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Michael Franzese, former captain in the Colombo family, on his more than five-decade journey into and out of organized crime -- a career choice that most often ends in life in prison and/or an early funeral. Franzese, 74, is now a wine mogul, author and speaker.

Legacy news exile. Digital media insurgent. All-around enfant terrible and friend of the show. Mosheh Oinounou of Mo News on the battle for Warner Bros; the midterm reckoning for Trump II; incoming NYC Mayor Mamdani; and the enormous challenge of rebuilding Gaza.

Jesse Crosson on finding hope, purpose and himself after 19 years of incarceration. His book is The Best Part of Prison: The Power of Second Chances and Reclaiming Life Out of Darkness

Texas grandpa Kent Burris -- you know him as @ dinewithkent on TikTok and Instagram -- on hitting it big globally with his earnest restaurant visits. A highway construction exec by day, Burris moonlights as a champion of small biz ...blasting his smartphone posts on Ethiopian, Persian, Cameroonian, (every) cuisine from his travel trailer.

Chef Patrick O'Connell of the renowned Inn at Little Washington on turning a run-down stretch of rural Virginia into a three-star Michelin destination. Recorded for an audience at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

DJ Eric Rhodes discusses hitting it big on social media -- from Idaho. The mashup artist (Tone Loc + New Order?!) now travels the globe to spin, and gets pitched by brands and ad agencies.

Bestselling author Bill Janovitz on his book, The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told. Behind the MTV-heyday personas and chart-toppers: so much hurt and dysfunction -- from family disintegration to alcohol abuse and grown men too reluctant to open up to one another.

Author and satirist Gary Shteyngart joined NPR's Mary Childs and Chioke I'Anson at Richmond's Institute for Contemporary Art. The New Yorker recently featured Shteyngart in mini-doc “The Guy Who Got Cut Wrong.”

The investigative journalist, Oscar nominee and Bernie Sanders 2020 speechwriter on his new book, Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America.

Comedian, amateur historian, edutainer and TikTok/Insta star Cory Bradford's social media breakout. This episode has strong language.

Axios global affairs correspondent Barak Ravid on Gaza, Israel, the broader Mideast and U.S. two years after the October 7 attacks. Ravid's 2023 book is Trump's Peace: The Abraham Accords And The Reshaping Of The Middle East.

Google "Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales." Then listen to this interview with authors Sean Oliver and Rick Morales, Jr., on their "true story of a mythic Cuban exile, assassin, CIA operative, FBI informant, smuggler and Dad" -- perhaps the most infamous man in the infamous history of Miami.

Actor, producer, director Mike Henry — known for voicing multiple characters on “Family Guy” — on finding his groove after crashing out of the ad biz; sitcoms in the age of streaming; the opportunities in A.I.; much more. Ian Stewart guest hosts.

In case you missed it, highlights from recent episodes: actor Samuel Roukin; public media's Kenya Young; Puck's Julia Alexander. Full episodes also on YouTube.

Puck's Julia Alexander -- one of the most followed voices in the realm of media disruption -- on legacy Hollywood, streaming, YouTube, cable news, Netflix, Amazon and Apple...so much more.

Actor, DJ, voiceover and video game star Samuel Roukin -- renowned for his role as John Graves Simcoe on AMC's hit series "Turn" -- on staying alive, solvent and hopeful through Hollywood's post-streaming-binge hangover.

NPR veteran Kenya Young on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's shutdown; hard choices for member stations; and the scramble to find new business models to sustain the service. Young, an alum of Morning Edition and WNYC, is the new president and CEO of Louisville Public Media.

Bloomberg Intelligence's Eric Balchunas on the heyday of exchange-traded funds -- a multi-trillion-dollar megatrend that has democratized investing for Mom & Pop and dragged Wall Street into all sorts of cheaper / faster / better.

In case you missed it: highlights from recent episodes. Noosphere's Jane Ferguson; ABC News Washington chief Rick Klein; The Economist's Mideast watcher Gregg Carlstrom.

Foreign correspondent Jane Ferguson -- PBS News; The New Yorker; Afghanistan; Somalia; Sudan -- on founding Noosphere. Amid the continued decline of linear TV and other legacy media, the app connects journalists and content creators with their viewers / subscribers.