News and Happenings

With lots of COVID treatments now available, how do you know which one, if any, is right for you? Andy found himself just as confused as the rest of us when he fell ill with the virus. Using his own experience as a case study (as well as the slightly more high profile case of President Biden), Andy seeks answers from UCSF Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Bob Wachter and UVA Critical Care and Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Taison Bell. They run through the four main treatment methods, which one works the best, and examine the link between Paxlovid and rebound cases.

COVID is definitely not over, but life is still going on. As we emerge from our bubbles (with no lack of trepidation), Andy calls up comedian Patton Oswalt to talk about what life is like back on the road, making movies again and talking to people in real life, not on Twitter. Then Patton and Andy riff on what justice really looks like for people like Alex Jones and Josh Hawley. Can we find humor in their demise? Will either of them even have a demise? Patton and Andy debate that and more in this laugh-filled episode.

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 Act may help finally rein in climate change. We also hear from Leah Stokes, a political scientist and environmental expert who helped craft some of the bill’s climate provisions. She explains how the bill would transition large parts of the economy from fossil fuels to clean energy and get us closer to cutting pollution in half.

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 Inflation Reduction Act and predicts whether it will live up to its name and help lower prices.

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.

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, treatment, and testing. They also discuss how to stay protected if you or a loved one is in an at-risk group.

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 severity compared to earlier versions of Omicron and what variant could come next.

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 reveals about the current GOP. He offers glimpses inside his time interviewing key players like Eric Trump and Lindsey Graham at the Trump Hotel bar, and a prediction on whether Trump could win the nomination and the presidency again in 2024.

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 and the need for male contraception, discuss the clinical trials happening right now, and explain why it’s a step toward building a culture of gender equity.

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.