News and Happenings

Former President Donald Trump is expected to surrender for his arraignment in New York tomorrow. What is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case, how will it impact Trump’s presidential primary campaign, and is this just the beginning of his legal...

The question of where COVID came from has been clouded by politics since the beginning. New York Times reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg separates the facts from political persuasion by discussing the latest evidence behind the two leading origin theories, how the investigation became so partisan, and whether the anticipated declassification of government intelligence could lead to an answer. Then, Andy and Sheryl reflect on the most important stories about the pandemic over the last three years. Oh, and a surprise for Andy to celebrate ITB’s 3rd year anniversary.

The White House is ending the public health emergency and disbanding its COVID response team. Andy calls up outgoing coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha to find out what this means for the American people. Jha explains why the band is breaking up, predicts what might happen if a dangerous new variant wreaks havoc again, and promises free vaccines for the uninsured moving forward.

To honor the third anniversary of In the Bubble, Andy calls up his friend and former NIH director Dr. Anthony Fauci to reflect on the pandemic and the indelible mark it left on his career. Fauci shares his advice on...

Many of us were on edge this week awaiting the possible criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. Trump himself called for protests ahead of his expected indictment, awakening the possibility of more political violence resembling the Jan 6 uprising. Andy speaks with Atlantic reporter Adrienne LaFrance about her cover story, “The New Anarchy,” which digs into this new era of domestic terror and what to do about it.

If poverty is a problem the U.S. knows how to fix, why do 40 million Americans live below the poverty line? Because a lot of us benefit from poor people, says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond, who explains to Andy why we do more to subsidize affluence than alleviate poverty. Matthew shares examples of real solutions you can advocate for in your community (and what to say the next time a neighbor complains about their taxes).

In a historic United Nations treaty, countries around the world agreed to protect ocean biodiversity by conserving 30 percent of the earth’s open oceans by 2030. Andy speaks with UN senior adviser Susan Ruffo about why the High Seas Treaty is so important, the oft-forgotten role the ocean plays in combating climate change, and how your life is intrinsically connected to the sea regardless of how far you live from the shore.

Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse triggered the second-largest bank run in U.S. history. Who banked at SVB, how did it collapse, why did the federal government step in, and are more bank failures coming? Andy invites economists Justin Wolfers and Mark Zandi, along with WSJ reporter Ben Eisen, into the bubble to debate what this story brings to light about America’s banking system, our nation’s financial stability, and how safe your money is.

Medications approved for people with diabetes and obesity have recently gotten a lot of media attention as a potential easy way to shed pounds. What are the physical and societal risks of using drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro off label for weight loss, or for using these drugs as a quick weight-loss fix? Andy speaks with STAT reporter Elaine Chen and obesity medicine physician Ania Jastreboff about this new generation of drugs, who stands to benefit from them, and what to watch out for.

Half of people who can do their jobs remotely are now working in a hybrid arrangement. That means they’re working from home some days and a physical office on others. Andy speaks with NYT reporter Emma Goldberg and labor researcher Anu Madgavkar about why hybrid work is the future, what incentives employers are creating to entice workers back into the office, and whether COVID safety in the workplace has improved.