In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

The United States is on the brink of passing a climate bill that could get us closer to making real progress against climate change than we’ve ever been before. Gavin Schmidt, climatologist and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, talks with Andy about the seemingly insurmountable number of climate catastrophes we’re currently experiencing and how the the Inflation Reduction A...

With interest rates and prices rising and GDP declining, many Americans want to know: Are we are in a recession, and should we be worried? Andy calls on expert economist Justin Wolfers to explain why the economy may not be as bad as it feels, what the Fed is doing to pump the brakes, and when we might see price increases come under control. Then Justin unpacks the economic elements in the Inflatio...

COVID-19 vaccines are no longer blocking infections like they used to. Nasal vaccines could help patch up the holes where the new variants like BA.5 are getting in. Andy talks to physician and scientist Eric Topol about the promising trials underway, when we could see a nasal vaccine hit the market, and why it could transform our pandemic response by providing mucosal immunity. Keep up with Andy o...

Monkeypox is currently spreading mostly within the queer community, but experts warn the diseases could expand its reach into other groups where skin-to-skin contact is common, from wrestling teams to spas. Guest host Stephanie Wittels Wachs speaks with Dr. Jay Varma and scientist and queer activist Joseph Osmundson about why cases continue to spread, including a poor rollout of available vaccines...

With BA.5 infecting and reinfecting people around the world, Andy wants to know why some people keep getting COVID while others seemingly never contract the virus. Apart from your daily safety decisions, it may have to do with your genetics, gut microbiome, and defense proteins called interferons. Physician and scientist Eric Topol breaks down these theories for Andy as they discuss BA.5’s severit...

The January 6 hearings have proven how few people in Donald Trump’s inner circle stood up against his mission to overthrow the election results. How did we get to the point where someone was able to run over the country in such a roughshod way with little resistance? Andy speaks with author and reporter Mark Leibovich about the people who rolled over in submission to Trump’s antics and what it rev...

The number one way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy (apart from abstinence) is with contraception. But why does so much of that burden fall on women? In an eye-opening conversation about the development of male birth control, Dr. Brian Nguyen and Dr. Stephanie Page reframe pregnancy as an equally shared responsibility between two partners. They trace a line between the Dobbs v. Jackson decision a...

Andy talks with comedian Adam Conover about his Netflix show, "The G Word," where he partnered with President Obama to educate Americans on how the federal government works and what needs fixing within it. From public libraries to FEMA, they discuss how comedy can help Americans understand, appreciate, and properly scrutinize the agencies working for us everyday. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASla...

The first major bipartisan gun bill in three decades is now law. Much of this is due to the work of Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who helped bring senators from both sides of the aisle together. Senator Murphy joins Andy to talk about what it took to get Republicans on board, what each senator brought to the table and why he hopes this bill will benefit his Republican colleagues. Andy asks about wh...

988 is now the 911 of mental health emergencies. The three-digit number will connect you to a crisis call center in your area and a trained counselor to talk, text, or chat with. Andy speaks with Wendy Martinez Farmer and Dr. Linda Henderson-Smith from Beacon Health Options about how 988 reimagines the National Sucicide Prevention Hotline to be more accessible and inclusive, and why you don’t have...

Reinfections across the country are being driven by an explosion in cases of BA.5, the latest variant of COVID-19. Andy asks Harvard epidemiologist Bill Hanage whether our vaccines and immune systems have a fighting chance, if infections are more severe than other Omicron offshoots, and what we need to do to safely get through the summer and fall. Will those who have managed to avoid the virus for...

Demand for air travel is back in a big way, but judging by the rise in delayed and canceled flights it seems like the airline industry got caught flat footed. What’s up? Andy grills United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby on what’s causing all the schedule problems, why he thinks removing the mask mandate was a good decision, and how to cut carbon emissions in the friendly skies. Keep up with Andy on Twit...

With fentanyl deaths at a record high, Andy speaks with two experts about rethinking opioids, overdoses, and addiction. Ed Ternan, a father whose son died from fentanyl poisoning after buying a fake Percocet on Snapchat, explains how fake pills and social media are driving an increase in deaths among teenagers and young adults, while RAND researcher Bryce Pardo provides data and solutions. Keep up...

Democratic up-and-comer Jason Kander was about to announce his presidential campaign when, in 2018, he revealed that he suffered from PTSD and depression and walked away from politics. Though he felt his career and ambitions were over, he gained the opportunity to heal from trauma he experienced during his time serving in the Afghanistan War. In a sensitive and honest interview, Kander opens up ab...

On this Fourth of July holiday, we’re returning to a favorite episode with filmmaker Ken Burns about his latest documentary, “Benjamin Franklin.” When he wasn’t busy taming electricity, Franklin was encouraging inoculations to combat the smallpox pandemic of the 18th century. He bitterly regretted not inoculating his 4-year-old son, Francis, who died from smallpox in 1736. Andy talks to Ken about...

With gas prices soaring over $5 a gallon as Americans hit the road this Fourth of July weekend, Andy asks the question on many of our minds: what tradeoffs are we willing to make for relief at the pump? Columbia Climate School Dean Jason Bordoff and Harvard Kennedy School Professor Meghan O’Sullivan go through how different compromises, from deals with Saudi Arabia to gas tax holidays, would affec...

As you head out on your summer trips, how often should you and your family test for COVID-19? Andy gets practical advice from epidemiologist and show favorite Dr. Michael Mina along with his eMed colleague Dr. Patrice Harris. Using real life scenarios, they tell you the most informative times to test, explain why some people stay negative while displaying symptoms, and offer an innovative way to t...

In this special breaking-news edition, Andy helps you understand the impact of yesterday's Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade. As health clinics in several states halt abortion procedures due to the decision, Andy gets reaction and action items from Caitlin Cruz, a reporter from Jezebel who covers reproductive rights; Grace Howard, an expert on reproductive law; and Renee Bracey Sherman, a repr...

A new study out of England found the risk of Long COVID to be lower with the Omicron variant compared to Delta. That’s good news, but there are some caveats. Andy chats with one of the researchers behind the study, Dr. Claire Steves, who breaks down the risk of Long COVID based on age and vaccination status. Benjamin Mazer joins to discuss why the population of Americans experiencing Long COVID re...

Andy starts the show with some good news about COVID-19, regarding case numbers, child vaccines, and a new study on long COVID and Omicron. Then, Obama’s former political advisor and Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer joins to react to the Jan. 6 hearings and explain why Democrats suck at political messaging. Plus he gives Democrats handy tips to level the political playing field, including how to...

Texas hasn’t had a Democratic governor in nearly 30 years. Why does Beto O’Rourke think he can change that? Andy sits down with the former presidential candidate to discuss how the families of Uvalde victims are doing, his thoughts on Congress’ bipartisan gun bill, and how he plans to defeat Greg Abbott in November. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt. Follow Beto O’Rourke on Twitter @BetoORour...

This week’s bipartisan hearings on the January 6 insurrection coincided with the preliminary announcement on a bipartisan gun bill in the Senate. We take a look at what led to this cross-party cooperation – in Congress and in public opinion – by inviting in a US political historian and a Trump official who blew the whistle on the former president’s support of domestic terrorism. Are we making prog...

Americans will soon have access to several new COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA is expected to finally approve Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children under 5 as well as the protein-based Novavax vaccine. Looking ahead, the FDA is meeting in late June to discuss a vaccine targeting multiple variants of the virus, which may be available in the fall. How do all these shots compare to our current ones, an...

Our pocketbooks are reeling from May's 40-year high inflation, and price gains don’t seem to be easing. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers saw this coming last year, when he predicted inflation would become a big problem in the U.S. What's his money on now? Andy asks Larry to make predictions about how the federal government’s attempt to lower inflation by raising federal interest rates could...

Four years after the first March for Our Lives rally in Washington D.C., survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida are once again organizing student-led demonstrations around the country this weekend in response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Andy speaks with Parkland survivor Samantha Fuentes and ER physician Dr. Megan Ranney abo...