In the Meanwhile
In the Meanwhile
Podcast Description
No hot takes. No empty platitudes. No easy hope. Just real talk about how we hold onto our humanity, build something better—and maybe even laugh along the way.
Bring snacks. Bring questions. We’re figuring this out together.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on societal challenges, civic courage, and personal growth, with episodes exploring topics such as the aftermath of the pandemic, immigration enforcement, and collective endurance in a divided society. Examples include profound discussions on civic bravery in the face of ICE raids and the psychological impacts of 2020 on families and communities.
No hot takes. No empty platitudes. No easy hope. Just real talk about how we hold onto our humanity, build something better—and maybe even laugh along the way.
Bring snacks. Bring questions. We’re figuring this out together.
This week on In The Meanwhile, Nora and Marcus tear into the clown-car chaos of American public health: vaccine policy whiplash, Trump’s acetaminophen-ass-head-of-men moment, and RFK Jr. running HHS like a crystal-healing Etsy shop. Then they call in Yale epidemiologist and longtime AIDS activist Gregg Gonsalves, who’s been in the trenches since ACT UP. He reminds us: public health has always been political, authoritarians hate experts because they tell the truth, and the real antidote isn’t just clapbacks, it’s organizing from your school board to your statehouse.
And because you can’t fight pseudoscience on an empty soul, we end with Eight Ounces of Joy: Kubota Garden peace and a serendipitous cross-country friend reunion. Proof that even in the darkest timeline, you can still find a little sunlight, solace, and maybe even a hydrangea that outlives the administration.
Mentioned in the episode:
Gregg Gonsalves | When AIDS Was Funny | Sick From Freedom | Why doesn’t the United States have universal health care? The answer has everything to do with race | RFK Jr., American Psycho | ProPublica reporting on Russell Vought | Research paper on Measles/polio/diphtheria becoming endemic | How Public Health Took Part in its Own Downfall | Defend Public Health | Tom Holman accepting bags of cash | ACOG: Acetaminophen in Pregnancy | Marcus on Kubota Garden |
Support the pod:
Donate to Hinton Publishing to support In the Meanwhile
Follow us:
Read Nora and Marcus’s Books:
Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare | Readying to Rise
Nora and Marcus’s work on the podcast is separate from their professional roles and does not represent the views of their employers.
Music: No Tears for a Wolf · Ahamefule J. Oluo · Okanomodé. Used with permission.
Logo by Nikki Barron.
Transcripts are machine-generated and imperfect.
Links to bookshop.org are affiliate links.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.