Terry Gross

The Atlantic writer Anne Applebaum says President Trump's dismantling of the U.S. civil service system, and his attacks on judges and his opponents, are part of a playbook on undermining democracy.

Today, we're going to be talking about the importance of vaccines amid the growing avian bird flu and measles spread with pediatrician and infectious disease expert Dr. Adam Ratner. Twenty-five years ago, measles was declared eliminated in the United States. It was a long-fought win for pediatricians and researchers and those who work in infectious diseases. Today, however, measles is back. And Dr. Ratner says the resurgence points to a larger, more significant problem for public health.

New York Times writer Charlie Savage discusses the scope of executive power as President Trump circumvents Congress, pushes legal boundaries and fires scores of federal workers, including at the FBI.