News and Happenings

Dr. David Fajgenbaum nearly died five times from Castleman Disease before deciding to find a cure for the rare disorder himself. As the clock was ticking, he discovered that the inexpensive kidney transplant drug sirolimus could save his life. Nine healthy years later, Andy speaks with David about how that experience motivated him to save more lives by finding new uses for existing medicines.

The seven states that rely on the Colorado River for the bulk of their water supply can’t agree on how to share the depleting resource. It’s a scary, interesting, and messy lesson on how to live amid climate change-induced scarcities. Andy speaks with reporter Luke Runyon, who covers the Colorado River for southwestern NPR stations, about the roots of the current crisis and the dramatic decision our country must make around how to live with less water.

All eyes are on the Supreme Court this week, as the temporary stay in the Texas mifepristone case expires. Andy speaks with Fatima Goss Graves from the National Women’s Law Center about the confusing rulings and what she expects the justices to do. Former FDA Commissioner Josh Sharfstein also joins to explain the dangerous precedent this case could set for FDA-approved drugs and drug development.

A bombshell report from ProPublica found that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been receiving undisclosed gifts from a conservative billionaire for decades, including luxury vacations and yacht outings.

The Dobbs decision may be in the rearview mirror, but the abortion issue remains front and center. In fact, it’s becoming a winning platform for Democrats, as seen in the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Andy calls up New York Times politics reporter Reid Epstein and Capital Times reporter Jessie Opoien to discuss that race as a bellwether heading into the 2024 election season, and how Republicans are responding.

The Dobbs decision may be in the rearview mirror, but the abortion issue remains front and center. In fact, it’s becoming a winning platform for Democrats, as seen in the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Andy calls up New York Times politics reporter Reid Epstein and Capital Times reporter Jessie Opoien to discuss that race as a bellwether heading into the 2024 election season, and how Republicans are responding.

Why are conservative politicians launching a coordinated attack on transgender people right now? They’re implementing a power strategy used time and time again on countless marginalized groups in societies around the world, from Jews in Nazi Germany to gay people...

Mark Cuban has invested in more than a thousand companies, but only one has his name on it: Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs. Started in 2022, his business aims to disrupt the health care industry by selling prescription drugs at...

In the latest iteration of voter suppression, members of the Republican Party are trying to prevent college students from voting by getting rid of polling places on campuses and disallowing college IDs as valid forms of identification. They say it’s in the name of voter fraud and public safety, but could it also be due to the fact that young voters are casting their ballots for Democrats in record numbers? Andy speaks with NextGen America director Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez and Harvard’s director of polling John Della Volpe about how young voters are reshaping democracy and whether the Republicans’ strategy to suppress them will succeed.

What’s truly behind the proposed bill in Congress to ban the TikTok app? Andy thinks it may have more to do with U.S.-China competition than national security or our children’s mental health. He explores that opinion with investigative journalist Julia Angwin and Cornell’s Tech Policy Institute director Sarah Kreps, who lay out the concerns raised about TikTok and explain why banning it won’t keep us safe.