News and Happenings

We often talk about COVID-19 as if it’s an attack, something our country’s top national security experts prepare for their entire careers. So, this week Andy calls national security expert and Harvard professor, Juliette Kayyem, to talk about how to prepare. They discuss the evolution of national security from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina to right now, and how the American response to COVID-19 measures up.

With so many opinions on what we should do next in response to the Coronavirus, Andy focuses on what we really know and what we don’t know— a much longer list. To do this, Andy sits down with 538’s Nate Silver who built an industry on predictions and has been focused on what the data says about the spread of COVID-19, what’s working, and how we get back to normal life.

With Trump set to make a declaration on “opening the country,” Andy decided to call someone he’s never met but who knows how the president operates: Anthony Scaramucci. Intended as a short conversation, all the rules went out the window once it got going. Andy also asked Mooch to tell listeners how to interpret the financial situation, Congressional actions, and the federal budget. Also, free financial advice!

If you loved the Vivek Murthy episode of In the Bubble that aired on 4/15/20, we’ve got even more of it here for you. Hear the complete interview, unedited. We’ll have more bonus content like this for our members here throughout the season.

Rituals are being broken as Andy notes this is the time of year when we’re normally physically connected to our families and neighbors. So he calls his old Obama colleague former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy who spent his time in the Administration focusing on the epidemic of loneliness. Andy freely admits he once didn’t understand Vivek’s message but now seeks his advice for a world of forced isolation. Entrepreneur and friend Trevor Price talks about an initiative to help underserved communities, but Andy also wants to get some advice from his 11-year-old daughter Catie.

This week Andy talks to CBS’ Rome correspondent Seth Doane about his experience covering COVID-19 in Italy and being quarantined himself after testing positive for the virus. They talk about what the US can learn from Italy, the war-like experience of fighting a pandemic, and the bright spots of unity that Seth has witnessed in hard-hit Italian communities. 

Andy talks with Governor Phil Murphy about the type of wartime leadership needed in New Jersey as the death toll rises in his state, and we hear a rare interaction where Andy and the governor mobilize resources together to save lives. Taking inspiration from courageous leaders from world history, Andy and Phil calmly discuss how to lead through this pandemic. 18-year old Zach brings us a surprising fact, and the case is made for masks as a part of daily life.

Andy brings you into his bubble, as promised, by sharing his call (with permission) with Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. They discuss her husband John’s COVID-19 recovery, what an election might be like during a national health crisis, and how the Congress needs to support Americans during the economic crisis.

Hello, In the Bubble supporters! Thank you so much for your early support of the show. It really means a lot to us and is helping us get this off the ground. 

We have the first of many audio exclusive benefits of your membership ready and posted here. This one is the full audio of the Mark Cuban interview that aired on 4/1/2020. Lots of good stuff here that didn’t make it into the regular episode (a little more explicit language, so not suitable for work!)

We’re going to have many more full inte

Here we are, in the midst of a global pandemic. How do we get through it? For starters, we find the helpers. This week, we meet host Andy Slavitt and his teenage son Zach, recording from their studio (er, home office) in Minneapolis. In many respects, the moment the NBA suspended its season is the moment America realized COVID-19 was a real threat. So for his first episode, Andy is joined by Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank superstar. Mark and Andy issue a call to action for everyone to help first and ask questions later and talk candidly about COVID-19’s impact on small businesses, the stock market, hospitals, and basketball.