Jun 20, 2025 3-5pm ET
Friday on The Robert Scott Bell Show:
Hour 1
‘Cancer is just everywhere’: could farming be behind Iowa’s unfolding health crisis? A new research project in Iowa is investigating widespread cancer cases across rural communities, spotlighting unusual patterns such as colon, breast, and brain cancers among people in their 30s and 40s; despite the state having the nation’s second-highest cancer rate and rising incidence (only Kentucky is higher), traditional risk factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, and radon exposure fail to fully explain the trend. The study emphasizes potential links to industrial agricultural practices—heavy pesticide use (including glyphosate classified as a probable carcinogen by WHO), nitrate contamination from fertilizers and livestock manure, and PFAS chemicals in farm fertilizers—as well as elevated radon levels in half of Iowa homes. Through community listening sessions in Indianola and analysis of epidemiological evidence, researchers aim to produce findings later this year, balancing public health concerns against the economic weight of agriculture (which contributes over $159 billion annually to Iowa’s economy). Farmers express worry but remain cautious in public discourse. The project, funded privately and led by experts including Elise Pohl and Dr. Richard Deming, seeks to inform preventive policy by understanding why rural cancer rates continue to rise and whether agricultural outputs are a driving factor, rather than the historically recognized causes.
Rare Appendix Cancer Cases Are Rising in Gen Xers, Millennials: What to Know Gen Xers and older Millennials now face appendix cancer rates three to four times higher than those born in the 1940s, even though the disease remains rare—affecting about one to two people per million annually—according to a June 10 study in Annals of Internal Medicine, based on SEER registry data from 1975 to 2019. This surge reflects similar increases in other early‑onset gastrointestinal cancers, and cannot be explained solely by improved imaging, experts say. Vanderbilt’s Andreana Holowatyj and Yale’s Kiran Turaga report seeing cases in patients as young as 18, signaling a real epidemiological shift. While appendix cancer makes up less than 1% of gastrointestinal cancers, its distinct biology has only recently been recognized, as it was historically classified alongside right‑sided colon tumors. Potential drivers may include rising obesity, antibiotic use, gut microbiome changes, environmental exposures (such as microplastics or air pollution), ultra‑processed diets, and treatment shifts—like using antibiotics instead of surgery for appendicitis, which may delay tumor detection. With no standard screening available and colonoscopies often missing appendix tumors, experts urge awareness of persistent abdominal symptoms, unexplained weight loss, bloating, or masses, especially where family cancer history is present. Proactive discussion with healthcare providers is recommended to catch this rare but increasingly noted cancer early.
Raw milk advocates wonder: Where is Kennedy? Advocates for unpasteurized “raw” milk are expressing frustration over Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s silence on federal policy regarding raw milk despite his public embrace of the product and his leadership role under the Make America Healthy Again initiative, which emphasizes alternative health choices. Since being confirmed in February 2025, Kennedy—known for being an avid raw milk proponent and critic of pasteurization—has not pushed to relax FDA rules that prohibit interstate sales and restrict raw milk to herdshare or state-level direct sales, even though his past rhetoric suggested he might. Supporters hoped his appointment would catalyze policy changes to expand access to raw milk, which they believe promotes health, but instead federal restrictions remain unchanged. This disparity between expectation and action has led to growing skepticism among raw milk advocates, who are wondering why Kennedy hasn’t leveraged his influence to fulfill campaign promise or align actions with the MAHA movement’s agenda.
The Chief Justice Prescribes Constitution-Affirming Care Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion in United States v. Skrmetti, joining five other justices to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming surgeries and treatments for minors and endorsing a judicial posture that emphasizes deference to democratic legislative processes on controversial medical policies. This stands in stark contrast to Roberts’s earlier 2020 decision in South Bay v. Newsom, where he upheld public health orders restricting religious services, citing concern over the judiciary overstepping its bounds—highlighting a jurisprudential shift toward less judicial intervention in determining policy based on health expertise. In Skrmetti, Roberts explicitly distances the Court from deciding substantive medical policy, asserting that unelected judges lack legitimacy to override decisions made through state democratic channels. He rejects heightened constitutional scrutiny or reliance on medical expert consensus supporting gender-affirming care, basing constitutional analysis on a rational basis standard instead. The dissent—led by Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson—argues that this approach strips meaningful judicial scrutiny from laws that impose sex-based classifications and threaten transgender individuals’ rights. The article underscores a pivotal transformation in Roberts’s jurisprudence—from deference in pandemic-era religious liberty cases to restraint in landmark civil rights decisions—highlighting structural shifts in the Supreme Court’s willingness to adjudicate medical and identity-based civil rights matters.
Welcome back to another “Homeopathic Hits” episode on The Robert Scott Bell Show!
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When congestion won’t budge and nighttime breathing becomes a struggle, Grindelia might just clear the path to relief.
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Hour 2
Why Autism Diagnoses Are Increasing: What Changed In 2013 Changes introduced in 2013 when the DSM‑5 replaced the DSM‑IV allowed simultaneous ADHD and autism diagnoses—a shift that had previously barred individuals with ADHD from receiving an autism diagnosis; this, coupled with the elimination of Asperger’s and related categories in favor of a unified Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), expanded eligibility for diagnosis and led to more cases being formally identified. Experts note that broader diagnostic criteria, combined with heightened public and medical awareness, more routine screenings, and earlier detection, have significantly contributed to the apparent rise in autism prevalence, although some portion of the increase may still reflect genuine incidence. This shift aligns with historical trends showing that diagnostic expansion, such as inclusion under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act since 1990, and evolving case ascertainment methods, have accounted for much of the uptick in reported cases. While the current rate—roughly 1 in 31 US children based on CDC data—is often cited in discussions, underlying genetic factors remain strong drivers (~80%), with environmental contributors playing more subtle roles. The article emphasizes that the 2013 diagnostic changes were instrumental in accelerating diagnosis rates, but also highlights that continued improvements in equity, awareness, and refined criteria are shaping the ongoing upward trend.
EPA will revisit Biden-era ban on the last type of asbestos used in US The EPA has announced a court-ordered 30‑month review of the 2024 Biden-era ban on chrysotile asbestos, the last remaining form permitted in the US, to evaluate whether the prohibition “went beyond what is necessary” and if mandated permanent workplace protections could have mitigated risks to human health such as mesothelioma and cancers. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act’s risk-based requirement, officials—led by Lynn Ann Dekleva—will examine alternative safeguards versus a full ban. Industry proponents, notably the American Chemistry Council, support the review as a science-driven recalibration, while advocates accuse the agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin of favoring deregulation over public health, particularly given documented ties between EPA leadership and industry groups. With chrysotile previously banned in over 50 countries and linked to tens of thousands of annual deaths, critics warn that weakening bans may endanger workers and consumers. This move echoes the broader administration trend of regulatory rollbacks, including proposed rollbacks on coal plant emissions.
Are Pesticides Breeding the Next Pandemic? Experts Warn of Fungal Superbugs Agricultural fungicide use has been linked to increasing resistance in fungal pathogens affecting humans and animals, raising alarm among infectious disease experts about potential global health risks. Drs. George Thompson and Angel Desai of UC Davis and Boston University’s CEID highlight how environmental exposure to agricultural chemicals may select for multidrug-resistant fungal strains, effectively undermining current antifungal treatments. These experts call for a “One Health” approach—coordinated oversight of pesticide approvals that assesses impacts across ecosystems, human health, and animal welfare—a move they believe is essential to prevent the emergence of a fungal superbug pandemic analogous to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. With scientific warnings amplified by recent studies and media reports, the article stresses that proactive regulation and surveillance are needed to safeguard the efficacy of antifungals before resistance becomes irreversible.
Why 1 In 3 Americans Admit They Wake Up Already Exhausted A recent survey reported by StudyFinds on June 19, 2025, reveals that one-third of American adults wake up feeling exhausted, underscoring a widespread sleep-health concern. Respondents cited factors such as high stress, poor sleep habits, inadequate wind-down routines, and dietary influences contributing to persistent fatigue. The study builds on prior findings indicating Americans are typically well-rested only three days per week and often require extensive time to fall asleep. Health experts emphasize that insufficient sleep and habitual exhaustion elevate risks for chronic conditions including heart disease, obesity, impaired cognitive function, and mental health issues. With the culture surrounding sleep often undervalued, the article advocates for improved public health messaging, consistent sleep schedules, reduced screen time before bed, and better nutrition to address this increasingly prevalent problem.
US to Drop Guidance to Limit Alcohol to 1 or 2 Drinks per Day U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the longstanding recommendation—established since 1990—that women limit alcohol to one drink per day and men to two, replacing it with a more general admonition to “drink in moderation” as updated guidance under review by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. This shift, anticipated as soon as June 2025, stems from concerns among federal advisors that there is no robust scientific consensus pinpointing a universally safe daily alcohol quantity; sources cite conflicting outcomes from two key studies, one indicating potential cardiovascular benefits at moderate intake but elevated cancer risks, while the other suggests any level of alcohol increases mortality risk due to links with at least seven cancers. The change aligns with global reevaluations—Canada identified cancer risk at two drinks per week, and WHO’s stance emphasizes no safe level—spotlighting growing caution around alcohol’s health impacts. Industry groups, including Diageo and AB InBev, reportedly spent millions lobbying to influence language, with HHS officials asserting the guidelines must be grounded only in strongest evidence. Critics, like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, argue that removing numerical limits renders the advice too vague and may undermine awareness of moderate drinking’s risks. Removing explicit daily limits could ripple into sectors influenced by the guidelines—school health standards, clinical counseling, product labeling—and fuel discourse on balancing public health messaging against evolving data.
Acts of Kindness Ease Depression and Anxiety Nearly one in five American adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression, and while therapy and medication remain primary treatment modalities, a five-week clinical intervention study demonstrates that committing to three kind acts twice weekly can meaningfully reduce mental health symptoms. Conducted by psychologist David Cregg and colleagues, the program instructed participants to perform everyday gestures—volunteering, complimenting others, baking for a neighbor, or simply listening—which yielded significant reductions in anxiety and depression, in some cases outperforming cognitive therapy. Researchers attribute improvements to strengthened social connections; Cregg noted, “there just seems to be something about having social connection that brings meaning and purpose into our lives,” and without it “everything else just kind of feels empty.” Though all participants in the broader study showed symptom improvement across social connection and life satisfaction metrics, the kindness cohort experienced superior gains in both mental health outcomes and social connectivity compared to control groups focused on social activity or cognitive reappraisal. Practical, low‑barrier, and non‑pharmacological, this behavioral intervention appears well‑suited to complement existing treatments, offering a scalable tool for clinicians and individuals grappling with mood disorders. The findings align with broader research showing that altruistic behavior enhances subjective well‑being, and they encourage healthcare providers to consider prescribing kindness as a therapeutic practice.
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