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Deep Background with Noah Feldman

by Pushkin Industries

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.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 7, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State | A Preview of Michael Lewis's New Audiobook

    Here's a preview of a new audiobook we think you'll enjoy, Blockers: an inside look at the early days of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, as told by the public servants it targeted and Michael Lewis, one of America’s best storytellers. Blockers. It wasn’t a compliment. In the new...

  2. The Staten Island Problem from Revisionist History

    On the 250th anniversary of the United States, Revisionist History investigates the story of what was, at the time, the biggest secession movement in the U.S. since the Civil War. The Staten Island Problem reconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s — the rise of…

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  3. From First America: Merciless Indian Savages

    We have been told the Revolution was fought over taxation and representation. But what the founders were most angry about in our country’s most famous document was Indian affairs. How did generations of Americans miss this? Hosted and reported by Indigenous author Rebecca Nagle and featuring...

  4. Introducing Drilled: Carbon Cowboys

    Drilled is a true-crime climate change podcast exposing how corporate corruption and political operatives built decades of climate denial and delay. Hosted and reported by award-winning investigative climate journalists, led by Amy Westervelt, each season unravels new evidence of deception,...

  5. Benghazi: Episode 6 - Radicals

    The Tea Party takes over the search for the truth about Benghazi, while the FBI pursues a Libyan militia leader suspected of planning the attack. For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

  6. Benghazi: Episode 5 - Greatest Hits

    As the political world looks toward the 2016 Presidential election, Benghazi becomes a Clinton scandal. For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free…

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  7. Benghazi: Episode 4 - Feckless

    How the attack in Benghazi collided with an American election, and how the seeds of a scandal were planted. For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free,...

  8. Benghazi: Episode 3 - Barefoot

    An anti-Islamic video sparks protests in the Middle East, and the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi comes under attack. For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco:...

  9. Benghazi: Episode 2 - We Will Stay Here

    Libya is swept up in a wave of revolution, and an American diplomat makes his mark on Benghazi. For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free, right now....

  10. Benghazi: Episode 1 - The Dictator

    How a prison massacre carried out under Libya’s long-time dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, set the stage for the Benghazi attack. For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco:...

  11. Introducing Fiasco: Benghazi

    Fiasco: Benghazi unpacks the 2012 attack in Libya that left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens—and the ensuing political storm, which raised questions about America’s role in the world, established a playbook to weaponize attention in the social media age, and ultimately...

  12. From Smart Talks with IBM: How AI Assistants Can Transform Education

    Malcolm Gladwell visits Kennesaw State University to learn about Jiwoo, an AI Assistant that helps future teachers practice responsive teaching by simulating classroom interactions with students. Discover AI’s impact on teaching methods to prepare teachers for the classroom. This is a paid...

  13. The Future of COVID-19 with Marc Lipsitch

    Harvard epidemiologist and recurring guest Marc Lipsitch discusses what we can learn from omicron surge. Lipsitch also addresses some common omicron myths and discusses the possibility of a “master vaccine.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See...

  14. How One Bank Shaped American Capitalism

    Zachary Karabell, financial executive and historian, discusses his recent book Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power, outlining the formation of American capitalism told through the history of one often-overlooked bank. He explains how the evolution of trust in...

  15. Inside The Facebook Oversight Board

    Jamal Greene, co-chair of the Facebook Oversight Board, an independent governing body reviewing Facebook’s content moderation decisions and issuing binding rulings, explains the inner workings of the Board. Greene is the Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, where he focuses on...

  16. What’s the Deal with Decentralized Autonomous Organizations?

    Erik Voorhees, founder of crypto management platform ShapeShift, makes a case for decentralized autonomous organizations, known as DAOs. Earlier this year, ShapeShift became a DAO, “moving from a centralized, closed-source application with bank accounts, governed and owned by shareholders, to a...

  17. The Supply Chain Crisis Isn’t Going Away

    Hannah Kain, CEO of supply chain management company Alom, shares her analysis of how we got into the supply chain crisis and the larger story it reveals about trade wars, labor shortages, and the need for better automation systems. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

  18. James Carville Calls for Democratic Party Unity

    Political strategist and media commentator James Carville shares his frank concerns about the Democratic party’s strategy and leadership. Carville discusses the risks of party disunity in this crucial time, the false equivalency of the far left and right, and why the Democratic party needs better...

  19. A New Media Business Model

    Description: Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, discusses the complicated role of revenue in publishing, especially in the world of business media. He also gives a surprisingly frank look at how Entrepreneur Magazine leans into non traditional practices to balance reader’...

  20. Miseducation and Climate Change

    Katie Worth, investigative reporter and author of the new book Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America, reviewed science textbooks from all fifty states and travelled the country interviewing teachers and students to compile a narrative about how climate change is being taught in...

  21. Deep Background Presents Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon

    Presenting: An Excerpt from Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. Download the audiobook today at miracleaudiook.com and receive an exclusive listener's guide pdf featuring additional commentary from Bruce, the producers and editors of Miracle…

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  22. Calling Bullshit with Jill Louise Busby

    Jill Louise Busby, a former “woke influencer” with the handle @JillisBlack, opens up about examining her own complicity and calling bullshit on herself. She also discusses performative social media practices, having conversations across cultural lines, and the bounds of cancel culture. Bubsy’s...

  23. Deep Background Presents: The Broken Constitution Ep.3

    The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. In this final bonus episode, Noah Feldman explains the contradictions and calculations Lincoln made as he drafted The Emancipation Proclamation and the long-term implications of Lincoln’s...

  24. The Billion Dollar Industry of Esports

    Esports, the industry of competitive, entertainment-style video game play, is rapidly growing and redefining the gaming industry. Its popularity also raises questions about the future of sports entertainment more broadly. Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of the esports company Evil Geniuses, explains...

  25. Deep Background Presents: The Broken Constitution Ep.2

    The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. In this second of three bonus episodes, Noah Feldman explains the decisions Lincoln made when he took office that effectively broke the US Constitution in hopes of preserving the nation....

  26. Inside the NBA Players Association

    Michele Roberts, executive director of the NBA Players Association, discusses how power is negotiated between NBA players and the league. She also comments on the rise of player activism and gives an inside perspective on recent NBA negotiations including the conditions of “the bubble” and the...

  27. Deep Background Presents: The Broken Constitution Ep. 1

    The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. Over three bonus episodes, Noah Feldman talks about how Abraham Lincoln needed to break the Constitution in order to remake it. In this first episode, Noah explains why the US Constitution...

  28. Michael Pollan on The Power of Plants

    Author Michael Pollan discusses the psychedelic powers of plants and the history of how humans have harnessed, ignored, and controlled these powers. He also discusses his prolific career and his most recent book, This is Your Mind on Plants. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

  29. Psychedelic Medicine

    Dr. David Rabin, neuroscientist, PhD psychiatrist and Medical Director of the Apollo Clinic, explains the ongoing research in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, including the mechanisms and risks associated with psychedelic-assisted mental health treatments. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

  30. Violence, Recovery and Modern Jewish Life with Mark Oppenheimer

    Writer Mark Oppenheimer spent the last few years documenting the recovery of Pittsburg's Squirrel Hill neighborhood, a historic Jewish neighborhood and site of the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting. Oppenheimer discusses the history of Squirrel Hill, the lasting impacts of the attack, and...

  31. Getting Answers on Vaccine Boosters

    The process of approving booster shots for the COVID-19 vaccines in the US has been particularly fraught. Last week, two well-respected medical journals published contradictory conclusions regarding the use of vaccine boosters. Dr. Genevieve Kanter joins Deep Background to make sense of the...

  32. The Power of The University

    As we start a new school year, Tamar Gendler, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale, explains her vision for distributing power at Yale and the questionable future of America’s university system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See...

  33. Giving Away Power with Matthew Barzun

    Matthew Barzun, a political fundraiser and diplomat who served as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, explains his collectivist method of generating power, even on deeply divided issues. Barzun’s latest book is “The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go.” Learn more...

  34. Imagining The New Normal

    Dr. Susan Philip, Health Officer for the City and County of San Francisco and the Acting Director of the Population Health Division of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, weighs in on vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and what the new normal is starting to look like in San Francisco....

  35. We Lost The War in Afghanistan. Now What?

    Emile Simpson, a military expert and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, discusses the end of the war in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s recent takeover. Simpson outlines the strategic failures that contributed to the current situation and comments on the United States’s responsibility to evacuate...

  36. Nikole Hannah-Jones on the Power of The 1619 Project

    Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, a staff writer for the New York Times, a MacArthur Genius, and the creator of The 1619 Project. In this conversation, Noah and Hannah-Jones dive deep into the myth of journalistic and historical objectivity. They also discuss the intense...

  37. Power in Publishing with Chris Jackson

    Chris Jackson, publisher and editor-in-chief of Random House’s One World imprint, discusses the new literary movement he’s building with writers like Bryan Stevenson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ibram X. Kendi. Jackson explains the power and perils of challenging the dominant...

  38. Introducing…Noah Riffs

    Introducing our new, subscriber-exclusive bonus content, “Noah Riffs.” Every other week, we’re releasing bonus episodes where Noah dives deep into a topic from the news. This summer on Noah Riffs, Noah analyzes Supreme Court rulings. In this first episode, Noah explains the implications of the...

  39. Vitalik Buterin’s Plan for Legitimating Crypto

    Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the blockchain Ethereum, argues that cryptocurrency’s scarcest resource is legitimacy. Ethereum is the second-largest blockchain ecosystem, making Buterin one of the most influential individuals in the cryptocurrency world. Buterin and Noah delve deep into the…

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  40. Malcolm Gladwell is All Riled Up

    We’re excited to share with you the new season of Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast that re-examines something from the past and asks whether we got it right the first time. We’ve got to warn you, the new season is completely unbound. Malcolm Gladwell is finally out of the house…

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  41. The Power of Teachers’ Unions

    Randi Weingarten, President of the the American Federation of Teachers, the second largest teachers union in the country, weighs in on the power of teachers’ unions in the complicated decisions of school reopening and teaching critical race theory. Weingarten also explains the decline of public…

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  42. Power and Nations: Francis Fukuyama

    On this Deep Background mini-series about global power, Francis Fukuyama weighs in on the decay of liberal democracy and the rise of China as a global superpower. Fukayama is a renowned political scientist, political economist and author of many books, including The End of History and the Last…

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  43. Power and Nations: Fareed Zakaria

    On this Deep Background mini-series about global power, Fareed Zakaria explains the foreign policy challenges facing the Biden administration and what it will mean for the US to decline in foreign policy influence. Fareed also weighs in the future of China’s role in global power and if we’re…

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  44. Power and Nations: Anne-Marie Slaughter

    Small groups of people make massive decisions about the future of our world. They’re global leaders, corporations, large NGOs, and the mega-rich. In this first episode in a mini-series on international power players, Anne-Marie Slaughter, political scientist, international lawyer, and former...

  45. Is This A Breaking Point for Palestinian Israelis?

    Palestinain Israeli human rights lawyer Rabea Eghbariah explains why violence erupted in Israel this month and what it might mean for the future of Palestinian Israelis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  46. Should Vaccination Be A Choice?

    Dr. Heidi Larson, founding director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, discusses the complicated relationship between vaccine hesitancy, choice, and democracy. Dr. Larson is the author of the recent book, “Stuck: How Vaccine Rumors Start and Why They Don't Go Away.” Learn more about your…

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  47. The Future Without Herd Immunity

    Dr. Marc Lipsitch explains why it’s unlikely the United States will hit the threshold for herd immunity, and what that might mean for the future of the pandemic. He also weighs in on the possibility of lab-grown COVID variants and the surging variants abroad. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

  48. BONUS: Understanding the Facebook Oversight Board Decision

    Noah Feldman comments on the Facebook Oversight Board's decision about Trump's account. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  49. Are the Kids Alright?

    During the pandemic, we’ve been looking at our screens more than ever before. As the country starts reopening, what do we do about our kids’ extreme attachment to their devices? How should we think about it and do we need to do anything about it? Parenting expert Dr. Wendy Mogel joins us to…

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  50. Presenting: An Excerpt from The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell

    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…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

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.

HOSTED BY

Pushkin Industries

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Deep Background with Noah Feldman have?

Deep Background with Noah Feldman currently has 167 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Deep Background with Noah Feldman about?

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...

How often does Deep Background with Noah Feldman release new episodes?

Deep Background with Noah Feldman publishes regularly with 167 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Deep Background with Noah Feldman?

You can listen to Deep Background with Noah Feldman on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Deep Background with Noah Feldman?

Deep Background with Noah Feldman is created and hosted by Pushkin Industries.
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