Author: Peach Fish Productions

Homicides are down 14% from pre-pandemic levels and other major crimes have followed suit. But what can today’s drop teach us about the last great decline, the one that transformed New York in the 1990s? Mike talks with Peter Moskos, former Baltimore cop turned John Jay College professor, about his new book Back from the Brink, an oral history of the NYPD’s crime-fighting turnaround. They dig into the role of CompStat, broken windows, and the delicate balance between aggressive policing and community trust.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Diplomacy via tweet rarely ends well, but US ambassadors are now flailing into their way through international tensions with sarcasm, memes, and zero restraint. Plus Steven Hahn, NYU historian and author of Illiberal America: A History, joins to unpack how liberalism has always shared the stage with its illiberal twin. From eugenics to temperance to the penitentiary, Hahn explains how our progressive myths overlook the darker undercurrents of American history.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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E. Jean Carroll joins to talk about the lawsuit she won, the president she sued, and the dressing room encounter that changed everything. The author of Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President opens up about the attack by Donald Trump, how she fought to be heard, and what it took—mentally and emotionally to face him in court. They talk trial prep, media backlash, mock juries, and what it means to be believed. Also, what happens when the guy in the courtroom points at your photo and says it’s his ex-wife? Carroll shares how she got her name back—and why she's not stopping there. Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Jonathan D. Cohen, author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, joins to explain why our national rush into online sports betting might be a bigger mess than we realize. They talk sketchy app rollouts, bad state deals, and how betting lines went from shady corners to college campus. Plus, why Malaysian women’s doubles badminton at 3 a.m. says more about America than we’d like to admit.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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The NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement doesn’t just change the rules—it rewrites the entire playbook. Mike talks with Gabe Feldman, director of Tulane’s Sports Law Program, about what happens now that schools can pay athletes directly. They get into how the money will be split, why Olympic sports are suddenly on the chopping block, and whether this new system can survive Title IX scrutiny.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Today on The Gist we air Mikes appearence on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Former NIH director Elias Zerhouni reflects on the agency’s triumphs and shortcomings in light of his new memoir, Disease Knows No Politics. He defends the NIH’s legacy while addressing critiques from figures like current NIH head Jay Bhattacharya, and warns that proposed funding cuts could severely undermine scientific progress. Also: the decline of late-night TV amid political sameness, the comic potential of Sydney Sweeney’s controversial jeans ad, and a failed auction bid for Larry King’s designer denim.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Carl Zimmer joins to discuss Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, a book that excavates the forgotten science of airborne disease transmission—from Louis Pasteur’s broth experiments to why COVID’s airborne nature was dismissed by health authorities. Also : praise for the New York Times’ recent  front-page study that honestly asses the failure of a cash transfer program to aid in childhood development.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Criminologist Nick Cowen joins to explore how drunk driving transformed from a tolerated norm to a societal taboo, and how deterrence works best when paired with norm-shaping—catching people before tragedy and using lighter sanctions to nudge behavior. He argues that even violent crime clusters could be tackled through community-level norm shifts. Plus, after the worst mass shooting in New York City in 25 years, the New York Times’ spotlights the shooter’s CTE claims and symbolic vendetta against the NFL.In the Spiel, claims we’re reliving 1999. Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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Filmmaker Justine Bateman argues that Hollywood’s creative spark has been smothered by fear, corporate consolidation, and algorithmic decision-making. In her view, true artistry requires fearlessness—and God, or something like it—but today’s studios follow data, not inspiration. Also in the episode: Trump’s presidential library fund keeps growing thanks to defamation settlements and nearly launched merch like MAGA-branded Instant Pots. In the Spiel, The European Union's timid trade posture, favoring compromise over confrontation in the face of bombastic American tactics.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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