In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

The team at Lemonada Media is excited to introduce Worth It, a new series created in partnership with the Minnesota Star Tribune. There’s a reason compasses point north — the North Star State is full of surprises, and hosts Nicole Norfleet and Aaron Brown are here to help you find them. Each week, they cut through the noise to spotlight hidden gems, can’t-miss events, local eats, and the places th...

With Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshears in the national spotlight as a potential candidate for Kamala Harris's vice president, we wanted to revisit this conversation from 2021 with Andy Slavitt. As vaccine distribution continues to ramp up around the country, Andy calls up Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to understand how it’s all working on the ground in a state like Kentucky. Listeners have a chance to...

With Gov. Tim Walz in the national spotlight as a potential candidate for Kamala Harris's vice president, we wanted to revisit this conversation from 2023 with Andy Slavitt. As fringe Republicans drive the agenda in Congress, Andy turns to the hope found in many states through newly elected and reelected governors. Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz joins to discuss how he was able to bridge t...

Today, we're dropping into your feed to share a conversation with Dr. Crag Spencer, a past guest on In The Bubble, from our sister podcast Last Day. Craig has been on the frontlines of fighting infectious diseases long before COVID-19. Now, nearly four years after COVID made its way to the United States, Craig sits down with Last Day host Stephanie Wittels-Wachs to reflect on where we are today —...

Andy says thank you to the most important people behind In The Bubble, and they look back at their favorite moments from the last three years. Andy’s son Zach and his wife Lana return, his other son Cal makes his first-ever appearance on the show, and we meet Andy’s mom Beth. Later Andy is joined by the people who made the show, along with Executive Producers Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Co...

Andy calls four of his most trusted COVID experts to discuss their favorite memories from the past three years of the show. Dr. Eric Topol, Dr. Ashish Jha, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina and Dr. Bob Wachter candidly reflect on the pandemic. They remember the highs and lows, and spotlight  the importance of banding together to fight the virus. They also share the resources you should follow for the latest CO...

Andy starts the show by making an announcement about what’s next for In The Bubble and a very big show we have coming up next week. Then New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy returns to discuss how the current situation in the Middle East is affecting things here stateside. The governor also talks about why he called for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign, and if Murphy’s wife, Tammy, might seek Menendez's seat in...

House Republicans still can’t elect a speaker after three weeks of infighting. New York Times columnist David Leonhardt joins Andy to look at what the speaker battle signals for the future of U.S. democracy at a time when the world is in turmoil. They also discuss why Republicans continue to win elections, despite their dysfunction and lack of clear agenda. Plus, David shares why he thinks voters...

California is making a $4.7 billion investment in improving children’s mental health, and the state’s Surgeon General, Diana Ramos, will play an important role in the program's success. This week, we meet Dr. Ramos and learn how she’s working to help kids recover from the damage of the pandemic. Dr. Ramos also tells Andy about her experience as an OBGYN and the importance of improving maternal hea...

Author Elizabeth Rush went to the end of the earth to find the answers to her questions about climate change. In her new book “The Quickening,” Rush recounts her journey to the Thwaites Glacier, known as the Doomsday Iceberg, and what she learned about herself and finding community in a melting world. She joins Andy to discuss how storytelling can encourage change in people, why she decided it is...

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen sits down with Andy to answer your most pressing questions about this year’s new COVID booster. When will the new vaccine be available to everyone who wants it? How will it hold up against new variants like XBB.1.5, EG.5, and BA.2.86? When should I get vaccinated to best protect me and my loved ones this holiday season? Dr. Cohen answers all this and more. Plus, Andy a...

Could a united Gen Z hold the keys to a better future? Layla Zaidane, CEO of the Millennial Action Project, says that young politicians agree on many important issues, and her mission is to help young lawmakers to come together and work across the aisle to solve problems. In this special episode, Andy and Layla talk about her efforts to support the next generation of lawmakers and help them learn...

As President Joe Biden joins United Auto Workers picketing in Michigan, Andy talks to New York Times Opinion writer Nicholas Kristof to test Andy's theory that working class people will be the battleground voters in 2024. They discuss how the Democratic Party lost blue collar workers and why highly educated progressives fail to connect with rural voters. They also look at how populism is playing o...

When President Biden took office in 2021, he set out to fix the institution broken by his predecessor. Over his first two years in office, he accomplished many of his policy goals, and The Atlantic reporter Franklin Foer was there to witness it all. This week, Andy and Franklin discuss how history will remember those years, what Biden got right and wrong, why Biden doesn't get enough credit, and w...

Is the new BA 2.86 variant the latest in a wave of deadly outbreaks, or just a "scariant" that is all hype? Will the new COVID booster shots work against this latest variant, and when is the best time to get an updated vaccine to be protected this winter? These are just some of the key questions that Andy asks epidemiologist and In the Bubble fan fave Dr. Katelyn Jetelina on this week’s episode. T...

As an environmental philosopher, writer Elizabeth Cripps spends a lot of time thinking about what we owe the next generation -- which includes her two young daughters, who she hopes to educate and empower to become climate activists as well. In this conversation, Elizabeth gives Andy tips on how to raise environmentally conscious kids (and grandkids) while keeping them safe from climate anxiety. K...

Author Dan Buettner has spent his career traveling to places where people have lived the longest, healthiest, and happiest lives. He found that much of what we think drives health and happiness is misguided or just plain wrong. This week, Dan shares the secrets to longevity and steps you can take to stack your deck in favor of happiness. Good news: you don’t have to put down your glass of wine or...

What if we reimagined the health care system so it was incentivized to keep people healthy instead of just treating them when they got sick? That’s the discussion Andy has with Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Accountable for Health CEO Mara McDermott on this week’s episode. They take a look at efforts both in Congress and private enterprise to move to a care system that puts patients first...

Two new COVID variants are making headlines this week as cases continue to rise across the United States. The new strain known as EG.5, also known as Eris, is now the most dominant strain in the U.S., while at the same time the more contagious strain BA 2.86 is confirmed to have hit U.S. shores. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Celine Gounder returns to the show to update us on these latest stra...

Comedian Samantha Bee has some Choice Words for Andy when she’s In The Bubble this week. In this wide-ranging conversation, Andy and Sam chat about what we’ve lost because of former President Trump, along with his front-runner status for the GOP nomination in 2024. They discuss the quality of the other choices for Republican presidential candidates, while opining about simpler times. Plus Sam shar...

America’s homelessness crisis is getting worse, despite the billions spent each year to fix it. Single family home prices continue to rise. In California alone, fewer than 20% of households can even qualify to buy a house. While the problem seems overwhelming, viable solutions are actually within reach, especially if people stop saying, “Not in my backyard." Andy is joined by Tomiquia Moss, founde...

COVID cases are rising in the U.S. -- does this mean we are on the precipice of a summer wave? That’s the question for the new head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Mandy Cohen. Plus, the latest on when the next round of vaccines might become available and what the expected guidelines will be about boosters going forward. Andy also dives more into Dr. Cohen’s background, why...

The U.S. women's national soccer team faces a difficult road to a threepeat at the World Cup as the round of 16 starts this weekend. But tough battles are nothing new for gold medalist Meghan Klingenberg. The former USWNT defender joins Andy this week to share one of the most challenging hurdles she has faced -- leading the charge along with other members of the USWNT to secure equal pay for all w...

The pandemic changed health care forever. In a special live episode taped with a virtual panel of expert listeners, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel lays out some of the biggest and most radical changes we will face over the next few years. From how and where we access our coverage to who owns the hospitals and how we will pay for care, nothing will ever be the same. Dr. Emanuel explains why and answers questi...

Teen heartthrob turned anti-crypto crusader? It may seem an unlikely path, but Ben McKenzie, the former star of "The O.C.," didn’t take the easy path to wealth promised by bitcoin that many of his peers did. Instead, he looked beyond the big paychecks and risked his career to call out the scammers and liars behind crypto investing and his contemporaries in Hollywood who took their money to help se...