It’s Hump Day! Sam speaks with Tariq Habash, former senior official at the Dept. of Education under President Biden, founder & director of the organization A New Policy, to discuss the Trump administration’s actions taken regarding student loans. Then, he speaks with Dr. MarkAlain Dery, infectious disease specialist, founder of community radio station 102.3 WHIV-FM, and creator of the NoiseFilter podcast, to discuss the recent measles outbreaks in Texas & New Mexico. First, Sam runs through updates on Europe’s retaliatory tariffs, public backlash to Trump’s handling of the economy, the House’s passage of a Continuing Resolution as the fight moves to the Senate, Trump’s slashing of the DOE, Trump’s $100m Tesla deal, Trump’s disappearing of Columbia student and permanent US resident Mahmoud Khalil, Ukraine’s support for a ceasefire, the DOJ’s public corruption unit, and cuts to NOAA and the EPA, before expanding on the insane debate over the GOP’s “clean” Continuing Resolution, and why Senate Democrats are so willing to hand over the US government to Elon Musk. Tariq Habash then joins, first stepping back to walk through his experience working in Biden’s DOE before leaving in protest at the start of last year over the President’s support of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and unpack why the internal barriers to policy work so pushed him to establishing “A New Policy.” Moving forward, Habash explores why, despite Democrats’ desires, the issue of the ethnic cleansing of Gaza will not go away under Trump, with his dreams to fully redevelop the Gaza strip in his own immaged backed by his revamping of Israel’s assault and a domestic crackdown (including full-on dissappearings) of pro-Palestinian activism, with the recent abduction of Mahmoud Khalil working as Trump’s perfect crime to wage war on the rights of Black and Brown permanant residents – capitalizing on Democratic Leadership’s commitment to genocide to minimize dissent from the opposition. Shifting to the domestic policy side of things, Tariq brings Sam through Trump’s attack on the DOE, walking through the department’s long history as a Civil Rights agency, before diving deep into Trump’s attack on the student loan and debt relief programs, which explicitly seek to target public service workers, and folks that work with trans folks, immigrants, or Palestinians. Wrapping up, Habash looks to the devastating impact Trump’s DOE cuts will have on special education in the US, and what to make of our major educational institutions fully acquiesing to the regime. Dr. MarkAlain Dery then jumps right into a clear assessment of RFK’s myriad destructive actions since being named HHS Secretary, from his lack of awareness about the ongoing measles crisis, to his cancelling of ACIP, and his backing of the all-around shutdown of any federal public health communications and much of its funding. After expanding on the fundamental problem with focusing on mitigating rather than preventative care, Dr. Dery walks Sam through the importance of a public health regime when it comes to addressing large-scale health issues facing the American public, pulling from his own recent work in New Orleans, before looking toward the biggest threats he sees facing the US’ weakened public health infrastructure, including the threat of an ever-mutating bird flu, and the recent bubblings of hantavirus. Wrapping up, Dr. MarkAlain Dery reemphasizes that we have the capacity to fight against these threats, despite doubts about the current administration.

And in the Fun Half: Sam dives into the outcome of the Democratic Party and mainstream media’s complete acquiesence to the right wing’s transphobic fearmongering, with Trump’s regime implementing a full scale erasure and attack on trans identity and community, looking to Rep. Keating’s complete takedown of Rep. Keith Self’s blantant and direct misgendering of Rep. Sarah McBride. After expanding on Trump’s recent $100m commercial deal with Tesla, and diving deep into Krystal Ball’s coverage of Tesla’s fraud allegations out of Canada, Sam and the MR Team dive deep into Sam’s debate over social security on Jubilee. Tabatha from Central Mass calls in to unpack what trans care for your child actually looks like, plus, your calls and IMs!

Follow Tariq on Twitter here: https://x.com/tariqhabash_

Find out more about A New Policy here: http://www.anewpolicy.org/

Follow MarkAlain on BlueSky here: https://bsky.app/profile/thedrdery.bsky.social

Find out more about WHIV-FM here: https://whivfm.org/

Check out the Noise Filter podcast here: https://www.noisefiltershow.com/

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