Reflector

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 us⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠

THIS EPISODE FEATURES:

Estela Lopez, Kevin Cope

LINKS:

⁠Estela Lopez’s 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 Cope’s 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.
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What we call “homelessness” 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 us⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here

THIS EPISODE FEATURES:

Stephen Eide

LINKS:

60 Minutes segment on Joyce Brown

Stephen Eide at the Manhattan Institute

The New York Civil Liberties Union

Jack London’s memoir of his hobo years, The Road

Joyce Brown’s obituary

New York magazine story on Brown

Retro Report piece featuring Brown’s niece

Study on homelessness mortality

HUD’s 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

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 “believer,” 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 — 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter Lalish⁠⁠⁠⁠

Artwork by ⁠Jacob Boll⁠

WAKING UP OFFER:

Thank you to our partner Waking Up.

You can find their 14-day free trial ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

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⁠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 — one that's reshaping how we understand information, trust, and the future. But as these markets promise to make us wiser — cutting through noise, humbling the pollsters, giving us a cleaner read on what's actually going to happen — 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
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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 — U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

James Serpell — U Penn School of Veterinary Medicine

Hal Herzog, Katie’s 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter Lalish⁠⁠

Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices