logo
episode-header-image
May 2016
50m 36s

Ron Klain on why we beat Ebola — but are...

POLITICO
About this episode

Only a few people know what it's like to lead the White House's response to a public health crisis. Ron Klain is one of them. He was chosen in 2014 by President Obama to steer the U.S. effort to fight Ebola, just when it looked like the outbreak was about to spiral out of control.

 

Ron joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain how he became the U.S. Ebola "czar" (starts at the 2:00 mark), why he thinks the nation is losing the current fight against Zika (8:25), why a travel ban was a "horrible idea" for Ebola and would be "pointless" for Zika (17:00), why he wouldn't cancel Brazil's Olympics yet (23:00), how he'd design a new federal agency to fight the next public health emergency (24:30), and how fighting Ebola compares to his experiences in the Bush v. Gore recount, the Clarence Thomas hearings, and other high-profile Washington battles (32:00). Plus: Don't miss the lightning round quiz at 36:45.

 

In a bonus, POLITICO's Jen Haberkorn — who's been covering the Zika funding fight on the Hill — offers details on the latest funding packages and why Congress is dawdling (41:00). Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com.

 

 

Up next
Dec 2023
The two big ways AI is changing health care
Artificial intelligence is changing the way doctors practice, but also how the health care business runs. Host Chelsea Cirruzzo talks with POLITICO health care reporter Daniel Payne about the ways AI is already used across the medical landscape and how regulators are responding. 
5m 42s
Dec 2023
For HHS, AI is an inside job
As federal officials scramble to regulate artificial intelligence in health care, HHS has already become one of the top federal agencies using the technology. Host Kelly Hooper talks with POLITICO health reporter Chelsea Cirruzzo about some of the 80 implemented or planned uses o ... Show More
4m 57s
Dec 2023
A look back at abortion policy in 2023 and a look forward to 2024
Abortion policy changes made since the fall of Roe v. Wade continue to spur ongoing political turmoil nationwide. Host Lauren Gardner talks with POLITICO health care reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein about the most significant developments surrounding abortion this year and what to ... Show More
7m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
The U.S. Spent Billions Fighting AIDS. What Now?
At the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump suspended most U.S. foreign aid, causing vast confusion and concern around the world. One affected program was PEPFAR, the bipartisan initiative that works to fight HIV/AIDS globally. WSJ’s Nicholas Bariyo from Uganda and Michael M ... Show More
21m 12s
Apr 5
RFK Jr's cuts to US health
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to streamline what he calls a bloated health bureaucracy. Job cuts at the FDA, CDC and NIH this week saw pharma stocks drop and raised concerns about the country's readiness to fight health threats like the measles outbreak. On this episode of R ... Show More
21m 3s
Mar 2020
The U.S. stumbled at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Can we make up for lost time?
The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. The virus has spread in the United States, with new cases reported daily, deaths totaling more than three dozen, and an expanding list of large-scale cancellations, including the NBA, the ... Show More
20m 18s
Feb 2025
What’s at stake for Africa if Trump shuts down USAID?
One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?”USAID—the United State ... Show More
20m 6s
Jul 2024
Mpox: What does the new strain mean for you?
A new strain of the mpox virus is spreading quickly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and experts say it is the most dangerous variant they have seen.We chat to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Africa health reporter, who explains the symptoms of mpox, why scientists changed its name, a ... Show More
12m 23s
Feb 2025
Should we be worried about bird flu?
Today we’re talking about bird flu. It’s infecting flocks of chickens, causing egg prices to rise across the country, plus herds of dairy cattle and people are getting sick too. And all of this is happening amid sweeping changes at U.S. federal health agencies. The Trump administ ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 2024
The deluge of Trump news
We’re still processing the news of the shooting at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. On top of that, a federal judge dismissed the classified documents case against the former president. We’ll get into the news and why it matters how we talk about it ... Show More
17m 12s
Feb 2023
Elon Musk SLAMS Globalists agenda, as WHO announces next virus outbreak | Redacted w Clayton Morris
Elon Musk slammed the globalists agenda right to their faces as the World Health Organization announces our next pandemic. The WHO convened an emergency meeting to discuss a virus outbreak in Africa. Get ready! The White House now says the UFO flap is probably not China related. ... Show More
1h 38m
Jan 2025
DC plane crash, Fed decision, RFK Jr under microscope and Arctic drones
Scores of people are feared dead after an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River. Trump’s pick for health secretary – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – came under attack at his Senate confirmation hearing. NATO is s ... Show More
12m 23s
Jun 12
Democrats Continue to be on the Wrong Sides of so many Issues, Concerns with Iran & Much More (6/12/25)
In hour 1 of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark discusses the horrific plane crash in India as well as a Democratic Senator being forcibly removed after crashing Kristi Noem's press conference. Mark is then joined by Frannie Block, a reporter for The Free Press who discusses the article ... Show More
1h 57m