News and Happenings

On the first day of President Biden’s term, Dr. Bob takes a look at the toll the pandemic is having right now in Los Angeles – the epicenter of the nation’s winter surge – with emergency room physician Erika Flores Uribe and Hal Yee, Chief Medical Officer with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

If you were worried that a new host would mean a completely different show, let this Monday Toolkit ease your fears. Dr. Bob poses your questions about the so-called UK and South African variants to virologist Angela Rasmussen and evolutionary biologist Paul Turner. You’ll get answers about what the variants mean for the vaccines, how they affect kids, how to adjust your behavior in response to them, and much more.

Incoming CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gives her first major interview. She and Andy discuss her background as a young girl who wanted to grow up to be financially independent and how that turned into a storied career that led her to the pinnacle of public health. She discusses the challenges she faces in this epic role and her priorities for the CDC. There’s never been a more important time to have a strong leader like Dr. Walensky in charge of this agency.

Here’s the toolkit for everyone who needs to physically be at work — either now or in the future. Andy’s got you covered with expert advice on how to stay safe at work with attorney Jessica Rosenberg and Director of Harvard’s Healthy Buildings program Joseph Allen. They’ve got answers about Plexiglas, filtration, bad bosses, your rights, and more.

When do the country’s top scientists think we’ll be gathering indoors again? How about when most adults in America will be vaccinated? And what’s the number one thing you can do this year to slow the pandemic? We all want to know what’s going to happen in 2021, so Andy got you some answers from a few of the smartest people out there. You’ll hear from Larry Brilliant, Leana Wen, Anthony Fauci, Megan Ranney, David Agus, and many more.

Andy counts down his top 10 moments of the year, including a look inside an emergency room COVID-19 unit, our “Safe or Not Safe?” toolkit, and Andy’s all-time favorite clip of Zach. We’ll revisit some of our favorite In the Bubble guests like Kumail Nanjiani, Kara Swisher, and Ed Yong. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You may even break out in song. Either way, it’s an episode you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy this Best of In the Bubble episode where Tina Fey joins Andy to talk about comedy during Corona-times and other unfunny periods in recent history. They chat about stuck-at-home life (with a cameo from Tina’s daughter), SNL in isolation, and how American culture is being re-shaped. Then, Andy shares fresh polling from leading health care pollster Mollyann Brodie about how Americans are really feeling.

It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for: Andy closes the year with a recap of 2020 and predictions for 2021 with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Andy brings you into the bubble with Dr. Fauci by asking some of the questions he received from you. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Andy’s two themes for 2020 are “surviving” and “remembering,” so Andy reflected on the year with the ultimate survivor: Senator Tammy Duckworth. He caught up with her in her D.C. office before she leaves for the holiday recess. They review the job Congress did in 2020, the low points many Americans have faced, and the promising notes for the future. As a wounded warrior and a Senator, her approach to life and her parting message is powerful.

Andy is joined by Heidi Larson, Founding Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, for a conversation about, well, vaccine confidence. They discuss what causes vaccine hesitancy, how to boost confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, and how to convert those who are on the fence about taking it. Plus, the particular trust issues among communities of color.