Sexually transmitted infections remain a persistent and often ignored public health crisis across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and the surrounding regions. Despite massive leaps in medical technology and the development of highly effective preventative treatments, the needle hasn’t moved as much as one might expect. During a recent panel discussion hosted by WHYY’s “Bridging Blocks” at the Parkway Central Library, public health leaders gathered to dissect the root causes of this stagnation. Moderated by Maiken Scott, the host of the health podcast “The Pulse,” the event peeled back the layers of a complex issue where the real enemies aren’t just the pathogens…

In the landscape of modern geopolitics, a recurring pattern has emerged where pro-Kremlin outlets consistently weave narratives designed to invert reality, framing Russia and its allies as perpetual victims of Western aggression. Recent disinformation cycles have aggressively targeted the Baltic region, Ukraine, and the European Union, utilizing a “gaslighting” technique that accuses these international actors of the very destabilizing behaviors that characterize Russia’s own foreign policy. By distorting the intent of defensive military exercises, projecting internal military anxieties onto peaceful neighbors, and misrepresenting routine bureaucratic governance as political retribution, these campaigns aim to manufacture a sense of crisis. The ultimate…