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie Bartlett (off)Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off)Guests;Vivek Chibber,  sociology professor at NYU who studies capitalism, class, and social theory. He is a contributor to Jacobin magazine and editor of Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy. Currently co-host of podcast Confronting Capitalism.Dr. Craig Spencer, associate professor at Brown University School of Public Health, an ER doctor, has also worked for Doctors without BordersThanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe! Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

We delve into the CDC’s move to recommend fewer vaccines in the childhood immunization schedule, one of the most significant steps taken by the Kennedy administration so far. The change is sparking strong reactions across the spectrum, and we aim to understand why it’s happening, what evidence is being used to justify it, and what the potential consequences could be for children, parents, and public trust.The administration says it looked to models abroad, particularly Denmark, where fewer vaccines are recommended. So we invited two Danish physicians who know their country’s vaccine policy and practice, along with a friend of the show, Dr. Michael Mina.We ask: Is Denmark — a far smaller country with universal health care — really a good model for U.S. vaccine policy? Was this change grounded in gold-standard science? Or, as mainstream public health warns, does it increase risk for American children, even though all vaccines remain available and covered? And what, if anything, can the U.S. learn from countries that recommend fewer vaccines?Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie BartlettDr. Mark AbdelmalekGuests:Dr. Eskild Petersen, an infectious disease specialist who worked 14 years at the Statens Serum Institut moving back into clinical ID in 2003. Since 2024 adjunct professor at PandimiX Center, Roskilde University, Denmark. Leading author of "Infectious Diseases, A Geographical Guide (Rutledge 2024) and editor in chief of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.Dr. Lone Graff Stensballe, a consultant pediatrician and expert in pediatric infectious diseases, with over 20 years of clinical experience at the pediatric department of Denmark’s National University Hospital. She is Professor of Pediatric Vaccinology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Copenhagen. Since 2018, she has served as Chair of the Research Ethics Committees in Denmark. Dr. Michael Mina, an epidemiologist and immunologist and physician. Over the course of his career, he’s been an associate professor at Harvard Medical School as well as the TH Chan School of Public Health. In the height of the pandemic, he led America’s Test to Treat program, which connected home testing to treatment options. He’s been a scientific advisor for health start-ups and has served on high-profile boards. Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe! Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

In this engaging discussion, Nancy Fuller, a dedicated MAHA supporter and mother keen on holistic health, joins Len Arcuri, a finance veteran turned autism advocate, and Dr. Jamie Loehr, a family physician with deep expertise in vaccine policy. They tackle pressing topics like the new childhood vaccine schedule and the importance of informed consent. Personal stories reveal the struggle with feeling dismissed by doctors, while insights on rebuilding trust in healthcare touch on the role of patient inquiries and the systemic barriers that hinder care.

**This will be our last episode in 2025! We will be back in early January 2026! Have a happy holiday season and a huge thank you for listening!!**Are our schools making our kids sick? Not because of moldy buildings or bad cafeteria food, but because of what the modern school day has become.From increased screens in the class and shrinking free time to teachers and administrators forced to focus more and more time on prep for standardized testing, schools today would be nearly unrecognizable to many parents. So, too, are the soaring rates of ADHD, anxiety, and depression among children.In this episode, we’re joined by New York Times reporter Jia Lynn Yang to discuss her provocative piece, “America’s Children Are Unwell. Are Schools Part of the Problem?” We examine what impact a school day increasingly organized around screens, metrics, and test prep is having on children’s mental health and even childhood itself. At a moment when a great deal of attention is focused on how social media and phones are impacting teen mental health, Yang argues it’s time to scrutinize the place where kids spend most of their week: school.Could this be a rare area where MAHA and public health actually agree?Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie BartlettDr. Mark AbdelmalekGuest:Jia Lynn Yang, Senior Ideas Writer, The New York Times, author of the recent article, "America's Children Are Unwell. Are Schools Part of the Problem?"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/magazine/youth-mental-health-crisis-schools.htmlThanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe! Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

In a thought-provoking discussion, Dr. Michael Mina, an influential epidemiologist, and Dr. Rachael Bedard, a dedicated internist and health advocate, dive into the controversial ACIP decision to end the universal Hepatitis B birth dose. They challenge the implications this decision has on childhood vaccination and public trust in health systems. Exploring vaccine hesitancy, the importance of integrating sociology into public health, and lessons from COVID-19, they urge a shift from fear-based messaging to community engagement for better health outcomes.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Dr. Francis Collins, former NIH director, shares his insights on the interplay of faith and science in public health. Jacqueline Capriotti, a patient rights advocate, highlights the promise of mRNA technology for rare diseases, while Dr. Marc Siegel emphasizes the need for humility in medical practice. Rev. Wendy Silvers advocates for individual wisdom through faith, and Kenzie Isaac stresses the importance of equitable health education. The group explores how grace and empathy can help rebuild trust amid growing division in health conversations.

In this Thanksgiving special, the hosts reflect on episodes that left a mark on them. Maggie shares insights on public health trust and the importance of dialogue surrounding measles. Tom highlights a raw conversation on the aftermath of the CDC shooting, emphasizing the need for honest discussions. Brinda delves into the nuanced debate on hepatitis B vaccinations, showcasing the balance between vaccine advocacy and parental choice. The group expresses gratitude for their listener community, promoting unity in health conversations.

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. HostsBrinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie Bartlett (off this week)Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off this week)Guests: Eliot Higgins, founder,  Bellingcat, an open source investigative journalism networkEmily Jashinsky, host, After Party; Megyn Kelly wrap-up show; co-host Breaking Points; writes for UnHerdAstead Herndon, editorial director and host, Vox; former national political reporter The New York TimesSource:Verification, Deliberation, Accountability: A New Framework for Tackling Epistemic Collapse and Renewing Democracyhttps://demos.co.uk/research/verification-deliberation-accountability-a-new-framework-for-tackling-epistemic-collapse-and-renewing-democracy/Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe! Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net