
In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt
In the Bubble is the go to place to learn more about the most important news events on YOUR mind. We take the time that’s needed to go beyond the headlines with A list guests from Andy's bubble. From Tina Fay to Tony Fauci. From the next vaccine to the next election issue. To an occasional dad joke. It’s Actual Facts from Actual Experts, every Wednesday from Lemonada Media.
Latest episodes

Sep 21, 2022 • 43min
What’s Happened to Our Supreme Court? (with Dahlia Lithwick)
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 Dahlia Lithwick on Twitter @Dahlialithwick. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Order Dahlia’s book, “Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/598207/lady-justice-by-dahlia-lithwick/ Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 19, 2022 • 33min
The First Two Years of Biden (with Chief of Staff Ron Klain)
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 Twitter @WHCOS. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Read more about the Inflation Reduction Act: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/15/by-the-numbers-the-inflation-reduction-act/ Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 16, 2022 • 46min
Weather Whiplash: What to Do About Worsening Droughts and Floods
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 with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt. Follow Heather McTeer Toney and Daniel Swain on Twitter @HeatherMcTeer and @Weather_West. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Read about Daniel’s latest study on California’s coming megastorm: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/12/climate/california-rain-storm.html Read Heather’s book, “Before the Streetlights Come On Black America’s Urgent Call for Climate Solutions”: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506478623/Before-the-Streetlights-Come-On Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 14, 2022 • 39min
The Origins of COVID-19 (with Kristian Andersen)
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. Follow Kristian Andersen on Twitter @K_G_Andersen. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Read these two preprints that provide the strongest evidence yet that the COVID-19 pandemic began at a market selling live animals in Wuhan: https://zenodo.org/record/6299600#.YyCykOzMKWA and https://zenodo.org/record/6291628#.YyCyj-zMKWA Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 12, 2022 • 52min
Your Guide to the New COVID Vaccines (with Ashish Jha)
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 Jha on Twitter @AshishKJha46. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Learn more about the updated COVID-19 vaccines: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/09/06/press-briefing-by-white-house-covid-19-response-team-and-public-health-officials-88/ Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 9, 2022 • 49min
Two Ways to Help Kids Bounce Back from Falling Behind in School
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt. Follow Penny Schwinn and Lakisha Young on Twitter @SchwinnTeach and @LakishaYoungCEO. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Learn more about Oakland Reach, a virtual hub that combines high-quality instruction for students with socio-economic supports for the whole family: https://oaklandreach.org/ Read about how Tennessee student reading scores are largely back to pre-pandemic levels: https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2022/6/14/tennessee-releases-2021-22-tcap-state-level-results-highlighting-significant-learning-acceleration-.html Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 7, 2022 • 45min
How COVID-19 Attacked Learning (with Anya Kamenetz)
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? Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt. Follow Anya Kamenetz on Twitter @anya1anya. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Order Anya’s new book, “The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children's Lives, and Where We Go Now”: https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/anya-kamenetz/the-stolen-year/9781541701014/ Read this study which found that 70% of Detroit students were chronically absent in the 2020-2021 school year: https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-609.pdf Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 5, 2022 • 36min
In the Bubble Presents: Chasing Life (with Sanjay Gupta)
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 @ASlavitt. Follow Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Twitter @drsanjaygupta. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Check out more episodes of CNN’s Chasing Life here: https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/chasing-life Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 2, 2022 • 41min
Why Student Debt Forgiveness is Good for America
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. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt. Follow Susan Dynarski and Andre Perry on Twitter @dynarski and @andreperryedu. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Sign up for updates on the student loan forgiveness application here: https://www.ed.gov/subscriptions Read why Susan changed her mind about student debt forgiveness: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/opinion/student-loan-debt-relief-biden.html Read why Andre believes debt forgiveness is a start to solving the root problem for borrowers: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2022/08/25/bidens-student-debt-cancellation-doesnt-solve-the-root-problems-facing-borrowers-but-its-a-start/ Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 31, 2022 • 40min
How the CDC Must Change (with Director Rochelle Walensky)
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 @ASlavitt. Follow Rochelle Walensky on Twitter @CDCDirector. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/ Check out these resources from today’s episode: Read more about Rochelle’s statement to her staff on August 17: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/us/politics/cdc-rochelle-walensky-covid.html Read the CDC’s guidance on monkeypox, which Rochelle points to as an example of plain language the agency plans to use more often: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/ Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.