Following the Money with Ben Ryan

Informed Dissent News for the Week December 6, 2025Segment One — Conversation with Glenna GoldisWe open the episode with Glenna Goldis and a breakdown of the week’s biggest stories:* The New York Times piece on the secretly recorded surgery consultation* Chase Strangio, taking one for the team with a public-facing optimism that change is possible within current advocacy structures — and why that message feels (because it is) another kind of fake believe. Glenna provides legally grounded analysis, highlighting how weak or ideologically driven legal defense strategies can create long-term consequences for everyone — eroding public trust, distorting precedent, and reshaping the legal landscape in ways that harm both patients and professionals. Her critique underscores how fragile the rule of law becomes when institutions abandon rigor.Segment Two — Interview with Journalist Ben RyanNext, we sit down with journalist Ben Ryan for an in-depth historical and cultural discussion of the HIV landscape:* The origins and development of AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs)* How these organizations became federally funded and what that funding structure meant for their long-term mission and operations* The history, promise, and limitations of PrEP, including how it reshaped the HIV prevention paradigm* How medical interventions, public-health messaging, and funding priorities can influence — and sometimes transform — community culture, norms, and expectationsBen offers rich historical context and a nuanced understanding of how institutions evolve, how public-health decisions ripple outward, and how medicine can shape a community’s identity and trajectory.Our Guest: Journalist Ben Ryan Ben Ryan is an independent journalist specializing in science and health care coverage. You can find more here: http://www.benryan.net/bio.htmlBluesky: @benryanwriterTwitter: @benryanwriterSubstack: Hazard RatioAdditional Notes: Guest Glenna Goldis Here’s her 2024 piece on Chase Strangio that quotes her saying gender identity isn’t real, etc. - Glenna on X:https://x.com/glennagoldisThank you for joining us this week.Please subscribe (it’s free!) wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to like, rate, review, and share — it truly helps the show grow.As always:Stay informed, and stay ready to dissent.Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe