The Present Illness

Birth Autonomy with Dr. Jen Lincoln

The Birth Book with OB-GYN Dr Jennifer Lincoln. Pro-autonomy! Pro-Consent! Pro- vitamin K for babies! Anti-shame and coercion! She hopes folks name their babies "OG" Anunoby. The Birth Book * Get your copy of The Birth Book [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/785889/the-birth-book-by-dr-jennifer-lincoln/] * Resources [https://www.drjenniferlincoln.com/book-resources] for The Birth Book * Follow Dr. Lincoln on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@DrJenniferLincoln], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@drjenniferlincoln] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drjenniferlincoln] 💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 * Jen’s book recommendation: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry [https://bookshop.org/p/books/roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry-40th-anniversary-special-edition-mildred-d-taylor/9a7d6ee45708b73b?ean=9781101993880&next=t] * Marcus Tudrick [https://www.instagram.com/marcus.tudrick/] on Instagram * Paper Pepper healing Van Gogh [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZRXKAzxVbz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2541293/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thepresentillness/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepresentillness/], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePresentIllness/videos] @ThePresentIllness Credits * Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa Burgart * Editing by Alyssa Burgart * Music by Joseph Uphoff * Social Media by Arghavan Salles

Flesh Eating Flies and Project 2025 "Efficiency" Destroys Science

Flesh eating flies (disgusting!); Project 2025 budget cuts (despicable!); sterile flies; non-standard healing crystals from a crystal scientist; Hunter Biden is a natural poster Note: * New data [https://ascopubs.org/doi/pdf/10.1200/JCO-26-00835] from ASCO regarding melanoma indicate those with Stage 3b to 4 melanoma had longer time to recurrence and longer time to metastasis * Alyssa accidentally called the screwworm fly as a “screw-tape.” Oops! New World Screwworm Fly * Texas Tribune: What to know about screwworm in Texas [https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/04/screwworm-texas-united-states/] * Screwworm Lifecycle [https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/newworldscrewwormmyiasis/index.html] * Sterile fly production facilities [https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm/sterile-fly-production-dispersal-facilities] * How sterile flies are used in mitigation [https://apnews.com/article/fly-factories-cattle-screwworm-texas-baf01b846d38e34d9ff1c1414cd752a4] Disaster OMB Budget Proposal * Summary [https://elizabethginexi.substack.com/p/summary-of-key-changes-in-ombs-proposed] of proposed OMB changes to federal funding * Things to consider [https://elizabethginexi.substack.com/p/what-we-need-to-do-next-ombs-proposed] while writing your comment * regulations.gov [http://regulations.gov], OMB-2026-0034 is where you can enter your comment * Or you can go to StandUpForScience.net [http://StandUpForScience.net] and they have a link as well 💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 * “Non-standard Healing Crystals” [https://www.instagram.com/p/DWkTG0GDyIf/] * Trad Lifting [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZDfxRBP33E/] * Some Hunter Biden tweets  * Would not [https://x.com/hunterbiden/status/2061514195292573856?s=12] have left his drugs behind * He’s never stolen [https://x.com/HunterBiden/status/2062193611475706197?s=20] an erection * Correcting a bad AI photo [https://x.com/hunterbiden/status/2062574276083888267?s=12] of himself * Hunter Biden campaign slogan [https://x.com/HunterBiden/status/2062177121204617560?s=20] Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2541293/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thepresentillness/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepresentillness/], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePresentIllness/videos] @ThePresentIllness Credits * Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa Burgart * Editing by Alyssa Burgart * Music by Joseph Uphoff * Social Media by Arghavan Salles

Pope Leo takes on AI; Ashley St. Clair Spills Hot MAGA Tea

Pope Leo takes on AI in first encyclical; Ashley St. Clair spills hot MAGA tea; UFC fight at the White House; Ronnie Chieng commencement speech * RFK Jr and snakes [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY22s0zxKY6/] * Preparations [https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/president-trump-politics/white-house-ufc-fight-construction-underway-see-the-towering-claw-in-dc/4109566/] for the UFC fight at the White House * Ebola updates [https://www.notion.so/502922161c4742379e06141b0d81325a?pvs=21] from the WHO * US sends [https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/us-plans-send-americans-exposed-ebola-facility-kenya-rcna347151] exposed citizens to Kenya * Democrats respond [https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5898874-democratic-national-committee-stephen-miller-criticism/] to Stephen Miller Fact check: The study [https://www.brainonllm.com/] Arghavan referenced regarding students learning with AI vs without demonstrated changes in brain connectivity (based on EEGs), not amount of learning.  Pope’s First Encyclical: * Magnifica Humanitas text [https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html], promo video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvU6NFe0z6k] * Arghavan’s Instagram post [https://www.instagram.com/arghavansallesmd/p/DYz2H4jCaQ3/?hl=en] with excerpts from the encyclical * UC Berkeley’s new AI policy [https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/05/22/uc-berkeley-law-school-adopts-new-strict-ban-on-ai-use-by-students/] Ashley St. Clair: * Ashley St. Clair’s Tik Tok page [https://www.tiktok.com/@ashstc] * Ashley’s video [https://www.tiktok.com/@ashstc/video/7627136367750876446] about how MAGA campaigns work * Ashley on I’ve Had It News [https://x.com/alluringmedia/status/2059813204952580177?s=12] talking about Stephen Miller * Ashley’s video [https://www.tiktok.com/@ashstc/video/7639031155500518687] about meeting Elon * Ashley’s video [https://www.tiktok.com/@ashstc/video/7641247289259937054] about Elon and the space lasers * Ashley’s video [https://www.tiktok.com/@ashstc/video/7640134711049833758] about Elon after she got pregnant * Alisa Valdes-Rodrigues’ dangerous Epstein reveal [https://alisav.substack.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-was-cia-the-communications] 💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 * Ronnie Chieng commencement speech [https://www.instagram.com/p/DY4sD21xsCK/] * New Yorker comics [https://www.instagram.com/newyorkermag/p/DY4_lowAccO/] about RFK Jr and SSRIs Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2541293/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thepresentillness/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepresentillness/], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePresentIllness/videos] @ThePresentIllness Credits * Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa Burgart * Editing by Alyssa Burgart * Music by Joseph Uphoff * Social Media by Arghavan Salles

Replay: The Professor Will See You Now (If they still have a job)

Replay: Academic freedom under attack; viral case of an Oklahoma pre-med student's targets her transgender professor; Erika Kirk's terrible NYT interview;  Our hosts investigate the alarming trend of politically-motivated complaints against university professors. From Indiana University to Texas A&M, faculty are experiencing acute cases of administrative panic when confronted with student outrage—often resulting in terminal employment outcomes. * Here’s more [https://www.koco.com/article/samantha-fulnecky-oklahoma-ou-student-essay-bible-grade-professor-religious-discrimination/69634277] about Samantha Fulnecky and the story at the University of Oklahoma * Here’s more [https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2025/11/11/indiana-university-professor-removed-maga-white-supremacy-graphic-complaint-jim-banks-office/87166738007/] about the instructor (Jessica Adams) who was removed from teaching her class at Indiana University * Here’s more [https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/texas-m-fires-professor-gender-identity-lesson-literature-course-rcna230337] about the instructor (Melissa McCoul) who was fired at Texas A&M and the findings [https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/10/texas-am-mccoul-firing-academic-freedom-council/] of the faculty committee that reviewed what happened * Jennifer Freyd’s DARVO concept - Deny-Attack-Reverse Victim and Offender [https://www.jjfreyd.com/darvo] 💊Take Two and Call Me In The Morning 💊 * Here’s one of Haley Dortch’s videos [https://www.tiktok.com/@haleydortch/video/7571603978819996958]. You’re welcome! * Somebody, Somewhere [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/08/somebody-somewhere-streaming-binge-hbo] on HBO * How I escaped MAGA! Critical thinking woke me up. [https://youtu.be/vXQa7jW_QmY?si=RlIdzXtis9dzET3e] * Nurse Johnn on being unprofessiona [https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTraJvwWg/]l * Here’s Jeff Hiller’s book Actress of a Certain Age [https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9781668031858] Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2541293/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thepresentillness/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepresentillness/], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePresentIllness/videos] @ThePresentIllness Credits * Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa Burgart * Editing by Alyssa Burgart * Music by Joseph Uphoff * Social Media by Arghavan Salles

Rich Folks Complain About Helicopters Carrying Sick Kids and Shingles Vaccine May Prevent Dementia

Seattle’s Laurelhurst community vs. Seattle Children’s Hospital; Shingles Vaccine may reduce dementia; Hantavirus scare; American dialects; Zaffron Bloom restaurant * NEJM article [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2009040] on hantavirus (no paywall) Rich Folks Complain About Seattle Children’s Helicopters * Seattle Children’s-Laurelhurst helicopter situation explained [https://www.thestranger.com/news/laurelhurst-community-council-isnt-sure-helicopters-needed-to-land-sick-kids-at-the-hospital/] * Laurelhurst “old money” Seattle neighborhood [https://youtu.be/1AHuxOclXdY?t=417] * 1992 Complaint [https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19920604/1495462/noisy-neighbor----childrens-hospital-should-use-helipads-at-uw-harborview] about “noisy neighbor” * Satirical take on Laurelhurst [https://www.instagram.com/p/DX8ov8QmUvS/] * Helicopter landing data [https://www.seattlechildrens.org/about/facts-and-stats/helicopter-landing-reports/] * Seattle Children’s Statement on Helipad Agreement [https://www.seattlechildrens.org/media/press-releases/statement-on-helipad-agreement/] Shingles Vaccine and Dementia * The three research articles mentioned:  * Nature [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08800-x] * JAMA [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2833335] * Cell [https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)01256-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867425012565%3Fshowall%3Dtrue] * Herpes Zoster explainer video [https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Herpes_zoster_infection_(shingles):_Clinical_sciences] (Osmosis) 💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 * Rick Aschmann’s North American English Dialect Map [https://aschmann.net/AmEng/#SmallMapUnitedStates] * Matt Forrest’s reel [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXKrT_ZCdEA/] about the map * Zay [https://www.tiktok.com/@zaydupree] (linguist) on Tik Tok * Pop v Soda Map [https://popvssoda.com] * History of regional words [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/pop-soda-or-coke-a-linguist-explains-the-history-behind-the-various-names-for-the-drink] for carbonated beverages * New York Turk [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXsHrcdjuke/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] visits Zaffron Bloom Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2541293/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thepresentillness/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepresentillness/], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePresentIllness/videos] @ThePresentIllness Credits * Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa Burgart * Editing by Alyssa Burgart * Music by Joseph Uphoff * Social Media by Arghavan Salles