window.dotcom = window.dotcom || { cmd: [] }; window.dotcom.ads = window.dotcom.ads || { resolves: {enabled: [], getAdTag: []}, enabled: () => new Promise(r => window.dotcom.ads.resolves.enabled.push(r)), getAdTag: () => new Promise(r => window.dotcom.ads.resolves.getAdTag.push(r)) }; setTimeout(() => { if(window.dotcom.ads.resolves){ window.dotcom.ads.resolves.enabled.forEach(r => r(false)); window.dotcom.ads.resolves.getAdTag.forEach(r => r("")); window.dotcom.ads.enabled = () => new Promise(r => r(false)); window.dotcom.ads.getAdTag = () => new Promise(r => r("")); console.error("NGAS load timeout"); } }, 5000)
Skip to content
Radio 4

Why has RFK Jr sacked an entire US vaccine safety committee?

Up Next

22:30 - 23:00

Today in Parliament

13/06/2025

23:00 - 23:30

Midnight News

14/06/2025

23:30 - 23:48

Episode 5 - Homecoming

23:48 - 00:00

Shipping Forecast

14/06/2025

00:00 - 04:30

Selection of BBC World Service Programmes

14/06/2025

04:30 - 04:34

News Summary

14/06/2025

04:34 - 04:43

Shipping Forecast

14/06/2025

04:43 - 04:45

Prayer for the Day

Give Freely, Give Often

04:45 - 05:00

Child

23. Crawling

By popular demand the Americast team turn their focus on stories that have flown under the radar during the blanket coverage of the disorder in LA this week. Why has the US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior sacked all the of a committee which makes recommendations on immunisations, and why is there some concern over his new picks? What does the election of two Democratic nominees for Governor in New Jersey and Virginia tell us about the future direction of the Democratic party? We look at why the Trump istration has lost in its efforts to deport Mahmoud Khalil and Kilmar Abrego Garcia, two high profile cases and what this means for the US president’s deportation policy. Plus, how American colleges will be able to pay student athletes millions of dollars.

HOSTS:

• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter

• Sarah Smith, North America Editor

• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent

GET IN TOUCH:

• our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB

• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480

• Email [email protected]

• Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, Alix Pickles, Tom Gillett and Gabriel May. The technical producer was Johnny Hall. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl

Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm