Stacey Abrams

It also wants to accelerate the privatization of Medicare, which older and disabled Americans rely on. And they want to break up Medicaid into block grants, which will set fixed amounts that go to states, regardless of the actual cost of health care or the size or needs of the population. Okay. What are you concerned about when it comes to this administration's impact on health care access?

It also wants to accelerate the privatization of Medicare, which older and disabled Americans rely on. And they want to break up Medicaid into block grants, which will set fixed amounts that go to states, regardless of the actual cost of health care or the size or needs of the population. Okay. What are you concerned about when it comes to this administration's impact on health care access?

And how would you process this information as a layperson?

And how would you process this information as a layperson?

So you know a lot and you have been all over the world, all over the U.S., You decided to take your experience in epidemiology, but you've really channeled it into sharing information in a way that is extraordinarily accessible.

So you know a lot and you have been all over the world, all over the U.S., You decided to take your experience in epidemiology, but you've really channeled it into sharing information in a way that is extraordinarily accessible.

You and I met actually in the midst of the COVID pandemic and you invited me to be on a podcast, but it was such an important conversation because you're just a really fantastic communicator on really complicated issues. Was there an inciting incident for you that made you decide, I not only have to know what I know, I need other people to understand what I know?

You and I met actually in the midst of the COVID pandemic and you invited me to be on a podcast, but it was such an important conversation because you're just a really fantastic communicator on really complicated issues. Was there an inciting incident for you that made you decide, I not only have to know what I know, I need other people to understand what I know?

Which brings us to the doing section of this conversation. You have been such a thoughtful partner to powerful people. But as you pointed out, you've also been doing that work with local organizations, with town hall meetings, helping citizens understand their power. How do we as individuals push back and meet this moment?

Which brings us to the doing section of this conversation. You have been such a thoughtful partner to powerful people. But as you pointed out, you've also been doing that work with local organizations, with town hall meetings, helping citizens understand their power. How do we as individuals push back and meet this moment?

We know there has been a recent tragedy where vigilante justice seemed like a solution to someone. But we know that that's not the answer. So how do we think about what else we can do? We know we talk about voting, and for some that didn't seem to work this time. It does work. It just doesn't work all the time in the ways we want it to work.

We know there has been a recent tragedy where vigilante justice seemed like a solution to someone. But we know that that's not the answer. So how do we think about what else we can do? We know we talk about voting, and for some that didn't seem to work this time. It does work. It just doesn't work all the time in the ways we want it to work.

But how do we talk about starting at the local level, using public health as the point of entry? Give us our marching orders. What do we do?

But how do we talk about starting at the local level, using public health as the point of entry? Give us our marching orders. What do we do?

Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you so much for joining us here and informing us here at Assembly Required. At Assembly Required, we encourage the audience to be curious, solve problems, and do good through a segment we call Our Toolkit. Now, we're going to fight the allergy to science and information by being curious.

Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you so much for joining us here and informing us here at Assembly Required. At Assembly Required, we encourage the audience to be curious, solve problems, and do good through a segment we call Our Toolkit. Now, we're going to fight the allergy to science and information by being curious.

During my time in the Georgia State Legislature, I relied heavily on KFF News, and it's still my go-to. KFF News is an independent source with news and health policy research. So sign up for their newsletters at kff.org slash email. For regular listeners, you're going to notice that today I'm doing things a little differently.

During my time in the Georgia State Legislature, I relied heavily on KFF News, and it's still my go-to. KFF News is an independent source with news and health policy research. So sign up for their newsletters at kff.org slash email. For regular listeners, you're going to notice that today I'm doing things a little differently.

You see, we've gotten quite a few listener questions that have a running theme. First, Ed Bogue wrote an email titled, How to Be an Activist with Social Anxiety. He writes, since the election, I have felt energized to help defend human rights, but severe social anxiety has been a major barrier for me. Even when it's just low stakes, small talk, my throat gets so dry that I can barely speak.

You see, we've gotten quite a few listener questions that have a running theme. First, Ed Bogue wrote an email titled, How to Be an Activist with Social Anxiety. He writes, since the election, I have felt energized to help defend human rights, but severe social anxiety has been a major barrier for me. Even when it's just low stakes, small talk, my throat gets so dry that I can barely speak.