Fraudsters

Picture this: it’s the mid-'90s. Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise dominates the airwaves, and America’s crime hysteria is peaking. It’s the perfect time for a new villain to emerge: the “superpredator.” Tune in as we unravel the fear-mongering myth born from flawed statistics, Ivy League arrogance, and moral panic—spearheaded by Princeton professor John DiIulio. We explore how this theory intersected with the 1994 Crime Bill, fueling mass incarceration and devastating policies, with guests Kris Henning (Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Georgetown Law) and Yasmin Cader (Deputy Director at the ACLU). Through stories like Terrance Lewis’s—wrongfully imprisoned for 22 years—we reveal the human cost of a lie that reshaped America’s justice system.

In the summer of 1989, President George H.W. Bush’s War on Drugs needs a dramatic touch for his first national address: a bag of crack cocaine bought steps from the White House. The DEA zeroes in on Keith Jackson, an unsuspecting young dealer, luring him into a dangerous setup to secure the president’s controversial prop. As Bush’s speech electrifies the nation, Keith faces life-altering consequences, sparking questions about political theater, selective justice, and a deeply flawed system. Tune in now as we dive into the chilling tactics used in America’s zero-tolerance crusade with the help of our guest, journalist Jefferson Morley.

This week we’re taking a step back to Miami, 1987. South Beach is buzzing, and the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) looks like any other bank—until you take a closer look. BCCI was no ordinary financial institution. It was a global hub for money laundering, arms deals, and shady alliances with everyone from Columbian drug lords to CIA operatives. In this episode, we unravel the rise and fall of BCCI, led by Agha Hasan Abedi. From secretive offshore accounts to "rent-a-face" deals with Arab monarchs, this was a bank that did it all...until it all fell apart. Tune in now to catch the full story!

Get ready for a deep dive into America’s anti-drug propaganda! This week, we’re tackling everything from Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” crusade to McGruff the Crime Dog and the DARE program. We’re digging up the roots of these campaigns, exploring how they reshaped public perception and exposing the contradictions of Nancy’s White House role. From the scare tactics of Harry Anslinger to those unforgettable ‘80s and ‘90s PSA (“This is Your Brain on Drugs” and so much more) we break down how these campaigns blamed users while ignoring the real issues behind addiction.

We're not done with Reagan just yet! This week, we’re honing in on the crack epidemic and its devastating impact on Black communities. We unpack the 1980s shift in American politics, where Reagan's policies expanded Nixon's "War on Drugs" and utilized racially coded language to criminalize Black Americans. We’ve got expert guests, Yasmin Cader, Dr. Sheila Vakharia, and Professor Anne Foster on the show to talk through the anti-drug legislation that introduced harsh mandatory minimums and sentencing disparities, targeting crack cocaine users disproportionately over powdered cocaine users. Hmmm… I wonder why…. All that and we touch on the media’s role in sensationalizing the “crack epidemic,” Congress’s bipartisan support for punitive policies, and all of the devastating consequences of Reagan’s militarization of the War on Drugs.