MedPod Today: the podcast series where MedPage Today reporters share deeper insight into the week's biggest healthcare stories. This week, MedPage Today reporters discuss how the government shutdown may affect healthcare, the debate on whether physician paid expert witnesses can ever be truly impartial, and what we know about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s CDC contact, Dr. William Thompson.

Episode produced and hosted by Rachael Robertson. Sound engineering by Greg Laub. Theme music by Palomar. Reporting this week by are Joyce Frieden, Joedy McCreary, and Cheryl Clark.