Oh SNAP

In this episode, Ariel walks us through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She traces its history from the Food Stamp Program of 1939 to its most recent changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (spoiler alert: changes made due to OBBBA aren’t good). In addition to reviewing major changes to SNAP through the years, she discusses what SNAP is and the eligibility criteria, why food assistance is important, the hypocrisy of the MAHA movement’s actions (they’re not making meaningful impacts to public health in the USA), and what is happening now in the SNAP landscape.

Today’s good news revolves around 1) decreased gun sales in CO, and 2) increased inclusivity in birdwatching. Also, stick around to hear Mattie discuss Summer House and how she connects it to public health.

Recalls:

• 05/23/2026 Angel Specialty Products, Royal Gold, Boba Time, Fanale, Denda specialty beverages - contamination of Salmonella 
• 05/23/2026 Boner Bears chocolate - contains sildenafil
• 05/22/2026 Raaw Energy dog food - possible Listeria contamination 
• 05/18/2026 Kroger Cheese and Garlic Croutons - potential for Salmonella contamination
• 05/18/2026 Malazi Tahina - contamination of Salmonella
• 05/18/2026 Best Supplements Best Prices dietary supplement for sexual enhancement - undeclared Sildenafil, Tadalafil, and Flibanserin
• 05/15/2026 Straus Family Creamery various ice cream - presence of metal fragments
• 05/15/2026 Blackstone Parmesan Ranch seasoning - Potential Foodborne Illness - Salmonella

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Public Health Group Chat, the podcast that wants you to get enough to eat. My name is Ariel, and my name is Maddie. And we have some great content for you today. We're going to be talking about Snap. But before we get into it, we need to say the usual things. All views expressed on this episode are our own. If you want to get in touch with us, you can email us at publichealthgroup chat at gmail.com. You can find us on TikTok, kind of, or Instagram at public health group chat. You can also try and find Olivia on Threads. She's really active there. And new, we now have a shop at T Public. You can buy public health group chat merch. You can buy shirts, hoodies, tank tops, tote bags, mugs, stickers. Socks. They have socks and they're so cute. Yeah. So many things. Um, so we'll put the link in the show notes. And so far, I think it's just the three of us who have bought stuff, but we're super excited to share it with you.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Yes. So yeah, if you want to match us, you know where to get the stuff now. I got a really sick tie-dye t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

I'm really amped about it. And I got a t-shirt, a hoodie, and a sticker. So I am super pumped. And we are working on getting a Patreon together, but I am technologically illiterate. So it is coming along more slowly than we would like. And that's my fault for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

But it will be an option. And you know what, Ariel, it's totally fine because you have witnessed me try to go through getting and logging on to the software every single time we try to try to record. So if you also are, if you are technologically illiterate, I am beyond that. So you're doing your best, and that's all that matters. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

And any listeners who are also technologically illiterate, just note you are among good company. Yes. We have friends here. You have friends here. And we're not even boomers. We're millennials.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

Yeah. We don't even, there's literally no excuse. We grew up with technology. So like I don't, I don't know if the I think the ship just sailed without me. I was also left on shore, Maddie. It's okay. I love this journey for us.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

All right. So we are gonna just jump right in. So starting off with a little bit of good news. I have some news that is local to Colorado. I know we have a pretty big listenership in Denver. Um, so hopefully you all appreciate this. So, first, gun sales in Colorado fell to the lowest level since 2014, last year, so 2025. There were 314,904 approved background checks for firearm purchases. This is according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. That number does sound high. And I want to note it's also not a perfect one-to-one of one background check equals one firearm purchased because one person can get a background check and then buy more than one firearm. I don't know what the stats are on that, buying one versus two or three or more at once. But it is the lowest sales volume since 2014. And sales are down more than one third since hitting record highs in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Colorado's post-pandemic decline generally matches national trends. Although this year there are some signs in recent national data that sales may be stabilizing, which again makes sense. The sales are not going to just fall forever unless guns are outlawed, and that's not going to happen here in the US.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

I don't really think I have any commentary other than like, God damn it, can we just get some common sense gun laws in here? Or something, something. Literally anything that'd be safe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

I am not a fan of guns. I can see the appeal of hunting as a sport and honing those outdoorsmen skills and tracking animals, which I think is super cool. I personally don't want to hunt. I'd rather be outside doing other things. Um, but yeah, guns and gun ownership, not something I'm super interested in. And we do absolutely need better national laws. We don't have a good national law. Nope.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Not at all. I'm the same way. I have no interest in I've had fun going to the gun range and shooting the little clay pigeons. Like, that's fine. Like, real when it comes to real animals, I am not interested. That is none of my business. I I know I'm good. Thank you so much. But no. If I had to kill my own food, I would absolutely be a vegetarian. Same. I once dated a guy in high school. He was my first boyfriend and he was my first kiss. Oh god, I hope he's well. Um, but he was like a big hunter, and I told him, I was like, I'm not really sure I'm like into that. And he was like, oh no, like we'll just go, we'll go hunting together. It'll be so fun. Oh my god. It was like telling me about how he had like dreams of tanking me hunting and all this stuff, and I was like, sick, and we did it for a month. And then he got like a bunch of hunting tattoos, so I love that journey for him. Did you ever go with him? No, God, no. I was like 16 and absolutely not. I'm good. I do think it would be interesting to experience, but again, just not how I want to spend my weekends. No, definitely not. And my thing is it's like, okay, if I wanted to do it, if I wanted to go hunting, I would want to be outside, so I might as well just go like go camping. Right? You know? Yeah. That's good enough for me.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Alright. So the second piece of good news is that bird watching is becoming more inclusive, including in Colorado. Maddie, are you a big birder?

SPEAKER_02 5:26

No, but I want to become a birder, and I don't know what that says about me because I feel like there you hit a certain age where you become interested in birds, and there's just no turning back to your youth after that. I think it'd be really interesting. I would like to start to go birding more.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

So I am not really into bird watching, but many of my friends are. We did a trip to Switzerland last year with a few friends, and all of them except me had the Merlin app, and they were so excited to identify birds in Europe. I just learned this, but historically, birdwatching hasn't been very inclusive, mainly revolving around white men. Who is surprised by that?

SPEAKER_02 6:02

But I think it also makes sense because I feel like a lot of like outdoorsy stuff, there's kind of not gatekeeping, but I feel like there's like a big barrier to entry on it. And a lot of times the people who can enter happen to be mostly white men.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

In bird watching, I think there's this idea that you need to have all this fancy equipment, but really it is pretty accessible in terms of equipment and cost if you can go outside. I mean, birds are everywhere, urban, rural, parks, city streets, et cetera. But I want to shout out the Feminist Bird Club, which was established in New York City in 2016. It now has chapters all over the US and Europe, including in Denver. And on their website, the group says that they're quote, dedicated to promoting inclusivity in birding while fundraising and providing a safe opportunity for members of the LGBTQIA plus community, BIPOC, and women to connect with the natural world. So that's super cool. The Colorado Front Rage chapter meets monthly. So, Maddie, there is your chance to get more into birding if you want to do it with a group.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

I'm pulling out my phone. I'm gonna follow them on Instagram.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

That would be so Oh my god, I found their Instagram. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Okay, sorry, I'm just like now really into the feminist bird club.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

No worries. I am glad to promote them. Again, I probably won't be joining any feminist bird club meetups because birding is not my thing, but it is a great way to get outside and learn about nature. So if that's your thing, then awesome. And I do want to add the Black Birders Week of 2026 took off yesterday, Sunday, May 24th. Today is May 25th. And this is the sixth year of Black Birders Week. The goal is to celebrate Black Birders and to create more diversity in the outdoors. And it actually was founded in direct response to the Christian Cooper incident in New York City. Maddie, do you remember that?

SPEAKER_02 7:44

Oh, I've not that I forgot about that, but like, yeah, that's been a while since that I've thought about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Yeah. And for those who have no idea what we're talking about or maybe need to just jog their memory a little bit, this was an incident in 2020 in which a black bird watcher named Christian Cooper politely asked a white woman, Amy, to leash her dog in a protected wildlife sanctuary. She refused. And then she called 911 and falsely reported that an African-American man was threatening her life. And this was all on video. The recording went viral and there was a huge uproar about it. So anyway, the Black Birders Week was launched in response to this incident.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

Like looking at you were saying that, and I was like looking at the Black Birders Week on their Instagram.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

I was like, ah, retiming. Yes. So for those of you who think that racism doesn't exist, it is very much alive and well. I don't think any of our listeners think that, but I know plenty of people who think that way. I unfortunately work with a lot of them. I fortunately do not. How does it feel to be God's favorite? It feels so good to be God's favorite. We're gonna move on into the main part of the episode for today, and we're going to talk about Snap, the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Um, I originally wanted to talk about Snap and Wick in the same episode, and then I was like, there is way too much to have them both together. These need to be separate episodes. So this is all about Snap. If you live in the US, you've definitely heard of it, probably as quote unquote food stamps, which is how it's referred to colloquially. And for most people, this episode probably won't be that interesting. But in the era of maha slash eat real food slash get rid of food dies, most people neither understand even the basics of public health nutrition, or they're just willfully ignorant of the systemic influences on nutrition. And these things include policy, whether that is state, local, or federal policy, access to transportation, access to a grocery store, food apartheid. Uh Maddie, are you familiar with that term? No, actually I'm not. So it's basically an evolution of food desert. So when you think about the word desert, like desert is a naturally occurring geographical thing. Like some areas are desert, whereas apartheid is very intentionally set up where some people have access and some don't. So it's just a more accurate description of haves versus have nots when it comes to food access.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

That makes much more sense. Because I was gonna ask if it was like food deserts, but that feels like a much better statement of what they are. Because you're right, they're not naturally occurring, like they're very intentional.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Right. And I'm not sure exactly what year that became the more preferred term, and language is always evolving. So who knows how long it will be before that is out of fashion. But that is how they're referred to right now. Also, poverty plays a huge role in nutrition and many other factors. I'm gonna give a little history of Snap because history is important, even though it's really boring in school. So before we had SNAP, we had the food stamp program of 1939. And this program was developed to solve two problems. The first being feed people who were hungry while unemployment was high, because this was the end of the Great Depression. And then two, to distribute food surpluses from American farmers. And people bought orange stamps for $1 each. And then for each stamp, they received an additional blue stamp worth 50 cents that had to be used specifically on those surplus foods. So literally food stamps. And so that name has stuck today, even though we no longer use physical stamps. And at its peak, 400 million people per month were served, and it ended up being terminated just four years later in 1943 due to a decline in food surpluses. Hello, World War II, and then decreased unemployment as well. In January of 1961, newly elected president John F. Kennedy signed an executive order expanding food distribution programs. It was either the very first executive order that he signed or one of the first. I read it and I didn't write it down, I can't remember which. But anyway, in February, so just one month later, the USDA announced a pilot food stamp program at eight sites. And it was so successful that in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed a new Food Stamp Act into law as part of a quote, war on poverty. The stamps from the 1939 program were replaced with coupons, which participants still had to purchase. By February of 1971, so this is less than a decade later, there were 10 million participants. And then in that same year, state-by-state rules were replaced by national eligibility standards. And in 1974, it was available nationwide, so in all states, which is pretty cool. In 1977, a change made to the program restricted coupon value to what the USDA considered to be a healthy diet, which ended up actually decreasing program participation. And it's almost like when you micromanage what people can and cannot buy with their benefits at that level, they don't like that. What a shock. I really wish there was a sound effect for an eye roll because I'd put that in here. Yeah, it should be like that's what it feels like when I'm doing my body.

unknown 12:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

And that'd be the sound effect. Yes. Okay, ready, ready? Okay, here we go. Um do the sentence again and pause after shocking and I'll do it. Okay, ready?

SPEAKER_00 12:51

It's almost like when you micromanage what people can and cannot buy with their benefits at that level. They don't like that. What a shock.

unknown 13:00

Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

I love it. We don't need a soundboard, we just need Maddie. Yes, I got you.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

And it just meaning it's a girl with her phone to slag in here, like, hello, let me tell you about this. And then it's like playing music in the background.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Yes. Um, so this requirement was soon eliminated and participation increased again. And then the 1980s, we had legislators expressing concern about the size and cost of the program, and participation was then limited based on household income. The 1996 Well for Reform Act changed the program in numerous ways, but the two that I want to highlight are one by giving states more administrative control into adopting the EBT system to replace the paper coupons. And the EBT system was actually not adopted nationwide until 2002, which is not that long ago. That's a little over 20 years ago. That's wild. Its goals were to decrease the stigma of paper coupons as well as decrease fraud. And Maddie, have you ever seen an EBT card?

SPEAKER_02 13:59

I was actually just about to ask, like, this is a stupid question, but what does EBT stand for? It's electronic benefits transfer. But they look just like debit cards.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Yes, exactly. So it does look just like a debit card, so it's pretty inconspicuous.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Yeah, or it looks like a like a gift card too, like one of those like BC gift cards.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Yeah. Exactly. What's really interesting about EBT cards is that even though one of the goals was to decrease stigma, so people aren't pulling out these coupons or stamps that are easily identified as food assistants, they didn't really do that. Research shows that these cards don't really reduce stigma, and that's pretty unfortunate. I hear this anecdotally as well. Even though SNAP is really in the human services realm, not public health, the two worlds are very closely related. And so I hear it anecdotally, which is super sad. No one should be ashamed of needing health. But the American individualistic attitude in treating poor people as moral failures really permeates deep in our culture. And I just don't know how to address those attitudes. Um, but just know that any of our listeners, if you use Snap, that is amazing. I'm glad you're getting those resources and you should not feel ashamed for feeding yourself. I agree.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Like it's being able to feed yourself, regardless of how that is, is so important or the feed your family and making sure that you're actually getting the nutrients that you need. And it's also like those attitudes are also so individualistic that I don't think there's ever gonna be an all-encompassing thing that we could do or say to fix those attitudes, but they permeate so deeply into our culture about like that being poor or not having access to things is a moral failure rather than a failure of the system that you're in. All that to say, I also don't know how to address those attitudes because I don't think there's one thing that we can't say or do. It's gonna be so by person by person.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Yeah, absolutely. I mean the best we can do is just talk about it like it's a normal thing and advocate for people using those benefits who need them, even if it's only within our own social circles and people we know, it's still a small impact that hopefully can ripple out. Right. And I know we've talked about her before on the podcast, but Dr. Jessica Nurik, she has posted a lot about Snap. I don't know if it's been super recent, but she shared stories that people shared with her of their firsthand experiences with Snap and how it allowed them to eat food, which is amazing. And people should be able to eat food. That's a basic human need, it's a basic human right. I don't know if she saved any of those in her highlights. Might be worth going back to look, but yeah, she has talked about that quite a bit.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Let me go back and see because her stuff on Snap is so perfect. There it cannot be said any more eloquently. And I know we're giving her this free press, but she just uses it.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Yeah, if you don't follow her, you should. My mom keeps asking me when we're gonna bring her on the podcast. I'm like, I don't think we're big enough yet for her.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

That's but that's like the goal of moms, right? Is they say, like, you need to go ask this person to be on your podcast. And that's also my mom thinks. She's like, you should just DM them and do that.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

So anyone who has Instagram, probably most of our listeners do, go check out Dr. Jessica Nurik and check out her Snap. What is it called? Highlights. Snap eligibility is, I don't want to say it's simple, it's kind of complex, and then it's also changing due to the one big beautiful bill act of 2025, which I'll talk more about that later. And one of the best names I've heard for that bill is the one big bullshit bill act. Um, I'm sure Maddie, you've heard of some good names too.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Oh, that's the best. I don't think I've heard anything quite that, I don't know, quite that nifty that goes with it.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

I can't remember who told me that, but it made me laugh. And that was a while ago. But anyway, before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or the One Big Bullshit Bill Act, income had to be less than 200% of the federal poverty line. A lot of people are eligible, including children, students, people who are unemployed or working part-time, adults age 18 to 56 with no children, also called able-bodied adults without dependents or A-BODS is the acronym. And then there were unique qualifications for the elderly and disabled, and we'll talk more about how this is changing later. Snap has had changes in history as I have described. Obviously, I've not told you every single one of them. We would be here for a week and that'd be really boring. But the next one I want to talk about is during the COVID-19 pandemic because it's probably still pretty fresh in people's minds, only six years ago. It does feel like both yesterday and a lifetime ago, which is weird. Time is wild. But anyway, in January of 2021, SNAP recipients received an additional 15% increase in benefits to extend through June of that year. And then that 15% increase was extended through September of 2021, and maximum benefits were increased a handful of times throughout the pandemic until the end of the public health emergency. And this increased spending was part of a series of increased spending on safety net programs and public welfare associated with the pandemic and the public health emergency. And so all of this increased spending kind of phased out in the beginning of 2023. And it turns out increasing SNAP benefits is good for public health. Like, who is surprised by this? Not us.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

Shocking. When you have access to food and nutrients that you are not needing other things, I don't know. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

Right? So one study of just under 45,000 people in the journal Public Health Nutrition found that these increased SNAP benefits significantly decreased food insufficiency, which is just a fancy way of saying not having enough to eat. It decreased anxiety and decreased difficulty in paying for other household expenses. The two groups compared in the study were SNAP recipients and SNAP eligible recipients who were not receiving the benefits. So basically, the main difference between these two groups was whether or not they were getting SNAP, but they were similar incomes. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that following the end of the public health emergency, the average person would receive $90 less per month due to post-pandemic changes. A study found that in the last quarter of 2021, the expanded SNAP benefits kept 4.2 million people above the poverty line, with the greatest reductions in poverty among black and Latino families. In 2023, after the end of the public health emergency, benefits were about $6.10 per day per person. Can you feed yourself an adequate diet for $6.10 a day? I don't think so. And that amount hasn't really changed much today. Three years later, and we know that inflation is at an all-time high. Also, I will let you talk in just a second. I do want to add in the caveat that snap is meant to be supplemental. So it's not supposed to cover your whole diet. So hopefully people have a little bit more than $6.10 each. But that's, you know, a few cans of beans. That's yeah, six dollars.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah, like that's not much of a supplement. Because you really can't buy you can buy so little with that. And yeah, I didn't realize that like that it was that big of a difference between post-COVID and post the height of the pandemic. I didn't realize it was that big of a jump down that it was $90 less per month. Like that's a lot of money that you were supposed to be relying on that you no longer can rely on for food.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Yeah. And even $90, that's not that much. I spend about $200 a week on groceries for two people. And yes, I eat a lot. And I probably could eat a lot more beans and rice, but still, groceries are so expensive.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Groceries are so expensive. And that they were able to keep 4.2 million people above the poverty line is that's also that's crazy. Like that's awesome that they were able to do that because then you're able to put that money towards other things like going and seeking like paying, like paying for like utilities or paying for rent or paying for medical bills. There's so many other things that that money can go towards when you are being fed enough. And I like that part where you mentioned about the stress reduction because that also has such like the anxiety causes so much stress to your body. And I think we've talked about it on the podcast a couple of times about um when you're not in that sort of high stress mode, it helps your health too. So not having to stress about having enough to eat or where you're gonna eat next or where your next meal is coming from, that also has positive health impacts too.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Yeah, you're absolutely right. Chronic stress is so bad for you, and poverty is a big cause. Of chronic stress. I hate when people are like, oh, just work harder, get a better job. I'm sorry that the minimum wage job is not worthy enough of people deserving food and shelter and you know those basic things.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Right. Well, and also has that person tried to get a job in this economy? Have you seen the job mark in? Like just get a job. Just get a job. Excuse me. I can't even get anybody to email you back. Like, come on. And if you're not using AI to write your resume, you have no shot. I just, AI is gonna kill us all. I know. That might be does that make me a boomer? Yes, but I don't care. Ten toes down, I will say that. Put it on my put it on my gravestone. Put it on your next hat. Honestly, AI is gonna kill us all. Someone referred to AI as like almost intelligent the other day, and I was like, that's gonna live rent-free in my brain.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Ooh, I love that. Um, so even more recent changes to Snap, or not changes, but more news related to Snap. The October, November 2025 government shutdown through Snap Benefit distribution into the spotlight. And Maddie, do you remember like reading about that in the news and like what you heard about that?

SPEAKER_02 23:09

Yeah, that was a crazy time. I am a big fan. I love a gift-in-kind donation and I love a um, I love a boycott. Those are my personal favorite ways to protest in today's day and age. And so it was like a moment where I was like going to Costco, going through cabinets, like going through everything, because I was like, damn it, if the government won't feed the people, I'm going to help feed the people.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Yeah, that was terrible. Because the government shutdown was so long, caused a lot of chaos with Snap. So the October benefits were dispersed, but then the closure really caused problems going into the November distributions. Two federal judges ruled that the administration must continue funding stat benefits. But these rulings happened on October 31st. And that's not really enough time to have the benefits ready to get to the people when the government is also trying to not distribute them. Like there's a lot that has to happen on the administrative side that I don't think people appreciate. Um, but anyway, there is a bunch of legal bullshit that continued to affect stat benefit distribution into November, with some states able to restore it more quickly than others, again, kind of depending on your state's infrastructure and system set up. Um, I don't know what it's like in every state. And I don't even know what it's like in Colorado because I don't work in SNAP. But funding was fully restored after the government shutdown ended. However, it was not until mid-November, and again, due to differences in state processes and administrations, that not everyone immediately got all of their money that they deserve. So it was a lot of uncertainty. And again, Maddie, we talked about the stress of worrying about what you're gonna eat. I can't even imagine being a SAP recipient during this time and having my benefits slate or not at all, and just being like, okay, I guess I'm gonna starve.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Yeah. And there's no other solution. And granted, it might be different if you're in a city and you have access to food banks or different services that can kind of help support that. But if you're in a rural community, you're kind of SOL.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

Yeah, access is absolutely not equal depending on your geography.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

And because so many people live in urban centers, it's really easy to forget about people who live in the country. But for those of us that live in the country, it's like, hey, we're here too. There's not many of us, but we're here.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

Yeah. No, and it's so important because I think it's easy to equate poverty with urbanization and see it more clearly in urban settings, but that doesn't negate the fact that there are a lot of people who live like out or below the poverty line, like in rural settings too. And so it's like, how do they have access to food? Do they have grocery stores they can go to? Do those grocery stores take Snap? Do they take Wick? I think it's easy to think about cities and but with the rural settings are so important too. Because you're right, like, what do you tell those people who like there's not really many other options out there? Like your only option is to just kind of go without. And that has major impacts on work production and productivity and just being able to just function in general.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Yeah, you're absolutely right. And then even thinking about rural communities, we're not a monolith. Rural versus frontier. Silveral, yes, rural, but frontiers, there are very few people in far fewer resources. So I'm thinking specifically of Silverton. Have you ever been to Silverton? Yes, like when I was like a kid. But yeah. I've actually never been there. I just have heard about it. But for those who've never heard of Silverton, it is a very, very small town in the mountains of Colorado. I don't know the population. I don't think it's more than a few hundred full-time residents, but there's skiing there. So, you know, there's some tourism, but there's just not a lot of resources. And to get basic resources, you might be driving, you know, over mountain passes and through snowstorms and a long, long way. There's absolutely not equal access. And then when you think about other rural communities, so like Vale, Aspen, Crested Buttes, these are also pretty rural, but they have more resources. So again, rural versus frontier absolutely makes a difference in what services are available.

SPEAKER_02 27:01

The population of Silverton is 731 people.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

Okay, that's more than I thought, but that's still a tiny tiny.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

Yeah. Yeah. No, that was good. Thanks for looking that up because I thought it was like two or three hundred, but I was wrong. Anyway, I'm gonna move us on to talking about the one big bullshit bill and Snap. So remember that one big beautiful bill. It affected Snap along with a bunch of other things, but we are going to focus on the changes to Snap just because that's what that episode is about. So a few are one changes to work requirements. Recipients are required to work 80 or more hours a month, which is equivalent to 20 hours a week or half time. The age associated with work requirements is also changing, with the upper limit being 65 instead of in the mid-50s. Additionally, these requirements will be applied to parents and caregivers of adolescents 14 and over, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care. And those are four groups that previously did not have to meet this requirement. So more hoops to jump through, more administration, more paperwork, blah, blah, blah. Speaking of paperwork, this bill will require more paperwork, such as proof of work and job training. And this is a nightmare for both people accessing benefits and local governments doing the work to get people enrolled. And I mentioned earlier, but SNAP falls under the responsibility of human services departments and not public health. Like I don't have firsthand knowledge of what this looks like on the administrative end, but I do know that it is a lot of work. I know plenty of people working in the human services world. Another example of paperwork. So previously, households that were in the low-income home energy assistance program automatically qualified for the standard utility allowance, which allows for increased SNAP benefits. But now households without an older adult or disabled member must provide documentation of high utility costs to receive the standard utility allowance. So again, that is just more red tape. And I didn't actually look up what is considered high. I don't know if it's the same amount or if it depends on your family size, how many square feet your house is, et cetera.

SPEAKER_02 29:08

Not like prorated is not the right word, but I know what you mean. I know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_00 29:12

Yeah. So if it's a flat rate versus if you take those variables into account, I'm not totally sure.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

I was also going to ask if it was like just saying like high. I'm like, I hope there is like a definition of that because if not, it sounds like something that they would just constantly be moving the goalpost for.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

Yes, I'm sure that there is, but I don't know what the definition is. And it that also feels arbitrary because living is so expensive. Everything everything costs a lot of money, including utilities, no matter where you are.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

Well, also is it it also, I guess, I guess prorated for like where you live, because if it's high for where you live, like versus it's like if it's just like high if you do it by state, like that's not super fair to like again, frontier rural communities versus like urban, where it's gonna be like more expensive and urban than it is out there, but it could still be expensive based on how much you make and like the cost of living.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

My guess is no, that there's not a distinction for that. Cause I'm thinking of things like Snap and Medicaid, and it's based on income. And even if you live in a more expensive area, the threshold doesn't change. So if you live in a place where your money doesn't go as far, but you make too much for Snap or for Medicaid, you're just kind of SOL because you're in this income class where you make too much money to access assistance, but not enough to afford the things you need. And so my guess would be that it's not prorated for where you live, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

Sad.

SPEAKER_00 30:33

Yeah. Another change to SNAP with this bill. Legal residents who are not citizens will no longer be eligible. So this includes groups like refugees and people who have asylum. In a news flash, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for SNAP, and they never have been. So for anyone screaming about this population taking away resources from citizens and legal immigrants, chill your tits, okay? Just dip them in some ice water. They've never been accessing SNAP. Turn off Fox News, find a credible news source that doesn't send all of its contributors to White House cabinet positions. And plus, in this political climate, black and brown people, especially those who don't speak English or don't speak it well, are afraid to get help, even if they are legally entitled to it. It's really heartbreaking. And this is something I'm hearing a lot of is that people qualify for these resources, but they are afraid to access them because of their immigration status. And that fucking sucks.

SPEAKER_02 31:25

Yes, because like again, like you are coming here to make a better life for yourself, and you should have access to these things. But because of all of these, not stipulations but prejudices, like you're unable to get that. And that really sucks. And I'm screaming at your use of chillier tits. That was amazing. Put it on a t-shirt, put it on a hat. I want it. Um no, yeah, that was always my favorite thing about being like, all these undocumented people are using these stuff and blah blah blah. I'm like, yeah, they can't. What do you think? Show me where.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Where are you getting your information? Because it is not true, not correct.

SPEAKER_03 32:03

Nope.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

So yeah, super, super depressing. And what you said, Maddie, about people leaving their countries to come here and make a better life. If people who were so anti like black and brown immigrants just took a second to think about it, imagine leaving behind your family, your friends, your culture, your language, because you felt in such despair that you could not possibly make a life for yourself where you live that the only solution is to leave. That takes so much courage and so much bravery. I can't even imagine being in that situation. And so maybe the answer is not punishing people for trying to find a better life. Maybe the answer is fixing whatever the root causes are of where they live so that they do not have to leave everything they know.

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Right. Because it's not like people like want to leave. Like I wouldn't want to pick up my life and move it to another country where I didn't potentially speak the language or I didn't know where I was going and leave my entire support system behind to be, but like that is the only way you feel like you have to do it. And also, my thing is I think there's like a oh god, what movie is it? Was it clueless? That she's like, um, the Statue of Liberty didn't say RSVP or something like the RSVP got the Statue of Liberty. No, but that's the whole, that was the whole point of America. And people who are sticking to like what the founding brothers wanted, and I'm like, okay, great, stick to it because this was supposed to be where people came to like escape all of that, and then people are coming here to escape all that, and they're like, no, not like that. And I'm like, what do you mean, not like that? That's the whole premise of America.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Well, not like that unless you're white. Unless you're white. Right? We we celebrate European immigrants and European culture, which is really funny because if you look back at how the US has defined race over time, it changes. Like who is white changes, and it's so arbitrary and stupid. Right.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

No, it's so stupid.

SPEAKER_00 33:57

Definitely would not have been considered white at some point in history. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

And so, yeah, I don't know. I just I wish more people paid attention during world history.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

I'm gonna move us on with more changes to Snap. There's just a couple more I wanted to talk about. The next one is around cost sharing for states, starting in fiscal year 27, which is coming right up. States will be expected to pay 75% of the administrative costs, up from 50% previously. So that is a lot. And states probably can't just magically conjure up these funds. I know Colorado has been in a really bad budget year. I don't know what's happening in every state. I don't imagine we're the only state facing multiple budget challenges. Anyway, this bill does not allow states to reduce benefit levels below what is required by federal law. So they have to pay at least or cover at least the minimum, which is good. People should have at least the minimum of food, which is, I'm sure, not enough. But the fact that they just have to have the money for it all of a sudden is problematic. And instead of the federal government paying for 100% of SNAP in fiscal year 28, states are expected to contribute between 5 and 15%. And that is based on their error rates. And I believe it's if their error rates are over 6%, they have to pay more. That's pretty complicated. We don't need to get into the nitty-gritty. But again, just thrusting more of the cost on states to fund SNAP, what had previously been federally funded. And then finally, the new bill eliminates funding for Snap Ed, which literally teaches people about nutrition. I'm sorry. How does eliminating nutrition education contribute to maha? You can just fuck right off. Well, you're busy arguing that food dyes and beef tallow versus seed oil. People in the US are starving because the top one percenters don't think that they're worthy of food or nutrition education for whatever reason. Like this literally blows my mind. I do not understand.

SPEAKER_02 35:52

Well, all of that, yes. And the other part is it's like, isn't Maha's big thing is about focusing on nutrition and eating whole foods and fewer ultra-processed foods and all of that shit. And you're taking away the education opportunity for people to learn about that. Like, at no point have I ever thought anything that Maha has done made any lick of sense. But like this is up there with the top things that I'm just like, what the actual fuck?

SPEAKER_00 36:15

Yeah, you're absolutely right. You've got people praising RFK Jr. because he's so worried about health on the surface, he talks about, who doesn't actually know a thing about nutrition. And then these people in the Maha movement tend to be wealthier and probably not using snap benefits. And so they're like, oh yeah, we've eliminated red 40. We're using beet dye in our Skittles. But the real problem is that people don't have enough to eat and they don't have enough money to buy healthy food. That is the real problem. It is not red dye 40.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

No, it is not red dye 40. I will bathe in red dye 40. I had a thought. That's just out of that now. But yeah. No, but like, yes. Yeah, I I completely agree. And I will bathe in red dye 40 because it doesn't fucking matter.

unknown 37:00

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

I as long as you don't drink it, right? Watch me. I'll do that too. My diet of red dye 40. Um I yeah, I think like there's been so many. Oh, this is what I was gonna say. Have you seen like I am on Instagram chronically, so you might not have seen this, but I've been seeing a decent amount of people who are a decent amount, at least two or three of people who are like, I went to go get my master's in nutrition to prove everybody wrong because they were like super maha, and then they went and got masters in nutrition. They're like, oh my God, everything I was told was a lie. I haven't seen that, but I absolutely believe it. Yeah. Cause it's like, oh, shocking. You go learn about something, you're like, wow. And then the comments are like, oh, they brainwashed you. And I'm like, oh my God, this is exhausting. Like gymnastics burns so many calories. Like, aren't you just exhausted by the amount of like mental gymnastics you're having to do? Because I'm tired and I didn't even do it.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

Well, that's super interesting too, because if you're getting a master's degree in nutrition, I assume you've already got a bachelor's degree and you've taken whatever prereqs you need, whether that's a basic level of science or psychology. So you think that people who are getting into master's nutrition education or nutrition programs would be a little more educated than the general public and not fall for the maha stuff. But the marketing and the tactics that people use are just so good. I guess it's easy to fall for.

SPEAKER_02 38:22

Well, I think that. And there's also the Dunning Kruger line of you think if you think you know a lot about something and you're more confident, even though you really don't know that much about something because you've really only had an introduction or like a little taste of it, I think that would be easy to be like, and I mean, I'm I've done this too, not with nutrition, but with just other things about being like, well, I took a class on this, so I'm basically an expert. And actually, I don't know shit from fuck. So I think that's probably where a decent amount of people who are like this probably fall is that you think you know, and then you go and actually learn, and you're like, oh my god, actually I did not know. And it takes a lot to be able to say I was wrong, especially on the internet. And I think we should do that more often. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

So the one bank bullshit bill act is expected to save between 186 and 187 billion dollars over 10 years. This is about a 20% cut, which is the largest cut in Snap history. Snap funding is about 1.5% of the overall US government budget. Meanwhile, military spending is about 13% of the US federal budget. So what I'm hearing is that we can pay for this ridiculous Iran war that no one wants, but God forbid we fucking feed people who live here. So you're probably wondering what are the implications of this? More food insecurity, which is associated with poor health outcomes, including heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, birth defects, cognitive impairment, and mental illness. More health problems means more spending on expensive health care and emergency room visits, many of which can be prevented. And yet we as a country clearly do not value that. Another implication: disrupted access to other federal safety net programs like free school meals, WIC, and Head Start. SNAP participation automatically guarantees eligibility for a number of other programs. So basically, when you're in, your access to other resources expands, right? You get connected through Snap with other things that you need. In addition, almost $1 trillion will be cut from Medicaid, which again is a separate program. But you know one population that uses Medicaid, people who use SNAP. And so if you have the convergence of decreased food access, losing healthcare coverage, and a rise in mainly preventable illnesses, that is just a recipe for disaster. And please tell me which goddamn mastermind thought that this was making America healthy again. RFK Jr., can you please answer me? I have questions. My DMs are open. Actually, if he DMs me, I'm probably not even online, so I'll never see it.

SPEAKER_02 40:47

Oh, if he DMs me, I'm just gonna start sending him like very aggressively more aggressive gifts one right after the other. I really wish, and maybe we can find somebody who to come on the podcast and talk about this, but the psychology behind Maha is so fascinating to me because it's like you get to these endpoints, and it's like, I don't understand how this is making people healthy. I think really it is just like a ploy for RFK Jr. to get people to back him up so he can just do stuff for him and his rich friends, but like make it seem like he's actually doing something for the American people. And people buy into that shit.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

Yeah, yeah. The psychology behind it is super interesting. I don't understand enough of it though. Okay, so I'm gonna end with arguments against Snap. And we did touch on this earlier, but people, and by people, I mean conservatives, I love to talk about how if he used benefits like SNAP, you should get a job. Well, guess what? The majority of SNAP recipients who can work do work according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. However, two-thirds of participants are children. So unless you would like to bring back child labor, requiring 100% of participants to work is absolutely ridiculous. Many participants are working low-wage jobs with unstable hours, and these benefits help to feed them. It is a mystery to me why folks shit on low-wage workers and say, get a better job. My guy, do you not rely on cashiers at the grocery store? Coffee shop employees, fast food workers, hotel staff, and other low-paid workers to support your lifestyle. Like, yes, these jobs aren't skilled, and the fact that they don't require years of studying and training, but they are absolutely vital to keeping society as we know it functioning. That is so fucking disrespectful. And also, if everyone just quit their minimum wage job, American society would collapse. These jobs, yeah, these jobs are absolutely essential, even though, again, they're not skilled and you don't need to study for years and years of your life. We need people to fill these important roles. And did you know that some active duty military families use SNAP?

SPEAKER_02 42:43

Ooh, who's gonna tell the party that loves veterans but keeps cutting shit for veterans?

SPEAKER_00 42:51

Tell them. Yes, let's tell them. Tell them. According to Feeding America, less than 2% of active duty service member households participate in SNAP. However, in 2020, 24% of active duty families experienced in food insecurity. One quarter of active duty military families. I'm not in the military, but I understand that their jobs are very difficult, that they need to have enough to eat. And while I've said this before, I don't support the military-industrial complex. I do support the individual troops who are giving up so much to be in the military. That is a huge commitment. It is not easy. Veterans also use SNAP and experience food insecurity. Between 2015 and 2019, 11% of veterans, 18 to 64, use SNAP. It is estimated that between 6 to 24% of veterans are food insecure, with some groups at a higher risk than others, including veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan at 27%, female veterans, 28%, homeless and formerly homeless veterans, 49%, and veterans with serious mental illness at 35%. And in the last episode. And like I said, right now, we talk about supporting. Troops and veterans versus supporting the military as a complex. These people who have sacrificed so much deserve to be fed, along with everyone else who's hungry, because food is a basic human need, a basic human right. And I'm willing to bet that the Venn diagram of people who say get a job and who love the military is basically a circle. It's quite quite large. That's all that I had. I just ended on the Venn diagram comment.

SPEAKER_02 44:25

No, it's true though, because it's like again, no, but the people who say that shit and then also like love that mil the military, I think are two talking points of the Republican Party. And again, I don't think I think if you were like actually to sit down and think about it really hard, you would be like, oh. Like, why would you say that? Yeah, I don't know. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:45

Don't even have to think that hard. Just think a little. Just think. It's like the Nike just do it, but it's like, just think.

SPEAKER_02 44:54

That'd be our next sticker. Just think. Just use those brain cells. Use those brain cells.

SPEAKER_00 45:03

Yeah, that's all that I had about Snap. I don't have any insightful closing thoughts. Just I am so annoyed that people are getting less to eat and have less support and less of their needs met. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 45:16

And all of those things are like so I what you eat and how much you eat and access to food impacts so many other things. It impacts your sleep. It impacts your overall health. And if you are stressed about food, like that stress also impacts your health. I think people don't realize until you don't have it how much what you eat, how much you eat, and where you get food from and that you get food in general has so much of a bigger impact, do you think, than just being able to eat or not?

SPEAKER_00 45:49

Yeah, it's true. I know this doesn't apply to any of our listeners, but next time you are judging someone for what is in their shopping cart for what they're eating on a daily basis, you have no idea how much money they make. You have no idea if they are accessing benefits. You don't know if they are eligible to access benefits, but afraid to because of the political climate. There's just so much that you don't know about people.

SPEAKER_02 46:10

Also, um, don't judge what's in their cart in general because even people who use snap benefits deserve a sweet treat. Because everyone everyone deserves a little treat. And that is gonna be my platform for running for president. And no men. And no men. Men don't deserve right. So just don't, just don't judge. Keep that shit to yourself. Those are inside thoughts. Don't thank them, but if you're gonna thank them, keep them quiet. Keep them to yourself. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 46:37

And then come look at my cabinet full of endurance sports nutrition products if you really want to have an aneurysm. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 46:47

I will give you diabetes. Do you have some public health and pop culture for us? I do have public health and pop culture. So this is being filmed and recorded on May 25th. So the reason I wanted to do this today is because the Summer House reunion comes out tomorrow. And now, are you familiar, Ariel, with Summer House? Never heard of it. Okay, I'm so glad because I will give you the full rundown for you and our listeners. So Summer House is a Bravo reality television show. And it the whole premise is it's a group of friends in New York City go out to the Hamptons in the summer every weekend, and that's like their weekend house. And they rented, it's like a group rent. Have you like it's like a Colorado thing is like a ski rent, like a ski house for the season? It's like that, but for the summertime in the Hamptons. And so the journey follows this group of friends like throughout their lives, because there's probably like I think we're on season 10 at this point. Um, don't call me on that, it might be eight, and I don't know why I'm having a brain fart on that right now. But um throughout like a long period of time. So why am I talking about this now if it has been a long time thing? Well, I'm so glad you asked. Um, it is with this reunion, it came out. So the last season ended filming last summer, so it's coming out now. But after that, it had come out that two of the main stars, Kyle and Amanda, who were married, they got engaged on the show. They were married in 2021. Their whole relationship was like super up and down, like he would cheat on her, and then they would get back together, and then like it was just bestie, messy, messy, messy, messy. They're uh Kyle owns the company Loverboy, if you've heard of their drinks. Um so yeah, like they talk about like they both work for Loverboy and they spend all this money on Loverboy, and then Kyle decides to become a DJ, and Amanda's pissed, he tries to become a DJ, like all this stuff. Kyle's like 42. But anyway, so their relationship is kind of a pivotal um plot point in Summer House ongoing. But at the end of this season, it's kind of like left up to like who knows what's gonna happen. But then earlier this year, it comes out that they're gonna get a divorce. Gasp. Um, so that was like a big news to hit the Bravo community is that Kyle and Amanda are finally getting a divorce. And so that comes out. And then as the season is coming out now, Amanda comes out with like a joint statement with one of the other guys on the show West, who is one of Kyle's best friends. And Amanda's best friend, Sierra, whom we will get to in a second, one of her like ex-boyfriends, they release a joint statement that they're seeing each other. Ooh, drama.

SPEAKER_00 49:35

Also, I need to ask, do we like this Kyle? You're a Kyle fan.

SPEAKER_02 49:40

No, I'm not a fan of this Kyle. I I think a lot of people are like trying to sympathize with him because of like all this stuff with like Amanda and West coming out now. They're trying to like make him the good guy. Kyle's still not a good guy. I don't think he was like as I don't know, I don't want to say like he was as bad as we thought, but like he's gotten better, but he's still not that great. So he's not one of the Kyles on my Kyle list. Okay. So they can't all be perfect. Um, so but so Sierra and Amanda were like besties, besties, besties, besties on the show. So like Sierra was there for Amanda with everything that Kyle was putting her through, was really encouraging her to like being one of like her biggest champions throughout this entire bullshit with Kyle. Um, like always there for her, always a shoulder to cry on, like a really genuinely good friend. And Amanda was there for Sierra when she was like going through all of this stuff with like West. So Sierra and West dated the season before. So, and then that they kind of had like a falling out. I didn't really watch season nine super closely, so I might need to go back and get some of that in for like this Sierra West drama. But by the end of this season, it's kind of looking like Sierra and West might get back together. And Amanda is like supporting her. She's saying all these things of like, well, if um Sierra wanted me to cut West off, I would, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then after all this is said and done, it turns out that Amanda is dating West.

SPEAKER_00 51:06

And so is there any more on the friendship, or I don't know, it's the end of the friendship between Amanda and Sierra?

SPEAKER_02 51:12

Well, so Sierra told, I think it was page six in an interview, basically being like, we will never be friends again. Like, you cannot come back from this, which is super fair. You cannot come back from that sort of like level of betrayal. And how I'm tying this into public health is because so Sierra is one of the few black people on the show. And she has been very open about her struggles with being black and being on reality television. Like, there's like, I think a double standard for women and especially black women in all aspects of life, but also on reality TV, that like you have to be perfect. You can't really show your full emotions, or you're gonna get labeled aggressive or mean or like angry, even though you're just expressing how you genuinely would feel. And there's that sort of double standard because, like, if a white woman or a white man were to like say those same things, they wouldn't be labeled as angry or aggressive or things like that. And Sierra has been super open with like her struggles with like being fetishized, the double standards, and she got a lot of kickback for quote, like letting a white man play her. And she's been open about this on TV, but also with Amanda and West has told them both about these like struggles that she's been having. And then her white friend basically just like, I don't know if like using her is the right term, but basically just kind of like uses her as a pond, get what she wants and like completely disregards her feelings. And so I think this was a really interesting time for like the commentary on like what it is like to be black and predominantly white spaces and also on reality television. Um, that I don't think a lot of people realized until more and more people started speaking out about it. And so, like, a lot of this commentary came from podcasters and other people who watch reality television of like, we need this, we need more people to like say these things because clearly this is something that happens to just black women in America in general. So, on top of that, it's like that microcosm of seeing what real like reality TV opens up these windows into life for other people too. This also talks about like the emotional labor that comes into friendships and how Sierra was doing so much emotional labor for Amanda, and Amanda just kind of just like throws her to the side. Um, so it sparked more conversations, especially on social media, about black women being used as like emotional sounding boards and putting being used for their emotional labor, um, and then becoming collateral damage by their white peers. And so then again, it's like Sierra has to suppress her anger, conduct herself perfectly to avoid being labeled as like angry or aggressive or on national TV, which is, I think, again, very much a stereotype that black women get get put on by just having having genuine emotions. So then it's also this scenario shows about how black women on reality television are often fetishized, but very, very rarely viewed as like the long-term commitment material by their white counterparts. So it's the case in point of like West saying all this stuff of like, oh, he's gonna work on himself for Sierra, or putting himself in this position of like he might get back with Sierra, only then to just turn around and then view his best friend's wife as the one he wants to go after, or you want something serious with. The whole thing is just so messy, and that's how it ties back into public health because the bullshit and bullshit and bullshit that black women in America have to face that we as white men, women will never ever experience is a public health crisis in and of itself. But I'm so excited for this reunion because it's gonna be insane. And the other part of it too is there were production, I think it was a production assistant that they finally figured out, released, like recorded the reunion episode and released it on the internet. So that way Bravo couldn't like soften up the edit for Amanda or West. They just like sent it out. We're like, here it is. Especially because Amanda is gonna be one of the stars in like the new, there's gonna be a new like summer house spinoff um called In the City, and she's on it. So I could would assume Bravo would want to soften her edit because more people they want people to watch that episode, like that show. Um, so yeah, it's crazy. I just can't imagine sitting here saying all this stuff and then behind your best friend's back, pining after not only your best friend's ex-boyfriend, but your husband's one of his best friends. And uh more and more internet are putting stuff together that what they either that might not have been like physical cheating, but they were totally emotionally cheating on maybe not on Sierra because West and Sierra weren't like official, but like still the principal of the thing, but definitely Amanda and Kyle. Like Amanda was emotionally cheating on Kyle with West. And there's been so many things that, like, again, the sluice have like put it all together. And there's just like so many times, like throughout the seasons, that Amanda would just put the other women down. She's like peak pick me. So yeah, this was like a perfect storm for a pick me girl of like it was like it's like a guy who can't commit is showing you attention, and you just got out of like a long-term relationship. It's like the perfect for like you just want someone to pick you, and it's gross. At uh the cost of your best friend, that's psychotic behavior. Yeah, that's just that's so icky. That's the word I'm thinking of, just icky. Yeah, it's so icky, and it's gonna be so dramatic at the reunion, and I'm so amped about it. I'm so excited. I'm skipping pottery to go to a watch party tomorrow and I'm Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 56:25

I also want to come back to what I said earlier about racism being alive and well. It's just wild how it permeates into every part of our society from you know, bird watching to reality TV and places you might not expect to find it, but it's just that's just how America is. Unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02 56:43

Unfortunately. And black women really pay the price for that. And I I still stand by of like, I think reality TV is one of my like favorite ways to experience and learn more about other people and other people's lives. Is it sometimes staged? Yeah, fine, whatever. But at the end of the day, it is kind of like a sociological experiment of like you're getting to watch like relationship dynamics and racial dynamics and gender dynamics and like everything play out in real time. And it's so fascinating. So when people shit on reality TV, I will come for you.

SPEAKER_00 57:22

I'm not gonna say anything about reality TV, except I don't watch it, so I don't have an opinion. That was the right thing to say. I appreciate that. Thank you. Yeah, I will say it's hard enough to be a woman in America. I can't imagine being a black woman in America. Yeah. A maternal mortality rate, living, existing.

SPEAKER_02 57:39

Existing, yeah. Existing. Yeah. Just existing in general. So black men and women are the real heroes here, is really what the episode is saying.

SPEAKER_00 57:48

Yes, any black woman listening, we love you. We think you are the best. Yes, truly. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 57:54

That's my public health and pop culture. All right, do we have any recalls this week, Maddie? Oh, baby, do we have recalls? You all have to continue to listen to the sound of my voice because uh, welcome to public health. What's on your shelf? Um, we're gonna do some recalls today. We will not have a ton, but I have like a little subtle foreshadowing. One of our favorites is back in action. Um, so 523 um angel specialty products, royal gold, boba time, finale, and donata specialty beverages is being recalled due to the containment, contamination of salmonella. God, salmonella's out there. And ladies and gentlemen, gays and they're drum roll, please. It's boner bears. That's the surprise, is it's boner bears again. Um, so 523-26 boner bears is back at it with their chocolate. And because the product contains Sildenafhil, woo! Undeclared Sildenafil. Um, this is also my formal petition for this podcast to get stickers that say this podcast may cause boners because we talk about it so often. Um God, I'd love to see boner bears again. Wow, it's like seeing an old friend. It's like a nice little hug. And then we'll hug on the podcast, you know? And then 522 raw R-A-A-W energy. I don't know if that's a typo, if that's how it's supposed to be, but I hope that's how it's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_00 59:35

I think that's how it's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_02 59:37

Fuck yeah. Um, is it's dog food um due to possible being recalled due to possible listeria contamination. Drats. And then um 518, um, Kroger, their cheese and garlic croutons due to are being recalled due to the potential for salmonella again. Salmonella's really added this week. Um, and then on 518, Malazi, um tahina is getting recalled due to contamination of salmonella again. And then 518, best supplements, best prices. Dietary supplement for sexual enhancement is getting recalled for undeclared celldenophil todolophil, and this is a new one.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:30

Phlebancerin. Flibancerin.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:34

Don't know how we don't know if that's how you say that. Um, we need to look that up, but yeah, a new new medication for us. I'm looking at it right now. It's a prescription drug used to treat low sexual desire in women. We love to see drugs for women and not just men.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:51

Wow. You know what? When we talk about like gender equality, this is what we're doing. You know what? They get it. Um, the flibansarin, flib, the flib part of that is really just short circuiting my brain. Um, but yeah, maybe don't you know with these recalls? I'm like, I think it's just because they're supplements and they can't have actual medication in it. And so that's why it's being recalled. But like, isn't that the point is to have those things in it? So it's like throw it out, maybe I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:27

That's correct. A supplement should not have prescription medication. If you're gonna be using prescription medication, it needs to come from a prescription from a licensed provider. And most supplements are bullshit anyway. I said what I said, come at me.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:40

True. Unless you're like being prescribed something that you actually need, you probably don't need it. My favorite is when people are like, should I get a B12 shot? And I was like, not unless you want to have expensive pee. Like, are you B12 deficient?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:53

Right? Like, did you get a confirmed blood test that you're low in B12? And then maybe you need a supplement, but otherwise, nope.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:00

Nope. Probably don't eat it. Um, we got two more. So 515, Strauss family creamery, various ice cream products, pint and quart size. Oh, is being recalled for the presence of metal fragments. That's horrifying. That's so dangerous. Don't eat metal.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:20

Oh no. Oh no. Um, throw that away. Yeah, check the show notes for more details about the batches and when and where they're distributed, but yeah, you don't want that.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:32

Don't eat metal. Um, and then 515 Blackstone Parmesan Ranch seasoning is being recalled once again for salmonella. So no botulism this week, but a lot of boner medications. So I call that a win.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:45

Yeah, and can I just say whoever named Salmonella, like I really like salmon. I think salmonella sounds like salmon, but they're two very different things, and those names are too close for comfort for me. Salmon good, salmonella bad.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:57

Yes, I would agree. I would agree. That has always also kind of freaked me out. And I don't think, like, isn't is salmonella like if you eat raw salmon, is like salmonella the issue? Or is it something else? Oh, that's a good question. I'm not sure. But if you're eating sushi and it's supposed to be raw, then I don't know. And also sometimes it's sorry, I'm the I'm supposed to be the ID person, and I can't think off the top of my head, but salmonella does not contain salmon. Salmon contains salmonella.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:24

Salmon contains salmonella.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:28

It's like a rectangle. Every square is a rectangle, and not every rectangle is a square. Exactly. Salmon and salmonella. Well, we've reached the end of our episode, our journey here today, ladies and gents. Do you have a good outro for us, Ariel? If you made it this far, thank you for listening. Thank you for listening. Support black women, watch reality TV, don't get accidental boners unless you want to.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:53

Yeah, and buy a public health group chat t-shirt to show the world how much you love us and that you are a public health groupie. Buy buy t-shirts. Come be groupies with us. We ordered our own march, and when we have it, we will showcase it on our social media so you'll be able to see us rocking our gear. Yes. I need to go on and order more actually because I want stickers.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:17

I hit order too quick on the t-shirt. I was so excited. I didn't go look for anything else, and then I got I want more.