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We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

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TEST NOW Mehdi Hasan and friends pull no punches as they dissect the absurdities of politics, media, and power with sharp wit and zero tolerance for spin. Equal parts incisive commentary and irreverent humor, this show proves that holding the powerful accountable can actually be fun. If you've ever wanted someone to say what everyone else is thinking — loudly and unapologetically — this is your podcast.

This episode is sponsored by Ellydee. To sign up, go to ellydee.ai/mehdi Riz Ahmed is the man of the moment. The Oscar and Emmy award-winning actor is currently on the press tour for not one but two new projects: his TV series 'Bait', and a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. But the 

Could Riz Ahmed Be the First Brown James Bond?

Bhattacharya's very first major act as NIH director was freezing all foreign research subawards, justified as a national security move — but internal emails suggest it's part of a broader 'America First' agenda to shrink global science. Mehdi's audience will want to interrogate whether this is genuine reform or a political purge wearing a lab coat.

TEST NIH Bans Foreign Research Subawards — Science or Nationalism?

Bhattacharya was simultaneously appointed Acting CDC Director in February 2026 while still running NIH — a staggering concentration of public health authority in a single Trump-appointed official. Mehdi's audience, which has been tracking the consolidation of federal power, will absolutely want this on the table.

Acting CDC Director and NIH Director: One Man, Two Agencies

Bhattacharya was shadow-banned on Twitter the day he joined for pinning the Great Barrington Declaration, then became a plaintiff in a landmark censorship lawsuit — and now runs the most powerful biomedical funding agency on earth. The irony is too rich not to dissect on a show built around speaking truth to power.

From Twitter Blacklist to NIH Director: The Ultimate Revenge Arc

When Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020, he was a dissenting academic; now he controls the agency that defunded and dismissed him. The question of whether he was vindicated — or is just using power to settle scores — is one this podcast is perfectly positioned to press.

The Great Barrington Declaration, Revisited With Power

Under a Trump executive order reinforced by Bhattacharya's own internal memo, political officials now have final say over which science gets funded — bypassing eight decades of peer review. This is exactly the 'politicization of science' Bhattacharya claimed to be fighting against, and Mehdi's audience deserves to hear him answer for it.

Political Appointees Overriding Peer Review at NIH

Bhattacharya has not publicly addressed the constitutional or institutional implications of holding both posts at once. Mehdi's audience — deeply attuned to democratic erosion and the centralisation of executive power — will want this asked plainly and on record.

You are simultaneously the director of the NIH and the acting director of the CDC — name one historical precedent for that level of consolidated public health authority, and tell me why it shouldn't alarm people who care about checks and balances?

Bhattacharya has a long academic record studying vulnerable populations and inequality in health outcomes, which sits in direct tension with the grant purges happening under his watch. Asking him to square his scholarly past with his administrative present is a question nobody else is making him answer.

How many of the researchers whose grants were terminated for including phrases like 'systemic racism' were doing work that, by your own health-disparities research standards, was scientifically valid?

Bhattacharya has been very vocal about ideological conformity distorting science, but has never been publicly confronted with the mirror image: that partisan grant-making is the same corruption wearing a red hat. This is the kind of uncomfortable equivalence Mehdi's show was built for.

You've said DEI statements in academia are 'essentially like loyalty oaths' — but you now lead an agency whose funding decisions are shaped by political priorities set by a president; isn't that a loyalty oath of a different kind?

Bhattacharya has publicly positioned himself as the ultimate anti-censorship warrior, but his own scientists are on record describing a de facto banned-words regime inside NIH. Forcing him to reconcile these two positions on Mehdi's show — where hypocrisy gets named directly — would be electric.

You sued the Biden administration for pressuring platforms to silence you — so why are you now implementing an NIH memo that your own staffers say causes them to self-censor words like 'climate change' and 'health equity' from grant applications?

This is a position Bhattacharya has never cleanly stated in public — whether he personally endorses the Trump EO overriding peer review or is simply implementing orders. Mehdi can pin him down in a way cable news hasn't.

If peer review is the gold standard of science, how do you justify an executive order that makes those expert reviews merely 'advisory' and hands veto power to political appointees who answer to Donald Trump?

This recent interview with NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya explores restoring trust in public health and scientific improvements, demonstrating his expertise in health policy that would enrich a podcast episode on these topics.

A heated Capitol Hill moment where Senator Bernie Sanders confronts Dr. Bhattacharya on public health controversies, capturing his responses under pressure and highlighting debates suitable for an engaging podcast appearance.

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The Joe Rogan Experience

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The Tucker Carlson Show

This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro, Rachel Abrams and Natalie Kitroeff. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

The Daily

Join comedian Theo Von for a wild ride through the week's weirdest events, blending hilarious personal stories, offbeat observations, and candid chats with eclectic guests that turn everyday absurdities into laugh-out-loud moments. This podcast captures the chaos of modern life with Southern charm and unfiltered wit, making it a must-listen for anyone craving comedy that's equal parts insightful and unpredictable. Whether recapping weekends or diving into random days, it's a refreshing escape that leaves you pondering and chuckling long after.

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

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Crime Junkie

NPR's Up First is the news you need to start your day. The three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News — in 10 minutes. Available weekdays at 6:30 a.m. ET, with hosts Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin and A Martinez. Also available on Saturdays at 9 a.m. ET, with Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon. On Sundays, hear a longer exploration behind the headlines with Ayesha Rascoe on "The Sunday Story," available by 8 a.m. ET. Subscribe and listen, then support your local NPR station at donate.npr.org. Support NPR's reporting by subscribing to Up First+ and unlock sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/upfirst

Up First from NPR

Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting <a href="http://wondery.com/l

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

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The Journal.

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