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PODCAST

Talk Cocktail

Jeff Schechtman

Jeff Schechtman talks with authors, journalists, newsmakers and opinion shapers, and sheds light on the issues of the day, from local stories to national and international headlines and ideas. jeffschechtman.substack.com

news & politics

All Episodes

30:33

All Bets Are On

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/28

The sports betting explosion has unleashed a $500 billion monster that engulfs everything game its path. Since the Supreme Court opened the floodgates in 2018, betting and its betting apps bombard fans during every game, turning each play into another chance to wager. As millions will trade their paychecks for the dopamine hit of a winning bet during March Madness, the same leagues that banned Pete Rose now cozy up to sportsbooks. States hungrily eye their cut while young men are scientifically

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21:21

Robber Barons 2.0: Trump, Musk, and America’s New...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/26

What if Donald Trump’s strange fixation on William McKinley isn’t just historical trivia, but the key to understanding what happens next?On this WhoWhatWhy podcast, long-time journalist and author Chris Lehmann argues we’re not necessarily headed for authoritarian collapse — we’re rewinding to the Gilded Age.How might McKinley’s transformation from economic nationalist to global imperialist more than a century ago foreshadow Trump’s second term? Lehmann explores the forces that shaped McKinley’s

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30:33

All Bets Are On

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/22

The sports betting explosion has unleashed a $500 billion monster that engulfs everything game its path. Since the Supreme Court opened the floodgates in 2018, betting and its betting apps bombard fans during every game, turning each play into another chance to wager. As millions will trade their paychecks for the dopamine hit of a winning bet during March Madness, the same leagues that banned Pete Rose now cozy up to sportsbooks. States hungrily eye their cut while young men are scientifically

en

31:01

Warring Factions In The Democratic Party: The...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/15

Democrats once counted on the votes of blue-collar workers, but two rival teams of consultants saw change coming. Their fight over the party’s future still echoes today. Today, Democrats typically dominate America’s wealthiest zip codes while Republicans claim the mantle of the working class. What happened? In this WhoWhatWhy podcast, historian Timothy Shenk — author of Left Adrift: What Happened to Liberal Politics — takes us behind the scenes of this historic realignment. Get full access to Talk

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30:00

America’s Cultural Revolution From Self-Awareness to...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/13

How did America transform from a nation of self-aware optimists to one of angry cynics in less than two decades?In this recent WhoWhatWhy podcast I talk with political scientist Yascha Mounk, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins’s School of Advanced International Studies. He witnessed this cultural metamorphosis first hand after arriving in the US in 2005; his insights on this podcast paint a startling picture of how our society has fundamentally changed, and not for the better.

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30:00

America’s Cultural Revolution From Self-Awareness to...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/12

How did America transform from a nation of self-aware optimists to one of angry cynics in less than two decades?In this recent WhoWhatWhy podcast I talk with political scientist Yascha Mounk, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins’s School of Advanced International Studies. He witnessed this cultural metamorphosis first hand after arriving in the US in 2005; his insights on this podcast paint a startling picture of how our society has fundamentally changed, and not for the better. Get full access

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32:45

Beyond Pawns and Kings: A Map of the Global Chessboard

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/08

In a recent special WhoWhatWhy podcast, I spoke with Sam Ramani, an Oxford-trained geopolitical expert and associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Ramani, one of the foremost analysts of Russian global strategy, has become a trusted adviser to policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.Unlike mainstream analysis with its simplistic narratives, Ramani offers granular understanding built from years of meticulous research and on-the-ground insights. He reveals the hidden forces

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27:31

Taking Psychiatry to the Streets

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/05

In this otherwise grim moment, I share a glimpse of what real heroism looks like. In this recent California Sun Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Shayan Rab, associate medical director at Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, He explains his revolutionary, if controversial, approach to helping mentally ill homeless individuals. As the county’s first street psychiatrist. His innovative program combines medical treatment, housing assistance, and human connection. While challenging conventional

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29:35

Inside The Echo Machine with David Pakman

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/03

David Pakman, host of his eponymous podcast and program, joins me to talk about his book "The Echo Machine" and how right-wing extremism has methodically undermined America's shared information ecosystem over decades. Pakman and I discuss the deliberate fragmentation of media from talk radio through social media, explaining how this has eroded critical thinking and created parallel realities in American politics. Drawing from his position as both media practitioner and analyst, Pakman illuminates

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29:36

Inside The Echo Machine with David Pakman

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/01

David Pakman, host of his eponymous podcast and program, joins me to talk about his book "The Echo Machine" and how right-wing extremism has methodically undermined America's shared information ecosystem over decades. Pakman and I discuss the deliberate fragmentation of media from talk radio through social media, explaining how this has eroded critical thinking and created parallel realities in American politics.Drawing from his position as both media practitioner and analyst, Pakman illuminates the

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32:04

The Missile Defense Mirage

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/26

On this recent WhoWhatWhy podcast I explore the tantalizing dream of an impenetrable missile defense and its sobering realities.In an age of hypersonic weapons and artificial intelligence, can any nation truly build an impenetrable shield against missile attacks?As President Donald Trump signs an executive order calling for an “Iron Dome for America,” I talk with Marion Messmer, senior research fellow at London’s Chatham House International Security Program. She lays bare the real problems behind

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25:55

Neil Shubin On the Value of Earth's Frozen Edges

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/19

Renowned evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin joins me for an epic journey to Earth's most extreme polar frontiers.The author of the new book 'Ends of the Earth, explains why scientists are willing to brave bone-chilling environments where flesh freezes in seconds. Shubin shares with me stories of daring historical expeditions, cutting-edge climate research, and how these frozen landscapes hold the keys to our planet's past and future. We discuss human courage, scientific discovery, and the urgent

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25:55

Neil Shubin On the Value of Earth's Frozen Edges

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/19

Renowned evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin joins me for an epic journey to Earth's most extreme polar frontiers. The author of the new book 'Ends of the Earth, explains why scientists are willing to brave bone-chilling environments where flesh freezes in seconds. Shubin shares with me stories of daring historical expeditions, cutting-edge climate research, and how these frozen landscapes hold the keys to our planet's past and future. We discuss human courage, scientific discovery, and the urgent

en

26:04

Paper Tiger, Hidden Fragility: The Truth Behind...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/17

Is China’s unstoppable rise actually a carefully constructed illusion?In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation who spent over 15 years in the US government analyzing military and political issues related to China. Heath peels back layers of propaganda to reveal a surprisingly fragile superpower wrestling with existential challenges.

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26:05

Paper Tiger, Hidden Fragility: The Truth Behind...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/15

Is China’s unstoppable rise actually a carefully constructed illusion?In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation who spent over 15 years in the US government analyzing military and political issues related to China.Heath peels back layers of propaganda to reveal a surprisingly fragile superpower wrestling with existential challenges. Get full access to Talk Cocktail Podcast at jeffschechtman.substack.com/subscribe

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42:32

A Weather Event With Fire Embedded

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/12

As the embers go cold, the smoke clears and the ashes are carted off in Los Angeles a stark reality emerges: not just winds but climate change played a significant role in this deadly and destructive event.A new World Weather Attribution study found that human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of extreme fire conditions by 35 percent and intensified their severity. In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, Daniel Swain, a leading climate scientist at UCLA and the University of California’s

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42:34

A Weather Event With Fire Embedded

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/12

As the embers go cold, the smoke clears and the ashes are carted off in Los Angeles a stark reality emerges: not just winds but climate change played a significant role in this deadly and destructive event.A new World Weather Attribution study found that human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of extreme fire conditions by 35 percent and intensified their severity.In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, Daniel Swain, a leading climate scientist at UCLA and the University of California’s

en

32:24

What Brand Cult Are You a Member Of?

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/08

Dr. Mara Einstein takes us beyond the shopping cart to explore how brands have become modern-day tribes, offering comfort and connection in a fragmented world. But are we shaping our brand choices, or are they shaping us—designed to appeal to our deepest needs? Drawing on insights from her book Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults, reveals how cult-like marketing tactics, amplified by influencers and algorithms, now shape our identities, emotions, and communities. Together, we

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25:15

More Partisan Politics, Please

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/05

On a recent WhoWhatWhy podcast, I spoke with Princeton historian Julian Zelizer who offers a provocative argument from his new book In Defense of Partisanship. At a time when nearly a third of Americans view both major parties with disgust and many blame partisan loyalty for our democratic decay, Zelizer says that strong, disciplined political parties — not feel-good Biden-style bipartisanship — have historically been crucial to America’s greatest achievements.The problem isn’t that parties fight

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25:15

More Partisan Politics, Please

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/02/05

On a recent WhoWhatWhy podcast, I spoke with Princeton historian Julian Zelizer who offers a provocative argument from his new book In Defense of Partisanship. At a time when nearly a third of Americans view both major parties with disgust and many blame partisan loyalty for our democratic decay, Zelizer says that strong, disciplined political parties — not feel-good Biden-style bipartisanship — have historically been crucial to America’s greatest achievements.The problem isn’t that parties fight

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1,369 results

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