A crime in Park Slope, Brooklyn – the heart of gentrified Brooklyn – leads residents to form a neighborhood watch group. Esther Wang, who writes for Hell Gate, attended the group's tiny first meeting, which somehow managed to showcase all the divisions roiling liberal politics. Host Joel Stein does his best to keep up. He doesn't do a great job.  You can read the full story here: https://hellgatenyc.com/saturday-morning-with-the-prospect-park-panthers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michele McPhee traces a wild scam to bilk the U.S. Government out of $500 million. The plan was hatched by a young man from a polygamist Mormon sect in Utah and it soon involves the Armenian mob and the President of Turkey. McPhee lays out all the twists and turns in her article in Los Angeles Magazine. Host Joel Stein tries to keep up while still making as many polygamy jokes as possible. Read the full article here: https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/bleeding-the-beast-crooked-cops-an-armenian-mob-boss-a-500m-scam-and-an-unlikely-love-story/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A.J. Jacobs spent a month following the most conservative interpretation of the Constitution possible. One not far from how the current Supreme Court has been ruling. Host Joel Stein, talks to him about his article for the Guardian, "Party Like It's 1789! My Weird, Enlightening Month Living Strictly by the U.S. Constitution." Does A.J. wind up pointing his musket at Joel? Tune in to find out. You can read the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/oct/01/supreme-court-roe-v-wade-abortion-gun-rights-us-constitutionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode, we're LARPing, live-action roleplaying that gets you to step out of your own shoes and into a character's. Writer and first-time LARP-er Jason Anthony decides to go to Denmark to roleplay at a fake gay-conversion camp, which all seems like fun – until his queer American brain snaps. Also, host Joel Stein talks about his own experience crossing a fake Mexican-U.S. border. All of the above is handled in a culturally sensitive manner. You can read the full story here: https://www.wired.com/story/my-4-days-in-fake-gay-conversion-therapy-nordic-larp/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison P. Davis wrote “My Tinder Decade” a New York Magazine cover about being on the dating app from the very beginning. And never going on more than five dates with anyone. How has Tinder changed her? How has it changed all of us? Host Joel Stein tries to find out without being creepy. He fails.You can read the full story here: https://www.thecut.com/article/dating-apps-relationship.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Mexican doctor and former crack addict’s TED talk at Burning Man helped popularize hallucinogenic toad poison as a treatment for addiction…and a shortcut to enlightenment. Host Joel Stein speaks to Kimon De Greef about his New Yorker article “The Pied Piper of Psychedelic Toads.” You can read the full story here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/28/the-pied-piper-of-psychedelic-toadsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Douglas Ruskhoff was invited to speak to a group of tech guys at a conference in the middle of the desert. Instead, they asked him questions about how to build their bunkers to prepare for The Event. Host Joel Stein speaks to him about his Medium story “Survival of the Richest.” You can read the full story here: https://onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0cc1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week host Joel Stein picks a long magazine article that fascinates him – and then actually reads the whole thing, all by himself. Then he calls his fellow, but greatly superior journalist friend who wrote it, and gets them to tell him all about it. He does the work and you get the stories. More accurately, some great journalist does the work and Joel Stein puts his name, Joel Stein, on the podcast. Coming October 20th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.