America Dissected

In our penultimate episode, Abdul and Katelyn discuss the week’s public health news, which includes:

• Why Democrats are demanding Republicans extend healthcare subsidies

• How the shutdown has impacted funding to public health programs

• The new childhood vaccination schedule

• The CDC’s official approval of the Covid booster

Then they look back on the last 6 years, and play some of Abdu...

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’...

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...

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 A...

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 ...

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 organizatio...

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, ...

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 org...

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.

...

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 Dor...

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 sharp ri...

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 ...

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 “elimi...

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 organ...

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 wea...

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 a...

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 Tru...

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...