Best Peter Moskos Podcasts (2025)

1
Peter Moskos on NYC’s Historic Crime Drop and the Lessons for Today 39:22

11d ago39:22

39:22

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 t…

1
Episode 178 - Peter Moskos 59:50

25d ago59:50

59:50

Hosts Wilfred Reilly, Brooks Crenshaw, and Christy Kelly sit down with criminologist and former Baltimore police officer Peter Moskos to discuss policing, public safety, criminal justice policy, and the realities behind the badge. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Rent-Stabilized and City-Run: Mamdani Rises as Rivals Flail 42:34

32m ago42:34

42:34

Harry Siegel joins to break down the chaotic New York mayoral race, where Zohran Mamdani looks like the presumptive next mayor but hasn’t been fully tested. Siegel warns that old tweets, rent-stabilized housing, and city-run grocery promises could become liabilities once federal pressure mounts. Plus, Trump’s trade war bets on an eight-to-eleven-ye…

1
Katja Hoyer on Germany’s AFD and the Limits of Calling Someone a Nazi 28:59

12h ago28:59

28:59

Today on The Gist, the Texas Democrats’ walk-out, a dramatic gesture that ultimately did little because they never had the leverage to win. From there he zooms out to Europe, where far-right parties are suddenly topping polls in France, the UK, and now Germany. Historian Katja Hoyer joins to explain what’s behind the AFD’s rise and why calling them…

1
The Spiel Saturday Show 23:53

3d ago23:53

23:53

Today on The Gist we air two spiels from earlier in the week. One about the CDC shooting in Atlanta and then one about Matt Taibbi's murder stat takedown of D.C backfires. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠htt…

1
The Cheesecake Factory Model of Freedom 34:32

4d ago34:32

34:32

In The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life, Sophia Rosenfeld traces how choice evolved from secret ballots and dance cards to consumer overload and political battlegrounds. She also dissects ihow the pro-choice movement’s framing was both a strength and a vulnerability. Also, Trump’s murder-rate comparison between D.C., Bogotá, and M…

1
When the Train to Hell Runs on Time 40:26

5d ago40:26

40:26

Aziz Huq, author of The Collapse of Constitutional Remedies, explains how liability insurers shape policing in small towns, why “rights versus rights” conflicts—from same-sex marriage to police brutality—often hinge on public trust, and how Chicago’s low murder clearance rate reflects deep distrust of law enforcement. He analyzes the Supreme Court’…

1
Rights You Can’t Use 36:41

5d ago36:41

36:41

Aziz Huq, University of Chicago law professor and author of The Collapse of Constitutional Remedies, lays out how federal courts have gutted the mechanisms for enforcing constitutional rights—blocking individuals harmed by police while greenlighting speculative corporate attacks on regulation. Also, Donald Trump crowns himself de facto CEO of the U…

1
The Case for Good Anger 39:11

6d ago39:11

39:11

Samuel Parker, author of Good Anger: How Rethinking Rage Can Change Our Lives, argues that suppressing anger fuels anxiety and that society’s overcorrection toward placidity has blunted a vital emotion. He traces its demotion from the Stoics to corporate HR, separates it from violence, and shows how to channel it into productive action. Plus, Donal…

1
Rebecca Lemov and the Instability of Truth 39:54

8d ago39:54

39:54

Harvard historian of science Rebecca Lemov joins to talk about her book The Instability of Truth, which dives deep into the history of mind control, from Cold War POW camps and MKUltra to the quieter persuasion of social media. They get into what really works (and doesn’t) when it comes to changing someone’s beliefs, why we’re all more suggestible …

1
Episode 184 - Robert Cherry 51:01

9d ago51:01

51:01

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome Robert Cherry, professor emeritus at Brooklyn College to discuss the surprising ethnic diversity in Israel, conflict in the Middle East, and his latest book, Arab Citizens of Israel: How Far Have They Come? Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Sarah Ruhl on Lessons from the Teachers Who Shaped Her 35:48

10d ago35:48

35:48

Playwright Sarah Ruhl has collected wisdom from her mentors, from Pulitzer winners to driving instructors, in her new book Lessons from My Teachers. She joins Mike to talk about the art of learning, the balance between control and letting go, writing obliquely about grief (sometimes through a dog’s eyes), and why you should thank the people who tau…

1
Steven Hahn Unmasks the Myth of Liberal America 37:10

12d ago37:10

37:10

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 t…

1
Not Her Type: E. Jean Carroll vs. The President 41:06

13d ago41:06

41:06

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, me…

1
High Stakes, Low Standards: America's Gambling Gamble 38:12

14d ago38:12

38:12

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 …

1
Pay to Play: The NCAA’s Big Payout Era Begins 35:29

15d ago35:29

35:29

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…

1
QPP 61: NOBLE with Jeffery Glover and Renee Hall, 51:26

16d ago51:26

51:26

Colonel Jeffery Glover is the Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement, beginning his career with the Tempe Police Department. In February 2020, Colonel Glover retired from the Tempe Police Department after more than 20 years of service. He returned to the department later that year …

1
Puzzling The Puzzle Master on The Puzzler 38:59

17d ago38:59

38:59

Today on The Gist we air Mikes appearence on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.co…

1
The NIH vs. The New Grievance Politics 37:41

18d ago37:41

37:41

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 …

1
Airborne Assumptions and Subventilated Science 45:38

19d ago45:38

45:38

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 th…

1
How to Make Crime Feel Weird 36:08

20d ago36:08

36:08

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. …

1
The Algorithm Is Hollywood’s New God 32:52

21d ago32:52

32:52

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 t…

1
Episode 183 - Patrick Lockwood 1:12:13

22d ago1:12:13

1:12:13

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome guest and psychologist, Dr. Patrick Lockwood to discuss therapy, its benefits, its over-prescription, and the loss of voluntary community structure as a causal factor. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Episode 182 - Allie Voss 31:33

22d ago31:33

31:33

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome guest Allie Voss to discuss environmental concerns, the political divide around environmentalism, and how the left's climate strategy has been a disservice to the larger effort. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
When Hulk Turned Heel 32:35

22d ago32:35

32:35

Marc Raimondi discusses Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America, his new book on Hulk Hogan’s heel turn and how WCW’s edgy branding reflected a broader cultural shift. We learn how steroid scandals, media savvy, and black t-shirts reshaped wrestling—and maybe U.S. politics. In the Spiel, Russell Vough…

1
Episode 181 - Jason Riley 1:05:51

22d ago1:05:51

1:05:51

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome guest Jason Riley of WSJ and The Manhattan Institute to discuss standards in the wake of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Ames v. Ohio, as well as his latest book, The Affirmative Action Myth. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Episode 180 - Alan Dershowitz 1:01:23

23d ago1:01:23

1:01:23

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome guest Alan Dershowitz to discuss his latest book, The Preventative State, the challenges of representing high profile defendants, and rebalancing a state run amok at the expense of individual liberty. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Episode 179- Russell Warne 57:53

24d ago57:53

57:53

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome guest Russell Warne to discuss IQ, the misconceptions, controversy, and vulnerabilities around the concept, the pitfalls of more recent concepts of EQ and SEL, and his book, In the Know- Debunking 35 Myths about Human Intelligence. Support the show…

1
Mike Pesca talks NPR Funding on The 21st Show 28:01

24d ago28:01

28:01

Today on The Gist. We play back Mikes appearance on the 21st Show where they discuss NPR and its funding. It originally aired on Monday July 28th. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.c…

1
Phil Gramm Hearts Capitalism, From Dickens To The New Deal 37:51

25d ago37:51

37:51

Former Senator Phil Gramm joins to defend capitalism’s record, arguing that the Industrial Revolution improved lives, the New Deal prolonged the Depression, and modern welfare undermines work. He supports Keynesian stimulus in theory—but only if governments also run surpluses, which he says they never do. Plus, Gaza aid failures, Macron’s recogniti…

1
Episode 177 - Mary Grabar 1:09:40

26d ago1:09:40

1:09:40

Hosts Wilfred Reilly and Brooks Crenshaw welcome author Mary Grabar to explore her journey as an immigrant, what it means to be an American, and on debunking Howard Zinn, The 1619 Project, and FDR. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Not Even Mad - Zee Cohen-Sanchez and Jesse Adams 54:14

26d ago54:14

54:14

Unf**k America Tour founder Z Cohen-Sanchez and Washington Examiner contributor Jesse Adams join for a tour through Trump’s waning immigration support, the public broadcasting defunding that will hurt the next generation of Jesse Adamses, and why even Epstein truthers may be losing the thread. They debate whether GOP border hawks want actual deport…

1
Ben Smith On Truth At A Lower Resolution 45:21

27d ago45:21

45:21

Editor-in-Chief, co-founder of Semafor, and host of the Mixed Signals podcast Ben Smith assesses how the media lost its footing during the Trump years—not through lies, but through disproportion. He critiques the rise of “disinformation” as a catch-all beat and notes that Substack surprised him by housing everything from bug-eating conspiracies to …

1
The Bliss Gene And The Burden Of Mood 32:45

28d ago32:45

32:45

Psychiatrist Richard A. Friedman explains how a rare genetic mutation affecting the enzyme FAAH, and a ubiquitous neurotransmitter called Anandamide may account for unusually low anxiety, reduced drug cravings, and an innate buoyancy, the type of which you might find in a daily podcast host. Plus, Louisville reverses its immigration detainer policy…

1
RFK Jr.: Sophist, Saboteur, Snake Oil Secretary 32:23

29d ago32:23

32:23

Historian Daniel Immerwahr eviscerates RFK Jr. as a master of glib misinformation—“profoundly informed,” yet wielding that knowledge in bad faith to undermine truth and public trust. Kennedy is the conductor of an orchestra of error. Also discussed: how science became political dogma during COVID, how Fauci’s certainty helped fuel backlash, and why…

1
Live From America with Mike Pesca 28:16

1M ago28:16

28:16

On this Saturday we play some of Mikes conversation on the podcast Live From America Hatem Gabr, one of the cohosts talks to Mike about NPR and the media landscape. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ad…

1
Episode 176 - Big John Hodgson 1:09:09

1M ago1:09:09

1:09:09

"Our man in the KY House" discusses Southern politics, and whether DC can be reformed. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Episode 173 - Talia BONGOLAN Schwartz on "Why I Left the Left" 1:06:28

1M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

Talia BONGOLAN Schwartz discusses the modern left and why she left it. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Episode 174 - Sarah Braasch 1:14:18

1M ago1:14:18

1:14:18

"Yale couch incident" survivor Sarah Braasch describes being/becoming the 1st major Karen. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Episode 175 - Jesse Petrilla 59:49

1M ago59:49

59:49

Brother Jesse tells us about his military experiences, and his professional study of the threat of radical Islam. Support the showBy Charles Love and Wilfred Reilly

1
Funny You Should Mention: Trae Crowder 1:18:28

1M ago1:18:28

1:18:28

The self-proclaimed “Trash Daddy” riffs on meat-in-a-can cuisine, possum PR, and how his accent disarms blue-state crowds, Plus: white supremacist losers, Fruit Loop vape rights, and how cheap heat works in comedy and pro wrestling. Trae takes us through his upbringing, in Celina Tennessee, and discusses his travails with child support bureaucracy …

1
Jake Tapper: Original Sin, Ongoing Fracturing 55:04

1M ago55:04

55:04

Jake Tapper returns to dissect his book Original Sin and the failures of mainstream media to report on Joe Biden’s decline. He traces how social pressures, cultural taboos, and partisan incentive structures are ongoing threats to the type of journalism he practices and associates with the best forms of truth-telling. Tapper says CNN still strives t…

1
Episode 172 - Hunter Ash 1:03:15

1M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Hosts Wilfred Reilly and Brooks Crenshaw, along with Christy Kelly discuss better dating through data, the troubling trendlines in American and Western culture, and the trouble with pure democracy with guest Hunter Ash, social media manager at Keeper, the scientific dating app. Follow him on X at x.com/ArtemisConsort Support the show…

1
The Great Lantern Fly Freakout: Is That BS? 37:29

1M ago37:29

37:29

Sadie Dingfelder returns to assess the national stomp-fest against lantern flies and asks: did it do anything, or was it all buggage and bluster? Then, a deep dive into the Supreme Court’s CASA ruling on nationwide injunctions, and how a seemingly dramatic limitation on judicial power proved to be less than world-shifting in practice. Finally, Trum…

1
The War After the War: Hamas and Israel 59:13

1M ago59:13

59:13

Times of Israel analyst Haviv Rettig Gur discusses the next phase of the war in Gaza and Israel's many enemies. Also discussed are the ideological roots of Hamas’s mission to destroy Israel, settler violence in the West Bank, and the difficulty of safely getting food to the citizens of Gaza. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan…

1
Chris and Paul Weitz say Murderbot Doesn’t Want to Be a Real Boy 45:00

1M ago45:00

45:00

Murderbot showrunners Chris and Paul Weitz join to discuss their sci-fi series’ blend of chamber thriller, workplace satire, and reluctant hero tale—all orbiting a security unit who just wants to be left alone to binge it's stories. They talk robot servitude, world-building exhaustion (“every chair must be a space chair”), and how Alexander Skarsgå…

1
Checking Bags and Attitudes 19:53

1M ago19:53

19:53

The TSA is finally starting to phase out its decades-old shoe removal policy. We take a look back at the post-9/11 panic that made bare feet in airport security lines a national ritual—and wonder how we went from hypervigilant to oddly indifferent about terrorism. Plus, from the vaults: A classic Spiel from July 17, 2017, revisits Ann Coulter vs. D…

1
Poker Face Goes To Interesting Places 40:06

1M ago40:06

40:06

Tony Tost, now showrunning Poker Face, reflects on the show's expertly woven mysteries, genre roots, and why women who don’t want to pick up a gun keep finding themselves forced to fire. Tost, an expert in poetry and Johnny Cash, brings a reverence for populist storytelling to a format that straddles the procedural and the mythic. He also discusses…

1
NEM: Carine Hajjar and Jeffrey Maurer 56:12

1M ago56:12

56:12

Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar and five-time Emmy-winning comedy writer and proprietor of the I Might Be Wrong Substack, Jeff Maurer, join to discuss the flood of ICE agents and President Trump’s growing suspicion that Putin isn't on the up-and-up. Plus, in Goat Grinders: teeny-tiny air conditioning in New York, misinterpreting the cane toad,…

1
The Loyalty Trap: Inside the 2024 Biden-Harris Collapse 37:06

1M ago37:06

37:06

Josh Dawsey joins to discuss 2024: How Donald Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, digging into Kamala Harris’s campaign missteps, Biden’s loyalty hangups, and Hunter’s oversized influence. In the Spiel, a statistical deep dive tests whether so-called “100-year floods” are actually happening more often as seems to be the cas…

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Peter Moskos Podcasts

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