America Dissected

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How many more kids have to die? with Dr. Joe Sakran May 31, 2022

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Not even two weeks since the white supremacist murder spree in Buffalo that took 10 lives at a grocery store, another gunman entered an elementary school and killed 19 kids and two teachers. It’s true, people kill people. But when they do, there’s a reason they usually use guns. It’s because they’re the most effective — particularly the ones meant for war. Abdul reflects on the back-to-back murders — and those the media doesn’t pick up. Then he talks to trauma surgeon and founder of gun reform advocacy organization This is Our Lane, Dr. Joe Sakran.

The Generational Dread of the Climate Crisis with Varshini Prakash May 24, 2022

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Mental health among young people is worse than it’s ever been. Millennials and Generation Z are the first generation whose financial outlook looks worse than the generations before it. But that’s not even what weighs heaviest on many young peoples’ minds — the notion that the very Earth on which we are building is in crisis causes a unique kind of existential dread. Abdul sits down with the Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement, Varshini Prakash to understand how climate anxiety may be affecting mental health among America’s young people.

Abortion is Healthcare with Dr. Heather Irobunda May 17, 2022

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Anti-abortion activists always try to depersonalize abortion, as if its some abstract issue that doesn’t involve real people. With the impending fall of Roe v. Wade, Abdul re-personalizes it. He speaks with obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Heather Irobunda about what the fall of Roe would mean for millions of people and how it would affect her practice.

Throughline wants you to understand the “Everlasting Problem” May 10, 2022

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America’s healthcare system is broken — not because someone broke it, but because it was built haphazardly to begin with. But why was it built that way? A recent episode of NPR’s “Throughline” podcast, which “goes back in time to understand the present” explored how a series of choices throughout the 20th century doomed us to our current system. Abdul sits down with their hosts, Ramtin Arabloui and Rund Abdelfattah to explore those choices and the system they’ve left us with now.

Insulinated From the Price of It with T1International May 03, 2022

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Millions of people with diabetes simply can’t live without insulin. Discovered over a century ago, it’s patent was sold for $1. But today, pharmaceutical corporations have arbitrarily raised insulin prices, leaving those who can’t afford it having to ration it–or worse, go without it. Abdul breaks down why insulin has become the epitome of pharmaceutical company greed. Then he talks to the leaders of T1International, a non-profit dedicated to insulin access, about how to ensure access.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected

Ai-Jen Poo Needs us to Care about Carers Apr 26, 2022

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Millions of Americans work inside our homes–as carers and cleaners–taking care of the people and places we value most. Though they do the most important work in our lives, work that we would only entrust to few others, they are some of the most marginalized workers in our economy–and the work they do continues to be undervalued and underappreciated. Abdul breaks down the consequences of that for our society. Then he speaks with Ai-Jen Poo, co-founder and Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected.

Pain Points with Dr. Haider Warraich Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

Millions of Americans live with chronic pain. But we have yet to fully contend with the impact pain has on people–and our ability to treat pain remains limited. In fact, our failure to engage with the complexity of pain is, in part, what led to the opioid crisis, which took over 100,000 lives last year. One of those people living with chronic pain is Dr. Haider Warraich, a physician who’s written a book exploring pain as a biological and sociocultural phenomenon. He joins Abdul to talk about pain–what it is, how it shapes our society, and how people and their providers need to have a better conversation about it.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected.

The Means of Consumption with Malik Yakini Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Food insecurity affects millions of Americans — a disproportionate number of them are Black. What are the consequences of the way we produce food in our society — and how do they shape who gets healthy, accessible, affordable food, and who doesn’t? Abdul reflects on our food system and speaks with Malik Yakini, co-founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected.

Seeking Refuge with David Miliband Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Nearly four million people have left Ukraine since Putin invaded their country. They need housing, food, and work. But so do the million who’ve fled war in countries like Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Abdul breaks down the public health consequences of forced migration. He then speaks with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee about the refugee crisis in Ukraine and what drives our double standard for refugees.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected.

Period Poverty with Lynette Medley Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Menstruation is a fundamental part of the physiology of nearly half of the people on Earth. But we don’t talk about it that way–it’s taboo, unspoken, and ignored. Period stigma has left state governments across the country taxing period products as “luxury” items, failing to provide access to period products as the necessities they are for low-income menstruators. In this episode, Abdul talks about how period stigma leaves people without the products they need to live their lives–and speaks with Lynette Medley, an inspiring activist working to solve that problem.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected.

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