#1820 Science and Public Health Under Attack by Our Own Government

**Air Date: 9/2/2026** *Today we look at how public health is being gutted by a system that took ordinary parental worry and organized, radicalized and monetized it into an anti-science "wellness" movement large enough to seize real political power.* Full Show Notes Transcript **Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com** **BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)** **Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!** **Join our Discord community!** * * * **TOP TAKES** KP 1: We Need to Accept That We Elected an Actual Madman to Be President - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 8-11-26 KP 2: The 'Anti-Science Disinformation Ecosystem': Experts Decode Trump's War on Health and C Limate - Zeteo - Air Date 10-22-25 KP 3: Welcome to the Vaccine Free-for-All - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 9-4-25 KP 4: Fauci Takes the 5th Amendment While MAGA Cracks His Diary Open & Calls Him Hitler - The Daily Show - Air Date 7-30-26 KP 5: [The Infodemic — and the Scientists Fighting Against It | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 1 - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 8-7-26](go.ted.com/jessicamalatyrivera) KP 6: [The Anti-Vaccine Movement Part 1 - Throughline - Air Date 9-25-25](npr.org/2025/09/25/nx-s1-5551121/the-anti-vaccine-movement) KP 7: Skepticism of Science in Health Care: Who Doesn't Trust Whom and Why? | Robert Field - Fondation Brocher - Air Date 12-16-24 * * * **(00:59:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR** In 1955 Newspapers Announced the Polio Vaccine Like a War Victory My commentaries on YouTube - Share them! * * * **DEEPER DIVES** **(01:09:24) SECTION A: THE CURRENT DAMAGE** A1: Fauci, RFK Jr., and the Latest in American Health Part 1 - Reveal - Air Date 8-11-26 A2: [Sick Boy – How RFK's Crank Health Agenda Is Making America Ill Again - The Bunker – News Without the Nonsense - Air Date 4-13-26](shows.acast.com/the-bunker/episodes/6a2ad30b90aa100df90896ef) A3: Fauci, RFK Jr., and the Latest in American Health Part 2 - Reveal - Air Date 8-11-26 * * * **(01:35:53) SECTION B: HOW WE GOT HERE** B1: [The Anti-Vaccine Movement Part 2 - Throughline - Air Date 9-25-25](npr.org/2025/09/25/nx-s1-5551121/the-anti-vaccine-movement) B2: Peter Hotez: Mapping the Anti-Science Machine - Yale Insights - Air Date 11-27-25 B3: To Be a Trump Republican You Have to Dare to Be Stupid - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 8-27-26 * * * **(01:59:55) SECTION C: WHY IT WORKS** C1: Fall Of The House Of Misinformation: Science At Work Part 1 - Unbiased Science - Air Date 4-17-24 C2: Social Influence: Crash Course Psychology #38 - CrashCourse - Air Date 11-11-14 C3: Fall Of The House Of Misinformation: Science At Work Part 2 - Unbiased Science - Air Date 4-17-24 * * * **(02:23:55) SECTION D: RESPONDING TO THE MOMENT** D1: One Crisis After Another | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 1 - Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab - Air Date 5-13-26 D2: Why Doctors Are Mad at Me for My Debate - Doctor Mike - Air Date 12-17-25 D3: One Crisis After Another | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 2 - Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab - Air Date 5-13-26 D4: [The Infodemic — and the Scientists Fighting Against It | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 2 - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 8-7-26](go.ted.com/jessicamalatyrivera) * * *   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com