The Present Illness
Society’s running a fever, and two sharp-witted physicians are on the case. Surgeon-scientist Arghavan Salles dives into social media’s wildest trends, while anesthesiologist-bioethicist Alyssa Burgart follows news and legal cases for their ethical twists. Together, they examine the cultural, political, and public health symptoms of our time with scalpel-sharp analysis, unflinching questions, and enough humor to keep us all going.
The Present Illness
Latest Episodes
Measles and Misconduct
Measles ramps up in Pennsylvania; RFK Jr. interferes with public health reporting; Dan Arielly’s fraud expands - he’s never faced scrutiny like Jason Arday faced; Lindsay Clancy trial drags on; Fake NFL player arrestedDaejon ...
Farewell Dolly plus AOC's Eggs
We mourn Dolly Parton. We discuss Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s egg freezing and what it means for reproductive justice in America. Plus, the baby born from the California-Texas surrogacy case.Dolly Parton’s
How Racism (Not Plagiarism) Killed Dr. Jason Arday
The flagrant racism in the recent death of Cambridge scholar, Dr. Jason Arday; Also, how new technology hasn’t stopped attempts at medical knowledge gatekeepingNote: Alex Vindman raised $16 million compared to the $1 million raise...
We'd like to jump to a new timeline, please
We cover the latest on Trump’s vaccine executive order and catch you up on some major abortion stories.AOC’s public egg-freezing shouldn’t feel...
Fauci's Diary and RFK Jr's Misinformation Meltdown
Fauci’s diary entries, Rand Paul loses it when Fauci uses his Fifth Amendment right, RFK Jr melts down when Dana Bash asks him about measles; McConnell Watch UpdateThe Clown Car of Public Health is at it again!Fact Check: T...
