We investigate the surprising stories behind the most fascinating debates and pressing issues facing society today. By looking into how we got here, we aim to understand more deeply where we may be headed next.
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 25/09/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to Reflector, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
There is no related content for this show.
No links shared by this podcast
Street Fight Part III: Can We End It?
Thursday, September 24, 2026 ⢠Duration 51:27
Everyone agrees that street homelessness is a problem to solve. But thatâs where the agreement ends. Today, we explore the two camps that think theyâve found an answer â one that argues for more resources and the other that argues for more rule of law.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:
Iain De Jong, Stephen Eide, Estela Lopez, Mark Horvath, Traci Park
LINKS:
Louis C.K. bit
Iain De Jong's company
Iain De Jongâs book, The Book on Ending Homelessness
A few studies on Housing First
The Daily Show segment on Housing First
Stephen Eideâs critique of Housing First
2019 progress report on Proposition HHH
Audit on CA homelessness spending
Oral argument in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson
City of Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court opinion
Spencer Prattâs X account
Los Angeles mayoral primary debate, May 6, 2026
Donald Trump 2023 video about the homeless
Mark Horvathâs organization
Invisible People YouTube channel
Traci Parkâs website
Los Angeles City Council meeting, August 18, 2026
For this series we also read, and recommend, the following books: â Homelessness in America: The History and Tragedy of an Intractable Social Problemâ by Stephen Eide, â Reckoning with Homelessnessâ by Kim Hopper, â The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Manâ by Nels Anderson, and â Down and Out, on the Road: The Homeless in American Historyâ by Kenneth L. Kusmer.
CREDITS:
This story was reported by Emma Pettit and produced by Andy Mills, Ethan Mannello, Matthew Boll, and Simon Adler. It was mixed by Emma Munger.
Music for this episod was composed by Cobey Bienert and Simon Adler.
Artwork for this episode is by â Jacob Bollâ .
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Street Fight Part II: Cruel & Unusual
Thursday, September 17, 2026 ⢠Duration 38:10
Homelessness today looks very different than it did in the 1980s, when American cities first woke up to this crisis. Today, we explore the legal battles that turned survival outside into a constitutional question.
You can hear the full series right now when you become a Longview subscriber by visiting usâ â â â â â hereâ
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:
Estela Lopez, Kevin Cope
LINKS:
â Estela Lopezâs organization
Los Angeles magazine article that features Lopez
Jones v. City of Los Angeles settlement
Martin v. City of Boise initial opinion
Martin v. City of Boise amended opinion
NPR story that quotes Pam Hawkes and her lawyer
Kevin Cope of the University of Virginia School of Law
Kevin Copeâs paper
Skid Row 2016 survey on violence against women
For this series we also read, and recommend, the following books: Homelessness in America: The History and Tragedy of an Intractable Social Problem by Stephen Eide, Reckoning with Homelessness by Kim Hopper, The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Man by Nels Anderson, and Down and Out, on the Road: The Homeless in American History by Kenneth L. Kusmer.
CREDITS:
This story was reported by Emma Pettit and produced by Andy Mills, Ethan Mannello, Matthew Boll, and Simon Adler. It was mixed by Emma Munger.
Music for this episode was composed by Cobey Bienert and Simon Adler.
Artwork for this episode is by Jacob Boll.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Street Fight Part I: Hobos, Bums, and the Homeless
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 ⢠Duration 42:19
What we call âhomelessnessâ is a relatively modern phenomenon. Today, we tell the story of its emergence and why, in the 1980s, one woman fought so fervently for her right to live on a New York City street corner.
You can hear the full series right now when you become a Longview subscriber by visiting usâ â â â â here
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:
Stephen Eide
LINKS:
60 Minutes segment on Joyce Brown
Stephen Eide at the Manhattan Institute
The New York Civil Liberties UnionÂ
Jack Londonâs memoir of his hobo years, The Road
Joyce Brownâs obituary
New York magazine story on Brown
Retro Report piece featuring Brownâs niece
Study on homelessness mortality
HUDâs 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (Part 1)
For this series we also read, and recommend, the following books: Homelessness in America: The History and Tragedy of an Intractable Social Problem by Stephen Eide, Reckoning with Homelessness by Kim Hopper, The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Man by Nels Anderson, and Down and Out, on the Road: The Homeless in American History by Kenneth L. Kusmer.
CREDITS:
This story was reported by Emma Pettit and produced by Andy Mills, Ethan Mannello, Matthew Boll, and Simon Adler. It was mixed by Emma Munger.
Music for this episode was composed by Cobey Bienert and Simon Adler.
Artwork for this episode is by Jacob Boll.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Book Keeper
Monday, July 20, 2026 ⢠Duration 50:35
Today on Reflector we are bringing you a very special episode from a new series that found its beginnings right here. It is called Book Keeper. Last year we released the episode Hallelujah, where Megan Phelps-Roper revisited the Bible to ask what still endures when belief is gone. That episode inspired us to continue telling these stories.
In our first episode of this series Megan, more than 10 years after leaving the Westboro Baptist Church, returns to the Bible again. Even though she is no longer what most would consider a âbeliever,â she wants to explore what ancient wisdom still lives in these stories. And she begins with a tale of profound betrayal and reconciliation.
RESOURCES:
The Book of Genesis â Chapters 37 to 45
CREDITS:
This episode of Book Keeper was produced by Matthew Boll, with editing by Andy Mills and Sarah Hepola. It is hosted by Megan Phelps-Roper.
Music for this episode was composed by â â â â â â Cobey Bienertâ â â â â â â â and â â â â â Peter Lalishâ â â â
Artwork by â Jacob Bollâ
WAKING UP OFFER:
Thank you to our partner Waking Up.
You can find their 14-day free trial â â â hereâ â â
This is an affiliate link. We earn a commission on new subscriptions purchased through this link.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can Gambling Make Us Wiser?
Thursday, June 4, 2026 ⢠Duration 37:49
â Visit the Longview website to learn more and support our reporting
Prediction markets have exploded from a niche financial concept into a multibillion-dollar industry â one that's reshaping how we understand information, trust, and the future. But as these markets promise to make us wiser â cutting through noise, humbling the pollsters, giving us a cleaner read on what's actually going to happen â they're also raising a darker question: what happens to public trust when every event becomes a potential inside job? Reporter Ethan Mannello investigates the fascinating, unsettling world where the casino has swallowed everything else.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:
PMT
PMT YouTube
CREDITS:
This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Ethan Mannello. Produced by Simon Adler.
Music for this episode was composed by Simon Adler
Reflector artwork by Jacob Boll
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To Snip or Not to Snip
Thursday, April 30, 2026 ⢠Duration 46:11
Katie Herzog never planned to become a dog person and she definitely never planned to agonize over her goldendoodle's testicles. But when it came time to neuter Moose, she couldn't find a good answer to a simple question: why? What follows is a reported journey through canine bodily autonomy, the surprisingly short history of spay/neuter as gospel, and what the best available science actually says about cutting off your dog's balls.
Read the essay at our Substack
Visit our website to support the show
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:
Ben and Lynette Hart â U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
James Serpell â U Penn School of Veterinary Medicine
Hal Herzog, Katieâs dad who happens to also be an emeritus professor and scholar of human-animal interactions
LINKS:
Hart et al., "Neutering of German Shepherd Dogs" / golden retriever study (PLOS-One, 2013)
Hart et al., 35-breed analysis
Hart et al., mixed-breed analysis
AVMA statement on elective spaying and neutering
Meghan Daum, "Big Dogs, Big City"
Hal Herzog, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat
Blue Cross of India
CREDITS:
This episode was written by Katie Herzog and produced by Andy Mills, Simon Adler, and Matthew Boll
Music for this episode was composed by Simon Adler and â â â â â â Peter Lalishâ â
Reflector artwork by â â â â â â â â â Jacob Boll
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wetwear
Thursday, April 9, 2026 ⢠Duration 39:41
What if the next great leap in computing wasn't made of silicon â but of living human brain cells? Reporter Greg Warner takes us inside the lab of Hon Weng Chong, an Australian computer engineer who has built a biological computer: a device that houses actual human neurons in a petri dish, teaches them to play Pong using reward and punishment, and is now being sold to medical researchers, crypto gamers, and roboticists with very big dreams. Along the way, Andy and Greg dig into what these cells might actually feel, why the path to artificial general intelligence might run through a robot's skin rather than its brain, and what it would mean to one day stick a chip of pre-programmed neurons back into a human head. It's weird, it's a little smelly, and it might be the future.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:
Hon Weng Chong - CEO and founder of Cortical Labs
Dr. Minas Liarokapis - CEO/CTO of Acumino Inc., Director of the New Dexterity Research Group
LINKS:
Cortical Labs
Acumino
Dishbrain Paper - In vitro neurons learn and exhibit sentience when embodied in a simulated game-worldâ â â â â
CREDITS:
This episode was reported and produced by Greg Warner, Andy Mills, Simon Adler, and Matthew Boll
Music for this episode was composed by â â â â â â Cobey Bienertâ  and â â â â â Peter Lalishâ
Reflector artwork by â â â â â â â â Jacob Boll
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Strange Bedfellows Part III: Backlash
Thursday, April 2, 2026 ⢠Duration 42:48
The final chapter of Reflectorâs tour of LGBTQ activism examines some of the controversies currently roiling societyâstarting with a look at one of the most contentious subjects in American history: sex education. With interviews with some of the minds behind the National Sex Education Standards, reporter Ben Kawaller offers a rare look into the philosophical underpinnings of the new ideas about sex and gender that have taken root throughout American society, what they reveal about the tensions between âgayâ and âqueer,â and what they might spell for the future of the movementâand for America.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:Dr. Eva Goldfarb â Professor of Public Health at Montclair State University.Madelaine Adelman â Justice Studies professor at Arizona State University and former GLSEN board member.Alison Macklin â Policy and advocacy director at Sex Ed for Social Change (SIECUS).Jennifer Finney Boylan â Transgender author, former president of PEN America and former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.Ben Appel â Journalist and author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic.Dana Beyer â Early transgender advocate.Herndon Graddick â Former president of GLAAD.Lorri Jean â Former CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.
LINKS:Too Hot to Handle: A Global History of Sex Ed by Jonathan Zimmerman
The National Sex Education Standards
Rights, Respect, Responsibility: A Kâ12 Sex Education Curriculum
CREDITS:This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Ben Kawaller, Simon Adler, Ethan Mannello, and Seth Temple Andrews.
Music for this episode was composed by â â â â Cobey Bienertâ â â â â â  and â â â Peter Lalishâ â â
Reflector artwork by â â â â â â Jacob Bollâ â â â â  with assistance from ChatGPT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Strange Bedfellows Part II: The Q
Thursday, March 26, 2026 ⢠Duration 50:56
You can hear Part 3 of this series right now when you become a Longview subscriber by visiting us â here
Part two of Reflectorâs dive into the LGBTQ+ movement picks up with the arrival of the QsâŚand all that came after. Featuring interviews with prominent trans advocates and former leaders of major LGBTQ groups, episode 2 reveals the philosophical differences lurking beneath the surface within this alliance of non-conformists. With his usual immunity from embarrassment, Ben Kawaller explores how a movement for civil rights became a project to shape societyâs understanding of sex and gender.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:Dana Beyer â Early transgender rights advocate.Dr. Susan Stryker â Professor Emerita of Gender and Womenâs Studies at Arizona State University.Lorri Jean â Former CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.Herndon Graddick â Former president of GLAAD.Ben Appel â Journalist and author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic.Jennifer Finney Boylan â Transgender author, former president of PEN America and former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.Leor Sapir â Journalist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.Matthew McMurrow â Gay activist and adviser to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
LINKS:When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan T. Anderson
Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic by Ben Appel
The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism by J. Michael Bailey
Cleavage: Men, Woman, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger
Crossing: A Memoir by Deirdre Nansen McCloskey
The End of the Gay Rights Revolution: How Hubris and Overreach Threaten Gay Freedom by Ronan McCrea
Gay Shame: The Rise of Gender Ideology and the New Homophobia by Gareth Roberts
TRANS/GRESSIVE: How Transgender Activists Took on Gay Rights, Feminism, the Media & Congress⌠and Won! by Riki WilchinsGLAAD Media Reference Guide: Glossary of Terms
CREDITS:This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Ben Kawaller, Simon Adler, Ethan Mannello, and Seth Temple Andrews.
Music for this episode was composed by â â â â Cobey Bienertâ â â â â â  and â â â Peter Lalishâ â â
Reflector artwork by â â â â â â Jacob Bollâ â â â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Strange Bedfellows Part I: When LGB met T
Friday, March 20, 2026 ⢠Duration 41:24
You can hear Part 2 and 3 of this series right now when you become a Longview subscriber by visiting us here
Reflector goes gay with a three-part look at the movement known as LGBTQ. Episode one looks at how homosexuals went from being social outcasts in post-war America to the 21st centuryâs most successful civil rights story and what happened when transgender activists started getting in on the action. With humility, humor, and an almost compulsive lack of piety, reporter Ben Kawaller explores the origin story of one of the most polarizing abbreviations of the modern age, telling the story of how gays and lesbians became LGBT.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES:Dana Beyer â Early transgender rights advocate.Herndon Graddick â Former president of GLAAD.Lorri Jean â Former CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.Ben Appel â Journalist and author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic.Jamison Green â Early transgender rights advocate.
LINKS:â
The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in Americaâ by Charles Kaiserâ Beyond Queer: Challenging Left Orthodoxyâ , Ed. Bruce Bawerâ Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washingtonâ Â by James Kirchickâ How to Survive a Plagueâ Â by David France
CREDITS:This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Ben Kawaller, Simon Adler, Ethan Mannello, and Seth Temple Andrews.
Music for this episode was composed by â â â â Cobey Bienertâ â â â â â  and â â â Peter Lalishâ â â
Reflector artwork by â â â â â â Jacob Bollâ â â â â
â â
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
