America Dissected

America Dissected

Wellness isn’t just about mindfulness, exercise, or the right skin routine. Science, politics, media, culture, tech — everything around us — interact to shape our health. On America Dissected, Drs. Abdul El-Sayed and Katelyn Jetelina cuts into what really makes us sick — be it racism, corporate greed, or snake oil influencers — and what it'll take to heal it. From for-profit healthcare to ineffective sunscreens, America Dissected cuts deeper into the state of health in America. New episodes every Thursday. Want to know where to start? Here are some fan-favorite episodes to search: Cannabis Capitalism with David Jernigan; Weight Weight Don’t Tell me with Harriett Brown; Black Scientists Matter with Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.

Episodes

September 11, 2025 63 mins
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 th...
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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 C...
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August 21, 2025 70 mins
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, w...
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August 14, 2025 55 mins
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 or...
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Abdul unpacks the week in public health, which includes: Vinay Prasad’s exit from FDA Susan Monarez’s confirmation to lead CDC New childhood vaccination data The EPA’s move to rollback the endangerment finding Why more experts have been ousted from ACIP Then Abdul interviews professor Dr. Brian Willoughby about his research on porn use among young people, and what parents should know about modern porn content. No...
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July 31, 2025 63 mins
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 Doria...
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July 24, 2025 65 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest in public health including: Congress’ vote to reinstate $400 million in funding for global AIDS treatment Trump’s budget proposal to cut 40% of the NIH budget The health differences in Coca Cola sweetened with sugar vs high fructose corn syrup Why heart attack is no longer the leading cause of death in the US A comprehensive review of GI cancer research that show sha...
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July 17, 2025 76 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest in public health news, including: Why the cancellation of a key federal health meeting could spell trouble for the future of preventative care in America The Trump Administration's latest move to intimidate doctors Medicare’s plan to use AI to help make decisions on prior authorizations Moderna’s new Covid vaccine, and why it’s only authorized for kids at high risk Then Abdul talk...
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July 10, 2025 56 mins
Abdul and Katelyn catch up on a harrowing week in public health, after Republicans passed Trump’s mega bill. They discuss: New work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP beneficiaries Why rural hospitals risk closure due to the upcoming changes to Medicaid New renewal requirements for people who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces A new high in measles cases, which now jeopardize our “el...
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June 27, 2025 63 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss a busy week in health news including: The most troubling aspects of this week's ACIP meeting, after RFK Jr's appointees convened to set vaccine policy for next fall. A flimsy deal among the nation's biggest health insurers, who mutually pinky-promised to improve their prior authorization processes. RFK Jr's announcement that the US will no longer fund GAVI, the global organization that vaccin...
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Abdul shares a scheduling note, as we closely track this week's ACIP meeting.
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June 12, 2025 69 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss a rocky week in public health including: RFK Jr gutting ACIP to replace every member with his own appointees. The LA protests, and how immigration raids hurt community health Good trouble at NIH, as staff band together and demand director Jay Bhattacharya defend their research Then Abdul talks to Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, about the Trump Administration's effort to weapo...
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June 5, 2025 74 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest in science and health including: Senator Joni Ernst’s “we’re all going to die” townhall moment The CDC and FDA’s conflicting guidance on Covid boosters The errors in RFK Jr's MAHA report More devastating funding cuts to medical research, including a future HIV vaccine Then Abdul sits down with Dr. Carmen Rojas, the President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation to talk about...
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May 22, 2025 65 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest in public health including: The FDA’s new rules on Covid boosters RFK’s claim that Americans shouldn’t take his advice Florida’s decision to remove fluoride from the drinking water New proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP A genetic breakthrough that saved the life of a 9 month old baby Then Abdul talks to prescription drug policy expert Dr. Aaron Kesselheim about T...
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May 15, 2025 81 mins
Katelyn and Abdul break down the latest news in public health and policy, including: RFK’s appearance at the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Health Committee The House budget proposal to cut Medicaid Donald Trump’s Executive Order to bring down drug prices Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General Then Abdul interviews former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler about his new book Diet, Drugs and Do...
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Abdul and Katelyn break down the latest in public health, including: RFK’s Jr’s push to test all future vaccines against placebos Why the phrase “Do Your Own Research” often leads to mis and disinformation New threats to MRNA vaccine research A huge NIH investment toward a future universal flu vaccine Why some leading medical journals received accusatory letters from a Trump surrogate A new poll t...
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May 1, 2025 80 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest news in health and policy, including: Trump’s proposal to increase the birth rate by giving women $5000 baby bonuses The political divide over measles Why RFK Jr is being asked to testify at the Senate HELP committee in May The closure of nine schools in Milwaukee due to lead contamination Then Abdul and Katelyn talk to Princeton political science professors Dr. Frances Lee and Dr...
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April 24, 2025 74 mins
Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest in health policy this week including: RFK Jr’s plan to form a national registry of Americans with autism The shift to make US health policy look more like Europe’s The latest news on the Texas measles outbreak A White House budget proposal that calls for cutting $40 billion from HHS next year Why NIH’s top expert on ultra-processed foods left the agency Then Abdul interviews Harvard poll...
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April 20, 2025 1 min


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April 17, 2025 63 mins
Abdul and Katelyn cover this week’s health news, which includes: RFK’s bizarre promise to reveal the cause of Autism by September The latest in the Texas measles outbreak Why DOGE cuts have left HHS data systems vulnerable to cyberhacks The discovery of lead in Milwaukee’s drinking water, and CDC’s failure to help The risks of RFK’s Jr’s crusade against fluoride Then Abdul sits down with Dr. Zachary Rubin to talk about alle...
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