Paging America

Paging America

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. 1D AGO

    The Drug Price Reform Big Pharma Fears

    Miles is joined by emergency physician and Committee to Protect Health Care board member, Dr. Chris Ford, to break down the turmoil surrounding Surgeon General nominee Casey Means, whose ties to wellness influencers and sponsored health products are drawing criticism from across the medical community. They also examine RFK Jr.’s latest viral messaging campaign targeting Starbucks and Dunkin products. The conversation shifts to what Americans are actually worried about: rising health care costs. Later, special guest Virginia Delegate Karrie Delaney joins the show to discuss her effort to lower prescription drug prices in the Commonwealth. Delaney explains how Virginia lawmakers are advancing a new approach to prescription drug affordability, one designed to move faster than similar efforts in other states, and why she believes the reform could become a model for tackling drug costs nationwide. Background reading: * Rolling Stone: RFK Jr’s Pick For Surgeon General Cashed In Promoting Companies With a History of Unsafe Products * The Hill: RFK Jr. puts Dunkin’ on notice; Massachusetts governor says ‘come and take it’ * Newsweek: RFK Jr.’s Dunkin’ Plan Sparks Avalanche of Jokes, Memes * “Donut Tread on Me” meme on X * Newsweek: RFK Jr. Responds to Backlash Over Dunkin’ Comments * Newsweek: Dunkin’ Might Be RFK Jr.’s Most Difficult Battle Yet * The Washington Post: Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.’s politicization of research * The Washington Post: FDA scales back vision for drug it touted as possible treatment for autism * Annenberg Public Policy Center: Stark Divide: Americans More Confident in Career Scientists at U.S. Health Agencies Than Leaders * The Washington Post: A new poll shows who Americans trust over the CDC * NBC News: RFK Jr. vowed to restore public trust in health. It’s not working, a new survey suggests. * Navigator: Perceptions of Health Care in the Congressional Battleground * Delegate Karrie Delaney’s website is HERE * Delegate Karrie Delaney on X, Facebook, and Instagram * STAT: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board * REPRO Rising Virginia * The Virginia Independent: Virginia prescription drug affordability bill would lower costs of medicines * Ballotpedia: Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2026) * Virginia Mercury: Bedford County supervisor files suit challenging reproductive rights constitutional amendment * Dr. Chris Ford’s podcast Pulse Check: Wisconsin Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    52 min
  2. MAR 5

    Justice on the Ballot in Wisconsin

    Miles is joined by OB-GYN, Committee to Protect Health Care Board Chair, and health care advocate Dr. Kristin Lyerly to unpack another week in American health politics. They discuss the shaky confirmation prospects for Surgeon General nominee Casey Means, as well as the Texas Democratic Senate primary, where James Talarico’s victory could set up a race that determines control of the U.S. Senate. The conversation also dives into the latest round of headline-grabbing moves from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from controversial nutrition/affordability messaging to a bizarre government social media video, alongside a serious warning about new proposals that could push Affordable Care Act deductibles as high as $31,000 for families. Later in the episode, Miles and Dr. Lyerly speak with Judge Chris Taylor, a candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, about why her race could have major implications for reproductive rights, voting access, and the balance of power in the state and even the country. Taylor reflects on her decades-long career advocating for women and patients, from her work with Planned Parenthood to serving in the Wisconsin legislature and judiciary, and explains how the courts are increasingly becoming the last line of defense for fundamental rights. With a closely divided court and multiple elections ahead, Taylor argues the stakes for Wisconsin’s judiciary, and for democracy, have never been higher. Background reading: * POLITICO: Trump’s surgeon general pick, Casey Means, still lacks votes for confirmation * Sign the Committee’s letter to stop Casey Means from becoming Surgeon General: ProtectMed.org/caseymeans * AXIOS: James Talarico wins Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas * The New York Times: Three Reasons John Cornyn Is Fighting for His Political Life * Houston Public Media: AG Ken Paxton sues more out-of-state providers for allegedly shipping abortion pills to Texas * James Talarico on health care * Rep. James Talarico discusses health care costs, term limits in run for U.S. Senate * MedPage Today: RFK Jr. Says He Has ADHD * The Hill: RFK Jr. suggests buying liver or ‘cheap cuts’ instead of steak * RFK Jr. promotes fake action figure HERE * The Lancet: Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure * The New York Times: New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000 * The Orange County Register: CalOptima reports steep membership drop as providers brace for surge in uninsured patients * JD Vance blames rural hospital closures on Biden HERE * State Court Report: State Supreme Court Races to Watch in 2026 * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: In the Supreme Court race between Taylor and Lazar, ‘undecided’ leads * Marquette Today: New Marquette Law School Poll finds large majorities of Wisconsin voters undecided on candidates for state Supreme Court, governor * Spectrum News 1: State Supreme Court candidates look ahead to April election * PBS Wisconsin: Maria Lazar and Chris Taylor face off in the 2026 election for an open Wisconsin Supreme Court seat * Ballotpedia: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2026 * Donate to Judge Chris Taylor’s campaign HERE * Volunteer to help get out the vote for Judge Chris Taylor’s campaign HERE * Dr. Kristin Lyerly’s Substack is HERE Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    51 min
  3. FEB 26

    The Weird and Wild Casey Means Confirmation Hearing

    Miles and Dr. Rob break down the confirmation hearing of Surgeon General nominee Casey Means, and ask the uncomfortable question at the center of it: is she actually practicing medicine? From dodging questions on vaccines and the MMR shot to conflicts of interest tied to glucose monitors and supplement culture, the hearing revealed deep concerns about qualifications, transparency, and the future of public health messaging. Plus: Susan Collins’ surprising focus on magic mushrooms, and what it all says about the politics of “MAHA.” The hosts also unpack Trump’s latest health care claims during his State of the Union address, the looming Medicaid funding freeze in Minnesota, Dr. Oz’s appearance in the Epstein files, and a major shakeup in Wisconsin politics as rural hospitals close and longtime GOP leadership exits. As Republicans float an alternative to the WHO that would cost significantly more than current U.S. contributions, one question keeps surfacing: is this health policy — or political theater? Background reading: * The Hill: Senators grill surgeon general pick Casey Means on vaccines * The Hill: Trump’s surgeon general pick won’t urge vaccines for measles, flu, whooping cough * The Hill: Collins questions Casey Means on ‘magic mushroom’ use during confirmation hearing * Trump saying he’s “lifted 2.4 million Americans off of food stamps” is HERE * CNN: Fact check: Trump makes false claims about the economy, elections and crime in State of the Union * NPR: Read NPR’s annotated fact check of President Trump’s State of the Union * CNN: Trump wants to focus on health care in the midterms, creating headaches for the GOP * Navigator: Trump’s Priorities Still Seen as Out of Whack * Reuters: Senior US health official Oz invited Epstein to Valentine’s Day party, documents show * CNBC: Vance says administration is pausing some Medicaid funding to Minnesota because of fraud concerns * The Washington Post: After blasting WHO costs, Trump officials propose more expensive alternative * CNBC: FDA chief Marty Makary says ‘everything should be over the counter’ unless drug is unsafe or addictive * WISN: Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announces he won’t run for reelection * Wisconsin Public Radio: Issue of health care access hits close to home in western Wisconsin * WPSU: Bradford hospital submits closure notice. Ending emergency, inpatient and long-term care services by mid-2026 * POLITICO: FDA’s reversal on Moderna flu shot bid followed White House pressure * RFK Jr.’s statement justifying his support of Trump’s Exec. Order on glyphosate is HERE * AP: Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits * Toby Rogers on X * thereal_truther on X * Environmental Working Group: Trump’s glyphosate executive order a ‘big middle finger to every MAHA mom’ Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    50 min
  4. FEB 19

    Biohazard Bobby’s One-Year Anniversary

    Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson mark the one-year anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the helm of HHS, and take stock of the chaos. They begin with a sobering look at new research linking abortion restrictions to higher maternal mortality. The conversation also touches on staffing shakeups across federal health agencies and what it means for the stability of America’s public health infrastructure. Then, they count down RFK Jr.’s Top 10 “worst hits” of the year, from sewage swims and AI-generated health reports riddled with fake citations, to dismantling CDC leadership, promoting autism misinformation, slashing tens of thousands of staff, and undermining vaccine confidence nationwide. It’s a candid and often darkly humorous look at how ideology, chaos, and coalition politics are reshaping U.S. health policy, and what the long-term consequences could be. Background reading: * Bloomberg: Pregnant Women Die at Higher Rates When States Restrict Abortion * RFK Jr. says he snorted cocaine off of toilet seats on X * RFK Jr. and Kid Rock in the “Secretary Kennedy and Kid Rock’s ROCK OUT WORK OUT” video on X * California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office on X * Alyssa Farah Griffin, co-host of The View, on X * MedPage Today: Here’s How Many Jobs HHS Has Lost Since RFK Jr. Took Over * HHS: Secretary Kennedy Enhances Management Team to Accelerate President Trump’s Priorities and MAHA Agenda * The Washington Post: White House, RFK Jr. shake up health leadership after controversies * AXIOS: RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff * AXIOS: NIH director will also run CDC * The New York Times: Kennedy Allies Target States to Overturn Vaccine Mandates for Schoolchildren * POLITICO: RFK Jr.’s allies are trying to free anti-vaccine doctors to speak their minds * The New York Times: R.F.K. Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain * The New York Times: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sawed the Head Off a Whale and Drove It Home, Daughter Says * NPR: RFK Jr. admits to dumping a dead bear in Central Park, solving a decade-old mystery * PEOPLE: RFK Jr. Says Heroin Made Him a Top-of-Class Student in Resurfaced Clip: ‘It Worked for Me’ * NBC News: RFK Jr. goes swimming with grandchildren in contaminated D.C. creek * The New York Times: 100 Push-Ups and 50 Pull-Ups in Under 10 Minutes. What Could Go Wrong? * Daily Beast (via Yahoo! News): RFK Jr. Awkwardly Hauls Dr. Oz Up a Cliff in Bonkers MAHA Stunt * “The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again” report * CIDRAP: MAHA report on chronic disease in US kids includes fake citations, other errors * MedPage Today: U.S. Unveils New Dietary Guidelines * The Hill: Kennedy wants to end ‘war on saturated fats’ with new dietary guidelines * MedPage Today: RFK Jr. Pledged More Transparency. Here’s What the Public Doesn’t Know Anymore. * The New York Times: Several of Kennedy’s Dietary Advisers Have Ties to Meat and Dairy Interests * MedPage Today: Are Vaccine Panels at CDC, FDA ‘Plagued’ by Conflicts? Numbers Say No * STAT: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest * Public Citizen: MAHA, Means, Money – MAHA’s influence in US health care means big money for Big Wellness * Chemical & Engineering News: RFK Jr.’s claim that Tylenol causes autism has no backing * PBS News: Reupping unproven claims about Tylenol, Kennedy claims a link between circumcision and autism * HHS: President Trump, Secretary Kennedy Announce Bold Actions to Tackle Autism Epidemic * POLITICO: RFK Jr. says he directed CDC to remove claim that vaccines do not cause autism * BBC: RFK Jr pledges to find the cause of autism by September * MedPage Today: Here’s How Many Jobs HHS Has Lost Since RFK Jr. Took Over * POLITICO: The meeting that sparked Monarez’s dismissal * CBS News: Senior CDC officials resign after Monarez ouster, cite concerns over scientific independence * FIERCE Healthcare: RFK Jr. defends proposed HHS budget as Democrats slam cuts, gutting of CDC vaccine panel * The New York Times: The Disappearing Funds for Chronic Diseases * ABC News: RFK Jr. launches FDA review of abortion pill * Scientific American: The Abortion Pill Is Safe. Scientists Fear an FDA Investigation Will Ignore Science * The Atlantic: A Convenient Piece of Junk Science * The 19th: RFK Jr. says he wants to curb measles. His former nonprofit keeps undermining his message. * Politifact: No, the COVID-19 vaccine is not the deadliest vaccine ever made * CiDRAP: Annenberg poll shows drop in perceived safety of vaccines * CNBC: Kennedy defends Trump glyphosate order; MAHA erupts as midterms approach Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    54 min
  5. FEB 12

    MAHA Goes Prime Time

    Miles and Dr. Rob sort through another chaotic week in health politics. Dr. Oz urges all Americans to get the measles vaccine during a major outbreak, despite his boss, RFK Jr., spreading doubt about vaccine safety. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. pushes dubious claims about diet and mental illness. The hosts dig into Oz’s suggestion that Americans should work longer to stabilize federal programs, mounting frustration inside the AMA, and what MAHA’s Super Bowl ad reveals about the administration’s coalition-management strategy. Later, AXIOS health care reporter Maya Goldman joins to break down TrumpRx. The new site promises lower prescription drug costs but won’t benefit most Americans, especially those with health insurance. Who actually saves money, where generics fit in, and whether this is real reform or political branding, Goldman brings clarity to the rollout. Background reading: * Dr. Oz on CNN’s State of the Union with Dana Bash (measles vaccine portion begins at 7:45) * People: RFK Jr. Falsely Claims Measles Vaccine Contains ‘Fetus Debris,’ Asks CDC for New Treatment * CIDRAP: CDC’s FluView shows 8 more pediatric deaths as flu activity drops * The New York Times: Oz Offers Forceful Call for Vaccination as Measles Becomes More Dire * AP: Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine * Dr. Oz at the National Press Club * Bezinga (via Yahoo! Finance): Dr. Oz Says Americans Starting Work ‘Right Out Of High School’ Or Retiring One Year Later Would ‘More Than Remove’ The National Debt * Democratic National Committee: Dr. Oz Wants To Raise the Retirement Age to Fund Trump’s Tax Cuts for Billionaires * AMA Pres. Bobby Mukkamala’s Facebook post with RFK Jr. is HERE * POLITICO: A meeting with RFK Jr. set off recriminations inside doctors’ lobbying arm * Scientific American: RFK, Jr. just claimed the keto diet can cure schizophrenia. Here’s what the science says * RFK Jr. saying Trump lets him do thing nobody else ever would * WWLTV: Louisiana plans to sue California and New York over abortion pill cases * Gavin Newsom’s tweet responding to Louisiana AG Murrill * Super Bowl ad featuring Mike Tyson: Processed Food Kills, Eat Real Food * The New York Times: MAHA Group Pledges $1 Million to Help Defeat Senator Cassidy in Louisiana Primary * AXIOS: More than half of TrumpRx drugs have a cheaper alternative * AXIOS: Trump unveils TrumpRx discount drug site * The New York Times: Trump’s Online Drugstore Opens for Business * PRN Newswire: BlinkRx Welcomes Donald Trump Jr. to Board of Directors * STAT: TrumpRx has a fundamental flaw * US Senate Committee on Finance: Wyden Statement on TrumpRx Announcement * US Senate Committee on Finance: Wyden, Senate Democrats Blast Trump’s Drug Pricing Fraud, Lay Out Agenda for Lower Prices * Protect Our Care: Fact Sheet: 10 Reasons Why TrumpRx Is an Utter Joke * Maya Goldman’s work at AXIOS is HERE * Maya Goldman on LinkedIn * Maya Goldman on X * Maya Goldman on Bluesky * Sign up for the free Axios Vitals newsletter at https://www.axios.com/signup/vitals Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    56 min
  6. FEB 5

    ICE in Hospitals & the Trump Rx Grift

    Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson break down a cascade of political decisions and enforcement actions that are actively reshaping American health care. The episode covers new reporting on ICE disrupting care inside hospitals, Democratic senators raising alarms about the legality of Trump’s “TrumpRx” prescription drug platform, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reconsidering all vaccine recommendations amid rising anti-vaccine influence. The hosts also examine the latest Epstein file releases and what they reveal about the growing overlap between wellness influencers, media power, and political hypocrisy. The show also checks back in with Dr. Erin Stevens, an OB-GYN in the Twin Cities and a leading voice speaking out against ICE activity in medical settings. Dr. Stevens shares an on-the-ground update from Minnesota as the ICE surge continues, discusses how fear is keeping pregnant patients from critical care, and calls on hospital systems and professional organizations to more forcefully defend patients and providers. Background reading: * AP: ICE claim that a man shattered his skull running into wall triggers tension at a Minnesota hospital * The 19th: Fear of ICE is keeping pregnant immigrants in Minnesota from critical care * Verite News: A pregnant mother in ICE detention says she’s bleeding — and hasn’t seen a doctor in weeks * KFF Health News: ‘I Can’t Tell You’: Attorneys, Relatives Struggle To Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees * Democratic Congressional leaders’ letter listing their ten “guardrails” for ICE * TrumpRx website * Sign the Committee’s open letter calling for legislation to restore hospitals as sensitive locations, free from the presence of ICE and other federal agents → ProtectMed.org/ICEoutofHospitals * MedPage Today: TrumpRx May Not Be Legal in Its Current Form, Senators Contend * STAT: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog * PharmaVoice: Why TrumpRx is stumbling before it gets off the ground * The Guardian: US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations * The Hill: Trump says latest release of Epstein files ‘absolves’ him * Peter Attia’s “apology”on X * The Atlantic: The Longevity Influencer Who Went Into ‘Withdrawal’ Without Jeffrey Epstein * The Cut: The Celebrity Doctor in the Epstein Files (non-paywalled version is HERE) * Variety: CBS News Contributor Peter Attia Under Fire After Latest Epstein File Disclosures * The Daily Beast: CBS News’ Star Hire Hung With Epstein as Baby Son Fought for Life * The Guardian: A ‘wellness bro’, a cosmologist and an RFK Jr crony: meet Bari Weiss’s new CBS News contributors * Los Angeles Times: Longevity guru Peter Attia keeps CBS News role despite showing up in Epstein files Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    44 min
  7. JAN 29

    Doctors Fight Back Against ICE

    Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson confront the expanding role of ICE and DHS in and around hospitals, and the growing consequences for public health. The conversation begins in Minneapolis, where the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents has shattered official narratives and forced a national reckoning. The show takes a tour of the Midwest with guest ER physician Dr. Chris Ford from Milwaukee, WI, who describes how hospitals are preparing for ICE in a similar way to how they once prepared for COVID, bracing for fear-driven no-shows, delayed dialysis and other life-saving treatments, and collapsing trust. Then, in Columbus, OH, with guest OB-GYN and state representative Dr. Anita Somani, who details how immigration enforcement is already disrupting prenatal care and routine medicine, while lawmakers and medical institutions struggle and often fail to respond with moral clarity. The episode closes with a warning about the broader health policy landscape, including RFK Jr.’s HHS and a CDC advisory chair openly questioning the value of polio and measles vaccines, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy’s actions lately, and Elon Musk’s medical robots. Background reading: * The New York Times: White House Use of ‘Domestic Terrorist’ Doesn’t Match Legal Reality * Stephen Miller calling Alex Petti an assassin on X * The New York Times: Bovino Set to Leave Minnesota as Trump Shakes Up Crackdown Leadership * POLITICO: Border Patrol agents involved in Minnesota shooting of Alex Pretti placed on administrative leave * POLITICO: Third ‘No Kings’ nationwide protest planned for March * The Center Square: Walz deploys 1,500 National Guard troops in Twin Cities * City of Minneapolis: City requests MN National Guard to help with staffing after 3rd shooting by federal agents * CBS News: Minnesota National Guard hands out donuts, coffee to protesters in Minneapolis * The New York Times: Democrats Vow Not to Fund ICE After Shooting, Imperiling Spending Deal * The Washington Post: GOP backlash on Minnesota signals a tougher landscape for Trump * AMA statement on immigration enforcement at hospitals * Sign the Committee’s open letter calling for legislation to restore hospitals as sensitive locations, free from the presence of ICE and other federal agents → ProtectMed.org/ICEoutofHospitals * The Hill: Chair of CDC’s vaccine panel questions need for polio vaccines, citing personal autonomy * POLITICO: A US return to the World Health Organization could hinge on whether Trump approves of its next leader * The Guardian: What is Nipah virus? Key things to know about the disease amid cases in India * Examples of Sen. Bill Cassidy doing something right are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE * The New York Magazine: The Superhuman President’ A good-faith attempt to ascertain the truth about Donald Trump’s health * PEOPLE: Donald Trump Addresses His Father’s Alzheimer’s in New Health Interview, Saying Fred Had ‘What Do They Call It?’ * Elon Musk saying going to medical school is now “pointless” * Noah Wyle skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. 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

    1h 10m

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