As a senior correspondent at nonprofit news service Kaiser Health News, Chad Terhune has been published in media outlets including The Washington Post, CNN, and NPR and has covered stories ranging from superbug outbreaks to the Affordable Care Act rollout. Before moderating a panel discussion about technology’s impact on our health, Terhune visited the Zócalo green room to talk about how he got in trouble as a kid, how barbecue comforts him, and why he’d like to get a beer with Abraham Lincoln.
What’s your least favorite freeway?
The 405. It never seems to be moving that fast.
What superbug are you most freaked out by?
All of them. If you have a superbug, it’s not good news.
Who’s one person, living or dead, you’d most like to have a beer with?
Abraham Lincoln. How did he pull it off? With today’s politics, how would he pull it off?
How did you get into trouble as a kid?
Sneaking out of the house was the first thing. But friends calling the house to see where I was, that was the real downfall. So maybe choosing bad friends was really the trouble.
What is the best lead you’ve ever written?
I remember an infamous lead early in my career. It was supposed to be about sticker shock, and there was a typo, so it came out as “sticker stock”—on the front page of the newspaper.
What’s your comfort food?
Barbecue.
What do you do to decompress?
Take a nap. Sleep is a valuable commodity. I have two daughters, 13 and 15. It’s hard being a chauffeur.
What’s your hidden talent?
Do I have a hidden talent? I’m really good at making carne asada.
Where would we find you at 9:00 on a typical Friday night?
Watching Modern Family reruns with my youngest daughter. I think we’ve watched every one twice.
When you were studying at the University of Florida, did you ever see an actual gator?
Many. They’re everywhere. You see them in the backyard of your apartment. You see them in every lake on campus.