Why Should I Trust You?

• On Shared Reality, Epstein & Epistemic Collapse: A Conversation w Eliot Higgins, Emily Jashinsky & Astead Herndon

  Today, we’re talking about a different kind of health: the health of our media and information diet. What information we consume, how we consume it, and whether today’s social media ecosystem has become so toxic that it threatens not only our well-being, but the health of our democracy itself.It’s no secret that trust in mass media has plunged to an all-time low, with the old top-down model of journalism—where a handful of outlets controlled the flow of information—losing its authority. So we’ve invited three major voices who operate on the front lines of this shift: Astead Herndon, formerly of The New York Times and now at Vox; Emily Jashinsky, of Breaking Points and now part of Megyn Kelly’s media offerings; and Eliot Higgins, founder of the investigative collective Bellingcat, who warns that in this fractured landscape where we can’t even agree on basic facts, democracy isn’t just wobbling; it’s breaking down.Today we ask: Are we in a crisis? If so, what will it take to secure the “information supply chains” that a functioning democracy depends on? And finally, if we can get things back on the rails, could this new, more democratized media ecosystem with individuals, not institutions, driving the flow of information, possibly lead us to a better, more trusted place?We talk Iraq War, 2016 and 2024 Elections, Covid, Epstein, and so much more. HostsBrinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie Bartlett (off this week)Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (off this week)Guests: Eliot Higgins, founder,  Bellingcat, an open source investigative journalism networkEmily Jashinsky, host, After Party; Megyn Kelly wrap-up show; co-host Breaking Points; writes for UnHerdAstead Herndon, editorial director and host, Vox; former national political reporter The New York TimesSource:Verification, Deliberation, Accountability: A New Framework for Tackling Epistemic Collapse and Renewing Democracyhttps://demos.co.uk/research/verification-deliberation-accountability-a-new-framework-for-tackling-epistemic-collapse-and-renewing-democracy/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 [email protected]

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• CHD Part 3 of 3: Reflections from the WSITY Team + Conversations w MAHA Parents About Being At CHD

  In the final installment of our series from the Children’s Health Defense conference in Austin, we sit down for candid, face-to-face conversations with attendees. They share their life stories, talk about their thoughts on vaccines, on why RFK Jr. resonates with them, and why they came to Austin.We also reflect on our own experience: Why did we go? What did we learn about the MAHA movement and the extent of the mistrust in science and medicine today? And, ultimately, what have we learned about both the potential and limits of opening up a dialogue across our great health divide today? Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie BartlettDr. Mark AbdelmalekGuests:Audrey Trepiccione, midwifeTina Siemens, founder, West Texas Living Heritage Museum, https://wtlhm.com/Len Arcuri, host Autism Parenting Secrets podcast and a Strategic Parenting AdvisorAutismParentingSecrets.comElevateHowYouNavigate.comThanks 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 [email protected]

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• Children's Health Defense Series Part 2 of 3: A Lively Conversation w Major MAHA Figure Del Bigtree

  In part two of our three-part series from the Children’s Health Defense conference in Austin, we sit down with one of the most influential figures in the MAHA movement: Del Bigtree.A longtime ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Bigtree is a singular presence—an expert communicator, storyteller, and filmmaker with a reach of tens of millions. To fans and supporters, he’s a charismatic fighter taking on the chronic illness crisis and exposing corruption. His critics say he is a spreader of anti-vaccine misinformation.We discuss politics, the future goals of MAHA, America's vaccine policies, bodily autonomy, and activism. It is a free-wheeling, occasionally raucous, but respectful conversation with one of the most important voices in MAHA today. Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie BartlettDr. Mark AbdelmalekGuest host: Elizabeth Frost, MAHA Ohio; Independent Force ConsultingGuest:Del Bigtree, founder and head of Informed Consent Action Network; former director of communications for Robert F Kennedy Jr's presidential campaign; founder, host High WireThanks 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 [email protected]

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• Live from Children's Health Defense Part 1 of 3: A Conversation w Dr. Bret Weinstein, Dr. Pierre Kory and Dr. Craig Spencer

  We’re on the road this week, coming to you from Austin, Texas, at the Children’s Health Defense 2025 conference. Yes, that Children’s Health Defense: the influential organization founded and once led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now the country’s top health official. Critics say CHD is one of the most outspoken anti-vaccine groups in America and a major source of misinformation. Supporters say it is fighting to eliminate toxic exposures and protect kids in an era of rising chronic disease. Our central question: Is there any space—any at all—for common ground? Or are the chasms simply too deep?In the first of a series of episodes from the conference, we sit down with two of its most influential voices: Dr. Bret Weinstein, evolutionary biologist, author of A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, and host of the DarkHorse Podcast, and Dr. Pierre Kory, critical care and pulmonary specialist, and author of The War on Ivermectin.We have an honest, no-holds-barred conversation about the breakdown in trust on all sides; what it means to live in a world of competing “facts” and data; whether standards of care help or hinder doctors; and, most importantly, whether respectful dialogue can help rebuild trust in one another. We bring them together with doctors from more traditional public health with more CHD/MAHA supporting doctors. Take a listen.  Guests:Dr. Craig Spencer is an emergency medicine physician and public health professor at Brown University.  He worked on front lines during the COVID outbreak in New York City and now focuses his work on global health, humanitarianism, pandemic preparedness and the impact of COVID-19 on health systems.Link: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/cspenc10Dr. Pierre KoryDr. Pierre Kory is a physician trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine who gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for his advocacy of off-label treatments, including ivermectin. He now runs The Leading Edge Clinic where he works as a Certified Tribal Practitioner where he focuses on long COVID and post- vaccine injury.Link: https://drpierrekory.com/Brett Weinstein, PhDBrett Weinstein, PhD, is an evolutionary biologist, author, and co-host of the podcast, The DarkHorse, which aims to explore science, culture, and human nature with a goal of making scientific thinking more accessible for everyone.Link: https://www.bretweinstein.net/about-bret-weinsteinThanks 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 [email protected]

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• School Vaccine Requirements: Are We Even Talking About This The Right Way? A Conversation w Sociologist Jennifer Reich

  School vaccine requirements have long been the backbone of America’s public health, keeping vaccination rates high for decades. Every state mandates that children be up to date on routine vaccinations to attend public school, and every state allows medical exemptions—most also allow religious or philosophical ones. But just weeks ago, Florida—and now Idaho—said “no more,” insisting parents must have ultimate control over what goes into their child’s body. Are these the first dominoes to fall?Today, we’re having an honest—and yes, uncomfortable—conversation about why some parents are questioning the vaccine schedule and the mandates. Should public health hold the line? Is there a way to respect individual choice without dismantling a system that’s protected us for generations? And can these mandates survive a movement that sees them as an affront to parental rights?Joining us is Jennifer Reich, author of Calling the Shots: Why Parents Reject Vaccines, who explores why some parents are seeking an individualized approach to vaccination and what that means for the community.Hosts:Brinda AdhikariTom JohnsonMaggie BartlettDr. Mark AbdelmalekGuest:Jennifer Reich; sociologist, Professor of Sociology University of Colorado-Denver; author Calling the Shots: Why Parents Reject Vaccines. 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 [email protected]

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