The Fairfax Files

In this episode of The Fairfax Files, Michael Hershman returns to the conversation with veteran journalist and law enforcement leader John Miller, CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, and a former assistant director of the FBI, deputy commissioner of the NYPD, and deputy commissioner of the LAPD.Two security and investigation icons take on the questions defining American public life right now: why New York City can post historic lows in murder, shootings, and burglary while millions of residents still feel unsafe, and what to do about it.Miller breaks down the gap between crime statistics and lived experience on the streets, in the parks, and on the subway, and lays out a “CompStat for mental health,” a daily, accountability-driven coordination of police, EMS, mental health, and social services that he argues could be stood up tomorrow with no new agency and no new funding.The conversation turns to the Savannah Guthrie kidnapping in Tucson: what investigators have likely already concluded, what the ransom-by-crypto demand tells us, why the case carries the hallmarks of a “kidnapping gone wrong,” and what makes it unlike the high-profile cases Miller worked at LAPD.Hershman and Miller then take on the Jeffrey Epstein aftermath: how a botched first prosecution in Florida set the stage for everything that followed, why opening a long-running criminal file to the public is producing unintended casualties, and how a master con man read powerful people so well that none of them ended up the better for it.The episode closes on civility, Gen Z, faith, patriotism, and the question Hershman keeps returning to in this 250th year of American independence: what kind of world have we created for the next generation, and is it still possible to turn it around?From CompStat to crypto kidnappings, and from the Epstein files to the slow erosion of civic trust, The Fairfax Files goes inside the conversations that shape how power, corruption, and accountability actually play out.

In our inaugural episode, host Michael Hershman is joined by one of the most respected figures in American law enforcement and intelligence: John Miller.Miller’s career is a study in “direct action.” He has bridged the gap between reporting on the world’s most dangerous men and hunting them, transitioning from an award-winning journalist at ABC and CBS to senior leadership roles in the FBI, NYPD, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.Michael and John dive deep into:The 1998 Bin Laden Interview: The chilling behind-the-scenes story of Miller’s trek to a cave in Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden first declared war on American civilians.The Intelligence Evolution: A candid “autopsy” of the information silos that led to 9/11 and how the U.S. has, and hasn’t, fixed the communication gap.Flying Robots & Future Wars: Why the rise of cheap, weaponized drones is redefining domestic security and what it took to finally change the laws of the sky.The Iran Strategy: An insider’s look at the current “push-pull” conflict with Iran, the role of Al-Qaeda leaders in hiding, and the search for a coherent exit strategy.The Fairfax Files pulls back the curtain on the world of high-level investigations and intelligence. Join us as we explore the stories that shaped history and the threats defining our future.