America Dissected

Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest news in public health, which includes: Trump’s $100,000 H1-B visa fee, which is could significantly hurt staffing in rural hospitals A new 100% tariff on certain imported brand-name drugs RFK Jr’s announcement that the FDA is re-evaluating the abortion medication mifepristone A new scientific breakthrough that’s giving hope to people with Huntington’s Disease Then Abdul sits down with Dr. Aziz Rahman, an American physician who recently completed a medical mission in Gaza. Dr. Rahman offers a gripping account of the devastation in Gaza, and the heroic efforts of doctors serving there. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Work. Science Matters.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: Boll & Branch: For a limited time get 20% off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/AD. Quince: Go to Quince.com/AD for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. APHA: Listeners of this podcast get a 10% discount for the 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo using code: Dissected25.

Abdul begins the show with a major announcement about America Dissected. Then, he and Katelyn discuss: RFK Jr’s Autism report, which points to an unproven link between autism and acetaminophen Last week’s ACIP meeting, where RFK Jr’s new appointees approved new recommendations on the Covid booster and MMRV vaccines The end of the Covid summer wave, and how it compared to last year Then Abdul sits down with Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned in protest from the FDA. They discuss the chaos at the agency and the future of public health under RFK Jr. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Matter. Science Works.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code DISSECTED at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code DISSECTED at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/dissected APHA: Listeners of this podcast get a 10% discount for the 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo using code: Dissected25.

Abdul and Katelyn discuss the week in public health, which includes: Former CDC Director Susan Monarez’s Senate testimony, where she revealed a series of bombshell revelations about the chaos in the department This week's ACIP meeting, and how it might affect access to the Hepatitis B vaccine The good news that private insurers will be covering the cost of vaccines as normal The Trump Administration’s move to clamp down on pharmaceutical ads Then Abdul sits down with Dr. Annette Campbell-Anderson, Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Safe and Healthy Schools, to discuss why more schools across the country are implementing cell phone bans. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Work. Science Matters.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code DISSECTED at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/dissected NPR Life Kit: Listen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPR. ExpressVPN: Secure your online data today by visiting ExpressVPN.com/Dissected to find out how you can get up to four extra months FREE.

Abdul and Katelyn discuss the week in public health, which includes: RFK Jr’s MAHA Report, and why it fails to deliver meaningful change The leaked report that revealed RFK Jr will tie Tylenol use to autism The firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, and the mass resignations that followed RFK Jr’s Senate testimony, which included a grilling from top Republicans Then Abdul talks to Natalie Foster, president of the Economic Security Project, about the power of guaranteed income in health outcomes. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Work. Science Matters.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: Quince: Go to Quince.com/AD for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. APHA: Listeners of this podcast get a 10% discount for the 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo using code: Dissected25. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code DISSECTED at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/dissected

Abdul and Katelyn discuss another inundating week in public health, which includes: The sudden departure of the CDC Director, Susan Monarez, just weeks after her confirmation The resignations of three other top leaders at HHS FDA’s approval of the fall Covid booster, which limits the vaccine to seniors and people at high risk, as well as new alternative recommendations from major medical organizations A Supreme Court ruling that puts a new legal wrinkle in the fight to restore NIH grants The rise of radioactive shrimp and flying flesh-eating maggots Then as we look ahead to Labor Day, Abdul sits down with Dr. Taylor Walker, the president of the largest labor union representing physicians. We are dark next week for the holiday. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Work. Science Matters.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code DISSECTED at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/dissected OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code DISSECTED at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Abdul and Katelyn are energized by the first meeting of the Vaccine Integrity Project, which was founded to serve as an alternative to RFK Jr’s ACIP. They also discuss: A new letter to Congress, signed by more than 700 CDC employees, which calls HHS Secretary Kennedy complicit in endangering the nation's health and the recent shooting at the CDC headquarters The fallout from a draft report on childhood chronic disease, which suggests RFK Jr is folding on his promise to ban agricultural pesticides The future of vaccines in the US without mRNA research, following RFK Jr’s decision to cut $500 million in research grants Then, Abdul sits down with Dr. Michael Osterholm, a founding member of the Vaccine Integrity Project Steering Committee, to discuss the goals, processes and future of the organization. To read and/or add your name to the CDC’s letter to Congress, click here. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Matter. Science Works.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: NPR Life Kit: Listen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPR.

Abdul and Katelyn condemn the violence at the CDC headquarters last week, and the startlingly weak response from lawmakers. Then they unpack Trump’s newest executive order, which seeks to give his own appointees the power to approve federal grants. They also discuss the future of the FDA as Vinay Prasad makes his return, following his resignation last month. Then Abdul talks to Sherrell Byrd, founder of SOWEGA Rising, which has organized in rural Georgia to bring fresh produce to rural communities that lack grocery stores. They discuss the health implications of food deserts, and how food justice can change lives. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Work. Science Matters.” t-shirts! This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by: Quince: Go to Quince.com/AD for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

In this insightful conversation, guest Brian Willoughby, a professor at Brigham Young University specializing in teen dating and online pornography, shares his research on the impact of explicit content on youth. He discusses alarming trends in adolescent exposure to pornography, contrasting them with previous generations. Willoughby emphasizes the urgent need for parental guidance in navigating these issues and the importance of fostering healthier understandings of relationships and intimacy in a digital age heavily influenced by social media.

Abdul and Katelyn unpack the latest headlines on RFK Jr and HHS, followed by some optimistic news on the spread of measles and Covid. Then Abdul talks to public health educator Dorian Johnson about the wild world of TikTok and Instagram - and how health professionals can harness it to build more trust and goodwill with the public. This episode was made in collaboration with our sponsor deBeaumont Foundation. You can follow Dorian Johnson on social media @thephuncle on TikTok and Instagram. Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Matter. Science Works.” t-shirts!

Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Healthcare, passionately discusses the impending Medicaid cuts and their dire implications for low-income patients. She dives into the alarming rise of GI cancers among younger people and the challenges of accessibility in healthcare, especially for marginalized communities. The conversation also touches on the paradox of declining heart attack rates juxtaposed with increasing health disparities. Batchlor emphasizes the critical need for cohesive healthcare policies and community support to address these issues.