The Gist "Chaos Isn't Enforcement": Minnesota Exposes ICE's Political Miscalculation
Jan 28, 2026
Thomas Goetz, journalist and host of Drug Story, explores how medications shape history and policy. He and Mike debate pharma marketing, from disease awareness ads to GLP-1s like Ozempic. They unpack patents, pricing, and whether drug promotion sometimes achieves public-health aims while ignoring deeper system fixes.
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Enforcement Tactics Misjudged Political Optics
- Mike Peska argues ICE's confrontational tactics were meant to create political contrast but backfired in Minnesota.
- The shootings and misleading explanations turned public sympathy away from enforcement and toward restraints on ICE.
Push For Guardrails Before Funding Flows
- Chuck Schumer should impose clear guardrails and oversight on DHS and ICE funding before large appropriations flow.
- Demand investigations after shootings, accountability up the chain, and limits like no roving patrols to prevent chaos.
Disease Awareness Ads Blur Public Health And Marketing
- Thomas Goetz explains pharmaceutical 'disease awareness' ads educate the public while also priming demand for drugs.
- These campaigns can achieve public-health goals more effectively than some government messaging despite being profit-driven.