Diabolical Dictators and Online Trolls

The doctors thrive on spite; Nurse Alex Pretti; Iran Update; How cheap bots/trolls drive disinformation

Note: we had an audio issue for the first few minutes of the episode (4:55). 

Iran Update:

• Per Iran International, internal documents from Iran suggest the regime killed at least 36,500 protesters between January 8th and January 9th, 2026
• Arghavan’s carousel about Iran that got a lot of trolls/bots/not nice people in the comments
• Some sources for learning what’s happening in Iran (these are their websites; all are also on Instagram) 
  • Iran International (English)
  • Tavaana
  • Manoto
  • Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA)
  • Hengaw
• Dr. Alireza Golchini has been arrested and faces the death penalty
• More information on what’s happening in hospitals and the names of other physicians who have been arrested
• CNN’s 2022 report on sexual violence in prisons in Iran
• Boycott Huda Beauty 
  • Arghavan’s reaction to Huda’s comments
  • Video 1
  • Video 2 (in Farsi)
  • Video 3

Alex Pretti, ICU Nurse:

• Anderson Cooper’s interview with Stella Carson (the woman in the pink jacket)
• Side-by-side video of Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino
• People who have died in relation to ICE this year
• Agent Jenn Budd's Borderland Talk

💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning

• JB Star’s latest Dougie
• The fed gov drops its appeal regarding withholding $$$ from schools with DEI programs
• The EU updates terror list with IRGC
• Otters destroying ice
• Devil and Jesus videos
• Taryn Delanie answers the 777 Hotlin

Thanks for listening to The Present Illness! 

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Credits

• Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa Burgart
• Editing by Alyssa Burgart
• Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff
• Social Media by Arghavan Salles