The Present Illness

Explosive diarrhea? The Clown Car of the Apocalypse is at it again. ICE keeps killing people. Millions give up their health insurance because it’s too expensive. Update on potential cyclosporiasis sourcePublic health cuts impacting outbreakArghavan’s IG post about cyclosporiasisMitch McConnell essay by Moira DoneganICE's Extrajudicial KillingsICE kills Lorenzo Salgado AraujoICE kills Joan Sebastian GuerreroSusan Collins and ICEJoin Ice by Jesse Welles (lyrics)ACA EnrollmentHHS Report on ACA Exchange EnrollmentKFF 2026 ACA Market Enrollment analysisExtrasAn overview of what happened to Nolan WellsArghavan’s IG post about Nolan WellsHearing for CDC director nominee Erica SchwartzHegseth’s plans to test the military’s testosterone levelsComments on OMB proposed grant regulationsSTAT analysis of OMB comments💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Margot’s got money troubles: show, bookCheck out Mynyabiz from Dr. BlacqueerText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

Is Mitch McConnell dead or alive? Let's talk about out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and critical illness in older folks. Graham Platner drops out of Maine race in wake of credible sexual assault allegations. There were plenty of red flags. Trump at NATOMitch McConnell - proof of life?McConnell’s cardiac arrest at homeMcConnell supposedly speaks with GOP leadersIleana’s McConnell highlightsArghavan’s carousel with McConnell highlightsGraham PlatnerGraham Platner’s Reddit historySearchable archive of Platner’s Reddit postsPlatner’s Totenkopf (“Death’s Head”) Nazi tattoo: We All (Should) Know This Is A Symbol Of “The Baddies”Platner’s response to tattoo and Reddit postsNew York Times June article about Platner’s history with women (gift link)Politico article outlining the alleged SAAn overview of Platner’s shortcomingsOriginal WSJ video of the consultantsThe clip we listened toPlatner’s video suspending his campaignNoah Berlatsky at Everything is Horrible💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Giraffe anesthesiaBeatle’s drummer Ringo Starr turns 86 years oldThe Promise dance circleText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

The Supreme Court let America keep birthright citizenship for it’s birthday. Trump’s 250th Independence Day celebration is a flop. Surprise!Pew: Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political TypologyGallup: Data on pride in being AmericanWhat’s happening with the Great American State Fair?Yellow substance oozing from arch at the Great American State FairMt. Olive Pickles withdraws from the Great American State FairNote: Trump said he will give a speech in 107 degree weather on the 4th of July (not on the 6th)SCOTUS Season Closes: 90 cases in 2026, 66 with majority decisionsTrans Athlete Bans UpheldWest Virginia v. BPJLittle v. Hecox“Biological Female” is not a biology term - it’s an anti-trans slurMonsanto and Cancer WarningsMonsanto v. DurnellRFK Jr flip flops on glyphosateBirthright CitizenshipTrump v. BarbaraNPR summaryFolarin Balogun birthright citizenshipMail-In BallotsWatson v. Republican National CommitteeNBC summaryLA mayoral race💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Arghavan’s summary (with clips) of the couple climbing the Empire State BuildingStork Embroidery ScissorsHobee’s Pride Coffee CakeText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

Dem Establishment hell bent to learn nothing from Mamdani and NY Primaries; Trump Admin’s dirty propaganda comparing immigrants to alien creatures; Join Team Algae in the Reflecting Pool drama; Hegseth can’t even lift; Alyssa makes a mixtapeNote: the memo labeling many people “terrorists” is NSPM-7, not NPSM-7Four years after the fall of RoeThe Reflecting PoolSome background on the Reflecting Pool renovationArghavan’s first and second carousel about the Reflecting Pool sagaLessons From NY PrimaryMamdani’s candidates winJaime Harrison’s tweet about Democratic politicsNew York AG’s comments about MamdaniDehumanization via Government Propaganda"Dept of War" UAP website: https://www.war.gov/UFO/Racist, xenophobic Aliens.gov siteSCOTUS’s decision on Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and SyriansHegseth works out with the militaryLonger video of Hegeth’s workout shows he does almost everything half-heartedly. What a warrior!Summary of Prairieland casePrairieland sentences💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Pentagon reinstates flu vaccine mandateReactions to JD Vance patting Usha’s kneeAlan Opts Out MixtapeJune 26 - Come see Alyssa and Courtney Maum at Book Passage in Corte MaderaText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

It’s the second Pride Month of this Trump administration, and things are rough. San Francisco Giants’ pitchers anti-Pride stunt; gender as a weapon; Rainbow washing and corporate backstabbing.Note: Dana White is the president and CEO of UFCSummary of MOU with IranPride Under Trump + Juneteenth:What happened at the Giants’ Pride NightJD Vance says “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore”Josh Hokit calls Michelle Obama a manReactions to Josh Hokit’s commentDad takes daughters to the bathroom, police are called1 year-old Kohen Wiley killed by police in MississippiCyrus Carmack-Belton killed by Rick Chow💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊A fabulous song about perimenopauseA hilarious rendition of You Oughta KnowCollage from anesthesia drug labelsComplex sculptures made of old medicine containersText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

The Birth Book with OB-GYN Dr Jennifer Lincoln. Pro-autonomy! Pro-Consent! Pro- vitamin K for babies! Anti-shame and coercion! She hopes folks name their babies "OG" Anunoby.The Birth BookGet your copy of The Birth BookResources for The Birth BookFollow Dr. Lincoln on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Jen’s book recommendation: Roll of Thunder, Hear My CryMarcus Tudrick on InstagramPaper Pepper healing Van GoghText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

Flesh eating flies (disgusting!); Project 2025 budget cuts (despicable!); sterile flies; non-standard healing crystals from a crystal scientist; Hunter Biden is a natural posterNote:New data from ASCO regarding melanoma indicate those with Stage 3b to 4 melanoma had longer time to recurrence and longer time to metastasisAlyssa accidentally called the screwworm fly as a “screw-tape.” Oops!New World Screwworm FlyTexas Tribune: What to know about screwworm in TexasScrewworm LifecycleSterile fly production facilitiesHow sterile flies are used in mitigationDisaster OMB Budget ProposalSummary of proposed OMB changes to federal fundingThings to consider while writing your commentregulations.gov, OMB-2026-0034 is where you can enter your commentOr you can go to StandUpForScience.net and they have a link as well💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊“Non-standard Healing Crystals”Trad LiftingSome Hunter Biden tweets Would not have left his drugs behindHe’s never stolen an erectionCorrecting a bad AI photo of himselfHunter Biden campaign sloganText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

Pope Leo takes on AI in first encyclical; Ashley St. Clair spills hot MAGA tea; UFC fight at the White House; Ronnie Chieng commencement speechRFK Jr and snakesPreparations for the UFC fight at the White HouseEbola updates from the WHOUS sends exposed citizens to KenyaDemocrats respond to Stephen MillerFact check: The study Arghavan referenced regarding students learning with AI vs without demonstrated changes in brain connectivity (based on EEGs), not amount of learning. Pope’s First Encyclical:Magnifica Humanitas text, promo videoArghavan’s Instagram post with excerpts from the encyclicalUC Berkeley’s new AI policyAshley St. Clair:Ashley St. Clair’s Tik Tok pageAshley’s video about how MAGA campaigns workAshley on I’ve Had It News talking about Stephen MillerAshley’s video about meeting ElonAshley’s video about Elon and the space lasersAshley’s video about Elon after she got pregnantAlisa Valdes-Rodrigues’ dangerous Epstein reveal💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Ronnie Chieng commencement speechNew Yorker comics about RFK Jr and SSRIsText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

Replay: Academic freedom under attack; viral case of an Oklahoma pre-med student's targets her transgender professor; Erika Kirk's terrible NYT interview; Our hosts investigate the alarming trend of politically-motivated complaints against university professors. From Indiana University to Texas A&M, faculty are experiencing acute cases of administrative panic when confronted with student outrage—often resulting in terminal employment outcomes.Here’s more about Samantha Fulnecky and the story at the University of OklahomaHere’s more about the instructor (Jessica Adams) who was removed from teaching her class at Indiana UniversityHere’s more about the instructor (Melissa McCoul) who was fired at Texas A&M and the findings of the faculty committee that reviewed what happenedJennifer Freyd’s DARVO concept - Deny-Attack-Reverse Victim and Offender💊Take Two and Call Me In The Morning 💊Here’s one of Haley Dortch’s videos. You’re welcome!Somebody, Somewhere on HBOHow I escaped MAGA! Critical thinking woke me up.Nurse Johnn on being unprofessionalHere’s Jeff Hiller’s book Actress of a Certain AgeText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else. 

Seattle’s Laurelhurst community vs. Seattle Children’s Hospital; Shingles Vaccine may reduce dementia; Hantavirus scare; American dialects; Zaffron Bloom restaurantNEJM article on hantavirus (no paywall)Rich Folks Complain About Seattle Children’s HelicoptersSeattle Children’s-Laurelhurst helicopter situation explainedLaurelhurst “old money” Seattle neighborhood1992 Complaint about “noisy neighbor”Satirical take on LaurelhurstHelicopter landing dataSeattle Children’s Statement on Helipad AgreementShingles Vaccine and DementiaThe three research articles mentioned: NatureJAMACellHerpes Zoster explainer video (Osmosis)💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊Rick Aschmann’s North American English Dialect MapMatt Forrest’s reel about the mapZay (linguist) on Tik TokPop v Soda MapHistory of regional words for carbonated beveragesNew York Turk visits Zaffron BloomText us!Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllnessCreditsProduction by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.