Abdul and Katelyn pose questions for RFK’s Senate Confirmation hearings. Then they discuss the fallout from Trump’s sledgehammer on our government agencies, including:

• A freeze on most federal grants and aid, here and abroad (now rescinded)


• A pause on health agency communication and travel


• Removing all DEI programs from the federal government, including diverse clinical trials


• Offering all federal employees 6-months of pay to resign from their jobs

Then Abdul talks to epidemiologist and author Dr. Caitlin Rivers about her new book Crisis Averted: The Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks. Caitlin tells us where we are in the current flu season, and how public health professionals can build back trust with Americans.

You can find Caitlin Rivers’ newsletter Force of Infection here.

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Our Big Shot: This new podcast series explores one of the biggest achievements in human history: the worldwide effort of immunization. You can listen to “Our Big Shot” wherever you get podcasts.