Four years of new judges on the Supreme Court have transformed the landscape of what justice in America looks like. Andy unpacks that landscape with lawyer and journalist Dahlia Lithwick, who explains in detail the intended and unintended consequences of the Dobbs ruling as the latest example of dramatic changes in the highest court, and what it means heading into the midterms. If you’re a person with a reproductive life, this episode impacts you.

Andy takes a look at the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidency with his Chief of Staff, Ron Klain, who breaks down the successes and obstacles the administration has faced and the national agenda moving forward. In a wide-ranging conversation, they cover the war in Ukraine, climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, guns, the economy, and the threat to democracy. Kick off midterm season with this exclusive interview.

From droughts to fires to floods, a year of extreme weather is taking a toll on communities from Jackson, Mississippi to Pakistan. Climate change is here and impacting our homes and drinking water. Andy speaks with climate scientist Daniel Swain and former EPA Southeast Coordinator Heather McTeer Toney about why global warming is increasing the intensity of natural disasters, who’s most at risk, and how communities should spend Inflation Reduction Act funds to boost their resiliency.

At first, researcher Kristian Andersen believed that COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab leak. But he changed his mind upon greater investigation, and is now certain the Huanan market in Wuhan, China, was the epicenter. Andy unravels the mystery with Andersen using new key information about what happened, which animals could have transmitted it to humans, and how to make wet markets and factory farming safer in order to prevent the next pandemic.

Kids are back in school, routine testing has begun, and new data shows math and reading skills have plunged since the pandemic. How do we spend the $122 Billion in federal funding to combat learning loss? Andy speaks with Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn and Oakland Reach Founder Lakisha Young about the successful approaches they’re using to get kids on track, from high dosage tutoring to hubs that train community members to be “literacy liberators.” Listen and walk away motivated to do your part.

Kids and teenagers across the country are still recovering from the learning loss caused by schools shutting down during the height of the pandemic. Andy talks with former NPR Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz about her new book, “The Stolen Year,” which unpacks COVID’s devastating effects on our youth, from fewer college goers to toddlers with developmental delays. How behind is our youngest generation and what will it take for school districts, teachers, and parents to get kids back on track?

On this Labor Day, Andy is recommending a stellar CNN podcast: Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In this episode, Sanjay explores the endless loop of pain we can feel after a loved one dies. What happens when grief doesn’t subside with time? He speaks to Wendy Lichtenthal, Director of the Bereavement Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, about why we grieve, how to navigate the grief process, and a new medical diagnosis: prolonged grief disorder.

Millions of student loan borrowers breathed a sigh of relief after the White House revealed a plan to wipe clean a huge swath of debt. But how meaningful is this policy, what are the broader implications to the economy, and will it help future borrowers? Harvard Economist Susan Dynarski and the Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Andre Perry break down the plan and use their own experiences to humanize the root problems this relief begins to address. Plus, Andre argues why you will benefit from this policy even if you didn’t personally.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky made a bold move earlier this month when she publicly acknowledged the major mistakes her agency made during the pandemic and announced major changes on their way. Andy asks Rochelle to spell out some of those mistakes, from flip-flopping mask guidance to low staffing levels in a time of crisis, and detail the changes underway to turn the CDC into a more nimble and transparent organization for the next major public health emergency.

As kids head back to school, many parents and teachers worry about air quality amid viruses like COVID-19. Rather than waiting for your school’s HVAC system to get replaced, what if you could build something that circulates air to the standard of an intensive care unit room for under $100 and in less than an hour? Engineers and air quality experts Richard Corsi and Jim Rosenthal have designed just a product and teach Andy how to make one.