Why Should I Trust You?

Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
  • 4.4 (134)
  • News Commentary
  • Weekly

Why Should I Trust You? is a bold, unfiltered, weekly look at the collapse of public trust in science, medicine, public health, and AI. Every Thursday, we dig into what's behind that breakdown and whether there is common ground beneath our division.  Described as "truly excellent" in The New York Times, WSITY has drawn attention across America's divides, from being mentioned on Joe Rogan's podcast to NPR. We host conversations that cross political and cultural lines, bringing people together with the experts they no longer trust. Hosted by Brinda Adhikari (former EP of The Problem with Jon Stewart), Tom Johnson (former EP of The Circus, former TV news journalist), Dr. Maggie Bartlett (virologist and assistant research professor, University of Texas Medical Branch), and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (skin cancer surgeon and medical journalist).

  1. 1d ago

    MAHA-Backed Candidates Lost Big This Week. Is It Time For The Movement To Find a New Political Home?

    A blue wave, a political earthquake—and a crossroads for MAHA and American public health. Did health play a role in the midterm elections? Did the results expose the limits of MAHA's alliance with MAGA? And could the movement find an unlikely new political home with Democrats? With Democrats taking control of Congress, we ask whether the next two years will be defined by reform or retribution. Will lawmakers focus on investigating RFK Jr. and the Trump administration, or is there an opportunity to rethink public health, rebuild trust, and find common ground on pesticides, environmental health, and corporate accountability? We bring together five guests with different perspectives to unpack what the election means for MAHA, public health, and the future of America's health agenda. Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (seeing patients today) Guests: Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH — Epidemiologist and founder of Your Local Epidemiologist, a widely read newsletter translating public health research and policy for the public.Liz Hamel — Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research at KFF, where she leads polling on Americans' attitudes toward health care, health policy, and public health.Jeff Hutt — Former National Field Director for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign, sits on the board of the National Republican Liberty Caucus.Tiffany Cianci — Longtime MAHA advocate and Kennedy supporter who created the MAHA Scorecard, an assessment arguing that the Trump administration has failed to deliver on many of the movement's central promises. https://www.mahascorecard.com/read: How MAHA is Making Democrats Democrats Again https://whyshoulditrustyou.substack.com/p/how-maha-is-making-democrats-democrats?r=5vii9h&utm_medium=ios Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  2. Oct 30

    Can Americans Come Together to Fight the Next Pandemic? | WSITY Live at WashU Bursky

    Could America handle another pandemic? And what would we do differently this time? For our first-ever live taping of Why Should I Trust You?, recorded at Washington University's Bursky School of Public Health in St. Louis, we tried something different. We invented a hypothetical pandemic set in 2030 and invited four people with very different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to help America figure out how to respond. Here's the premise: A mysterious new virus is emerging. The economy is fragile, political divisions run deep, and public trust in institutions remains low. Our four guests have been called to Washington to advise the president. It's Friday afternoon, and by Monday morning, America needs a plan. As the conversation unfolds, we introduce new developments and complications—not just about the virus, but about the economic, political, cultural, and social realities of the country confronting it. Our panelists must weigh competing risks, draw on lessons from COVID, challenge one another's assumptions, and decide what they would recommend. Meanwhile, our live audience plays the role of the American public, responding to the panelists' ideas and raising questions of its own. While this is on its face a conversation about the next pandemic, it's really a conversation about our values, our competing priorities, and who we are as a country. What do we owe one another? How much risk are we willing to accept? Who gets to decide? And can we find a way forward when we don't all agree? We don't know where our guests will agree or disagree. That's part of the point. This is an experiment in what happens when people with different perspectives try to work through a national crisis together. MEET OUR PANELISTS Dr. Nahid Bhadelia is an infectious disease physician and founding director of Boston University's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases. She served as a senior policy adviser to the Biden White House on the global COVID-19 response and has worked on the front lines of Ebola outbreaks in Africa. David Zweig is an investigative journalist and author of An Abundance of Caution, which critically examines the evidence behind pandemic-era school closures and other COVID restrictions. Katherine Wells has served as public health director for Lubbock, Texas, since 2015. She led the city's response to COVID-19 and played a central role in responding to the 2025 West Texas measles outbreak. Before moving to Lubbock, she spent 14 years working at the Texas state health department. Jeff Hutt is a political organizer and former national field director for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign and sits on the board of the National Republican Liberty Caucus. His work focuses on civil liberties and grassroots political engagement. SPECIAL GUEST Dr. Sandro Galea is the inaugural dean of Washington University's Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky School of Public Health. A physician, epidemiologist, and author, he previously served as dean of Boston University's School of Public Health for a decade. His work focuses on the social forces that shape health and on reimagining the role of public health in society. **Recorded live at the WashU Bursky School of Public Health, St. Louis, Missouri, October 27, 2026. See it on YT: https://youtu.be/ZCWQ-qJT5pQ?si=DrU0aanBGbOO_Mit Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  3. Oct 29

    Americans Are Mad As Hell About Healthcare Costs. What’s Actually Standing In the Way of Lower Bills?

    Americans are mad as hell about healthcare costs. Premiums, deductibles, copays, prescription drugs, medical debt—the bills keep piling up, and voters are demanding relief. Politicians are offering big promises, from Medicare for All to restoring Medicaid and ACA subsidies to cracking down on fraud and waste. But how much of that would actually lower what Americans pay for healthcare—and how soon? Do we need sweeping political reforms, or are there practical ways to bring down patients' bills right now? And could the way we keep debating healthcare actually be protecting the status quo? We're joined by Cornell University's Jamila Michener, Rice University's Vivian Ho, and KFF's Liz Hamel to unpack what makes healthcare so expensive, who bears the burden, and what it would actually take to make it more affordable. Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Dr. Mark Abdelmalek Guests: Jamila Michener is a professor of Government and Public Policy at Cornell University and director of its Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures. Her research examines poverty, racial inequality, healthcare policy, and political power. She is the author of Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism, and Unequal Politics. Vivian Ho is a health economist and the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice University, where she is also a professor of economics. Her research focuses on healthcare costs, hospital pricing, market competition, and how economic incentives shape the quality and affordability of care. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Liz Hamel is senior vice president and director of Public Opinion and Survey Research at KFF, where she oversees the organization's national polling on healthcare. With 25 years of experience in public opinion research, she studies Americans' experiences with the healthcare system, their concerns about affordability, and their views on healthcare policy. Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  4. Oct 22

    Why Is There So Much Cancer In Iowa? A Conversation w Chris Jones, Democratic Ag Candidate & MAHA Supporter Courtney Hunt

    As the midterms approach, a distinctive issue is animating races up and down the ballot in Iowa: rising cancer rates and growing concerns about the safety of the state’s drinking water. Iowa has one of the highest cancer rates in the nation, and voters are asking hard questions about the state’s water, soil, and agricultural practices. With Election Day almost here, water has emerged as one of the top issues Iowa voters cite in polling. This week, we’re joined by retired water scientist and Democratic candidate for Iowa agriculture secretary Chris Jones, and Iowa mom and MAHA supporter Courtney Hunt. We explore whether voters are ready to demand change, and what that could mean for Iowa’s farmers, who are already facing mounting economic pressures. Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Guests: Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa, retired water scientist Courtney Hunt: social worker; Iowa resident; former Kennedy campaign volunteer; MAHA supporter Information about our live taping at WashU Bursky School of Public Health, Oct 27th, 5pET. Live stream link:  https://wustl.zoom.us/j/93933475249?pwd=E9uuw64sJakba6OW3CCCTfPI4ROZ9v.1 More about the event: https://publichealth.washu.edu/event/live-podcast-taping-of-why-should-i-trust-you/ Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  5. Oct 15

    What's Actually Behind Our National Rage Over Data Centers? A Conversation w Community Organizers & Researchers

    With the midterms just three weeks away, communities across the country are pushing back against the construction of new AI data centers. In a deeply divided America, opposition to these massive facilities is emerging across party lines: seven in ten Americans say they oppose an AI data center being built near them. Today, we bring together Midwestern residents on the front lines of this fight, along with researchers examining the electricity demands and potential health impacts of these facilities. AI data centers promise jobs and investment, but they also raise very real questions about who bears the costs, who reaps the benefits, and who gets to decide what's best for a community.  We often hear that resistance to the centers is really about worry over AI. In our discussion, we discuss how much of that is true and how much of this is about anger over elected officials seen as siding with corporations over people.  Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Dr. Mark Abdelmalek Guests: Stuart Day is a community organizer with Ohio Valley Allies and host of the Exposure podcast, covering environmental and industrial issues in the Ohio Valley. Drew Kassel is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin studying energy systems and the electricity demands of data centers. Montre Moore is a Milwaukee community advocate involved in local debates over data center development and its effects on residents. Vina Colley is a longtime environmental activist in Piketon, Ohio, where a massive AI data center campus is proposed near the former Portsmouth uranium enrichment plant. Natalie Armstrong, is a PhD candidate in environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, looking at the environmental & public health impacts of data centers. Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  6. Oct 12

    Special Ep: Our Conversation w Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed: On Challenging Trump & RFK Jr. While Reaching Their Supporters

    Our guest is Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the Senate in Michigan, one of the key races in the battle for control of the Senate. A physician and former public health director, El-Sayed is making health a centerpiece of his campaign. Along with advocating for Medicare for All, he’s unveiled a new agenda targeting pesticides, polluters, and microplastics, while expanding access to healthier food, issues that overlap with goals of the MAHA movement. So can a progressive Democrat find common ground and build trust with MAHA voters? And how does he address concerns among some Democrats and traditional public health advocates who view the movement, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the Trump administration as undermining trust in vaccines, scientific research, and public health itself? At a time when trust in politicians and institutions is deeply strained, how can El-Sayed convince voters that his agenda can make health care more affordable and help build a healthier country? Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Dr. Mark Abdelmalek Guest: Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate running for Senate in Michigan Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  7. Oct 8

    Institutions Are Losing the Battle for Attention. Here’s How to Get Back in the Arena: A Conversation w Researcher Renée DiResta

    Researcher and author Renée DiResta has spent years studying how influence works online, including the power dynamics that determine which voices get heard and which ones have influence. In a new report she co-authored, DiResta not only digs into the transformation from old media to new, but also examines how institutions need to rethink their approach to communication. Which brings us to a bigger question: What happens when institutional authority itself is no longer enough to earn people’s attention or trust? The old system, in which institutions such as universities, government agencies, think tanks, and nonprofits could rely on mainstream media gatekeepers to relay their insights and messages, has been upended. Today, as influence and attention have shifted toward individual creators, online communities, and influencers, those same institutions (along with their expertise) must find ways to enter these new arenas or risk becoming irrelevant. In this episode, DiResta wrestles with how institutions can make headway and rebuild trust in this new world while staying true to their core missions. Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off) Guest: Renée DiResta is an associate research professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, where she studies influence, propaganda, online information systems and institutional resilience. She previously served as research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory and is the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality. Her latest work, co-authored for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, examines how institutions must adapt to a radically changed media environment—and rethink how they earn attention, influence and legitimacy. Link to the report: https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2026/08/nonprofit-organizations-how-to-engage-social-media-new-media-strategy Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

  8. Oct 2

    Special Ep: Who Gets to Decide What Science Gets Funded? Inside the Fight Over NIH: A Conversation w Sudip Parikh & Michael Green

    Today we ask: When it comes to spending taxpayer dollars on scientific research, how much should elected politicians decide what gets funded,  and how much should be decided by scientists and those who lead our health agencies?  Where should the line be between supporting the best scientific questions and the ones that our elected leaders think are best? Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett Dr. Mark Abdelmalek Guests: Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Executive Publisher of the Science family of journals. 2001 to 2009, he served as science advisor to the Republican leadership on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he was responsible for negotiating budgets for the NIH and several of the other health agencies. Michael Green, a population health researcher and a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His work includes examining how people's experiences of unfair treatment in health care affect their health. Michael is one of the researchers who filed a class-action lawsuit this month alleging the NIH is using keyword searches to flag grants for things like DEI and gender, and to cut or force changes to those grants.  Thanks for listening! If you like us, please leave a review, rate us, and please subscribe!  Got questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at questions@whyshoulditrustyou.net

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About

Why Should I Trust You? is a bold, unfiltered, weekly look at the collapse of public trust in science, medicine, public health, and AI. Every Thursday, we dig into what's behind that breakdown and whether there is common ground beneath our division.  Described as "truly excellent" in The New York Times, WSITY has drawn attention across America's divides, from being mentioned on Joe Rogan's podcast to NPR. We host conversations that cross political and cultural lines, bringing people together with the experts they no longer trust. Hosted by Brinda Adhikari (former EP of The Problem with Jon Stewart), Tom Johnson (former EP of The Circus, former TV news journalist), Dr. Maggie Bartlett (virologist and assistant research professor, University of Texas Medical Branch), and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (skin cancer surgeon and medical journalist).

Information

  • Creator
    Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    124
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Why Should I Trust You?
  • Show Website
    Why Should I Trust You?

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