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Why Should I Trust You?
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…
Episodes
- Why Should I Trust You?
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…
- Why Should I Trust You?
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…
- Why Should I Trust You?
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…
- Why Should I Trust You?
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…
- Why Should I Trust You?
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…
- Why Should I Trust You?
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…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Measles Is Spreading: Beyond the Fighting, What's Helping People On the Ground? We Talk w a Midwife, a Doctor, a Public Health Leader & a Journalist
This year is shaping up to be the worst in three decades for measles cases. The biggest case count is in Pennsylvania, home to the country’s largest outbreak…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Experts Say AI Could Kill Us. Why Should We Trust Them? A Conversation w Jennifer Reich, Stephen Witt & Rachael Bedard
AI’s story feels like it's gotten a lot scarier. Some people in the tech world building AI now say it poses a meaningful risk of catastrophic harm, or even…
- Why Should I Trust You?
RFK Jr.’s Former Campaign Adviser Charles Eisenstein: On MAHA & The Kind of Candidates America Needs
Charles Eisenstein was a senior adviser and speechwriter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 presidential campaign and an early architect of the ideas…
- Why Should I Trust You?
What Happens If Your AI Is the Better Doctor? A Conversation w Dr. Robert Wachter & Dr. Dhruv Khullar
A debate has broken out in medicine and tech over what the role of AI should be. Is it a useful tool for doctors to consult when making a diagnosis, or, given…
- Why Should I Trust You?
What Is MAHA Right Now -- Is It Working? A Conversation About the Future of MAHA w A Group of Its Supporters
It’s been two years since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald Trump and forged an unlikely alliance between the Make America Healthy Again movement and MAGA…
- Why Should I Trust You?
What Lindsay Clancy's Story Does & Doesn't Tell Us About How We Care For Patients: A Conversation w Drs. Julia Riddle, Anne Zink & Bryan Shapiro
Has the Lindsay Clancy trial quickly become a proxy for something larger? — arguments about psychiatry and medication, motherhood and mental illness, personal…
- Why Should I Trust You?
"It's Time For a New Public Health Led By Radical Engagement": A Conversation w Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of WashU Bursky School of Public Health
That’s the challenge facing Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the brand-new Bursky School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. It is the first major…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Public Health, Docs, MAHA Mom React to Trump's Vaccine EO: We Speak w Drs. Deb Houry, Craig Spencer, Joel Warsh + Nancy Fuller
Dr. Debra Houry, the former CDC chief medical officer; emergency physician Dr. Craig Spencer; pediatrician and author Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh; and MAHA…
- Why Should I Trust You?
The Heat Is Killing Us. So Why Are We Beefing About Air Conditioning? We Chat w Noah Smith, Thomas Chatterton Williams & David Wallace-Wells
What if one of the biggest public health debates of the next decade isn't about vaccines, Ozempic, or chronic disease? What if it's about air conditioning? The…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Katelyn Jetelina & David Wallace-Wells: On Anthony Fauci & the National Covid Reckoning That Never Happened
Few figures in America are as polarizing as Dr. Anthony Fauci. To some, he is the veteran scientist who helped steer the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic…
- Why Should I Trust You?
"I Used to Trust Vaccines. In the Next Pandemic, I Wouldn't." Five Americans Explain What Changed
If a new pandemic struck tomorrow and scientists developed a vaccine in record time, would you take it? In this episode, we hear from a group of friends of the…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Dr Robert Malone and Dr Craig Spencer: On Ebola, On ACIP, On Malone's Break w MAHA and On Kennedy
Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Craig Spencer are two influential voices on health in America today, reaching very different audiences. And it's no secret that on…
- Why Should I Trust You?
What Happened w USAID? Rhetoric, Reality & Real World Impact w Former USAID Leaders Andrew Natsios & Jeremy Konyndyk
One year ago, the Trump administration dismantled USAID, America's largest foreign aid agency. The administration argued the agency had become wasteful…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Two Farmers Walk Into The Oval Office. What Happens Next Surprises Them. A Conversation On the Future of Farming w Jonathan Lundgren and Will Harris
On the very day the Supreme Court handed a major legal victory to Bayer Monsanto, a ruling backed by the Trump administration but viewed by many in the MAHA…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Can Understanding Libertarianism Help Explain Our Health Politics? A Conversation w Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason Magazine
It’s almost Independence Day, and we’re exploring one of the most influential political philosophies in America: libertarianism. In the age of medical freedom…
- Why Should I Trust You?
"We Will Fight Back": Leading MAHA & Dem Voices React To SCOTUS Ruling On Monsanto. Sen. Booker, Rep. Pingree, Zen Honeycutt, Rep. Tim Ryan & Kelly Ryerson Join Us
Democratic Senator Cory Booker, Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, MAHA leaders Zen Honeycutt and Kelly Ryerson, and former Congressman Tim Ryan join us…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Don't Just Fact-Check Misinformation. First, Understand The Value It Holds. A Conversation w Researchers Michael Simeone & Kristy Roschke
Fighting misinformation is seen as one of the defining challenges of our time. The term itself can be polarizing. And what if we're thinking about it all…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation with Dr. Mehmet Oz: On the Erosion of Trust in Experts, Rethinking Safety Nets & Fraud
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is our guest today. He oversees the government programs that provide health coverage…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Sen. Cory Booker: On Our Health, Corrosive Money in Politics & America’s Urgent Moment. A Message to MAHA, RFK Jr & His Own Party.
Senator Cory Booker joins us for a conversation about our dire chronic health crisis, the corrosive effects of corporate money in our politics, the power of…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Gen Z On AI: Promise, Populism, Anger & Hope. How Do They Wish Older Gens Spoke About AI?
Today, we're widening our lens to take on AI and trust because just like public health, science, and medicine, AI is becoming a trust minefield. As trust in…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Is Parkinson’s A Preventable Disease? A Conversation w Dr. Ray Dorsey & Steve Brandenburg On Paraquat & Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s Disease is rising worldwide. It is the fastest-growing neurological disease in the world and is being called a “slow-motion epidemic.” And there is…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w MAHA Supporters & Public Health Veterans: On Thomas Massie + Cuts To USAID Amid An Ebola Outbreak
We’ve got a major news-driven episode today, focused on two stories that hit home for two big parts of our audience: MAHA and public health. First, the…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: A Conversation w Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Lead Reporter for the NYT Covering RFK Jr. & MAHA In An Era of Mistrust
We are joined today by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, one of the country’s leading health reporters and a correspondent for The New York Times, covering Robert F…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Are MAHA & Public Health Going About Change All Wrong? A Conversation w Organizational Transformation Author Greg Satell
The one thing Americans seem to agree on these days is that our systems need to change. But what actually creates meaningful change? For some, it means tearing…
- Why Should I Trust You?
The Most MAHA Democrat We've Met: A Conversation w Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) On A New Politics in America
Tim Ryan, the moderate, 10-term Democratic congressman from Ohio's Rust Belt, has pushed for a different conversation for years: one that reimagines America’s…
- Why Should I Trust You?
The Movement v Monsanto: Our Conversations w Rep. Thomas Massie (R), Sen. Cory Booker (D) & MAHA Influencers Alex Clark & Del Bigtree
Hosts: Brinda Adhikari Tom Johnson Maggie Bartlett (producer) Dr. Mark Abdelmalek (seeing patients) Guests: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Sunday Special: As Higher Ed Research Falls Short on Impact, Here’s a Fix. A Conversation w Behavioral Scientist Daniel Max Crowley
Trust in higher education is slipping, with a growing number of Americans questioning whether universities are delivering value beyond their walls (and ivory…
- Why Should I Trust You?
The Healthcare Fraud Debate: Are We Actually Mad At the Same Thing? A Convo w Trump/MAHA Supporters + Medicaid Experts
Today, we are delving into the subject of healthcare fraud. The Trump administration has elevated it into a major political issue. When it comes to Medicaid…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: A Conversation w the President of Moderna, Dr. Stephen Hoge On Building Back Trust Post-Covid
Today, we’re joined by Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, the biotech company that helped make mRNA a household name during the pandemic, producing a…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Why a Health Equity Researcher Says His Field Is A Broken “Industrial Complex”: A Conversation w Dr. Jerel Ezell
It's an episode full of news: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s move to counter the federal judge who ruled his handpicked vaccine advisory committee lacked the…
- Why Should I Trust You?
No Episode This Week! We're Taking a Week Off. But Here is Our Full Theme Song!
We are taking a few days off! We'll be back with a new episode on Thursday April 16. We love our theme song, so here it is in full. Enjoy! xo, WSITY team…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Is Our Overuse of Plastics Causing Fertility Issues? A Conversation w Dr. Shanna Swan and Dr. Jasmine McDonald
Today, we’re diving into a new Netflix documentary, The Plastic Detox, which follows six couples trying to conceive and what happens when they attempt to…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Polling-palooza: Is Health the Driving Issue of These Midterms? A Conversation w Pollsters from KFF, Navigator Research + A MAHA Supporter
With the midterm elections approaching, health care is emerging as a central issue. So today, we’ve gathered a group of top-notch pollsters to help us…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: Meet the Democrats Working w MAHA: A Conversation w Reps. McGovern & Pingree w MAHA Activist Kelly Ryerson
Today, we explore an unlikely alliance. The Make America Healthy Again movement is nearly always associated with MAGA and the Republican Party. But on one…
- Why Should I Trust You?
ACIP Chair Dr. Kirk Milhoan Returns to Talk Court Order Stopping Their Work + A Group Conversation On Covid Vax Injuries
In today’s episode, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, the chair of the influential ACIP, returns to our show. In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss his reaction to major…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Measles in America: Who Actually Are the Unvaccinated? A Conversation w Health Workers from Spartanburg, SC and West Texas
Measles has returned to the United States in a way we haven’t seen in more than a quarter-century. The outbreak in South Carolina follows one in West Texas…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Why Should We Trust GLP-1s? An Honest Conversation About Fighting Chronic Disease w Drs. Dhruv Khullar, Rachael Bedard & Mariela Glandt
GLP-1 drugs are being hailed as “miracle” treatments for obesity and diabetes, two of the biggest drivers of America’s chronic disease crisis. Nearly 30…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: On the NIH, CDC, Funding, DEI & His Vision For Doing Science
Our guest today is Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
- Why Should I Trust You?
"We're Not Going Anywhere": Major MAHA Voices Zen Honeycutt, Kelly Ryerson & Jenna McCarthy On the Glyphosate EO + the Future of MAHA
In the wake of the President's executive order on glyphosate, the herbicide widely used on American farms and long derided by MAHA, there is intense focus on…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: What the Heck Just Happened with Moderna & the FDA? A Conversation w The Atlantic's Ben Mazer
Now, some of you may have heard the recent headlines that the FDA refused to review Moderna’s application for its new flu vaccine … a vaccine that uses mRNA…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w A Group of Black Women - From Public Health, Medicine & MAHA - About Health & Mistrust In America
Today, we bring together a group of Black women with a wide range of perspectives — from mainstream public health and medicine to MAHA and everything in…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Invivyd's Marc Elia + Dr. Michael Mina: On Monoclonal Antibodies, Treatment v Prevention, and Giving Patients Options
You might remember monoclonal antibodies from the height of the pandemic, when President Trump and later Joe Rogan revealed they'd been treated with them for…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Dr Sue Kressly, AAP: On Tension w HHS, Boycotting ACIP, Pharma Influence and On a Path Forward
In today’s episode, we focus on a battle underway between two institutions that have long worked side by side. On one side: the Department of Health and Human…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Bret Weinstein, Craig Spencer, Rachael Bedard & Aaron Everitt: On Minneapolis, Covid, Tyranny & Shared Values
The deadly shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has become a flashpoint in the national conversation. It feels like an…
- Why Should I Trust You?
A Conversation w Dr. Kirk Milhoan, Chair of ACIP: On Sec. Kennedy, Trust & The Future of America’s Vaccines
Dr. Kirk Milhoan, chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), is our guest today. ACIP sets America’s vaccine policy, and since Robert F…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: A Conversation w Leading MAHA Activist Kelly Ryerson On the EPA & On the "Jump Ball" For Either Party
Today, we’re joined by Kelly Ryerson, known to many as the “Glyphosate Girl”. Ryerson is a leading grassroots voice inside the MAHA movement focused on…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: On New Dietary Guidelines, Conflicts of Interest & Food Science w Nutrition Experts DeeDee Tobias, Kevin Klatt & Ty Beal
With the new federal nutrition guidelines out — and the old food pyramid effectively turned on its head — we dig into what this moment is really about. Where…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Have Institutions - Including Public Health - Lost Touch w Working Class Americans? A Conversation w Vivek Chibber & Dr. Craig Spencer
Today, we’re joined by sociologist Vivek Chibber, the provocative scholar and social critic who has a pointed critique of the modern day Left. The host of the…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Special Ep: Denmark, Why Are We So Obsessed w You? A Conversation w Danish & American Doctors On Vaccines
We delve into the CDC’s move to recommend fewer vaccines in the childhood immunization schedule, one of the most significant steps taken by the Kennedy…
- Why Should I Trust You?
MAHA Supporters Talking w Doctors: On the New Vaccine Schedule, On Informed Consent & On Being a Doctor in America Today
Welcome to Season 2! As the new year gets underway, we’re looking inside America’s exam rooms. We’ve brought together a group of traditional, allopathic…
- Why Should I Trust You?
The Kids Are Not All Right. Should We Be Looking At Their School Day? A Conversation w NYT writer Jia Lynn Yang
**This will be our last episode in 2025! We will be back in early January 2026! Have a happy holiday season and a huge thank you for listening!!** Are our…
- Why Should I Trust You?
The ACIP Turning Point: A Rallying Cry For A New Era of Public Health. A Talk w Drs. Craig Spencer, Rachael Bedard & Michael Mina
Welcome to a new era for public health. In the wake of RFK Jr.’s ACIP committee making its first major change to America’s childhood vaccine schedule—ending…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Dr. Francis Collins w MAHA Supporters & Public Health: A Conversation About Faith, Vaccines, & Trust in Experts
It’s a newsy week for public health and medicine, with potential changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and a senior health agency official raising alarming…
- Why Should I Trust You?
Thanksgiving Day Special: We Each Talk About An Episode That Stuck With Us
**We taped this episode earlier this week. Happy Thanksgiving. *** On this Thanksgiving, we each reflect on an episode that struck us. We are so grateful to…