Inside Linda McMahon's effort to dismantle the Dept. of Education

This week on Shortwave, the internet is obsessed with inflammation. And yeah, it is true. Inflammation is at the heart of nearly every disease in the body. But it's also the body's natural response to danger. So who really needs to be worried about it?

Find out on Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. In filling out his cabinet, President Trump has tapped some colorful characters, sometimes TV hosts and talking heads whose views appeal to him. His pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, has television experience of a different kind, talking smack in pro wrestling rings, often with her husband, wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, known for his showmanship and allegations of sexual abuse.

Our guest writer Jack Helfant has written a profile of Linda McMahon in The New Yorker. She is no clown, he finds. She proved to be a savvy businesswoman as CEO of the family wrestling empire, and when Trump tapped her tohead the small business administration in his first term, Helfand writes she was a steady and effective leader. Many describe her as capable, kind, and empathetic. She came to her new role with little experience in education policy, but an unwavering commitment to Trump's goal of eliminating the department altogether.

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