The Dream

Terra Newell, survivor of the Dirty John Meehan attack turned podcast creator and nonprofit founder. She recounts how her story became a massive media phenomenon, the surprise of audio and TV adaptations, negotiating rights and payment, and the emotional fallout as others profited from her trauma.

Tyla Bee, a licensed clinical scientist and author, explains how tiny clues in blood, urine, and saliva relate to mood and wellbeing. She talks about lab reference ranges, hormones like estrogen and cortisol, and how lab literacy can change care. Short, practical science on mental health and what tests can — and cannot — reveal.

Dr. Olivia Zarella, a public health researcher and infection prevention specialist, explains why measles is resurging and how it spreads. She discusses vaccine history and hesitancy roots, including Wakefield-era fallout and RFK Jr.'s influence. Conversation covers complications like SSPE, reporting lags, preparedness gaps, and worries about avian flu and other airborne threats.

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Katherine Price, science journalist and author who studies the history and cultural impact of vitamins. She traces how vitamins were discovered and turned into a booming supplement industry. She unpacks celebrity wellness hype, confusing product claims, regulatory gaps, and why some popular pills may not do what people expect.

Diane Benscoter, a former Unification Church member turned deprogrammer and founder of Antidote, fights psychological manipulation. She recounts recruitment tactics like love bombing and how manipulation rewires the brain. She explains deprogramming history, intervention methods, and Antidote’s public-health approach to education, policy and guardrails against online and AI-enabled trickery.

Jess Lewis, cyberpsychologist and tech leader who studies AI, ad tech, and privacy risks. She unpacks DHS/ICE requests for ad-tech and location data. She explains how user identities are built from tracking and why repurposing ad data enables mass surveillance. She also discusses industry choices, refusal strategies, and the trust stakes at play.

Adam Stone, investigative reporter and publisher of theexaminernews.com, has spent years exposing practices at UnitedHealth and Optum. He walks through revelations about vertical integration, alleged fraud in house-call programs, incentives that steer care toward cost savings, restrictive noncompete contracts, and real patient harm. Short, sharp, and unsettling stories that trace how profit pressures shape modern care.

Deborah Gould, a political theorist and former ACT UP activist and author, brings sharp expertise on emotion in activism. They discuss how anger powered ACT UP, grief surfacing after years of rage, emotional cultures that sustained movements, and the need to collectivize mourning to preserve activist energy.

Brandie Hadfield, former MLM insider turned student therapist and whistleblower, exposes manipulative coach funnel tactics. She describes infiltrating a 'free' masterclass, scripted recruiting techniques, staged testimonials, and misuse of trauma-informed language. Short sentences highlight targeted ads, pressure tactics, and how vulnerable people are drawn into costly, no-refund programs.