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Trump's War On Public Health and the Lessons of The Black Angels

Wide Awake America

Release Date: 02/14/2025

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Wide Awake America

Woniya Thibeault joins Wide Awake America with Nadine Smith to discuss how ancestral skills offer more than survival—they ground us amid today’s political turbulence. From winning Alone Frozen to teaching resilience through connection with nature, Woniya shares how reclaiming these practices can empower us to face an uncertain world with confidence and community.

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Wide Awake America

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Trump's War On Public Health and the Lessons of The Black Angels show art Trump's War On Public Health and the Lessons of The Black Angels

Wide Awake America

Trump’s War on Public Health and the Return of Deadly Diseases In this episode of Wide Awake America, we examine how Trump’s war on science has paved the way for new and deadly disease outbreaks, including the largest tuberculosis outbreak in modern U.S. history. With public health agencies gutted, vaccine skepticism on the rise, and research suppressed, we are facing a resurgence of infectious diseases—including drug-resistant TB—that could set us back decades. We also revisit the heroism of the Black Angels, the Black nurses who risked everything to combat tuberculosis when white...

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Wide Awake America

Evan Wolfson knows about defying the odds. In 1983, he argued for same-sex marriage in his Harvard Law thesis—an idea dismissed as impossible at the time. Three decades later, he led Freedom to Marry to a nationwide victory. Now, as LGBTQ rights and democracy face renewed threats, Wolfson’s strategic insights are more urgent than ever. In a recent conversation on Wide Awake America, he shared his take on the current landscape and what comes next.

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In this compelling episode of Wide Awake America, host Nadine Smith sits down with Rich Logis, founder of Leaving MAGA, to explore his extraordinary journey out of the MAGA movement. Once a dedicated Trump supporter, Logis shares how doubt crept in, what finally pushed him to leave, and how he now helps others break free from the grip of political extremism. From confronting the myths that held him in place to grappling with the loss of an entire community, Logis offers a raw and honest look at what it takes to walk away. He explains why many MAGA supporters feel trapped, the emotional toll of...

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Come January 20th, a convicted felon and an adjudicated rapist will occupy the White House, having run primarily as a hateful voice of racism, xenophobia, and assorted bigotries. He and his backers want us to feel overwhelmed, powerless, and immobilized. But history shows us how to access our strength and rise together to meet this moment. Mary McLeod Bethune is one such guide, and her story, beautifully captured in Noliwe Rooks’ book, A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit, offers lessons we urgently need today.

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On this episode of Wide Awake America, host Nadine Smith talks with historian Manisha Sinha to explore the echoes of Reconstruction in America’s current political landscape. From the triumphs and betrayals of the Second American Republic to the roots of systemic voter suppression and authoritarianism, Sinha offers an unflinching examination of how history’s patterns repeat—and how they can be broken. Together, they delve into the resilience of grassroots movements, the unfulfilled promises of constitutional amendments, and the stark parallels between post-Civil War America and our...

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Trump’s War on Public Health and the Return of Deadly Diseases

In this episode of Wide Awake America, we examine how Trump’s war on science has paved the way for new and deadly disease outbreaks, including the largest tuberculosis outbreak in modern U.S. history. With public health agencies gutted, vaccine skepticism on the rise, and research suppressed, we are facing a resurgence of infectious diseases—including drug-resistant TB—that could set us back decades.

We also revisit the heroism of the Black Angels, the Black nurses who risked everything to combat tuberculosis when white nurses fled. Their life-saving legacy helped bring the disease under control, but reckless policies today threaten to undo their progress. I sit down with Maria Smilios, author of The Black Angels, to discuss how history warns us of the danger we now face.

This is a wake-up call: when we abandon science, we invite catastrophe. Tune in for an urgent conversation about the past, present, and future of public health.

 

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