CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King is back in the bubble to break down the major House and Senate races this midterm that will determine which party controls Congress next year. From John Fetterman in Pennsylvania to Herschel Walker in Georgia, Andy asks John which candidates are most likely to flip their state, who’s spending the most money in the final weeks, and what to watch closely on Election Day. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow John King on Twitter @JohnKingCNN ....
Oct 14, 2022•44 min
With less than a month until Election Day, CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King returns to the bubble to dig deep into the key themes and dynamics unique to this midterm. Andy asks which issues are galvanizing voters, what the polls tell us (and if we should believe them), and whether a swarm of election deniers will win state races. Tune in Friday for part two of this conversation, when John and Andy pick apart the key House and Senate races. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Fol...
Oct 12, 2022•34 min
The last SCOTUS term was monumental, with a leaked draft and major precedents like Roe v. Wade overturned. What can we expect from this upcoming term? Michigan Law Professor Leah Litman ranks the most important cases coming before the court, from affirmative action to fair elections. Andy asks Leah why she calls this six-justice conservative supermajority a YOLO court, and how life could have been different had Justice Ginsburg retired during Obama’s term. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt ...
Oct 10, 2022•51 min
President Biden says Vladimir Putin is not joking about his threats to use nuclear weapons to get out of the war in the Ukraine. As tensions escalate worldwide, America continues to supply the Ukrainian army with the equipment it needs to fight Russia. Andy speaks with Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Andrew Weiss, experts on Putin and Russian intelligence, about what it would take for Putin to follow through on that threat. They discuss what the war looks like now, how it’s impacting oil prices headin...
Oct 07, 2022•41 min
Donald Trump is taking center stage in the midterm elections, even though he isn’t on the ballot. And to this day there are still unanswered questions about his presidency: what was the true nature of his relationship with Putin? Can he be held accountable for his crimes? Andy talks with veteran journalists Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker who have written a historic accounting of Trump’s presidency in their new book, The Divider to try and get some answers. ...
Oct 05, 2022•48 min
At its first hunger summit in 50 years, the White House announced a plan last week to end hunger and reduce obesity by 2030. Is that really possible, and what will it take to get there? Andy speaks with Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, who specializes in obesity medicine, about the link between obesity and hunger plus how race, stress, and poverty play a role. Using examples from her life and her practice, she explains why obesity should be viewed and treated as the disease it is, using methods like me...
Oct 03, 2022•49 min
An immigrant’s unpredictable journey to America doesn’t end when they get to the border. Political stunts by Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis sending asylum seekers to the steps of the U.S. Capitol and Martha’s Vineyard is the latest reminder. Andy speaks with two people embedded in the journey to the U.S., LA Times reporter Molly O’Toole and New York Times reporter Michael Shear, who explain the messy, lengthy process asylum seekers face. They discuss why deterrence policies don’t work, t...
Sep 30, 2022•46 min
The Federal Reserve is continuing to raise interest rates in an attempt to crush record high inflation. But how far will they go, could it lead us into a recession with massive job loss, and how will stock markets react? Neel Kashkari, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, offers a candid look at the tools at the Fed’s disposal and explains why they’re taking strong actions at the risk of economic pain for Americans. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow Neel Kashka...
Sep 28, 2022•43 min
Election denialism represents a fundamental breakdown in our democracy, a problem America has never experienced in its history. But that’s not it. There’s also an increasingly alarming disconnection between public opinion and the power to shape American politics. Andy explores these two threats with New York Times senior writer David Leonhardt, who explains why candidates that win the most votes are less and less able to take power and address the country’s problems. They also dig into the speci...
Sep 26, 2022•52 min
What if every baby could receive a college savings account, regardless of the financial situation they’re born into? That’s the mission behind baby bonds, a government policy championed by Senator Cory Booker that would provide children with a nest egg to start off adulthood. Andy speaks with economist Darrick Hamilton, who proposed the policy in 2010 as a mechanism to reduce the racial wealth gap in the United States, and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who created a program in his city. They exp...
Sep 23, 2022•44 min
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow ...
Sep 21, 2022•43 min
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow Ron Klain on Twitte...
Sep 19, 2022•33 min
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. Keep up wit...
Sep 16, 2022•46 min
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . F...
Sep 14, 2022•39 min
Updated vaccines to fight Omicron for Americans 12 and older are now available, but you may have questions about when to get the shot and how effective it’ll be as we head into the colder seasons. Andy brings on White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha to explain why you should get the COVID and flu shot simultaneously, whether it’ll cost money this time, and how a new powerful variant could throw a wrench in the plan. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow Dr. Ashish Jh...
Sep 12, 2022•52 min
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 ...
Sep 09, 2022•49 min
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? K...
Sep 07, 2022•45 min
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlav...
Sep 05, 2022•36 min
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 ...
Sep 02, 2022•41 min
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter...
Aug 31, 2022•40 min
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow Richard C...
Aug 29, 2022•36 min
Polio has been detected in New York wastewater following the case of a man infected and paralyzed by the virus in July. How much is the virus circulating and what does that mean for you and young children at greatest risk? Andy speaks with New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett and Stanford Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Yvonne “Bonnie” Maldonado about how a disease eliminated from the Western Hemisphere in 1994 returned and what we must do now. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavit...
Aug 26, 2022•38 min
On the heels of his retirement announcement, Dr. Anthony Fauci answers crowdsourced questions on fall boosters, the CDC’s changing mask and isolation guidelines, polio, and monkeypox. He also talks candidly about the problems within the CDC and tells Andy what he plans to do with his free time once he steps down from federal service. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremiu...
Aug 24, 2022•41 min
Oscar winner and best-selling author Matthew McConaughey comes In the Bubble to talk about the big lessons: what unites us, what he has learned about being a dad, what values really matter, and what we owe our kids. McConaughey tells Andy about the moments of decisive action that have shaped his life, which he explores in his book, "Greenlights," and practices through his charitable work, including his just keep livin Foundation. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt . Follow Matthew McConaughe...
Aug 22, 2022•51 min
Of the four legal cases pending against former President Trump, which is the most likely to see a courtroom or end in a guilty verdict? Andy runs through the drama at Mar-a-Lago, the criminal investigation in Georgia, the January 6 madness, and the scrutiny of the Trump Organization’s business practices with two legal experts: the Brookings Institution's Benjamin Wittes and Loyola Law School’s Jessica Levinson. They rank the four cases in order of legal liability, discuss what’s going on inside ...
Aug 19, 2022•52 min
President Biden has tapped two new federal monkeypox responders -- the CDC’s Dr. Demetre Daskalakis and FEMA’s Robert Fenton -- and we hear from them today on the latest inside plans to combat this growing epidemic. Andy asks Robert when the U.S. will have enough vaccines to protect the entire high-risk group and gets advice from Demetre on whether sexually active teens and college students should get the shot. Plus, Andy addresses Alex Berenson’s return to Twitter. Keep up with Andy on Twitter ...
Aug 17, 2022•42 min
More than 5,000 children were torn from their parents at the Mexican border during Donald Trump’s presidency, and more than 150 children have yet to be reunited. Atlantic writer Caitlin Dickerson spent 18 months investigating how Trump’s zero tolerance approach became a reality, despite scores of top government officials who felt it was inhumane and logistically fraught. She speaks with Andy about how Congress’ failure to make substantial changes to immigration policy drove this to happen, and c...
Aug 15, 2022•42 min
Andy looks around the corner to see who may be at risk of Monkeypox next. Should sexually active teenagers and college students get vaccinated? What about toddlers or wrestling teams? Do we need to worry about bedding? Could Monkeypox mutate as it spreads? How close is close contact? Andy gets answers from UCSF Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, who has been working directly with Monkeypox patients, and Baylor College Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology Peter Hotez, wh...
Aug 12, 2022•44 min
With lots of COVID treatments now available, how do you know which one, if any, is right for you? Andy found himself just as confused as the rest of us when he fell ill with the virus. Using his own experience as a case study (as well as the slightly more high profile case of President Biden), Andy seeks answers from UCSF Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Bob Wachter and UVA Critical Care and Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Taison Bell. They run through the four main treatment methods, which one...
Aug 10, 2022•50 min
COVID is definitely not over, but life is still going on. As we emerge from our bubbles (with no lack of trepidation), Andy calls up comedian Patton Oswalt to talk about what life is like back on the road, making movies again and talking to people in real life, not on Twitter. Then Patton and Andy riff on what justice really looks like for people like Alex Jones and Josh Hawley. Can we find humor in their demise? Will either of them even have a demise? Patton and Andy debate that and more in thi...
Aug 08, 2022•41 min
