
Deep Background with Noah Feldman
Behind every news headline, there’s another, deeper story. It’s a story about power. In Deep Background, Harvard Law School professor and Bloomberg View columnist Noah Feldman will bring together a cross-section of expert guests to explore the historical, scientific, legal, and cultural context that help us understand what’s really going on behind the biggest stories in the news.iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Latest episodes

Nov 23, 2019 • 34min
Truth in the Time of Deepfakes
Boston University School of Law Professor Danielle Citron says that deepfakes are just going to get more and more convincing, but there are sill certain things we can do to stop their spread. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 16, 2019 • 43min
The Gig is Up
A new California law, known as AB 5, will make it harder for app-based companies like Uber and Lyft to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. We get two perspectives on this piece of legislation that could have huge implications for the future of the gig economy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 9, 2019 • 35min
The Opioid Epidemic and the Courts
Who is responsible for the opioid epidemic? Yale Law Professor Abbe Gluck walks us through the massively complex opioid litigation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 2, 2019 • 36min
The End of Ebola
The Ebola outbreak in The Democratic Republic of Congo is slowing down, and a new Ebola vaccine is likely to get approved by the European Commission. Leading Ebola researcher Pardis Sabeti reflects on what she has learned from fighting a disease that may soon be vanquished. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 26, 2019 • 35min
An Experiment in Universal Basic Income
As Universal Basic Income becomes a talking point in the Democratic Primary race, one city has already started. Last February, the city of Stockton, California randomly selected 150 residents to receive five hundred dollars a month, as part of a universal basic income pilot program. Michael Tubbs, the mayor of Stockton, and Sukhi Samra, the director of the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration, discuss how the pilot has been going so far. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 19, 2019 • 32min
Why Economists Should Act More Like Weather Forecasters
International Monetary Fund advisor Prakash Loungani explains why economists have such a terrible track record when it comes to predicting recessions. Plus, Noah reflects on the Washington Nationals heading to the World Series. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 12, 2019 • 35min
The Lawyer and the Mobster
Jack Goldsmith thinks his stepfather has long been unjustly suspected of being involved in the disappearance of the influential labor organizer Jimmy Hoffa. Noah Feldman speaks to him about his new book "In Hoffa's Shadow: A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 5, 2019 • 52min
The Impeachment Episode
Noah Feldman speaks with his friend and legal expert Seth Berman about what to watch for as the impeachment inquiry into President Trump unfolds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 28, 2019 • 42min
Saudi Arabia's "Genius" Crown Prince
Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's Crown prince, seems to have charmed President Trump. But Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, says his "revolution" is mostly self-serving. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 21, 2019 • 1h 8min
Live Episode: Noah Feldman and Malcolm Gladwell
Noah Feldman speaks to author and Pushkin co-founder Malcolm Gladwell about his new book "Talking to Strangers" in Boston, MA, at an event organized by the Harvard Bookstore. They discuss everything from spy craft, to the current political climate, to compliment sandwiches. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.