Public Health Group Chat
by Ariel, Olivia, and Mattie
A podcast more reliable than your federal government. Hosted by public health professionals Ariel, Mattie, and Olivia, this podcast breaks down what’s actually happening in the world of health—without the jargon or spin, no background required. Each episode feels like catching up with friends who know how the system works and can explain why it matters to your everyday life. Expect the topic of the week, public health in pop culture, weekly recall updates, and the good news we all need to hear. Informative, honest, and occasionally unhinged…in the best way. All views shared in this podcast are our own. Episodes drop every other Friday.
Episodes
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Ozempinomics
In this episode, Ariel breaks down how GLP-1s are reshaping the U.S. economy, inspired by a talk she attended at Aspen Ideas Health. After a quick history (yes, there’s a Gila monster involved), she covers who’s using GLP-1s, what they cost, and the ripple effects: smaller grocery bills, fewer…
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VAmpiERS
It’s SpOokY season, and Olivia and Ariel are digging into VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, where one doctor reported turning into the Hulk after his flu shot (and the report was accepted). Olivia explains VAERS as a smoke detector that beeps at both fires (proven vaccine…
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Ronald Reagan Ruined Everything: Part II
Part two of our Reagan deep-dive picks up where we left off, with Mattie walking us through more of the Reagan Administration decisions that are still shaping public health today: the War on Drugs and the punitive framework it built that we're still dismantling, the roots of the modern…
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Ronald Reagan Ruined Everything: Part I
Part one of our Reagan deep-dive has Mattie leading the charge with Ariel along for the ride, digging into the economic and public health legacy of the Reagan era: Reaganomics and the trickle-down promise that never quite trickled, the AIDS epidemic and the years of federal silence while a...
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#CyclosporaSummer: Part II
Part two of our cyclospora deep-dive brings in Dr. Alex Sundermann, DrPH, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, to get into the outbreak detection and surveillance side of things: why cyclospora is so much harder to catch than bacteria, the...
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#CyclosporaSummer: Part I
Cyclospora is having a moment...and not because the parasite got scarier, but because the systems meant to catch it didn't. In this episode, Olivia breaks down what Cyclospora cayetanensis actually is, the history of outbreaks in the US, and the timeline of federal missteps (hi, FDA and CDC) that...
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Don't Drink Your Sunscreen
In this episode, Ariel breaks down the science and history of sunscreen, covering UVA/UVB/UVC radiation, how SPF actually works, mineral vs. chemical filters, and the newly FDA-approved ingredient bemotrizinol — the first new sunscreen active ingredient approved in the U.S. since the 1990s. The...
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WICked Games: Congress Plays with Benefits
In this episode, Ariel breaks down the WIC program (Women, Infants, and Children) as Congress moves to cut its benefits. She covers what WIC provides — cash benefits for healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to other services — plus eligibility and its history...
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This is an Ebola Episode
In this episode, Mattie walks us through Ebola as it returns to the headlines for the first time in years. She covers what the virus is, its history dating back to the 1976 outbreak near the Ebola River, how it spreads, and the treatments and vaccines in development. Then she gets into the…
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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...
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It Hantas Me: Part II
If the MV Hondius Hantavirus outbreak hit the US tomorrow, would we be ready? In Part II of our Hantavirus/Andes virus coverage, Mattie and Olivia sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Soda, MD, infectious disease physician and former CDC insider who spent nearly a decade at the agency before resigning on...
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It Hantas Me: Part I
In this episode (Part I of II), Olivia breaks down Hantavirus: what it is, how it spreads, and why the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has the world paying attention. She walks through the science of the Andes Virus (the only known Hantavirus strain capable of human-to-human transmission), the…
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Who Really Pays the Price of War?
In today’s episode, Ariel walks us through the public health impacts of war. We start by providing a very brief history of human conflict. Next, we talk about technological advances during WWI, WWII, and the Cold War that have made modern warfare extremely deadly. We then discuss the on-going…
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The Implications of RFK Jr.'s Infectious Influence
In this episode, Olivia breaks down measles. She explains what it is, how the US reached measles elimination status in 2000, why it is making a comeback, and whether or not we will keep our measles elimination status. A combination of decreased immunizations during the covid-19 pandemic and the...
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If it Needs to be in the Fridge, it Ain't a Baby
Abortion is healthcare...and in this episode, Ariel walks us through the full history of abortion in the US, from pre-colonial practices to Roe v. Wade to where things stand today across all 50 states. She covers why the debate is really a philosophical and moral one rather than a biological one,...
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We Should be Meaner to Casey Means
SPECIAL RELEASE EPISODE: We are publishing this episode early to ensure timely release. Qualifications for the US Surgeon General are outlined in the US Code (TITLE 42 / CHAPTER 6A / SUBCHAPTER I / Part A / Section 205). Casey Means, current nominee for US Surgeon General (as of March 2026), does...
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Our Beef With Beef
The US government has been issuing nutrition guidance for over 100 years — so what's the deal with the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines? In this episode, Ariel breaks down the history of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, what's actually in the new 10-page document, and why it looks so…
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It's Always the Bats (But it's Also Us)
If you want to learn about Nipah virus, you’re in the right place. In this episode, Olivia walks us through what Nipah virus is, how it is transmitted, the recent outbreak in India, and how to prevent it. While it may not be front and center of the health news in the US, it is important to pay...
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Centers for Disease (out of) Control
In the past year, the CDC really took a beating from the Trump administration. In this episode, we discuss a timeline of some of the most important events, including: Reductions in Force (RIFs) Shooting at the CDC on 8/8/25 Loss of senior leadership Budget changes and reorganization The longest...
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Defunded: The Public Health Cost of Killing USAID
For more than 60 years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) quietly did the kind of public health work that actually saves lives. Founded in 1961, USAID supported global programs that reduced maternal and child mortality, prevented infectious diseases, and improved…
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New Year, New Shitshow
A public health podcast more reliable than your federal government. Get to know your cohosts! If you are just tuning in, please know that our audio improves tenfold after this episode. We had some fine-tuning to do during this episode, please bear with us. In this episode, Ariel, Olivia & Mattie...
About this show
A podcast more reliable than your federal government. Hosted by public health professionals Ariel, Mattie, and Olivia, this podcast breaks down what’s actually happening in the world of health—without the jargon or spin, no background required. Each episode feels like catching up with friends who know how the system works and can explain why it matters to your everyday life. Expect the topic of the week, public health in pop culture, weekly recall updates, and the good news we all need to hear. Informative, honest, and occasionally unhinged…in the best way.
All views shared in this podcast are our own. Episodes drop every other Friday.
Hosted by
Ariel, Olivia, and Mattie