Deep Background with Noah Feldman

Latest Episodes:

Presenting: An Excerpt from The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

The Bomber Mafia is the new audiobook by Revisionist History host (and Pushkin co-founder) Malcolm Gladwell. It examines the rise of air power, which created one of the greatest moral challenges of the Second World War. In The Bomber Mafia, you’ll hear the voices of the generals, aircraft soaring, and bombs crashing. It is history brought to life through the power of audio. Buy the audiobook at bombermafia.com and receive an exclusive Listener's Guide full of photos and commentary. Print and ebook editions available wherever books are sold.

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Is Crypto B******t? Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Noah Feldman has a lot of questions about cryptocurrency. Is it currency or is it an asset? How should governments regulate it? Is it sustainable?

Crypto pioneer Bobby Lee, co-founder and former CEO of China’s first bitcoin exchange and current CEO of Ballet, a startup that helps people securely store their crypto assets, weights in on the most pressing questions about crypto.

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Understanding Hate Crime Laws Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Jeannine Bell, law professor at Indiana University who has studied hate crimes for more than 20 years, discusses the complex process of defining and charging someone with a hate crime. She also explains the larger significance of hate crime legislation and how police departments can expand prosecution of hate crimes.

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The Future of the NCAA Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

A case currently before The Supreme Court presents the single largest legal battle the NCAA has ever faced. The case, which comes after years of player activism, argues that the current limits on athlete compensation constitute a violation of antitrust law. It’s a case that could challenge the entire college sports system.

Dr. Eddie Comeaux, professor at UC Riverside who studies the student athlete experience discusses the history, current structure and power imbalances within the NCAA. Dr. Comeaux also offers radical re-imaginings for a more equitable, student-centered college athletics system.

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Amazon and Inequality Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

Alec MacGillis, award-winning ProPublica journalist and author of the new book “Fulfilment: Winning and Losing in One Click America,” explains Amazon’s role in deepening America’s regional wealth disparities. He also discusses the recent efforts to unionize some Amazon fulfillment centers and the threat that unionization poses to the company.

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Britney Spears’ Former Lawyer on Her Conservatorship Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

Britney Spears’ former lawyer Adam Streisand goes deep into the details of Britney’s conservatorship. He discusses his role in her case and his concerns about her conservatorship. He also explains the potential conflicts inherent to the conservatorship system and ways it can be misused.

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Top Russian Journalist on Alexei Navalny Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Did January’s pro-Navalny protests have a lasting impact in Russia? Russian investigative reporter Diana Kachalova, editor-in-chief of the St. Petersburg bureau of Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper, joins us to discuss covering the aftermath of Alexei Navalny’s case and the status of investigative journalism in Putin’s Russia.

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Bigger Than Texas Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Alice Hill, former Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the National Security Council, explains what Texas’ electrical grid collapse means for our country’s infrastructure at large. She also makes recommendations on how we can start preparing infrastructure now for extreme weather events.

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“Drug Use for Grown Ups” with Dr. Carl Hart Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Carl Hart, neuroscientist and author of the provocative new book “Drug Use for Grown Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear” questions the way we understand, regulate, and police drugs in America. Dr. Hart argues that most drugs are safer than we realize, and the negative effects of drugs are overstated and misunderstood. His research raises larger questions about policing, race, poverty, and mental health.

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The Most Powerful Legal Organization in the Country Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Six of the nine Supreme Court Justices are members of a club called the Federalist Society. Noah Feldman speaks to Eugene B. Meyer, the president of the Federalist Society, about the organization’s goals, how it is funded, and how it operates. They also discuss Noah’s new audiobook about the organization called “Takeover: How a Conservative Student Club Captured the Supreme Court.” Download Takeover at www.pushkin.fm/takeover.

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