Sydney Lepkin

Support for Today Explained comes from Pepsi.

Pepsi would like to remind you of the Pepsi Challenge.

Way back in 1975, there were blind taste tests comparing Coke and Pepsi, and Pepsi came out on top.

In 2025, Pepsi redid the Pepsi Challenge with zero sugar colas, and history repeated itself.

66% of participants, according to Pepsi, chose Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar.

According to Pepsi, Pepsi won 100% of markets where the Pepsi challenge was conducted, even in Coke's hometown of Atlanta.

This is what Pepsi calls the Pepsi Paradox.

They say that when labels and other biases disappear, you may be surprised by what you actually like.

And in the case of the Pepsi Paradox, cola drinkers prefer the taste of Pepsi Zero Sugar, says Pepsi.

You can go out and try Pepsi Zero Sugar today.

You deserve taste.

You deserve Pepsi.

Vaccine maker Moderna says the FDA is refusing to consider approving the company's first flu vaccine, which also uses mRNA technology.

The FDA told the company the agency isn't satisfied with the company's study comparing Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine to a standard dose flu vaccine already on the market.

The study showed the Moderna flu vaccine was more effective.

The decision by the FDA, which Moderna said is inconsistent with the agency's previous feedback, is the latest blow the Trump administration has delivered to efforts to use mRNA technology to develop new vaccines.

Sydney Lepkin, NPR News.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will negotiate the prices of 15 more drugs.

This is the third batch the program will negotiate since gaining this ability as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

It will also renegotiate the Medicare price of type 2 diabetes pill, Tragenta, which was part of the second round of negotiations completed last year.