News and Happenings

Droughts, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events are forcing Americans to move. In his new book, “The Great Displacement: Climate Change And The Next American Migration,” Jake Bittle follows the people leaving their communities to find out what final straw forced them out, where they went, and what it means for our country. Andy speaks with Jake about how the US should prepare for more climate refugees as the problem gets worse.

More than 6 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, meaning it touches almost all our lives. That number could double by 2050, unless a cure is found. How far away are we? Andy speaks with Dr. Paul Aisen and Dr. Rudolph Tanzi about the genetic factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s, promising blood tests that can detect the disease long before symptoms begin, and a treatment that could be approved by the FDA as soon as July.

During the beginning of the Pandemic, prisons were a hothouse for COVID infections. In some states, deaths from Covid more than doubled. Andy talks with Aaron Littman, director of the COVID Behind Bars Data Project, about what makes U.S. prisons “incubators of disease” and what it was like for incarcerated people as the virus ran rampant behind prison walls. They discuss why incarcerated people, who already lack access to adequate health care and live in unsanitary conditions, deserve not just better care but our empathy.

Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch admitted under oath that hosts promoted election fraud claims while privately criticizing Trump officials. That’s just one revelation in the $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox by Dominion Voting Systems. Puck News correspondent Dylan Byers joins Andy to...

Record gas prices helped oil giants rake in record profits last year while the climate crisis continues escalating. The companies say they are committed to a green future, but are their proposed climate solutions viable, or just more greenwashing? Andy breaks down these issues with Bill McKibben; scholar, climate activist and founder of Third Act; and NPR climate editor Neela Banerjee, who led the first investigation into Exxon’s climate denialism efforts.

Several bills signed into federal law by President Biden pave the way for considerable investments in the fight against climate change. But what exactly are those investments and where will they show up in your everyday life? Andy gets those answers from John Podesta, the man tasked with turning Biden’s vision of a clean energy future into a reality. They discuss EV charging stations, heat pump rebates, and how to pressure gas companies to invest in alternatives.

We are one year into the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II. President Biden marked the anniversary with a surprise visit to Ukraine while Vladimir Putin countered with a major speech from Moscow. Andy speaks with Liana Fix, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about where Russia and Ukraine stand today, what could escalate this war into something broader, and whether we’re entering World War III without knowing it yet.

Every five minutes an American dies from an opioid or fentanyl overdose. An FDA panel is recommending Narcan be sold over the counter, which experts say would reverse more overdoses and save more lives. Andy traces the line between opioid...

The federal COVID-19 public health emergency ends on May 11. What does that mean for the cost of vaccines, access to testing, and treatment options? Andy poses those questions to ER physician (and soon to be dean of Yale School of Public Health) Dr. Megan Ranney. They also discuss why virus scares like Mpox and avian influenza seem to be happening more often.

If you view the idea of life on other planets as only science fiction, Laurie Leshin will prove you wrong. As the head of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she’s on the cutting edge of space innovation. Andy talks to Laurie about the latest discoveries on Mars, upcoming missions to Jupiter, and how we’re monitoring the health of our own planet from space.