City Journal Audio

How should we think about automated license-plate readers, surveillance cameras, drones, and other public safety tools? Rafael Mangual sits down with Rahul Sidhu of Flock Safety to discuss the backlash against ALPR technology, the legal and privacy concerns surrounding surveillance, and the safeguards meant to prevent misuse. They also explore the real-world benefits of these tools in helping police solve crimes, recover stolen vehicles, and respond faster in emergencies.

In this episode of the City Journal Podcast, Ralph Clark, CEO of SoundThinking (formerly ShotSpotter), discusses the technology of acoustic gunshot detection, its impact on public safety, and the arguments surrounding its use. Host Rafael Mangual and Clark explore how the technology saves lives, enhances policing, and addresses community concerns. They also consider the future of surveillance technology in law enforcement.

Zhenya Abbruzzese, co-founder of the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine who critiques pediatric gender medicine methods, discusses the Utah review's origins and rapid production. They examine methodological failures, selective reporting and omitted harms. The conversation highlights conflicts of interest, biased comparators, and the review’s potential policy impact.

What did journalists know about terrorism before 9/11? How has national security reporting changed? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Judith Miller reflects on her long career covering global conflicts, terrorism, intelligence, and the Middle East. Drawing from decades of frontline reporting, Judith discusses her experiences covering major events in the Middle East, the growing threat of terrorism before the September 11 attacks, and the complex relationship between journalism, government policy, and national security. She also reflects on her time in jail and defending the First Amendment, and shares her perspective on the challenges facing modern journalism and the responsibility of reporters covering high-stakes international issues.

Seth Barron, New York City reporter and New York Post editorial board member, and author of Weaponize. He discusses teachers unions shaping curricula and homeschooling as an alternative. He traces left-leaning strains undermining policing and citizenship. He examines omni-cause organizing that blurs movements and how politics becomes identity-driven, reshaping the political center.

Award-winning crime journalist Joe Marino joins the podcast for a candid, in-depth conversation on crime, policing, and public safety in New York City. Marino examines the complex issues shaping today's justice system, from criminal-justice reform and evolving policing strategies to recidivism, media narratives, and the human behavior behind the headlines. Drawing on years of frontline reporting, he offers sharp insights into how policy, politics, data, and public perception collide—and what it all means for crime and accountability in America's largest city.

What does it take to write books that make the establishment uncomfortable—and keep writing them anyway? Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Abigail Shrier joins Rafael Mangual for an engrossing conversation. The author of two national bestsellers, Irreversible Damage and Bad Therapy, Shrier has spent years investigating what's gone wrong in the institutions educating and treating America's children—and speaking honestly about the consequences.

Ben Sasse, former U.S. senator and academic committed to civic renewal and family life, delivers a stirring call to rebuild habits and institutions. He warns of AI reshaping work and identity, elevates family as the primary school of virtue, and urges tech mastery, reading traditions, chores, sabbaths, and intentional travel to form resilient souls.

America's children are in crisis—and the system designed to help them is breaking down. Christina Buttons, Naomi Schaefer Riley, Scott Dziengelski, and Carolyn Gorman explore one of the most urgent and overlooked issues in public health: the severe shortage of residential treatment beds for young people struggling with mental illness. What happens when children need intensive care and there's nowhere to send them? We dig into the real story behind treatment facilities, cutting through the media sensationalism to show what quality mental health care for kids really looks like. Our discussion pulls no punches on how flawed legislation is making a fragile system even worse—and how the right reforms could make a difference.

Is America trading excellence for ideology? In this episode, Rafael Mangual sits down with Heather Mac Donald—author of When Race Trumps Merit—for a frank conversation about affirmative action, diversity mandates, and what happens when institutions prioritize identity over ability. They dig into the real-world consequences of diversity-driven policies in education and the workplace, the growing skills gap, and the cultural factors that shape outcomes. It's a provocative and engaging discussion of issues many people try to avoid talking about.