Welcome.

The Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Dr. Georges Benjamin joins us on the podcast today. We talk about some of the greatest public health achievements of the 21st century like maternal and infant health. We also discuss climate change and why APHA thinks it’s a public health concern.

Dr. Georges Benjamin gets real as he provides a critique of Trump’s State of the Union address to eradicate HIV and AIDS. And to top it all off, we talk about APHA’s recent forum titled, “Public Health Under Siege: Improving Policy in Turbulent Times, “ which featured Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and public health leaders from around the country.

We all know shows like The West Wing and Veep accurately portray the day-to-day lives of our elected officials. WRONG! Jessie Ulibarri is the executive director at the State Innovation Exchange (Six) and unfortunately, he’s here to tell us government is nothing like what you see on TV. Especially state government.

We talk with Ulibarri about how SiX supports state legislators with tools and resources to pass progressive policies like paid family leave, criminal justice reform, paid sick days, and more. So sit back and crank up the volume as we get to know the State Innovation Exchange.

We’re trying something new today! We process current events from a public policy and public health perspective with friends of the podcast. And who better to kick this off than Scott Wasserman, president of the Bell Policy Center!

We talk about the 3 M’s on this episode: medicare for all, Marxism, and marijuana. Wait, is that a thing? Probably not but we might patent it. Stay tuned. We also talk about Coloradans running for president, the federal government shutdown, and teacher strikes.

Check out this episode and let us know your thoughts by rating us on iTunes!

We live in a complicated society. We’re technologically advanced and scientifically complex. And while a world of information is right at our fingertips to help us dissect these convoluted studies, there’s also an abundance of misinformation spreading like wildfire.

Michael J. Thompson, editor of, Anti-Science and the Assault on Democracy, discusses “fake news” around climate change, and outlandish claims about the effects of vaccines. I mean, should we trust those fancy pants scientists? Or are we holding our democracy back because we view science as left or right instead of facts?