
119: Small Steps Toward Better Health
The White House Office of Health Reform faces intense scrutiny following the launch of flag@whitehouse.gov, a portal where communications director Linda Douglas has encouraged citizens to report "fishy" emails regarding healthcare legislation. This initiative coincides with Senator Orrin Hatch’s sharp critique of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, specifically her ruling in Ditton v. Village of Port Chester which Hatch argues creates a legal catch-22 for property owners facing eminent domain. These developments signal a tightening of federal oversight and a shift in constitutional interpretations of individual rights. Secondary reports indicate a massive $18 billion transfer of gold and cash from Iran to Turkey, with figures like Esmail Safarian Nasab allegedly linked to the movement of funds toward U.S. political interests. Domestically, the Cash for Clunkers program is under fire as engine destruction videos surface and dealers struggle with government reimbursements. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has reportedly used aggressive language to assert dominance over regulators like Ben Bernanke and Sheila Bair, while cybersecurity czar Melissa Hathaway resigned following a bureaucratic power struggle. Further transparency concerns arise from the $18 million recovery.gov redesign contract awarded to Smartronix, which remains heavily redacted despite its use of public funds. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak examine the absurdity of smallstep.gov, where the Department of Health and Human Services suggests citizens fetch the newspaper personally to improve health. The duo also questions the release of journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling from North Korea, characterizing the Bill Clinton-led mission as a high-stakes PR move for Al Gore’s media ventures. The episode concludes with Curry offering a bar of gold to anyone who can replicate the Wiltshire crop circles within a fifteen-hour window.



















