Paging America

Paging America
  • 4.9 (30)
  • Politics

Exploring the power, profit & politics shaping American health care with hosts Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson. New episodes every Thursday. www.pagingamerica.org

  1. 3d ago

    The MAHA Conference Goes Corporate

    Physicians with the Committee to Protect Health Care descended on Washington to fight Dr. Heidi Overton’s nomination to lead the FDA, and by most accounts it was a bad day for her. Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson break down why the fight is far from over and how medical professionals can still sign the letter opposing her. They also cover the week’s other developments: the White House dropping a planned order that would have put political appointees in charge of NIH grants, the new chair of the federal autism coordinating committee who co-founded a company selling leucovorin to families of autistic children, and reports that RFK Jr. pulled $12 million from the Office of Minority Health to cover his security costs. The CDC has also finally acknowledged measles deaths in Pennsylvania, where babies are now being born infected. In the second half of the show, Politico healthcare reporter Carmen Paun joins us with an on-the-ground account of the MAHA conference in Washington, D.C. The conference, sponsored by UnitedHealth Group, came just as a group of MAHA leaders sent an open letter to Trump and RFK Jr. threatening to withdraw their support over the administration’s failure to remove the mRNA platform. It seems that the event was not very well attended, which raises the question of whether MAHA is fracturing, morphing into a corporate project, or both. LINKS * Learn about what you can do to fight the nomination of anti-abortion, anti-vaxx zealot Heidi Overton in the Committee’s Medical Professional Toolkit HERE. * The New York Times: White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants * POLITICO: Trump asked budget chief to draft order bringing health research funding under his control * Susan Collins’ letter to Kennedy and Bhattacharya * POLITICO: Collins: White House drops effort to politicize health research grants * MedPage Today: New Autism Committee Chair Founded a Leucovorin Telehealth Company * The Washington Sun: HHS Cancels Infant Mortality, Postpartum Grants to Focus on Sperm Counts, ED * POLITICO Pro: HHS is killing offices devoted to improving minority health and tackling HIV * The Wall Street Journal: RFK Jr.’s Enhanced Security Was Funded With Money From Minority Health Office * Joint Statement from the Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus * CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks * The Hill: Pennsylvania surpasses 900 measles cases * NBC News: America had wiped out measles. Now babies are infected at birth. * Americans for Health Freedom: Open Letter Regarding the Removal of the mRNA Platform * Carmen Paun’s bio at POLITICO * Carmen Paun on X * POLITICO: Vance, RFK Jr. and ‘Iron’ Mike to headline MAHA Summit * AXIOS: 1 big thing: Insurers cast themselves as MAHA allies * The Washington Sun: A Biological Age Test and Russell Brand: How Trump Officials Spent a Day With MAHA * The Hill: 4 takeaways from the MAHA Summit * The New York Times: A.I. Is ‘Better Informed’ Than Doctors, Kennedy Tells Industry-Backed MAHA Summit * Food writer Helena Bottemiller Evich’s tweet * STAT: At MAHA Summit, a grassroots movement goes corporate * POLITICO: A cure for ‘medical tyranny’: RFK Jr. puts a positive spin on AI Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    The MAHA Conference Goes Corporate

  2. Sep 24

    RFK Jr.'s Chemtrails, Overton's FDA Bid, and Dr. Vin Gupta on What Comes Next

    This week on Paging America, Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson are discussing the Senate HELP Committee hearing for FDA nominee Heidi Overton, whose support for changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and push to restrict abortion have raised serious alarms. Miles walks through the two-step Senate process that could stop her nomination and where Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy stand. From there, the hosts turn to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s return to Children’s Health Defense, where after nearly 90 minutes on stage he claimed HHS is looking into, believe it or not, chemtrails. His latest financial disclosure adds to the picture, showing more than $250,000 in free flights and vacation use from a wealthy donor, plus $4 million in book advances. Then it’s on to the Trump administration’s move to politicize NIH grants, including a draft executive order that would create a committee with veto power over awards and reports of money being routed toward the Pentagon. The hosts also react to the announcement from JD Vance and Dr. Oz that roughly 760,000 people will lose ACA coverage for never filing a claim, just 43 days before the election, and explain why it’s bad policy and worse politics. Dr. Rob also weighs in on Mitch McConnell’s return to the Senate, explaining what anoxic brain injury can mean for an 84-year-old and why the situation strengthens the case for term limits. Plus, Dr. Rob sits down with Dr. Vin Gupta, a practicing pulmonologist, medical analyst for MSNOW, and head of health content at the Meidas Touch Network. They discuss why Overton is unqualified to lead the FDA, how ideology is driving decisions at the NIH, and why cutting health disparities research makes little sense even on economic grounds. Dr. Gupta also digs into the erosion of public trust in doctors and health agencies, why patients still trust their own physicians, and why AI in healthcare shouldn’t be an all-or-nothing debate. Want to help stop Heidi Overton’s nomination? Doctors, nurses, and other providers can volunteer at committeetoprotect.org. LINKS * Learn about what you can do to fight the nomination of anti-abortion, anti-vaxx zealot Heidi Overton in the Committee’s Medical Professional Toolkit HERE. * U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP): Nomination of Heidi Overton to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs * Nancy Vu tweet about meeting with Sen. Susan Collins * POLITICO: Bill Cassidy on vaccines, RFK Jr. and the fight for public trust * PEOPLE: RFK Jr. Says Vaccine Critics ‘Have a Friend at the White House’ * INDEPENDENT: RFK Jr switches gears from anti-vaxx promotion to amplify 5G conspiracy theory * U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services press release: HHS Seeks Public Input on Electromagnetic Fields and Wireless Radiation * USA Today: RFK Jr. tells USA TODAY 5G towers for cellphone use ‘a major health concern’ * MS NOW: New ethics questions add to RFK Jr.’s many ongoing woes * La Voce di New York: RFK Jr. Discloses More Than $250,000 in Trips Paid for by a Donor * NPR: RFK Jr.’s ethics disclosure reveals free travel and hefty book advances * The New York Times: White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants * POLITICO: Trump asked budget chief to draft order bringing health research funding under his control * The Hill: Vance-led task force set to remove 750K ObamaCare enrollees, citing fraud * Video of Dr. Oz’s comments via Aaron Rupar on X * Dr. Rob’s response tweet * July 12th Statement From Senator Mitch McConnell * Reuters: A frail-looking McConnell returns to the US Senate after three-month absence * TMZ (VIDEO): Mitch McConnell Makes Rare Public Appearance After Months Out Of Sight * Desirée Townsend’s tweeted video of McConnell * The New Republic: What Mitch McConnell Looked Like After He Had to Be Told How to Vote * Gallup: Americans’ Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low * DrVinGupta.com * Dr. Vin Gupta on LinkedIn * Dr. Vin Gupta on X * Dr. Vin Gupta on BlueSky Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    RFK Jr.'s Chemtrails, Overton's FDA Bid, and Dr. Vin Gupta on What Comes Next

  3. Sep 17

    Silicon Valley's Rush to Replace Your Doctor With AI

    Hosts Miles Baker and Dr Rob Davidson kick off today’s show talking about HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s return to the anti-vaccine movement he helped build. He will be headlining the sold-out Children’s Health Defense conference, which is the same organization he chaired for eight years and was paid roughly half a million dollars a year to lead. Sharing the stage with him: Andrew Wakefield, author of the retracted study that falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism, along with Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul. We then discuss reporting on the Trump administration’s fast-tracked push to embed AI into medical diagnosis and treatment. That includes new Medicare billing codes that would pay AI companies for clinical services. Rob, a practicing physician, explains why the “art of medicine” resists being reduced to an algorithm, and why speed without safeguards is the real problem, not AI in healthcare itself. Next: a fourth Pennsylvania resident has died from measles-related causes, but the death doesn’t show up in official CDC counts. We unpack the agency’s quiet decision to change how it tracks measles deaths. What does it mean when public health data gets adjusted to fit a preferred narrative? They also note the near-total public silence from newly installed CDC Director Erica Schwartz as the country heads into flu, RSV, and COVID season. We have a Surgeon General nominee with Dr. Nicole Sapphire. Her financial disclosures reveal investments in tobacco, sugary beverage, and pharmaceutical companies. These are the same industries that RFK Jr has spent years attacking. Finally, Pennsylvania State House candidate Hadley Haas joins the show. A Pittsburgh mother whose two sons were born deaf, Haas talks about her decades-long fight for hearing-impairment awareness and insurance access, Pennsylvania’s wave of rural hospital closures and the private equity forces behind them, the fight to codify abortion rights in the state constitution, and why her race in the 44th House District is one of the top targets for Democrats hoping to build a governing trifecta in Harrisburg. LINKS * The Washington Post: RFK Jr. uses military aircraft as he campaigns for GOP in midterms * US General Services Administration: City Pair Program * The Hill: RFK Jr. to headline Children’s Health Defense conference in DC * Children’s Health Defense: CHD in DC * Wikipedia: Children’s Health Defense * ars TECHNICA: RFK Jr. headlines sold-out anti-vaccine conference alongside Andrew Wakefield * The New York Times: U.S. Health Officials Move Quickly to Deploy Medical A.I. Despite Concerns * The Hill: Pennsylvania reports teen as fourth measles death amid feud with RFK Jr. * The Guardian: Trump administration changes how it counts measles deaths amid Pennsylvania outbreak * CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks * The Hill: CDC director’s ‘unusual’ silence draws scrutiny * The Hill: Trump surgeon general nominee discloses tobacco, pharma investments * The Guardian: US surgeon general nominee made $270,000 from supplement company * NPR: Senators question Trump’s picks for top health positions, including surgeon general * The Washington Post: Sen. Cassidy says measles surge will be administration’s ‘terrible legacy’ * Roll Call: Surgeon general nominee won’t renounce RFK Jr. vaccine decisions * SEMAFOR: FDA nominee preps for hearing next week * HadleyForPa.com * Hadley Haas’ social media ad * Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania: More Hospital Closures Likely Without Increased Support * Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health: These Pennsylvania Hospitals Could Close Due to Medicaid Cuts, Study Says * Hadley Haas on Instagram: @hadleyforpa * Hadley Haas on Facebook: Hadley Haas for PA Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    Silicon Valley's Rush to Replace Your Doctor With AI

  4. Sep 10

    Mapping the MAHA Movement with The Bulwark's Will Sommer

    Miles Baker and Dr Rob Davidson are back to break down a packed news week in American healthcare politics. New York Times reporting reveals the DOJ’s ongoing investigation into pandemic-era scientists, including Dr. Fauci, an effort that began under former FBI official Dan Bongino. The probe has already claimed one casualty: former Fauci advisor Dr. David Morens pleaded guilty to concealing federal records after steering emails discussing the lab-leak theory into a personal account. Miles and Rob discuss why fears of politically motivated investigations are well-founded, given past Senate hearings led by Rand Paul, and push back on Bongino’s baseless claims that scientists used the pandemic to influence the 2020 election through mail-in voting. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. finally admits that a second infant in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, died of measles, after weeks of disputing the story, then argues the death “doesn’t count” because the child had a rare genetic condition. Rob explains why that logic is both medically dishonest and deeply cruel. We also dig into new reporting revealing a secretive Pentagon agreement to divert billions of dollars from NIH’s infectious disease research budget without notifying Congress. Plus, new reporting exposes Kansas Senator Roger Marshall’s history of suing more than 700 of his own OB-GYN patients over unpaid medical bills, resulting in dozens of arrests. And forced Medicare Advantage disenrollments have surged nationwide as insurers like Humana, UnitedHealth, and Aetna abandon unprofitable markets, leaving seniors scrambling for new coverage. Then, Will Sommer of The Bulwark joins us to take stock of the MAHA movement, mapping out the key figures orbiting RFK Jr.’s inner circle and explaining who actually holds influence in this chaotic era of U.S. health policy. LINKS * The Washington Sun: ‘It’s Trumpapalooza’ * The Washington Sun: Trump Offers $5,000 ‘Dividend’ to Every American Adult if Republicans Win Midterms * Matt Rein’s tweet about the “L” falling off the podium at Trump-a-palooza * The New York Times: Inside the D.O.J.’s Investigation of Fauci and Other Virus Scientists * The Washington Post: Infant died of measles in Pennsylvania, coroner confirms * RFK Jr. tweet shrugging off the deaths of the two Pennsylvania babies from measles * MS NOW: Report: Kennedy intervened to prevent 2 deaths from being included in CDC measles tally * House Democrats: Defense Officials Attempt to Raid NIH Funds to Cover Department of Defense Activities * The Hill: Pentagon sought to divert NIH funds for defense use, top House Appropriations Democrat says * MedPage Today: Docs Alarmed by NIH Plan to Redirect Medical Research $$ to Pentagon * CIDRAP: Lawmakers criticize deal that would send NIH funds to Department of Defense * FORBES: ‘Secretive’ Agreement Will Divert NIH Funds To Pentagon, Warns DeLauro * The “agreement” between NIH and the DoD * The New York Times: A Doctor Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator. * JAMA: Forced Disenrollments Among Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries Following 2026 Plan Exits * 24/7 Wall St: Being Forced Out of a Medicare Advantage Plan Was a 1% Event for Years. In 2026 It Hit 10%. The 2027 Letters Must Arrive by October 2. * National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare: Trouble Ahead for Medicare Advantage & Medicaid Patients * Investopedia: Millions Must Switch Medicare Advantage Plans as Insurers Pull Back—What It Means for You * Healthcare Dive: UnitedHealthcare expects to be ‘very competitive’ in Medicare Advantage next year, CFO says * The Bulwark * Will Sommer’s False Flag newsletter * Will Sommer on X * KFF Health News: The Covid Contrarian Clubhouse Makes Its Mark on Trump’s Washington Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    Mapping the MAHA Movement with The Bulwark's Will Sommer

  5. Sep 3

    FDA Chief Scientist Exposes Trump’s Vaccine Executive Order

    This week on Paging America, Dr. Rob Davidson and Miles Baker break down an alarming wave of political corruption, crumbling consumer healthcare protections, and unprecedented attacks on foundational public health policy. We open with a bombshell leaked grand jury report out of Florida revealing how the administration of Governor Ron DeSantis redirected $10 million from a major Medicaid settlement into Hope Florida, an initiative spearheaded by First Lady Casey DeSantis. The funds were rapidly laundered through a web of nonprofits and a dark-money political action committee before landing in the Florida Republican Party’s coffers to defeat the 2024 citizen initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. Those public healthcare funds were meant to expand insurance coverage for poor children and were repurposed into a political slush fund. How low can you get? Groundbreaking data from Epic Research showing that self-pay encounters in emergency rooms have surged by 38%, while Medicaid-backed emergency visits saw a steep decline. Dr. Davidson provides a stark front-line perspective on what this means for bedside care: patients avoiding primary care until preventable conditions turn into critical medical crises, only to face exorbitant uninsured hospital rates far higher than what private insurers negotiate. Compounding this disaster, federal protections keeping medical debt off credit scores have been systematically dismantled, leaving millions of vulnerable families exposed to catastrophic long-term financial fallout. From there, the discussion shifts to the toothless corporate health “deals” championed by the Trump administration. As major insurers increasingly deploy automated AI algorithms to arbitrarily deny lifesaving surgeries, stress tests, and essential medications, doctors are left buried under administrative red tape while corporate balance sheets flourish. We also highlight the latest questionable public health personnel move: appointing an Ohio megachurch pastor with zero medical experience as an official CDC tobacco health advisor. Finally, we’re joined by former FDA Chief Scientist and Georgetown professor Dr. Jesse Goodman to sound the alarm on the administration’s executive order overhauling the childhood immunization schedule and mandating the breakup of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot. Dr. Goodman explains the rigorous multi-phase clinical trial processes that establish vaccine safety, dismantles RFK Jr.’s misleading claims regarding placebo-controlled studies, and details the logistical nightmare of separating established combination vaccines. It’s a reckless shift that would require billions of dollars, take years of manufacturing overhauls, and result in children receiving more injections. LINKS * RFK Jr. talking about eating a cheeseburger omelette for breakfast * CBS News: Outrage, call for change continue to mount following Hope Florida grand jury report * CBS News: Grand jury finds DeSantis administration “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer money to Hope Florida * PBS: Florida grand jury finds DeSantis administration misused $10 million, but no charges have been filed * Tampa Bay Times: Hope Florida charity took in $867,000, gave away little in first year * Becker’s Payer Issues: $10M from Florida’s Centene Medicaid settlement misappropriated by DeSantis administration: Report * Epic Research: Self-Pay Encounters Rose and Medicaid Fell Across All Care Settings from 2022 to 2026 * Health Care Dive: Medicaid losses leave more patients paying cash, Epic finds * Modern Healthcare: Trump, RFK Jr. health deals lack enforcement, show little progress * Trump’s announcement of Pastor Scott’s appointment * The New Republic: Trump Appoints Pastor With No Experience as CDC Tobacco Adviser * Pastor Darrell Scott’s Wikipedia page * Expert Vaccine Analysis Team’s website * Expert Vaccine Analysis Team on Instagram * Expert Vaccine Analysis Team on YouTube Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    FDA Chief Scientist Exposes Trump’s Vaccine Executive Order

  6. Aug 27

    A Dietician Watches RFK Jr's Cooking Show So You Don't Have To

    We have the largest measles outbreak in 35 years it’s getting worse all around the country. A political firestorm it’s ignited in Pennsylvania after two unvaccinated residents died from measles-associated causes in Lancaster County. This has led to a tense phone call between Governor Josh Shapiro and HHS Secretary RFK Jr, which spiraled into public accusations, with Kennedy suggesting the deaths may have been exaggerated and CMS head Dr. Oz downplaying the outbreak’s severity on national television. Miles and Dr. Rob unpack a resurfaced 2021 clip of Kennedy minimizing measles, the administration’s pattern of dodging accountability on public health failures, and what it means when the officials responsible for protecting Americans seem more interested in spin than in encouraging vaccination. We also look into a new report on Medicare Advantage overpayments nearing $1 trillion. We explain how that number came to be and what can be done moving forward. Plus, the newly appointed South Carolina Senator Darline Graham’s unusual campaign-trail argument against universal healthcare. You won’t believe what she has to say about how to address healthcare in this country. Finally, we turn to RFK Jr.’s new cooking show, “The Real Food Show,” where the Health Secretary tours the country cooking “budget-friendly” meals with celebrity chefs. We’re joined by registered dietitian Abby Langer, who watched all of RFK’s cooking shows and she has plenty to say about the misinformation shared in them. From wildly inflated diabetes statistics and vague fearmongering about ultra-processed foods, to a supposedly “under $5 per serving” recipe built around six-dollar-a-dozen pasture-raised eggs and imported French butter, Abby breaks down how the show’s nostalgic, “grandma knew best” messaging around seed oils and beef tallow doesn’t hold up to actual nutrition science. It conveniently ignores the fact that most Americans struggling with health outcomes are struggling with access and affordability, not a lack of willpower. LINKS * The Washington Post: Doctors say Trump’s weight poses a significant health risk * Video of RFK Jr. talking about measles in Pennsylvania in 2021 * ABC News: 2 people die from measles in Pennsylvania, marking state’s first deaths in 35 years * CIDRAP: CDC adds 211 new cases to accelerating US measles outbreak * CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks * PA Gov. Josh Shapiro’s tweet about RFK Jr.’s meltdown * RFK Jr.’s tweet accusing Shapiro of making up the deaths * The New Republic: RFK Jr. Resignation Calls Grow as Two People Die From Measles * Lancaster Online: Lancaster County coroner’s records don’t add clarity to 2 Pa. deaths tied to measles * Dr. Oz’s tweet minimizing children’s deaths related to measles * American Journal of Managed Care: FDA Panel Backs 6 Peptides for Compounding * Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committees Roster * MedPage Today: Watchdog Urges HHS to Investigate Conflicts Among FDA’s Peptide Panelists * Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: CBO Analysis Suggests $1 Trillion in Medicare Advantage Overpayments * Congressional Budget Office: Federal Subsidies for Health Insurance, 2026 to 2036 * Video of Sen. Darline Graham talking about her parents’ deaths * Dr. Annie Andrews’ website * Men’s Health: I’m a Dietitian. I Watched RFK’s New Cooking Show for 38 Minutes—And Caught 32 Mistakes. (But It’s Not All Bad.) * Abby Langer’s website: Abbylangernutrition.com * Abby Langer on Substack: Bite Me Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    A Dietician Watches RFK Jr's Cooking Show So You Don't Have To

  7. Aug 20

    Trump Nominates a Zealot to Lead the FDA

    Trump has nominated Dr. Heidi Overton, an outspoken anti-abortion, anti-vaccine ideologue, to run the FDA, one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in the country. Miles and Dr. Rob dig into Overton’s record, including her celebration of the fall of Roe v. Wade and her history of spreading misinformation about medication abortion. We explain why her appointment could signal a coming fight over mifepristone access and we take a look at soon-to-be-former Senator Bill Cassidy’s tepid, wiggle-room “concerns” about the nomination. We take a look at Cassidy’s track record on RFK Jr. and other controversial picks and whether or not he’ll stand in the way of her nomination. From there, we turn to RFK Jr.’s latest vaccine falsehood. He cites new research that supports splitting up the MMR shot. The problem is…. He just made the research up. It doesn’t exist. Plus, we take a look at the Trump administration’s slow and possibly influence-tainted response to a massive cyclospora outbreak, nwhich now tops 27,000 cases. The outbreak has been linked to a Taylor Farms lettuce facility in Mexico that hadn’t been FDA-inspected in seven years. Not to mention the political contributions flowing from Taylor Farms to Donald Trump and his bank accounts. Finally, Miles and Dr. Rob sit down with William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, fresh off a primary win that outside observers called unprecedented for the region. They talk about his grassroots, organizer-driven campaign; the fight against data center development bulldozing small Michigan towns; the impact of a shuttered Planned Parenthood clinic on over 60,000 district residents; and what Democrats should prioritize in the next two years to set the stage for real healthcare reform in 2029. LINKS * The Hill: Rubio calls RFK Jr’s meat and sauerkraut menu ‘a crazy diet’ * USA Today: RFK Jr. says ‘boxes and boxes’ of McDonald’s travel with Trump * The Washington Post: Trump selects Heidi Overton, White House aide, to lead FDA * Senate Democrats: TRANSCRIPT: President Trump Signs an Executive Order on Vaccination Schedules, 8.10.26 * VIDEO: Trump childhood vaccine Executive Order signing * America First Policy Institute: SCOTUS Statements on Roe v. Wade * America First Policy Institute: Who Are the Real Abortion Radicals? A Comparative Perspective * America First Policy Institute: Risking Two lives—The Dangerous Rise of Chemical abortion * Bill Cassidy clutches his pearls about Heidi Overton on X * The Washington Post: Cassidy on Trump’s vaccine overhaul: ‘Crazy, stupid thing’ * RFK Jr. cites non-existent study * FactCheck.org: RFK Jr. Falsely Claims New Evidence Supports Splitting MMR Vaccine * The Commonwealth Fund: What Americans Want Fixed in Health Care — and Who They Think Should Do It * CDC: Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis * CBS News: Farm linked to cyclosporiasis outbreak hadn’t been inspected in 7 years as FDA lags on foreign inspection targets * The Hill: Warren presses RFK Jr. on Trump ties to lettuce distributor * Sen. Warren: Warren Investigates Trump Admin’s Failed Response to Cyclospora Outbreak, Raises Questions About Corruption and Influence-Peddling * Sen. Warren’s letter to RFK Jr. about the cyclosporiasis response * The New York Times: Trump Officials Falsely Connect Covid Vaccines to Miscarriage * FactCheck.org: Republicans Revive False Miscarriage Statistic, Twist Fauci’s Texts About COVID-19 Shots * Will Lawrence’s campaign website: WeWill2026.com * Will Lawrence on Instagram * Will Lawrence on Facebook * Will Lawrence on X * Will Lawrence on BlueSky * Will Lawrence on TikTok Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    Trump Nominates a Zealot to Lead the FDA

  8. Aug 13

    CDC in a Death Spiral

    Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson break down the week in health politics: surprise primary results across Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota show healthcare access becoming a defining issue for Democratic candidates even as national narratives miss what’s actually happening on the ground. Then, eight red states move to skip a federal grace period and impose harsher Medicaid work-reporting requirements, despite data showing most recipients already work. We explain how this seems to be more about paperwork and reporting requirements rather than WORK requirements Plus: Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche is confirmed as Attorney General with the help of Senator Bill Cassidy, and the FDA approves flavored nicotine pouches like “Rich Berry” amid new scrutiny over tobacco industry political donations. For our interview, we welcome back Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883, which is the union representing workers at the CDC. She returns to give an unflinching, on-the-ground account of what CDC employees have endured over the past year. It was one year ago that the agency endured a shooting that killed officer David Rose. Jacobs shares her thoughts on RFK Jr.’s first campus visit since the tragedy, the widespread reductions in force, denied disability accommodations, and a workforce she describes as being in a “death spiral.” LINKS * Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s Medicare for All webpage * William Lawrence speaking the day after he won his primary * Will Lawrence’s platform webpage * Francesca Hong’s policy webpage * David Crowley’s positions webpage * Peggy Flanagan’s priorities webpage * POLITICO: The Trump admin offered sick Medicaid patients a 1-year lifeline. These red states are rejecting it. * Foundation for Government Accountability: How CMS Can Block States From Abusing Exemptions To Medicaid Work Requirements * KFF Health News: Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work: An Update * Center for Reproductive Rights: Senate Confirms Anti-Abortion Extremist for Attorney General * The Guardian: Judge reprimands Trump lawyer but holds off on gag order ruling * Justice Connection: Fact Sheet on Todd Blanche’s Devastating Leadership at the Justice Department * New York City Bar: Opposition to Todd Blanche Nomination for U.S. Attorney General * The Hill: FDA approves some flavored vapes after reports of Trump pressure * The Hill: FDA authorizes 4 flavored nicotine pouches * NPR: Nicotine pouches can be marketed as ‘lower risk’ than cigarettes. Is that dangerous? * STAT: Senate inquiry suggests Trump administration softened kratom and tobacco policies in quid pro quo * AFGE Local 2883 on Instagram * MedPage Today: I Thought the CDC Shooting Was Rock Bottom. We’re Still Sinking. * CNN: One year after shooting, CDC workers say they still feel like targets Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pagingamerica Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe

    CDC in a Death Spiral
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About

Exploring the power, profit & politics shaping American health care with hosts Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson. New episodes every Thursday. www.pagingamerica.org

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  • Creator
    Paging America
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    88
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Paging America
  • Show Website
    Paging America

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